A pleasant surprise

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Lady 1: .....so I needed two batteries
Lady 2: But you bought only one battery, right?
Lady 1: Well I already had one battery
Lady 2: So...um....you really only *needed* one battery
Lady 1: Aren't we both saying the same thing?

That conversation about sums up my experience in Beijing so far. OK it doesn't, but it seemed like a nice way to start this piece anyhow.

It's funny how being in a new place makes you question certain things that we take for granted everywhere else, and makes you question the basics again. For instance, who plans the color code for taxis, and really...what are they thinking? I think the basic criteria for this decision basically can be summed up in - 'find two colors that stand out, but are hideous enough together that no one would ever be caught dead actually buying a car with those colors.

...or break stereotypes. I always thought that Indians were likely among the most hospitable peoples in the world, but I'm dead wrong. We have serious competition from the Chinese. The service industry here is built around the central premise of pampering people...just as long as they can understand you and vice versa.

...or cement stereotypes. Like the exotic foods. In two days, I've had four firsts - duck meat, frog meat, ox meat and goose meat.

...or find some things that are just hilarious. The police here drive around in Hyundais. Wonder who they can catch in those...

...or find out that some lady in China actually I'm handsome....I think I'm going to settle down here 😊

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Comments

[Akhil]

cop cars
hehhehe... and u expect cops in india to catch *anyone* at all... when they are driving the old jeeps .. or the bulky sumos... hell they ride hero hondas n cbz .. or sometimes P180.. while we have bullets n Zmas n P220 .. having higher displacements .. torque and much higher powers.... p.s. hideous taxi colors.. ahahha.. i agreee...

[sunita rao..u know who:)]

Awesom dude, entertaining post