Little stories

What do we miss?

There is a quite popular Chinese Restuarant in Brighton which I often go, but I won’t mention its name here. I like their company more than the food, I have known all the staff during these years. Even though I concern myself an international traveller, but also Chinese food is a heeling pill for my homesickness, being able to speak Chinese with them for a while is a big pleasure!

Over years, I have seen some of the people who works there left and new faces instead, but there is one thing always the same, the friendly smile on everybody’s face—-that’s what I like! Also, they have seen the changing in my life as well: coming with my late husband every weekend, then on my own, then with different friend… I can’t forget one of them said to me:” Take care of yourself, everything is going to be fine” I didn’t know how did they know that I lost my husband, but the words did make me feel so warm.

Alex became the manager few months ago, and I congratulated him and he is a lovely person. He is short even for a chinaman, and chatting with me on the side of my table often. But I hvaen’t seen him since I came back from my holiday. I asked why.

“Have you read the news on last week’s paper?” one of them asked me.

“No, sorry.” I answered.

 Pure or Not Pure?

Whilst I was wondering around in Brighton where I live, and saw this slim Chinese man walking towards me. I greeted to him in Chinese, and he greeted me back, so we started knowing each other, he let me know his name FeiCai as I told him my name is Hong Wei.

Mr. Fei was an English teacher in a middle school in Shunde,Guangdong province China. He and another 29 teachers were sent by their school to here for improving their English skill, which was good thing to do. They had been here for almost three months and would go back to home soon. Mr.Fei was a honest looking man with a pair of glassed on his nose, you could easily tell that he was kind of person who loves reading or studying.

Then I met him again on the way to a friend’s birthday party, this time we exchanged our telephone numbers, which I asked his first as I would like see him again and chat with him. I was in some kind of party dress on, and the way Mr. Fei looked at me was a little strange but I didn’t have time to think about it.

On one Saturday, I had nothing to do, thought giving Mr. Fei a call, seeing what he was up to.

“Hi, Mr. Fei, It’s me, Hong Wei, do you remember me? Would you like to come over and meet up with me?” I was bit excited for my idea.

“Oh, Umm…Ok, but can I bring some of my classmates with me?” he said on the phone.

I got the feeling that he wasn’t keen on coming on his own,thought that he might be shy. 

The day before they leaving the UK, Mr. Fei called me and letting me know they were going to leave soon, he also asked if I could meet him near where he lived. “Sure!” I rode my bike went to the place on time.

He was quite dressed up and actually he was a nice looking man.

We sat on the bench near the sea front and chatted to each other. The surface of the sea was so calm.

I started knowing him that he was on his thirty’s and still single, no girlfriend, “It’s unusual in our part of the town, people wondering if I have any problem when they know I am still single.” he stopped. “But there were few girls liked me in the past, one of them even came to my home asking me to merry her.”

“Wow, what did you say?” I was asking.

“I was frightened and hidden in door.”

Poor girl, poor him, I thought.

“I am a country boy and worked hard in the farm when I was living at home. Something like girls, sex etc. were such a mystery for me, I remember that the very first time when I saw a post of a naked woman in my friend’s room, oh dear, I was so worried about myself after that.”

“Worried about what?”

…

“I was worried about I wasn’t pure any more, I felt sorry for my father..”

“For your father? Why?” I was so confused by what he was saying.

“My father taught me to be a good man, but I wasn’t good enough, I shouldn’t look at the naked woman..” he had that kind of sincerity on his face.

 

“Ha! Ha! …” I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.

 

It was nice meeting up with him and I felt sorry I had to leave in such a short time. He thought he wasn’t “pure” any more, but I think he was very cute, on some way. Started imagine who is going to be his wife? No idea. But one thing I was sure whoever being his wife, he would treat her well, just like the way his father treats his mother.

—–Aug.2007

 

 

 

 

 

Boy or girl?

On my friend’s boyfriend’s birthday party, I was bored and would like to leave. “Why do you want to leave? The party has just started.” my another friend Tim asked me. Tim was with his friend who introduced himself, Chris. Then Tim offered to buy me a drink,so I decided I would stay with those two.

“Tell you the good news, I am going to get married next month!” Chris said. He and Tim they both work at fire station, so two of them liked two body guards standing beside me.

“Wow, that’s great!” I was cheering with him.

“We have only met for two weeks, but I believe that she is the right one for me!” Chris looked happy and even showed me the tattoo on his neck of his girlfriend’s name. I am even admired about their strong love feeling.

Tim and me we both cheered for him again.

I felt so good being with those two muscling, real men together, felt myself liking a soft real woman. Then three of us walked along the sea front.

I really liked Chris, I mean he was so brave and believing his love to his girl friend, and he liked a real man who was both strong outside and inside.

Whilst Chris walked ahead talking with his girlfriend on the phone, Tim talked to me:” Hong, I will tell you something you might be shocked.”

” Me? shocked? No way, try.” For a minute, I thought Tim was drunk.

“Well, Chris is a girl.”

..

“What?”

“I said, Chris is a girl. Can’t you tell?” Tim said again.

I stood there with my mouth wild open. I looked at Chris who was chatting on the mobile phone with wild thick shoulders and back..

Chris turned around:”Hi, guys what are you talking about?”

“We…” I couldn’t say a thing, then the last thing I did was running and running.. until I couldn’t hear of them.

Second day, I called Tim out for lunch, confirmed the news(actually sames everybody knew except me!). Chris is going to merry his, no her girlfriend next month.

The thinking of love

When I was a teenager, the very first time I felt in love with someone, I asked my best girlfriend:”Love and being loved, which one is more important?” She answered me:”Being loved is more important to me, as it is something just happens by luck. ” Later on we found out we were both in love with the same person, this person was in love with none of us at all, so we both gave him up. We gave up our love and waiting for being loved.

So, love and being loved, which one do you prefer?

If the love becomes the strong desire of being loved, can the love is true? because being loved to love, how long can it last?

Swing in between love and being loved.

My mind should be as calm as the water in the lake…without love means love forever.

Credit

Credit card still is a new thing in China. I remember in year 2000, I got my first credit cards of Citibank in New York, outside the college I was studying. A young man asked me if I would like a credit card, I said:”yes” then filled up the form with his help. After a week I got two credit cards. Had not had any idea about how to use it, just knew that I could use it to buy things in the shop without paying any money. I had only spent $10 dollars within two weeks.(I started feeling a bit worried) Then I got the monthly bill for paying back the $10 dollars plus the interest and the service fee. Few weeks later, my brother came for visiting from China and stayed with me for a while. Of course, he didn’t have any idea about the credit card neither. “Hi, David(my brother’s English name), it is great! Now I can buy food without paying money.” I was telling him with great excitement! “No, I still can’t believe it. There isn’t such lucky thing in the world, give you goods before you pay for it?! Well, anyway, I don’t think you should take an advantage of the bank. They give you the cards for free already, you should put enough money in your account before you spending the money.” He was so sure, so we went to the bank straight away. We filled up the little form in the bank and waiting in the long line. When it was our turn, the lady behind the window looked at the bill of my credit card and the $500 dollars cash I passed to her, asked me:” Are you sure you want put this much money into your credit card?” “Yes! so I can use my money to buying things!” I felt so good afterwards, so proud of myself for using my own money.

A little story for you to laugh about… Aug.02,07            

 

——– 

Qiqi’ greeting 

My daughter’s name is Qiqi, she is 13-year-old now and her birthday is on the Valentines Day.

In this Summer Holiday, Simon and I invited her come to England and stay with us for about two months. As this is her very first time travelling on her own, I was little bit nervous started with… but there was no problem and we picked her up in Heathrow Airport London.

During her staying, when Simon asked: “Qiqi, have you ever had Fish Chips before?”

Qiqi’s answer would be: “No, never.”

Simon then asked Qiqi writing a list about the things which she had never done before she came to England, Qiqi said:”OK.” On the second day, the list came out with 12 things on it.

I made a joke about this, when ever I want hear Qiqi’s cute voice— “ Never”, I would ask Simon to find something to ask Qiqi quietly, then I heard qiqi’s “Never”, it’s lovely.

In China, family members don’t kiss each other before they go to bed as saying “good night!” When Simon kissed Qiqi, I could tell that Qiqi was a little bit uncomfortable. Then she just gave her chin to Simon for the kiss instead.  After few days, Simon was complaining: “Your daughter has never given me one kiss!” I laughed: “No, never!” and tried to explain why. Last night, before I went the bed, I told Qiqi: “Dearest, people here kiss each other before they go to the bed, so please give Simon a kiss, it will make him happy!” Qiqi looked at me, nodded her head, it means “OK.” In the bedroom, I heard they greeting each other for “Good night!” then saw Simon coming into bedroom with big smile on his face. “He sure got his kiss from Qiqi.” I told myself.

“So, now you are happy! sweetheart!” I said,

“Yes, it’s good, I shook her hand for good night instead!”

—–Hong, Aug.2006

My first half-marathon

On the 19th of Feb.2006. A rainy and windy Sunday, I ran my first Half Marathon of my entire life, the 16th Sussex Bencon Half Marathon, total 13.1 miles. I am not an excellent runner, so I finished in 2:22:54 hours.

I had never been a strong athlete and never thought that I could run before I met my husband Simon in New York in the year 2000. Simon is a good sportsman with a very positive attitude and he also writes health book. I started running with him in New Jersey. Within the last 5 years, we have travelled to many countries, we usually started our visit to each new place by jogging. Especially during our sailing trip from New York to Sydney.

Besides physically, I am also getting stronger mentally since the day I started jogging. I knew I could finish the 13.1 miles before the race even though I had never been properly trained. I just knew it. During the race I kept telling myself: “I will do it! I will finish it!”. felt like I was racing with myself not other runners. I pushed myself to finish the 13.1 miles without any stop by thinking about how Simon would be proud of me!

I am so happy I did it even though I am suffering terrible leg and knee pain now. Thank you Simon and my dear friend—Elizabeth who met me at the finishing line, which I almost wanted to cry, thank you for your support.

—-Hong

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