Ok, this is not my tale but I have permission to share:A couple moved into town recently, found an apartment, cleaned it and headed to the antique furniture market with another couple. They bought enough to load a bike guy to the sky and told him where to deliver it. There was no room for them to ride with him and he did not want to follow them on their bikes so the guys went with him anyway and the girls headed for the apartment together. When the girls arrived at their building, the street had just been laid with fresh black asphalt. "We need to cross" they told someone. "Oh, no that is quite impossible".
"No, you don't understand, we have a truck coming with furniture right now, we have to cross!" The building manager came out, and again they argued, she saying they could come back on the 23, (this happened last week) and they demanding to cross now. "We already paid the rent and have been cleaning in the apartment all week!" This was a shock to the building manager who had already asserted that no one lived in the building. "Wo de dongxi lai xianzai!!!" That is broken Chinese for "Our stuff is coming right NOW!!!" Finally, one of the girls said, "You know, in America, we could cross on the same day it's poured" hoping that the respect for western everything would help them out. "Well, that's America, this is CHINA!" the building manager retorted. She looked at the street worker, hoping to impress him, "Zai Meiguo, women keyi tso lu"(In America, we could walk on it) "Keyi", he said. "Nimen keyi(you can)" At last! Permission granted! They called up the husband and asked what was taking so long with the furniture and where were they. "We're in the apartment, where are you?" "What! How did you get in, they're paving the street all around the building! We have been arguing with them for 30min just to get across!", she almost screeched. "No they're not.........where ARE you? The girls looked at each other and one said to the other, "Ok, don't say a word, get on your bike and ride away quietly." The street workers and manager are still waiting for a bike full of dongxi that will never come.
"No, you don't understand, we have a truck coming with furniture right now, we have to cross!" The building manager came out, and again they argued, she saying they could come back on the 23, (this happened last week) and they demanding to cross now. "We already paid the rent and have been cleaning in the apartment all week!" This was a shock to the building manager who had already asserted that no one lived in the building. "Wo de dongxi lai xianzai!!!" That is broken Chinese for "Our stuff is coming right NOW!!!" Finally, one of the girls said, "You know, in America, we could cross on the same day it's poured" hoping that the respect for western everything would help them out. "Well, that's America, this is CHINA!" the building manager retorted. She looked at the street worker, hoping to impress him, "Zai Meiguo, women keyi tso lu"(In America, we could walk on it) "Keyi", he said. "Nimen keyi(you can)" At last! Permission granted! They called up the husband and asked what was taking so long with the furniture and where were they. "We're in the apartment, where are you?" "What! How did you get in, they're paving the street all around the building! We have been arguing with them for 30min just to get across!", she almost screeched. "No they're not.........where ARE you? The girls looked at each other and one said to the other, "Ok, don't say a word, get on your bike and ride away quietly." The street workers and manager are still waiting for a bike full of dongxi that will never come.
Okay so you weren't actually a part of this crew right? :-) Too funny! Talk about losing face.
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