Recovery, Part III

[Part I, Part II, and this is Part III. If you're new to the blog, read this first for context]

"I've missed you."

She recognized me. Maybe the rest would go just as smooth.

I didn't know what to say. Did I miss her? Err... even I did, that wouldn't be the right answer. Not in America... but this is China. Cute is more important than cool. Cool doesn't even exist as we understand it. I need a comeback. Quickly

"I missed you too?"

Fumble. Dru snickers.

"How've you been?" I hate those moments of clarity when I realize just how bad I am courting women.

"Tomorrow is my last night working here."

Great, it's obvious I just hopped a cab across town to see her and thinks I'm a stalker and is quitting now...

"Why is that," I ask. "I thought you liked Cozy's?"

The band was playing loudly in the background. I felt bad that the dancefloor cleared whenever they came back on and the DJ stopped spinning.

"I'm going to Beijing for university!"

Her face lit up when she said that. You had to be smart to get out of your hometown. Of all the high school teachers I met at Jixian, only two had scores high enough to go somewhere else besides Tianjin Foreign Language University. Going to Beijing was gold. This girl had brains.

I could tell she was looking for me to be excited. I wasn't.

"That's awesome!"

It's funny how communication works like that here. Most of what native language speakers say is loaded with subtextual meanings, things other native speakers naturally pick up. She had told me she'd like to go to Beijing for college last we spoke. I took it as that - a wish - not a fulfilled desire.

"And you leave this weekend?"

My small dreams were crushed. I wasn't looking for anything serious or particularly devious. Just some flirty company if nothing else. Something to think about other than what to read next, watch next, or blog next. I knew I'd be leaving Tianjin soon.

I tried having a deeper conversation about leaving home. Conversations like that are hard with non-native speakers, even harder with a Fillipino band blasting a Will Smith cover behind me. The conversation petered out and she went to get someone else a drink.

Dru left for a moment and I sparked up a conversation with an Aussie sitting next to us. I told him the story of the lost phone number and we got a laugh. We got into a long conversation about expat life in China all the while ignoring Ju. I have a tendancy to ignore that which bothers me.

Dru wins Wingman of the Year prize. He sparked a conversation and snagged her email for me while I was deep in conversation analyzing the materialism in Chinese culture. He also found out her boyfriend worked at the bar too.

"Dude... no use on the email. Seriously... boyfriend and she's moving out of town."

"Shut up. Email her. You can be her first Beijing boyfriend. Jesus, man, I leave you alone for five minutes and you're talking to a bald man! Come on, stay with it!"

We left Cozy for Tsingtao and grilled cheeses at Ali Babba's for a post-situation round-up and laugh... which brings us to the end. Dru wrote the email down wrong, but it's all good. It wasn't really about just her, it was about getting out and doing something... an adventure. Something to think about besides my next lesson or my next meal.




Tags: Treyopia China Stories Life Tianjin Recovery clubs expat night life