The other evening I had a quiet smoke with a bird. I was outside with a cheroot when a dark brown pigeon wandered over.
Dark brown is, for San Francisco’s flying rats, a rather unusual hue. It is possible that the other pigeons were a bit offish with an individual of different colouration, that’s why it sought my company. They’re probably okay with the pigeons that have rusty pink feathers – heck, they might even obsess about them, who knows what fetishes exist in the mind of a bird – but chocolate with metallic touches is rare.
The bird kept me company for the duration of the cigar.
Very civilized and friendly.
“I am 'other' but beautiful, oh pigeons of Jerusalem!”
On a related note, I have been wondering almost obsessively about an eight year-old girl-child I saw the other day.
While riding the bus I saw her mother drop her off at school.
That particular school is in Chinatown. It is an almost completely Chinese grammar school.
The little girl in question is white.
She has probably already picked up some very interesting locutions while there, words that her mother has never heard before.
It must be an interesting experience, being the only Caucasian in class. The other girls are almost certainly intrigued by her hair - not only does it look different, but it feels different - as well as her interesting non-standard eyes. How odd, yet how pretty.
When she’s older, she and her friends will probably go around the corner after school to purchase snacks – and she’ll flabbergast the shopkeeper when she answers unselfconsciously in Cantonese.
You remember the bemused scrunch to Kermit the Frog’s face at times on the Muppet Show, yes?
Please imagine that same expression on the face of a shopkeeper on Stockton Street when a three foot six inch tall small white female person with blondish hair says, “wah, taai gwai-lah, gam do chien....., yau mow peng-di ge, ah sook?”
I would very much like to be a fly on the wall at that moment.
Throughout her life she will surprise people.
Marvelous!
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2 comments:
I had the reverse experience while visiting a friend in central China. I'm of Chinese descent but only understand Cantonese. He's Caucasion and knows a fair bit of Mandarin. I'd unconsciously "ignore" people because I didn't know they were talking to me. He'd step up and answer their questions for me. The looks we received were hilarious.
It was a good trip.
He also taught me how to smoke a pipe.
Yeah, when my ex and I were still a couple, that happened to us too.
She's clearly of Cantonese ancestry, whereas I look like I shouldn't speak a word of Chinese.
But when a little white girl does is, it's just so much cuter, and more startling. Also disarming.
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