So the weirdest thing happened to me yesterday. On Thursday night I went out to dinner with one of my swimming friends, we went to a chuan chuan (hot pot with sticks) place. While we were eating, I was trying to make conversation and mentioned that I was going indoor swimming again on Friday night. I had arranged to go swimming with this guy who saw me in the paper and came to ChuanDa to meet me. I thought that was kind of weird, but that I had met lots of people randomly and he seemed like a normal enough guy so I agreed to go. My swimming lady did not agree. That night she called me just as I was going to sleep and I didn't feel like answering the phone so I l
et it ring for probably about 15 minutes straight until I finally picked up just to make it stop. She was calling to tell me she didn't think I should go swimming Friday night and I should send her his phone number. I told her I would and I would talk to her tomorrow, just so she would stop calling and I could go to sleep. This is a picture of me and Huangjie, in the blue coat. The next morning while I was in class she sent me 4 text messages reiterating the same thing. When I got a break from class I sent her a message back that said I was grateful she was so worried about me that it was nothing to worry about and that if I had any problem at all I would just call her. She sent me a message back that said she understood, but could I give her his number. So I text messaged her back his number, but that I thought this was not necessary and that I appreciated her concern but I could take care of myself and there was no need to worry. After that I didn't hear back from her. Later that afternoon I got a text message from the guy I was going to go swimming with that said something like "I'm confused, it's up to you." I didn't really know what he was talking about so I just replied that was sorry for any confusion and had been very busy but still wanted to go swimming this evening. He said "that's not what I was talking about, but OK I'll see you at 7." I was confused too at this point, so I just said OK. When I met with him at 7pm and he said that someone from ChuanDa had called him and said that it was against the rules for me to hang out with people outside of school because I was some sort of VIP on the ChuanDa campus. I didn't really get it but I just told him I was sorry for the confusion. So then we went to the swimming pool. I picked a lane and started swimming. When I stopped to rest, I saw an older woman from my ChuanDa swimming team there! I asked her what she was doing there are she said that she was a regular at this pool and everyone knew her there so my swimming grandpa had asked her to come and watch me to make sure I was OK!
This is a picture of me and Swimming ayi (swimming aunt). Apparently Huang jie (the woman I had
eaten dinner with) had called her and swimming grandpa to see what they thought about this new friend I had made and they all decided that it was very dangerous and that I shouldn't go and somehow found out I went anyway. I'm not really sure. At this point I introduced her to the guy that I had come with and then didn't know what else to do, so I just kept swimming. While I was swimming I saw her asking him all these questions. She told me as we were walking out that she was asking him for his student ID and registration numbers and his danwei (work unit) and phone number and essentially grilling him about who he was and why he wanted to know me. At about 9pm the pool was closing and we got out and I told the guy I would meet him in the lobby. Then I went to the locker room. My swimming ayi said a few more things to the boy before following me into the locker room. She really did know everybody there and was chatting with everybody while I got changed. When I was ready to go she said that she rode her bike here and asked me how I had come. I told her my bike was back at West gate (where I had met the guy) and we had driven his car here. She said that she would walk back with me and that swimming grandpa would want her to escort me back to make sure I got home OK. I thought that she had told the guy that after I left so I agreed. Plus, I already felt bad that I had put my swimming friends through so much trouble, even though it was unsolicited it was because I had not listened to them in the first place. So at this point I was willing to just go along with whatever they wanted to do. As we were walking home I asked her if she had in fact told the guy that I was going home with her. She said no, I should call him. So I called they guy and had to tell him that I had already gone home with my "teacher" and maybe I would see him again at the pool some time. Swimming ayi had told him that if he wanted to get to know me he could come to the Chuan Da pool to talk, where they could supervise I guess. I feel really bad for this guy and hope I don't hear from him again, for his sake. Swimming ayi walked me back to my bike and I rode home. I really don't know how to feel about this whole exchange. I am flattered that they are worried about me, but now I feel like I can't make any new friends. I also feel bad that they had to go through so much trouble, but also a little offended that they won't let me take care of myself. It is all very strange. Well, I'll see them all tomorrow and hopefully it will all be over and we can just move on.......to the next adventure.
et it ring for probably about 15 minutes straight until I finally picked up just to make it stop. She was calling to tell me she didn't think I should go swimming Friday night and I should send her his phone number. I told her I would and I would talk to her tomorrow, just so she would stop calling and I could go to sleep. This is a picture of me and Huangjie, in the blue coat. The next morning while I was in class she sent me 4 text messages reiterating the same thing. When I got a break from class I sent her a message back that said I was grateful she was so worried about me that it was nothing to worry about and that if I had any problem at all I would just call her. She sent me a message back that said she understood, but could I give her his number. So I text messaged her back his number, but that I thought this was not necessary and that I appreciated her concern but I could take care of myself and there was no need to worry. After that I didn't hear back from her. Later that afternoon I got a text message from the guy I was going to go swimming with that said something like "I'm confused, it's up to you." I didn't really know what he was talking about so I just replied that was sorry for any confusion and had been very busy but still wanted to go swimming this evening. He said "that's not what I was talking about, but OK I'll see you at 7." I was confused too at this point, so I just said OK. When I met with him at 7pm and he said that someone from ChuanDa had called him and said that it was against the rules for me to hang out with people outside of school because I was some sort of VIP on the ChuanDa campus. I didn't really get it but I just told him I was sorry for the confusion. So then we went to the swimming pool. I picked a lane and started swimming. When I stopped to rest, I saw an older woman from my ChuanDa swimming team there! I asked her what she was doing there are she said that she was a regular at this pool and everyone knew her there so my swimming grandpa had asked her to come and watch me to make sure I was OK!
This is a picture of me and Swimming ayi (swimming aunt). Apparently Huang jie (the woman I had eaten dinner with) had called her and swimming grandpa to see what they thought about this new friend I had made and they all decided that it was very dangerous and that I shouldn't go and somehow found out I went anyway. I'm not really sure. At this point I introduced her to the guy that I had come with and then didn't know what else to do, so I just kept swimming. While I was swimming I saw her asking him all these questions. She told me as we were walking out that she was asking him for his student ID and registration numbers and his danwei (work unit) and phone number and essentially grilling him about who he was and why he wanted to know me. At about 9pm the pool was closing and we got out and I told the guy I would meet him in the lobby. Then I went to the locker room. My swimming ayi said a few more things to the boy before following me into the locker room. She really did know everybody there and was chatting with everybody while I got changed. When I was ready to go she said that she rode her bike here and asked me how I had come. I told her my bike was back at West gate (where I had met the guy) and we had driven his car here. She said that she would walk back with me and that swimming grandpa would want her to escort me back to make sure I got home OK. I thought that she had told the guy that after I left so I agreed. Plus, I already felt bad that I had put my swimming friends through so much trouble, even though it was unsolicited it was because I had not listened to them in the first place. So at this point I was willing to just go along with whatever they wanted to do. As we were walking home I asked her if she had in fact told the guy that I was going home with her. She said no, I should call him. So I called they guy and had to tell him that I had already gone home with my "teacher" and maybe I would see him again at the pool some time. Swimming ayi had told him that if he wanted to get to know me he could come to the Chuan Da pool to talk, where they could supervise I guess. I feel really bad for this guy and hope I don't hear from him again, for his sake. Swimming ayi walked me back to my bike and I rode home. I really don't know how to feel about this whole exchange. I am flattered that they are worried about me, but now I feel like I can't make any new friends. I also feel bad that they had to go through so much trouble, but also a little offended that they won't let me take care of myself. It is all very strange. Well, I'll see them all tomorrow and hopefully it will all be over and we can just move on.......to the next adventure.
2 comments:
You should be flattered.
It's interesting that the ladies assumed
1) That the gentleman's intentions could not be honorable, at least not with a Foreign Girl and
2) That you couldn't take care of yourself
Cheryl is right, though, you probably should be flattered both by the gentleman and by the ladies.
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