Day 2: A wild, fun, and humbling day

Expensive Fruit. While I strolled down Nanjing Lu Sunday, a Chinese woman said, "hello, can I practice English." Having a great experience on Saturday, I didn't think anything of it and started talking with her. We found our way into a (very) nice cafe. After we ordered our drinks, I clarified that I was only paying for my coffee, to which she nodded in (supposed) agreement. She then spoke something in Chinese to the waitress and made a hang-gesture that resembled a plate...something smelled fishy, and it wasn't my shirt from walking in the outdoor market. Ten minutes passed, then the waitress came to the table with fresh fruit, then popcorn, then french fries. I quickly saw the big picture. Based on her abnormally big (in Chinese standards), well-fed figure, I surmised that she had done this before and had been successful. Quickly, I signaled the waitress to the table. I pointed to my bill and said that I would only pay for the coffee and fruit, which came out to a splendid $32 (yes, that is $USD). In a twisted sense, I kind of admire that cunning women. And, in an effort to justify my stupidity, I paid $32 for a lesson in vigilance.


Private Equity. How can you find a tourist? Look for the people with maps spread out and a blank look on their face. I found a fellow, young traveler sitting on the sidewalk with a map, so I asked if he was lost and if he would like to hang out together. I found out that he was a financial analyst for an American-based private equity firm, and that his company sent him here to work with a bottling company that they were buying. Sounded like a cool job for a 24-year old.


Acrobats, Salsa, and Techno Club. Andrew and I met up later to see the Shanghai Acrobats, which was definitely worth the time and money. I did not know the extent to which the human body could be twisted until that night. With a sufficient buzz from the Tsingtao beer, we exited the building and quickly met these two Chinese women who asked us, in broken English, where the salsa club was. Seriously? Was this actually happening? Salsa dancing is like soul food to me, so I was intent on finding this club with them.

For a quick-hour, we danced, drank, and did our share to heat up the floor with friction. They didn't exactly know how to take the Kamikaze shots, as they sipped them carefully like fine wine. So, Andrew and I had no problem being models, downing a couple of shots.

The night was young and we needed to satisfy our disco desires; therefore, the M-Factory was the next stop. Descending down the stairs into the cellar-style club, we bet on how many people were actually going to be there on a Sunday night. It was surprisingly busy. Once we got our $8 beers, we came up to a table where people were playing a drinking game with Yahtzee...we had to join in. One of the people spoke a little English, so he taught the rules and "GANG BEI," we were off to the dance floor to embarrass ourselves. I then got the bright idea, due to high levels of intoxication, to join the girls dancing on the stage in front of the DJ. Being the inclusive guy that I am, my hand reached out to people on the floor, and the stage quickly became packed. I don't know exactly how I --a white American, with shorts and a tucked in polo shirt, and less-than-admirable dance moves--managed to get that fiesta going, but it happened for some reason. In the absence of an ability to use the language, Andrew and I found another way to communicate and relate with our fellow disco-goers. The energy was amazing.

Touring the EnglishFirst Facility. Our TLC representative, Melinda, met another teacher and me at the hotel the next morning to take us to the HQ downtown. The EF facility takes up three floors of the building. With bright colors on every wall, new computers and flatscreen TVs, and a San Fransico-style, metropolitan architecture, this place is state-of-the-art. Tons of Chinese students run around the place from class to class, frequently coming up to English speakers to strike up a conversation. I can't wait to start the job this week!