The first week I was here I had met the other foreign teachers and some of the staff at my school... that was about it. Me and one of the other foreign teacher went to a the foreign food restaurant near my apts named Tanbo. Our waitress was very cute and spoke absolutely no English... so one of the waitresses that seemed to know a little bit of English helped her take our order. I decided that next time she walked by I would practice the one thing I could really remember how to say in Chinese. So I introduced myself and asked for her name.... she actually understood what I said and gave me her name with absolutely no hesitation. And so I met LiLi. I had no clue how to say "Nice to meet you" in Chinese.... and hoped she would understand...... who knows if she did... She quickly went and got the waitress that speaks a little more English and she asked if everything was alright with my food... and I was like.. ya its fine... and they went away.
While I ate it ended up being the end of LiLi's shift.. and as she was on her way out the door... she dropped this note on my table.
She obviously did not write this herself... and I was very confused for a long time about who actually wrote this... because none of the staff seemed to know English well enough. (Later found out the one with good English was just to shy to talk to us until she left... story for another day)
Over the past few months I have spent a good amount of time in Tanbo..... we go there and eat as a big group often.. and it is a nice peaceful place for me to study Chinese... So most of the staff there are pretty used to me at this point and usually willing to help me with my Chinese. I have had many many failed attempts at talking to LiLi and a few successful ones. Even though some of the other staff are better at understanding me... LiLi is still my favorite waitress... and she knew this and so did the rest of the staff.. so I am sure she got teased by them.
On a side note.. waitresses seem to have pretty crappy jobs.. they work 7 days a week.. pretty much all day. So she was pretty much always there any time I decided to go in.
So I went into Tanbo on this past Monday at about 2pm..... and I was looking around because there was no one else in the restaurant.. and the smart waitress (Natasia has her name written down somewhere.. but I don't know it) told me "LiLi meiyou" which basically mean "LiLi don't have" or she isn't here and then told me she went home. This didn't realy surprise me.. because it was 2 in the afternoon and half the staff gets off for about 3 hours a this time. So Tuesday I went in to give some of the Tanbo staff some fudge (and do some studying while I ate) and it was 7 at night... when all the staff are usually there...... and there was no LiLi.... I didn't ask about her then though.
So Wednesday night I went in (after all the fun with the car wreck and shit).... it had been a bad day and i was ready for a nice peaceful meal at Tanbo............. no LiLi...... I know the staff noticed me looking around the restaurant at one point. So when HaiLun brought me my food... I asked her about LiLi.. and she said "LiLi meiyou" and then told me that she went home. So I asked "Home in Songyuan?" and got a no..... and then the only way I could think of to ask if she was coming back was to ask "Everyday LiLi no have?(direct translation)" ... she said yes. I said ok... and HaiLun went back downstairs.
HaiLun came back up to my table a few minutes later with this note (they know that I can read better then I can understand them)
The first part basically says that LiLi doesn't work at Tanbo. After I read that part... wrote the second part... which basically says "Do you want her phone number?" and as creepy as this is... and just wrong in so many ways.... I of course said sure. (phone numbers are passed around like crazy here.. its really weird)
So LiLi is gone... don't know where.. but she isn't in Songyuan anymore.... but I have her phone number if I decide I want to try to text her in Chinese....
I just still think its odd that LiLi didn't at least say goodbye....
Awww... Maybe she had to leave due to family reasons or some other type of emergency? Maybe whoever wrote the note for her told her how it was signed ( but much later) and she was too embarrassed to say bye. You'll never know unless you call her...
ReplyDeleteI sent her a text message..... calling her would just go very badly... I could barely speak to her in person.... I can't even imagine trying to speak on the phone :)
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