Da was this interesting Thai woman I wrote about in another post. Sorry, I am just too plain lazy to link these posts together. Birdy’s first reaction was that she reminds her of another person we knew whose nickname began with the same two letters. People who look the same tend to be the same, she says. It’s a theory I firmly disagree with. I think always that people are all different, and you really cannot classify them just because they look similar.
I didn’t dislike the Thai Da. I hadn’t disliked the Indian Da either. Both of them were incredibly helpful, but both of them ended up being weird. Thai Da had helped us buy bus cards, but she would also be in her room all the time. I had never seen her socialize with anyone. I am not talking of wild parties, but even the simple act of just walking around campus with a friend. She studied hard, her Chinese was pretty good, and she is an Economics major. Enough similarities, Birdy would say, rolling her eyes in despair. I told her that her theory is nonsense. One Indian Da’s weirdness just cannot be matched – that Da was bordering on some insane cliff edge. Yesterday, I was walking down the steps when I spot the Thai Da sitting in the lobby. I go over to say hi to her. She jumps up and says “Oh, I am going tomorrow to Thailand.” “Oh! Thailand! When are you coming back?” I ask, thinking it is for the upcoming May Day holiday. “I am not coming back. I find a job.” I blink. “You are not coming back?” “Yes, I find a job, and these days it’s not easy to find a job, you know, so I leaving tomorrow.” “But why didn’t you tell us before?” “Ah, only the Thai people know. The others, well, I think it’s none of their business, you know.” “But I thought we were friends,” I say, rather surprised. She looks down at the table. Birdy and I look at each other, the same thought flashing through our minds. Ah well, we bid our goodbyes, promise to “keep in touch” even though I know that I won’t and she won’t. And that’s it. If I hadn’t bumped into her at the lobby, I would never even have known that Da had left. What a strange way of leaving after spending 2 years here.
And now I think maybe there is something to Birdy’s face theory after all. We absolutely adore our tutor, Xiang Jin. Is it any surprise that her personality and looks are so similar to Tee, a friend of ours? Xiang Jin even has the same qualities sometimes. Yesterday, I was complaining to Xiang Jin that Birdy is so cruel, that she beats me up all the time. And Xiang Jin laughs and says, “I don’t believe you.” “Why not?” I ask, smiling. “Because you know, I can believe you beating up Birdy, but not her beating you.” “THANK YOU XIANG JIN,” jumps Birdy. I grimace. Just what Tee would do too. How does she get support from everyone?!!!!
And now I leave for Xuchang. Just meeting old friends, and will be back on Tuesday. It’s a bullet train – 1000 km in less than 10 hours.
awww…so sweet 🙂