There is a very thin line between overhearing and eavesdropping - especially while I'm walking around on campus. Here are a couple of things that I overheard (and then heard some more as I perked my ears up) while minding my own business:
"What on earth do they have in common? One's a food science major and the other is an economist major . . . I'm telling you, he should have asked me out instead."
- by a somewhat animated girl in a purple dress
"My patriarchal blessing doesn't even mention a wife. Or a family. But it does mention my mom though."
- from a guy to another; they looked at me weirdly when I actually laughed aloud
"My wife is having a baby!"
- good for him!
"Mom, you need to stop trying to set me up on dates, the last one wasn't even pretty."
- an unappreciative son
"She cheated on me. First she dated my room mate and then my home teacher...."
- he went on and on for a while. I was walking home and he was in front of me the whole time.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
每当我一下课，第一时间就是到图书馆去，今天也不例外。手刚要伸出去拉开图书馆的大门时，一个瘦小的男生突然插到我的前面，二话没说就把门拉开一点，从门缝里钻进去了。 看着他走进图书馆大厅的那一刹那，我心里百般不满地在想那个男生多么没有绅士风度。
顿时，我楞住了。令我意外的不是那个男生的无礼， 而是自己的第一反应。 从小在香港长大，对满街爱理不理的陌生人早就习惯了，永远都不会希望有人给我开门。初次来到犹他州时，每当有男生客气地为我开门时，我都会觉得不好意思。刚开始，我一直逞强，坚持为自己开门、拿东西，并告诉跟我约会的男生，我是一个新时代女性，不需要男人的呵护。但不知不觉中，我却慢慢地适应了大部分犹他州男生的绅士风度。现在，这个男生只不过是没有替我开门，我就潜意识地断定他不够“男人”。这时我才意识到，这两年来自己真的变了。
顿时，我楞住了。令我意外的不是那个男生的无礼， 而是自己的第一反应。 从小在香港长大，对满街爱理不理的陌生人早就习惯了，永远都不会希望有人给我开门。初次来到犹他州时，每当有男生客气地为我开门时，我都会觉得不好意思。刚开始，我一直逞强，坚持为自己开门、拿东西，并告诉跟我约会的男生，我是一个新时代女性，不需要男人的呵护。但不知不觉中，我却慢慢地适应了大部分犹他州男生的绅士风度。现在，这个男生只不过是没有替我开门，我就潜意识地断定他不够“男人”。这时我才意识到，这两年来自己真的变了。
An hour at the bus stop
Riding the bus is a big deal for me.
The first time I took a bus here in Utah, I didn't realize that I was on the wrong bus until, two hours later, the bus driver asked me if it was the first time I had ridden a bus. So when Chad asked me to take the bus up to Sandy to go and hang out with his family, I was nervous. Chelsea and J.C. dropped me off at the bus stop and I stood there for a good long while until I realized that I had already missed the bus. I had another hour to kill until the next bus came around, so I stood, somewhat stranded, and waited. Meanwhile, I sat in the bus stop booth and watched.
I felt protected in my glass booth, leaving me somewhat removed in my human observatory. I watched all the people who passed by me, either on foot or on wheels. There was the happy couple who biked past me, laughing and joking as they passed. I don't know how they had managed to bike this whole time without crashing - they were gazing steadily into each others' eyes and mouthing I-love-yous that made me, who was inconspicuously watching, feel like I was intruding. There was really some Hollywood material right there.
I noticed the joggers, some more red-faced than the others, and wondered how they could find time to do all they had to and still make it to their daily jogs. Then I realized that I was the one who just planned on sitting at a bus stop for an hour, studying people.
Of course, there were the cars whizzing past. I liked looking at the people in the cars. Why is his music so loud? Are those two people dating? She is huge - when is she due? One honked at me and laughed. I felt a little indignant - I wasn't in his way. They all seemed to be in such a hurry.
But my favorite was the homeless man who shuffled past me. He was one of the stereotypical ones who stuffed his trolley with plastic bags full of stuff. I was tempted to start talking to him and ask him what he was carrying around all day long. I watched him for a long time. He peered into the garbage bin and gingerly picked up a disposed drink. He must not have liked the flavor (it was apple beer, I heard the man who threw it away tell his girlfriend) because he chucked it almost as soon as he sipped at the straw. Readjusting his hat, he continued onwards, seemingly oblivious to my obvious fascination in him. As I timed how often he heaved his giant backpack (on average, once every eight seconds!), I wondered where he was going. Did he know what his destination was? Did he even care? With the backdrop of cars whizzing past me, all determined to reach a set destination, I couldn't help but think about him when he disappeared around the corner.
Finally, the bus came. I boarded and picked a seat next to the window. After a couple of minutes, I saw the same trolley and giant backpack, this time abandoned on the side of the road. I craned my neck, concerned. I couldn't help smiling when I caught a quick glance of him sitting in Panda Express, enjoying his Chinese.
I guess he did know where he was going after all.
The first time I took a bus here in Utah, I didn't realize that I was on the wrong bus until, two hours later, the bus driver asked me if it was the first time I had ridden a bus. So when Chad asked me to take the bus up to Sandy to go and hang out with his family, I was nervous. Chelsea and J.C. dropped me off at the bus stop and I stood there for a good long while until I realized that I had already missed the bus. I had another hour to kill until the next bus came around, so I stood, somewhat stranded, and waited. Meanwhile, I sat in the bus stop booth and watched.
I felt protected in my glass booth, leaving me somewhat removed in my human observatory. I watched all the people who passed by me, either on foot or on wheels. There was the happy couple who biked past me, laughing and joking as they passed. I don't know how they had managed to bike this whole time without crashing - they were gazing steadily into each others' eyes and mouthing I-love-yous that made me, who was inconspicuously watching, feel like I was intruding. There was really some Hollywood material right there.
I noticed the joggers, some more red-faced than the others, and wondered how they could find time to do all they had to and still make it to their daily jogs. Then I realized that I was the one who just planned on sitting at a bus stop for an hour, studying people.
Of course, there were the cars whizzing past. I liked looking at the people in the cars. Why is his music so loud? Are those two people dating? She is huge - when is she due? One honked at me and laughed. I felt a little indignant - I wasn't in his way. They all seemed to be in such a hurry.
But my favorite was the homeless man who shuffled past me. He was one of the stereotypical ones who stuffed his trolley with plastic bags full of stuff. I was tempted to start talking to him and ask him what he was carrying around all day long. I watched him for a long time. He peered into the garbage bin and gingerly picked up a disposed drink. He must not have liked the flavor (it was apple beer, I heard the man who threw it away tell his girlfriend) because he chucked it almost as soon as he sipped at the straw. Readjusting his hat, he continued onwards, seemingly oblivious to my obvious fascination in him. As I timed how often he heaved his giant backpack (on average, once every eight seconds!), I wondered where he was going. Did he know what his destination was? Did he even care? With the backdrop of cars whizzing past me, all determined to reach a set destination, I couldn't help but think about him when he disappeared around the corner.
Finally, the bus came. I boarded and picked a seat next to the window. After a couple of minutes, I saw the same trolley and giant backpack, this time abandoned on the side of the road. I craned my neck, concerned. I couldn't help smiling when I caught a quick glance of him sitting in Panda Express, enjoying his Chinese.
I guess he did know where he was going after all.
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