We've acquired [1] a foreign exchange student from Shanghai. Completely nice kid named Evan. Smart as a whip, super friendly and helpful.
Their idea of personal space doesn't leave a lot of room for much space. On a recent trip to the mall we walked shoulder to shoulder. Which set of my proximity alerts: I am an American, I like my space, man.
After a while it just was not a big thing. It's Evan: he walks close, is all.
They may have funny notions of what we're up to in America.
"You were Marine?"
Yes.
"America have soldiers all over the world?"
Thinking of Kaplan's Imperial Grunts: Yes.
"America want to rule the world"
Well, golly, no. We don't want to rule the world, we want buy and sell stuff. Like Baywatch videos.
Then I had to explain Baywatch: my big mouth.
[1] It's a long story. The details are not important.
Their idea of personal space doesn't leave a lot of room for much space. On a recent trip to the mall we walked shoulder to shoulder. Which set of my proximity alerts: I am an American, I like my space, man.
After a while it just was not a big thing. It's Evan: he walks close, is all.
They may have funny notions of what we're up to in America.
"You were Marine?"
Yes.
"America have soldiers all over the world?"
Thinking of Kaplan's Imperial Grunts: Yes.
"America want to rule the world"
Well, golly, no. We don't want to rule the world, we want buy and sell stuff. Like Baywatch videos.
Then I had to explain Baywatch: my big mouth.
[1] It's a long story. The details are not important.
