Hot Water

About 3 years ago, I worked as a buser at a restaurant called The Galley. As the buser, my job was to take peoples' drink orders as soon as the sat down (etc. etc. etc.). I remember one day when we had an Asian family eating with us, and one of the ladies wanted hot water. I looked at her a little blankly. "Do you want tea?" --- "No" ---- Pause----- "So....do you want coffee?"--- "No"----- Pause-----"So, just hot water??" -----"Yes, just hot water."

At this point, I must admit, I was a little confused. I wasn't sure if it was okay to serve "just hot water." I mean, isn't water's destiny to be drank cold, or to be flavoured hot? Would water be okay knowing that it was going to be hot and unflavored. I think that, if I were honest with myself, I thought this lady was a little bit of a nut case.

A little later I found out that this was apparently what they do in Asia.....drink water... hot.. with no flavouring. Okay,... so there's a very large continent of nut cases.

Well, it's official. I just went over to the water machine in my office to fill up my water bottle. Being that the weather is now turning cold, and I needed something to warm me up, I, without thinking twice, filled my water bottle up with hot water. And no, I'm not going to flavour it. HA! So, it's contagious. :)

Diligent Little Helper

Everyday after English class is over, all of the children flood into the bathroom to "xiao bien, xi shou" (go to the bathroom and wash their hands). As most of the children are between the ages of 2.5-3 years old right now, this whole going to the bathroom on their own thing is relatively new. Additionally, their parents like to dress them in 500 million layers, therefore they generally need help pulling their underwear and pants back up. Usually, one of the Chinese teachers sits in the bathroom, and when they waddle out with their pants and underwear around their ankles, they line up in front of the teacher, where they wait for her to pull up all of their bottom layers before they go wash their hands. Every once in a while a student wanders past the "re-dressing station" and makes it out into the general classroom still wearing half a birthday suit, and in a state of caring less that they're flashing everyone.

Recently, the Chinese teacher hasn't been quite as quick to man the "re-dressing station"–and I am less that eager to fill her spot–so one of the students has been diligently taking her place (she's quite the director even during class). Like a traffic guard she stands watch, the other children line up in front of her, and one by one she makes sure that their bottoms are properly (or even improperly) pulled back up. She is diligent and dedicated to her job, and tomorrow I hope to catch a "kodak moment" of the happenings. :)