Saturday, July 6, 2013

Can you hear it?


Can you hear it?
The two ladies arguing across the street in Xiāng about who sells the freshest ginger (yep, I asked)
The clacking of dominoes and gutteral laughter with a background foreground soundtrack of the Chinese Opera being played out in the park.
The polite requests to "Save Nina" (who has 2 months to live) by a group of her sorority sisters asking me to get swabbed for a potential bone marrow match.
Can you hear it? The wail of the ambulance stuck in city traffic, the sizzling of noodles hitting a hot wok, the squeals of children running in and out of the open fountain, the street vendors offering watches and handbags...
I heard all of the above; the quiet cacaphony of a city in motion. And then I heard none of it as it was engulfed and drowned out by this man (Liang) and his overwhelmingly loud inner thoughts.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Love(?) on the Brooklyn Bridge

Him: She loves me. I am the best thing that's ever happened to her.
Her: If I break up with him now and he jumps off the bridge, am I responsible?