Joking Around

Everyday when I go to, or leave, Chinese class, I pass by the friendly security guard of the building my school is in. Usually, we just acknowledge each other with a smile and head nod as he knows my Chinese isn't good. Today though, it all changed.

I was leaving class at the end of the day and the friendly man approached the exit gate and opened it for me. I told him thank you in Chinese and he smiled extra big. As I was starting to walk out, there was another man walking in. The guard stopped me and started talking to the man and me (although I didn't understand a word he was saying). The two men started laughing while I stared at them with the deer-in-the-headlights look, making it clear I had no idea what was going on. The guard then pointed at the man and held his hand up to show how tall the man was. He then pointed at me and raised his hand up about two feet. They both started laughing again and I joined in, realizing that he was saying I am way taller than Chinese men. I shrugged my shoulders and smiled, shaking my head jokingly trying to convey, "yeah, I know. I am a giant. What can I say?!" As the second man walked to the elevator and I walked out, I could still hear the guard laughing saying in Chinese what I must assume to be, "that white girl is taller than a Chinese man. Hahahahahaha".