About this girl

This is a story I promised to tell Mashiro quite some time ago but I haven't. I am tired from working today and biking today, and the combination with disappointment  is also driving me away from working on my exit seminar presentation. Let's tell the story here, and do the presentation later?

This story has no picture. I wish I have a picture of this girl who has a boyfriend, but it would seem a bit too awkward to ask for her picture.This is when I regret not honing my paparazzi skills.

Her name is Si. A Chinese student who just got to UC Davis early September to join a Masters coursework program here. The day after she arrived in the US, she initiated a conversation with my friend in Starbucks. My friend enjoyed her company and volunteered to show her to AT&T downtown to get an account. [Note: almost every Chinese new student I have met wanted/wants an iPhone.] I had a car then so my friend called me and told me to join them for brunch. My friend said "this girl is pretty and funny". I never really agreed with my friend's taste but nevermind, I needed to eat anyway so fine.

Three of us went to a local Austrian bakery that I haven't been to. Four years, and there are still places I am a stranger to in Davis. Si walked in line, looked at the menu hung above the counter, asked the waiter a few questions and then made her order. She didn't falter, she didn't look at me (who speaks Chinese and was standing beside her) for help. That was kind of cool. We ordered our food and started chatting. My friend and I spoke in English with some Malaysian accent/slang, and sometimes Si didn't understand. She asked, and we explained. We made jokes, she joined in too. She teased us, she knew how to retaliate (verbally).

My impression of her? So far, so good.

We then went to the AT&T store to set up her account. It took longer than I expected, but that gave me the chance to chat a bit more with her and observed her. This girl was kind of amazing in that even though she was two months shy of 21, first time overseas (alone), speaking in her third language (Mandarin & Cantonese being her mother tongue), she acted really confidently and smartly.

Obviously impressed, I decided to ask her out for lunch two days later. My friend assured me that Si didn't have a boyfriend.
[to be continued...]

I called her around 10am and simply asked "Hey, do you want to eat lunch with me?". She said that she had to move a new bed to her place thus she might not be free. Okay, I told her to call me if she was free.

30 minutes later she called me and asked if I had a truck, if my friends have a truck, or how she could rent a truck. I was like "hmm". Well, I had no trucks and I didn't want to bother my friends. Si couldn't rent one because U-Haul, the truck rental service, is far (she has no bike then) and she has no driver's license or credit card anyway. I told her I could get her a truck at 12.30pm, after I am done with my morning's work.

At this point I told my research assistant about it and she laughed. There was no mention of 'lunch together' yet but I had to move a bed first. Later it developed into having to move two beds...

After I got the truck, Si suddenly called me to cancel the truck because "the bed is too small for me". I was like "...................". Told her we couldn't cancel. She suggested that we go to IKEA or Walmart to buy stuff and I was like "No~~~~it's too far!". In the end I suggested we go downtown Davis to buy stuff, which I was reluctant to do also because it was lunch time then and the truck is big and parking downtown...argh. Luckily I was able to cancel the truck! Phew~

By then Si said we should have lunch together and she would wait for me downtown. I told her it would take me 20 minutes to bike back to town and she asked "oh, it's far?" ....................

I reached town. Along the way I was wondering where I should bring her for lunch since she was new to the area and probably didn't know where to eat. Crepeville seemed good to me. I also thought of how I would reject her offer to treat me to lunch for my hard work.

I found her sitting in a restaurant. I asked "Here?". She went "Yeah, here. I ordered already. I am very hungry." I was like "...................." (AGAIN), parked my bike, ordered my food and sat down with her to chat and eat.

It was actually a very splendid conversation. As usual, she was charming and funny. Half-way through...

"Yao Hua, will you recommend that I buy a pick-up truck?"
"Huh? Why? You don't even have a license now and it's only good for moving stuff"
"Mileage's not good?"
"Nope, and it can't go long distance trips. Not comfortable."
"Hmm...okay, I won't buy a pick-up truck then."
She continued.
"Arh~how I wish that my boyfriend can get into UCDavis next year so he can get a normal car and I can get a pick-up truck."

...
......
.......................

When I heard her say that so casually, inside me I was cursing my friend for imparting false information on Si's relationship status.
Then I was laughing really hard inside.
And I felt so much better.

The whole morning was so weird and dramatic. I started off asking a girl whom I only met two days ago, whom I only interacted with for <3 hours, out for lunch. Before lunch was promised, I had to bike and rent a truck to move two beds for her, almost had to drive a truck into lunch-hour downtown, didn't move any beds in the end and when lunch came up, I found out that she has a boyfriend.
It was all very funny, to me at least.

I also felt better because through out the morning I was asking myself if I was helping her with a hidden and selfish agenda. I never could 'help' people while harboring a selfish agenda. I asked myself "If Fakhirah asked me to help, would I?" (Fakhirah is a friend of mine here whom I have absolutely no amorous feelings for haha). I answered "Yes" to my own question so I proceeded with helping Si. Now that I have learned that she is unavailable, I felt a sudden sense of relieve.

Friend who have heard me tell this story (in the most entertaining fashion) had trouble understanding what I was trying to get from interacting with Si. I guess I can only say that I just found her interesting, charming and I like talking to her. She's pretty too, so that's an undeniable plus. I wasn't planning on taking any steps further.

*If I have another two years here in Davis, then I might make a move. Whether she has a boyfriend or not isn't really a matter of concern to me.*

After that lunch, we talked once more on the phone about a week later when she asked my advice on changing graduate programs.

The Saturday before Mom came to Davis, I asked Si out for lunch again. I thought she would say no, but she was excited to join. I had to bike up 2 miles because she missed the bus or the bus missed her. We ate at Dos Coyotes, a restaurant that I usually don't go because although the food is great, it's too filling for my taste. We had a nice chat and I learned more stuff about her. Her confident, dare-to-do personality is really quite intoxicating, in a pleasant way. She even had make-up on, not that I am one who prefers girl with make-up. When we parted ways, this was what we said

"Alright lah Si, I guess we have to say bye now"
"Too bad you can't stay longer, else you could have joined me in celebrating my birthday in November"
"Well, too bad then."
"Guess this is it."
"Hug?" I asked.
"Come come, let's hug." She laughed and said.
So we hugged.
I might have spotted her eyes wet, or perhaps it was just my own wet eyes?
"Right, see you then." I said.
"Then? Who knows when 'then' will be."
I smiled. "Bye."
"Bye la."

Four years ago, the last semester before I left McGill, I found two new friends, both Chinese. These two girls, YanYan and Karen, made me crazy over our new friendship that blossomed into a deep affection for Karen. YanYan was truly one of my closest friends in Montreal, despite our short time together, and she remains so. I was so glad to have met them before I left Montreal.

Now, I met another Chinese girl right before I leave Davis. She has also left me with really wonderful memories. I have stayed in contact with YanYan and Karen since I left Montreal (Yan even came to visit me once and we had an awesome trip together!), but I wonder if Si and I will stay in touch.

I wish this girl who has a boyfriend, all the best.