Love is Tough in China.

Post by New-Clark.

The Woes of Tough Love in China.

I don't usually go to clubs often, but since coming to Beijing I've
been going out a fair amount. So not unexpectedly, I have been having
some new experiences.

I went for my first time to Mix the other night, which is out by
Worker's Stadium. Mix seems to be a club that is directed more towards
the Beijing locals and not the foreigners who converge on places at
Sanlitun, or at least it does to me. Regardless, the night that I went
there I was one of the few westerners in the place.

My MCIA friend (the same one as Durrell's) who has been mentioned in
one of the blogs already (I leave it up to you to find the right
posting to rediscover the origin of MCIA terminology), and I started
the night drinking at Salude in Nanluguoxiang. Since it was during the
Spring Festival, as the clock rolled over midnight we went out and got
our honorary jiaozi (dumplings) on the 5th day of the new year so our
ears would not fall off our heads.

After this we went over to Mix. Like I mentioned before, Mix is a club
and it was pretty full. So at one point, I'm out on the dance floor
and I see two girls walk/dance past me. One of them smiles and waves
at me, and so I make my way over and start dancing with her. After
some time, she leaves but her friend jumps right in and takes her
place. Now, this second girl had been sort of dancing with another guy
but it didn't seem like it was anything permanent.

After at least 2 to 3 minutes, the guy that she had left flat out
starts pushing me across the dance floor. I mean pushing. His arms
were outstretched, he was leaning forward, he was putting his back
into it, and you get the idea. He may have been saying something in
Chinese to me, but first of all since I don't speak Chinese I would
have no idea what he said. Secondly, it was so loud in there that I
wouldn't have understood if he spoke English, plus they say, "Actions
speak louder than words".

As he starts trying to win the gold for the foreigner push, several
thoughts go through my head:

1. I'm a little drunk, I don't believe this is happening.
2. Holy shit! I still don't believe this is happening!
3. I don't think I can really fight back since I'm the only westerner
in a sea of Asians and I don't want to get on the wrong side of them
when I can't speak Chinese.

I'll admit, I think my voice cracked once as I tried to yell, "What do
you think you're doing!," but only once. After being pushed across
almost the entire dance floor, the rest of the crowd must have
realized what was happening, and actually stepped in to my rescue.
They pulled the guy off of me and then we communicated in the silent
but universal language of hand gestures.

And where, you might ask, was my MCIA friend during this entire
encounter? He was over in a different room at their table after
sending me off into the masses. Truthfully though, he did send me with
his friends to bring trouble to the dance floor, but how was I
supposed to go and find a Chinese girlfriend if I always stay around
guys? After all, it is apparently the best way to learn Chinese (as
I've been told by many Chinese nationals). I mean finding a Chinese
girlfriend, not getting into the middle of the tough love in China.