Nonsense

I woke up in Australia and went to the supermarket.
There were so many things to see but the people were messy with their dressing, the medieval rags they were wearing didn’t match the baseball caps, at all… I stopped at one of the stands, the biggest among the about 200 in the market, and looked at some bags. The lady said they’re hand-made. Their prices were ridiculous!! 1 euro, 2 euros… couldn’t believe my luck! I bought about three, and 2 pretty scarves along with them. I went along looking for more deals and I hit a mirror. The scarves looked funny on me. Someone from the other stands took a long look and said I wasn’t a woman. I looked in the mirror and saw that I wasn’t. I looked like the handsome vampire from a movie I saw last week. But I kept the bags, I liked them.

After I paid at the cash desk I left.
I found myself in a large square and felt lost, so I asked a tall man, who was talking to his wife, where I should go. He started babbling half English half German and his left eye popped a bit when he mentioned directions. Sure enough he started pointing fingers towards a place I eyed out myself the moment I left the supermarket. The lady was smiling and blinking often. She seemed nice, even though she never said a word. After he fixed his funny, tall hat, he waved and floated off on a rug along with the woman.

The square was full of people.
They were all going in the same direction. It felt like we were all crossing a very large and populated street. I went with the flow. I dropped one of the bags, but couldn’t get it back since we were all in such a hurry. It doesn’t matter, I still have two and I like both better than the one I lost. The crowd started moving in another direction than the man told me to go. So I swam through like at the Olympics and ended up at the other side all wet. One more bag was lost, actually damaged by the water; it was now the size of my pocket, so I hid it there. I went down the street and the sky turned from an orange warm and sunny to dark. It was raining in an instant. I got to the house where the man told me to go.

It looked like an Austrian mansion.
The rain was falling harder and harder and the drops were making fun of me because I was already wet. The trees in front of the mansion were beautiful and blooming, the rain didn’t touch them and the sun let its rays shine on each of them. I decided to go get a room for the night since the sun was yawning behind the clouds.
The mansion was very elegant, with beautiful paintings on the wall and old furniture decorating the large din. I went to the desk and rang a little bell. The tall man I asked earlier showed up, his wife right next to him. He gave me a set of keys and pointed to the room.

I went and opened the door.
The one bag, my favorite of the three, was still intact. As I flipped the switch, a small yellowish light went on and revealed the room. There was hardly anything in it. The bed was on the floor and even the walls were seemingly made of some thick paper and thin wooden decorations holding it together. It looked like I landed in a Japanese person’s bedroom. I put the scarves in the bag I had left and then went to bed. I lied there a while thinking…

Why?
Did the man babble? He didn’t have that bad an accent. Why did the lady smile while blinking? It couldn’t have been that pleasant. Why did the man who picked up my lost bag wave and smile? Why did strawberries grow on the trees in front of the mansion? Why did the rain drops make fun of me? Were they jealous? And why don’t Japanese people have more furniture in their rooms?
I couldn’t fall asleep anymore, so I wandered around and ended up in front of a mirror again… I was a woman.

Last day...

The hottest summer yet, and the temperature won't go down. Their rapid pace to accommodate is staggering… food, weather, people none ever seemed a problem, but they still kept accents of their own world around for everyone to see, for them to feel comfortable and for us to learn about.

This is one place I spent some time now, a place I spent a few summers working in, and a place I am soon to leave... A dusty and stuffy shop, with video cameras installed in a few corners, some of which I am not even sure work, with toys and clothes of great diversity, with dim lights and red lantern-like ornaments hanging from the ceiling. It's a typical Chinese shop, in a non-conformist Europe.

My time is almost over here, and although I wished it, somehow I regret going away; the place really grew on me. At the end of the summer, when school is about to start, I get my long awaited vacation - not too long though. This student is going to rest now, before returning to the chaotic, ever changing academic atmosphere.

“The cottage” as I like to call it, is the kind of place that pays in educative and interesting moments rather than money, or good working conditions for that matter. There were a few of those moments, I like thinking back on them, as I sit in front of a fan and try to cool off. People browse around the shop a little, but leave again soon after.

I had the pleasure of meeting all kinds of people, from funny to dangerous, to different. I liked the foreigners best. None of my colleagues are at least bilingual, so I had at least this going for me. Tourists were always fun, especially when you get to convince them of the “high quality” stuff you’re selling; but when I got to sell, I sold, and when the end sum was said I was the envy of the sales ladies.

The thirty second fame amongst the co-workers was however, not the only thing that convinced me to stay. I started working here as a last resort two years ago and ever since, my boss trusted me with not only a sales position, I was a kind of secretary, translator, computer technician and any odd job she found she couldn’t trust with my colleagues. It felt good to have more responsibility and gratitude for your work, but it was tiring…

My bosses are funny people… they live around here somewhere - in the shop, it seems they change sleeping places quite often... but it never bothered the girls and me. It's typical the way they show up in the morning and get ready for a new day, it’s like a second home. One guy I particularly like watching run around. A young guy, of course, a guy with neck long hair, coal black, and deep dark eyes. He's pretty tall and quite athletic, contrary to the traditional opinion about the Chinese.

He is the newest member among the "bosses" - except for his sister's kid, who only comes to visit in the summer. He joined the European Chinese stores, opened around the country and he is my favorite, and always is at the day’s end.

So after I was ordered around by the prince's sister, and the real boss of the house, for a while, I turned back to the main cooling area of the shop, the fan. This is one thing you do not want to get in a fight for... the summer heat can bring out the beast in one, especially in an overheated and overworked "gal" - so we take turns...ha ha

Lunchtime is near since the smell of chinese abound the shop. I managed to steal a few recipes the time I spent here, and every time a good glimpse of him with it. He is like a toy that is strictly off limits, especially since he married a few months ago. The good think is though, that he started speaking a bit more, he kept a lot to himself before, it was quite the sad image. His English is better by the day, which made conversations a more usual scene.

I can't recall a day that went by so without incident, a broken glance, or toy, an argument with a customer, nothing would break the silence and even so, the day went by far too fast... I was sorry I was leaving. I did get attached to them, annoying as they can sometimes be. But as the afternoon flew by so did a last English lesson with my favorite sales-guy.

The time finally came, and I wanted to say goodbye in a more special way, he was the cute and fun "boss" who never argued or got mad. We played basketball in the shop when the boss was out, for heaven’s sake! But it would have been inappropriate to say what my corny brain and cheesy heart wanted to.

I got my paycheck and a lot of hugs and best wishes both from the big bosses and from my comrade sales-women. Wanted to say goodbye to him too, I would be off to university very soon... this was my final year and then, I was off abroad for masters. So this was maybe the last I saw off him. I waved and said bye...

The stairs were few and the iron framed door was the only block between the cool air in the shop and the suffocating summer heat outside. I thought back and said to myself: “pathetic”. I could have had better jobs and I chose this place. Why? There was a little magic, when they told you old stories from Shanghai and Beijing, and two times more when they decided to celebrate and cook for all of us.

As poor as the pay and the conditions were, some things I learned, no office tycoon could have taught me.

When about to slam the door, I saw him running down the stairs, something in his hand. His English was far from perfect, but he made it clear that the box of hazelnut chocolate - my favorite... how did he guess - was a "thank you" for me being so patient, and for teaching him. It was hardly a noble purpose but he was very welcome.
I was a "very good girl" he claimed and that he wishes me all the best.

I was the only girl at the shop without a guy over the summer, it was immediately noticed. Trials of hook-ups went unfruitful and I just kept on going one day after another, like there was time to through away, with no regard for any man my workmates threw at me.

He said then I would find a guy I like, and that I'll be happy, to be sure to invite him to the wedding! – yeah…
What I told him I thought of long after I went out the shop doors... I told him, that if I found a guy half as good as he is, I'd be happy. He laughed like it was a corny joke and blushed a little - it kinda was a joke, considering his situation and mine... but he then did something I would have never dreamed of... He grabbed me by my waist, and swept his fingers through my hair. He caressed my right cheek and kissed me deeply.

But of course, I was red hot in the face, smiled, hopefully said goodbye, and left. I was almost delirious. The hot summer breeze felt cool to the touch. I stopped in the nearby park and sat on the bench. A small note was scribbled on the box of chocolate. It said "tank you!" - Cute!

No one saw us, but wish or no wish I felt a bit guilty even if a lot more satisfied… All in all, a summer to remember.