Old Colleagues Say The Oddest Things...

I had made a Chinese friend last year...I still cannot remember her name....I met her in Silinteri and we chatted and she even made me pork dumplings from scratch!  (Yes I know - from scratch and I can't even remember her name).

She lived in Finland for the last 12 years (probably 13 by now) and still didn't speak ANY Finnish...okay - I'm not feeling too bad now! Ha.

She was studying in Finland piano and other music-related things and offered to teach me Chinese and piano..excellent.

I lost her email address....and she ended up leaving for China.

Fast forward a year (almost exactly - now that I think about it!)- I saw her yesterday at Silinteri again - and wow!  She remembered me (not my name either - so I don't feel too bad.  I think we're on the same boat here...) and was shocked as heck to see me with not one but two kids.
She asked if I had a girl and I said no, two boys...then she told me I should try again.  WHAT IS WITH PEOPLE WANTING US TO HAVE MORE?!
I said nope two is enough and she just laughed me off...

I thought she moved back to China permanently but I guess not.

She asked how I've been and I apologized profusely that I lost her email and furthermore - lost the coat that had the piece of paper with her address on it (in the pocket).  She totally expected me to remember her address (where she lived - not the email) and said I should come over some time.
I remember she lived in the student village and got the wrong building letter when I guessed.  Oops.  (She gave me a look like, "It's so easy - how you not remember?!")
Anyway, she wrote her email down again....and went on her merry little way after inspecting what I was potentially buying.  (And asking me how much the items were....nosy nosy.)

Tonight, I went for a walk with Loki to S Market to get some diapers and stuff I had forgotten earlier and guess what?
Yup, she saw me again.  She was shocked at how big Loki is (he's a medium-sized dog...about 60 lbs/32 kg) and asked me if I had a big flat to have such a big dog.

**Insert thick Chinese accent for her part**

"Well, sorta - it's big enough but we actually have 2 dogs!  My older one is a bit bigger than this dog." I responded.
"WAHHHHHHHHH!! You have 2 big dogs?!  You like cats?!" - her (shying away from Loki who was trying to sniff her bag of groceries)
"Yes, I like cats and dogs.  We actually have four cats but they live in Canada." - me (pulling Loki away and making him sit)
"WAHHHHHHHH!  You like cats?!" - her
"Yes I do." - me
 "You want one?  I have one and I give it to you!"- her

(Please note:  It was about -2*C, dark and snowing and the store was about to close in 30 minutes...and I am stunned.  And not because it was cold!)

"Uhhh - no sorry I can't take the cat.  I don't have THAT much space." - me (and I also have a 2-year old that would probably LOVE to throw cat litter everywhere and experiment with a clay-based/semi organic and smelly diet...eww.)

"Ohhh that's a too bad! Okay, bye bye!" - her

Now, let me say what YOU are probably thinking....
"She's Chinese and didn't want to eat the cat?"
Yep - I said it.  Not to her!  But I couldn't stop laughing after she left and I was tucked away in the store aisles replaying the conversation in my head.
My husband just smacked his face and walked away when I told him this story when I came home.
(He would've freaked if I adopted her cat - in case you're wondering...and I have far too much yarn kicking around to have a cat!  A 2-year old is difficult enough!!!)

(Before you get your panties in a knot - I am Chinese and make fun of myself all the time....it's just a joke.)

A conversation (true story unfortunately) I had in Finland with a drunk....

I was waiting for my burger at Hesburger - while V was asleep...and some guy in the line up decided to have an intense conversation with me.  He asked where I was from and then asked if I was living or studying here.....and I kept my answers short - because let's face it - I'm here because I'm hungry and have a child who's asleep...so of course I'm going to take advantage of eating a small meal "by myself in peace and quiet".

He was smelly like alcohol and needed a shave but was relatively young (30 years max).  Anyway - he then complimented V�in� and told me he had a boy who is in 1st grade, who he gets to see once a month or so....and he's "the top of his class" and the ex-wife had smoked a lot of pot during the pregnancy and the kid is the smartest...so really - smoking weed can't be 'that bad'"....

I just smiled and nodded and used the puppy-eyes to get help from the staff as they were delivering burgers to other customers.  Unfortunately - they didn't get my hint.

Then he told me that he didn't know what to order because "talking to you is as satisfying as eating a bull by the horns"... Jeeze - I'm flattered now.

I get my burger and REALLY want to eat it - but he keeps talking to me!

Then he asked if he could touch V�in� (who was passed out) - and I said politely and firmly, "No, please don't touch him because I don't want you to wake him up."

WHAT DOES HE DO?!  HE TOUCHES V�IN� ON THE HEAD!!!  Thankfully - V�in� had a hat and hood on...his hands were filthy - I nearly barfed.  He then smiles and says, "See - he didn't even feel it."

I gave him a dirty look and said that he shouldn't have done that...and the guy thinks we're best buds and KEEPS TALKING.  He wanted to know what the English word was for a soul patch (small patch of hair under the bottom lip) and for a stay-at-home-mother.  I played dumb and said "Oh English isn't that great..." but apparently Russians have words for everything!!  JEEZE.

Something about going to Turkey to swim in the coral reefs....and that I should enjoy my beautiful baby.  Then he left - didn't buy anything...just left.