Weekend Whimsies

As the weather has been warming up in Nanjing and people are shedding layers of clothing a common weekend festivity has become more and more popular – the Barbecue. One of the things I have missed, I mean really missed, is hanging out outside - OK, mostly I miss tailgating. I have been relieved the past few weekends that I have a group of people who enjoy outdoor activities as much as I do. We bring along a Frisbee, burgers (made by yours truly which have been getting good reviews!) and all the fixins, speakers for music and a little Weber grill. And as we start our favorite weekend activity, here come the spectators.

It doesn’t help that our preferred BBQ area is on a college campus, so this group of foreigners (where, of course, I am the only foreign-looking girl) is quite the spectacle for Chinese onlookers. Students come out of their dorm rooms - those less brave look on from their windows. Dining hall workers come out to see what the crazy laowais are doing now. Kids come running to stare and hope to play with the foreigners. And grandma and grandpa stand about 10 feet away staring at and checking out our set-up.

The little ones come and ask us what we’re doing, what we’re making and what games we’re playing. For the most part, we don’t mind. By themselves they are actually kind of cute. Since they are all only children and the only babysitter they’ve ever known is grandma, I think they like being able to play with the big kids - and we’re foreigners, even better. We’ve taught them how to play baseball and how to throw a Frisbee. You know they’re bragging about it at school the next week. And as our stock of beer dwindles they’ll even tell us not to drink too much or else we’ll get drunk - perhaps this has happened to dad a few too many times? It’s kind of funny and I think it’s amusing - until they start begging for a burger.

It’s nice to be able to get together for these BBQs, especially since most of us over here spent the last three months hibernating inside. It’s also a good reminder of home. And, I think we’re sharing a bit of “America” with our Chinese spectators. Granted they also are known to have a BBQ on the weekends, but they are able to see what the laowais are making, that we eat some of the same stuff as them, that we’re friendly and if you want to come check out what we’re doing we’re not going to bite. I’d like to think that they are learning that MacDonald’s hamburgers are not the only kind out there.

Happy weekend (almost)!