Foreigners are dangerous!

I love long weekends. With this weekend’s “qing ming” festival, or tomb sweeping holiday, we had Monday off from work. This was a much needed break since I have been in the middle of leaving one job, arranging to start another, subleasing my room in my apartment so my roommate isn't homeless in Nanjing and finding another apartment in Shanghai. Yeah, I’m surprised I’ve found the time to post on here, too.

This winter I have felt pretty bad about not going out and seeing more of Nanjing, but with the cold, wet, damp weather we had for about three months straight I don’t feel too bad about it. Now, I’m trying to make up for lost time. I had a pleasant surprise when an old friend from Shanghai said she and a few gal pals were headed my way for a day this weekend. Not only was it a good time for some much needed girl time, but I got to do some stuff in the city that I haven’t tried. It was interesting having a some “Shanghai girls” in town in Nanjing to see the more casual lifestyle I have compared to their ritzy-glitzy town.

Anyway, the “main event” this weekend was a Saturday trip to the Nanjing hot springs. Unfortunately, there is no volcano here and its not really proper “hot springs.” It is more of a bunch of low-level pools with different kinds of spa-esque qualities. Some of the highlights were the wine pool, tea pool, flower pools (rose, jasmine, lily and a few others) and, my personal favorite, the dead-skin-eating fish pool. I have heard of and seen these pools before, but this was my first time trying it. Basically there is a bunch of fish nibbling at your body and eating the dead skin on your feet, legs, arms, under arms and, if you can believe it, butt – don’t worry, we were clothed through all of this.

It was nice to hang out with some of the girls, and I was surprised at how “Westernized” they were. As we walked around Nanjing Friday night and the hot springs on Saturday, they were surprised at all the attention, stares and “Hellos” the other foreign girl and I seemed to attract. I thought “Thank you for understanding how annoying it is sometimes to be a foreigner here.” But the highlight was seeing their reaction when a little boy of about 9 or 10 told his grandmother to be careful of the “dangerous foreigners.” Of course he felt really embarrassed when he realized that the two foreigners could understand what he was saying. Yup, we’re so dangerous. I was kind of relieved that they were as surprised as they were for the attention me and the other foreign girl received. I really think the days of all the “Hellos” and obnoxious staring will be, for the most part, over when I get to Shanghai.

It has been good to get out and explore Nanjing, even if it is right before I’m supposed to move. Luckily, I’ll be back and forth to Nanjing, so I have some time. I figure I still need to convince a few more kids that foreigners are not dangerous and don’t eat Chinese kids. Although, it is fun to mess with them if they really do think we’re going to kidnap them and cook them for dinner. Oh us foreigners, we are so dangerous.