Thursday, June 25, 2009

Snoop dog

Chinese people are community oriented. They don't actually say, "It takes a village to raise a child" but they certainly live it. They are more aware of what their neighbors are doing and who they are. It's a kind of "your business is my business" attitude. Older Chinese women are particularly adept at expressing this community orientation. There was a woman we knew in our building the first time we lived here who felt the freedom to come into our house at any time if the door was open. You'd come around a corner and boom - there she was, checking out your new paint job, or heading down to the hallway to get your crying child out of his bed. We called her Snoop Dog. We understood that she was just living inside the boundaries of her culture, but it felt a bit intrusive at times.

Here in our new apartment, we have a new Snoop Dog. In fact, she looks a lot like the old one. Today when I let a friend in to examine the progress on painting our place, suddenly there was Snoop Dog peeking into the bathrooms, walking through the bedrooms. I'm not surprised. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of her. Much, much more.

2 comments:

Four Buttons said...

Ha! That's hilarious Gina! The name is great, and I love that she "in fact, looks a lot like the old one" :) That's so funny, good luck keeping her and the other snooop dogs out:) Or better yet, if you can't beat em, join em....so run around her place and start commenting in very animated ways (in english of course, sounds more dramatic) on the decor, paint, etc!

Gina Marie said...

I was just in my place calling the workers on trying to get away with only doing one coat of paint in my homeschool room (dude, I have EYES), and I heard a third voice. I thought, "Is there another worker here?" Nope - just Snoop Dog's husband! He gave me a thumbs up and "velly good!" in English. I think his wife was too busy chanting and bowing in her apartment to come over (more on that later). I have GOT to keep my door shut!