Maybe it’s just me, but I tend to get annoyed at conversations which devolve into endless queries as to my mental capacity. This happens quite a bit in China:
Person on plane: “I’m from Sichuan. DO. YOU. KNOW. SI-CHUAN?”
Me: “Yes, I do. I’m from New Hampshire. Do. you. know. New. Hampshire?’*
Person on plane: [blank stare]
Now I’m willing to admit that the average American knows more about toenail fungus than Chinese history or geography but…if I’ve just told you that I first started living in Beijing in 2002 and I’m finishing a doctorate in Chinese history, asking me “Do I like Chinese food?” or “Have I heard of Confucius?” is a pretty good way to make me reach for my iPod.
——
*To be fair, there are McDonald’s in Sichuan that have more people at the dinner hour on any given Saturday than live in my whole state, so…yeah, I was being kind of a jerk. I know.
