Wild Scallion

Today, while doing Kung Fu I mistook a woman passing by for a local activist. I wanted to talk to her about a business plan I am writing for opening a school. It turned out to be someone else. But I saw a group of older Chinese women in a little walking group. I thought, "Maybe I should try talking to them to practice my horrible Mandarin."

But then I thought, "Is that weird?"

In the end I did run after them and introduce myself. There were a few Cantonese members of the group. So I did become lazy and start speaking Cantonese. But I tried to get the translation into Mandarin.

One woman, Auntie Zhang, becaause it turns out she has the same surname as I do, stopped suddenly and picked what looked like grass.

"Do you know what this is?"

"Bu je dao."

"Yeh Chung ah."

She handed me a piece.

"Smell it."

Ahh it was scallions. That grow wild? I had no idea.

We walked around the pond once and I learned quite a bit from them. It was nice.

They walk every day.

I will try to join them every day... which means just the days when I don't have other commitments.

Will I be able to walk with them when I have the children? Not sure.
But it will be a good exercise. Maybe the children can learn Mandarin too.