the black China hand

In the HBO TV series True Blood, what makes the main character Sookie Stackhouse so unique is that she has the ability to listen to people's thoughts. While many people would die to have a similar ability, Sookie herself sees it as more of a burden and a nuisance that has kept her from living  a "normal" life. To her, hearing all the nasty thoughts of all the people is just too damn tiring and troublesome. I, for one, absolutely agree with Sookie. You see, after too many years of mind-numbing practice … I've amazingly acquired the uncanny ability to "hear Chinese".  Most people in China, as with Sookie's ability to the people of Bon Temps, don't know … shoot, don't believe I have this skill. The benefit/burden of this is that they speak their minds unaware that I understand what they are saying. Example in point: I went to the store yesterday and upon entering, the one clerk said to the other: Aiya! Xia si wole! Ni kan … jinlaile yige heiren. Aiyo! … Tai hei le! Exin! (translation: Whoa! Scare me to death! Look … a black guy just came in. Whoa! He's too black! Disgusting!)  This was all said within earshot. Indeed, I was the only one in the store. This is not the sort of comment I think you'd make if you want someone to be your customer. More interestingly, even though the clerk totally dissed me, when I checked out, she smiled at me like we were old childhood friends. Although I was dying to let on that I knew exactly what she said … and perhaps give her a little of what I think about her … I resisted that urge (like Sookie learned to do from an early age). I mean what could I really accomplish by confronting every single person with wack thoughts, er… comments. But it is indeed a daily battle with me nowadays to resist that urge. Just makes me wonder, what would Sookie do?

Posted via email from tbch’s posterous