Dinner at my girlfriend’s (2 week old relationship). In typical Chinese fashion, nothing was explained to me ahead of time. I thought it would be dinner for two. I walked into a room filled two younger sisters, an aunt, a husband of someone, G’s daughter & two other young kids.

During dinner at the table with everyone, Guilin’s aunt asked me why I like her. I answered best I could in Chinese, as everything here is in Chinese. She followed up later by asking about her best characteristic overall.

It was mildly awkward as everyone stopped eating and stared at me, tortured by my accented-undertonated-way too slow Chinese.

It’s a Saturday night. I’m in an unfamiliar neighborhood in the midst of a massive city of 24.5 million on the east coast of China.

What the f***?!