I am getting up in the morning for my usual routine making coffee and checking my email when there is a knock at my door. It is my landlord who lives downstairs from me and she comes to tell me that my electricity is very low. I have been so busy lately that I just did not pay attention to the meter. I am not so familiar with the process of charging the card and what slot I have to insert the card so that I do charge my electricity. My landlord is so helpful that after a few gestures and facial expressions she understands that I do not know what I am doing hahaha! Now my landlord speaks a little English and she is able to tell me that she will take me to the store to charge my card and help me with which slot to insert my card. We go and get into her car and go to the store. I pay 100 RMB which is a little more than 16 U.S. dollars and this amount is good for more than a month of electricity. I love the prices of utilities in China a much better deal than the average costs in the U.S. We get back to the apartments and she helps with charging my electricity and I am now good for a month or so of power. This has never happened to me before where my landlord would be that helpful.
Later on that day I am going to catch a bus to go to the training center when I stop by this drink stand. I am curious about this drink cause its hot and so many people are drinking it. The gentleman at the stand all of a sudden asks me something in English. Are you American? I tell him yes I am. Then he smiles so big it is practically ear to ear. I ask him how much? He tells me nothing it's free enjoy! Then he says please come here whenever you can foreigner is always welcome here especially American. This man made me feel so good and I was actually feeling a little lonely that day. Now this is not that unusual of an occurrence in China. Chinese are actually very friendly to foreigners and extremely helpful. As an ESL teacher in China this is welcoming since there are times when you can feel a little down.
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