My Chinese Valentine?

It was a surreal Valentine's Day here in HK. Chinese Valentine's Day was the 13th and so we expected little hoopla on the 14th but were met with streets that were filled with flowers. We kept it low-key and enjoyed an evening at home.

Today though, our maid, Hua, put me on the path to meeting my Chinese valentine. We have a hard enough time talking about the shopping or cleaning, let alone things related to life partners. Eric and I were sure she understood we are gay, in a committed relationship, and well, I guess that is about it.

Here is a snip-it of my IM session with Eric describing the situation. A couple of comments are added in --.

Eric says:
what did she say exactly?
E.J. says:
I feel tramatized by the afternoon
E.J. says:
Well
E.J. says:
First off
E.J. says:
She got stuck in here yesterday
E.J. says:
Wednesday
E.J. says:
and the once a month the elevator shuts down
Eric says:
what does that mean, 'stuck'?
E.J. says:
No sign was posted -elevator maintenance can sometimes cause surprise-
Eric says:
ohhhh
E.J. says:
Yeah
E.J. says:
Freaked her out
E.J. says:
she had to have her friend explain to me on the phone
E.J. says:
she was so upset
Eric says:
ohhh no
E.J. says:
I showed her how to get out the back
E.J. says:
Lots of hand shaking
E.J. says:
In any case
Eric says:
oh god
E.J. says:
after 20minutes of that I get to work
Eric says:
I'd be tramatized too i think
E.J. says:
and she starts cleaning
E.J. says:
Then she grabs the trash from my office
E.J. says:
including Heidy's chocolate box -great little dark chocolate present from our friend and Eric's coworker Heidy-
E.J. says:
She grabs and points to the heart
E.J. says:
And after much thinking
E.J. says:
Says that she has a friend in Shenzen
E.J. says:
I am just like, great, she has a friend
E.J. says:
But there was obviously something else
E.J. says:
She says something about girlfriend and me?
E.J. says:
Who knows what is being communicated at this point!
E.J. says:
I just tried to get back to work
E.J. says:
but she kept going
E.J. says:
Boss...told her friend her boss really tall
E.J. says:
I think she may have said something about meeting but I am not sure
E.J. says:
And then she whips out her phone
E.J. says:
Picture of friend
E.J. says:
Picture it...
E.J. says:
Confident woman sitting with legs crossed, hair back, and cigarette hanging from her mouth!
E.J. says:
What was I supposed to say?!
E.J. says:
I said it was great she had a friend
E.J. says:
and put my headphones on
E.J. says:
AH!!!
Eric says:
Heidy doesn't understand how she coudln't know that we are a couple.
E.J. says:
I know!
Eric says:
I told her people thought we were brothers
E.J. says:
It is insane!
E.J. says:
It is a funny story but I don't want to offend.
E.J. says:
Maybe you and I can have a double date with your reporter friend and Hua's friend Maybe they are meant for each other.
Eric says:
LOLOLO
Eric says:
maybe the reporter friend IS her friend
Eric says:
even weirder!
E.J. says:
Well
Eric says:
very funny
E.J. says:
It is a funny story
Eric says:
yes...very
Eric says:
but I still want to know why I'm not good enough -There is a whole subplot here with Eric wanting to know why he didn't get set up by our maid. I've edited out most of that for simplicity but leave a bit here.-
Eric says:
maybe because you're taller.
E.J. says:
You need to look scruffy to match her friend -I am two days unshaven and wearing a t-shirt. Eric made fun of me at lunch.-
E.J. says:
Believe me
E.J. says:
If you saw the picture it was no complement
E.J. says:
I think you orchestrated it all to give me incentive to shave and look nice
E.J. says:
I don't mean to be rude
Eric says:
haha
Eric says:
ohh nooo
E.J. says:
the cigarette
E.J. says:
it haunts me
Eric says:
hahahaha
Eric says:
So, did you end with her understanding that you dind't want to be set up??
Eric says:
or is there a date planned that you don't know about
E.J. says:
Who knows?! We'll see if she brings it back up or I just have to avoid the aptartment everytime that she comes.