A few articles in California (2) | American enthusiasm

The rumored Americans have enthusiasm beyond Eastern logic. Walking on the road without any clue, they will encounter a high-pitched and long greeting, as if they had gone through thousands of years of reincarnation and search, and then they have cultivated this day. Stranger encounters.

So every time I go out, I do the corresponding psychological construction. But in Berkeley for several days, I didn't see many people or talk much.

Once the locals are used to driving, they also use cars to buy food or go to a convenience store, so the sidewalks are empty, and it is rare to encounter people. Second, the epidemic situation is severe. Even if we met face to face, everyone consciously bowed their heads and turned sideways, passing by with a sense of irony of "the road is the eye" (this is the case, the virus will eventually be defeated like King Li of Zhou). Bar?). In this way, as in the American blockbuster, the person who strikes up a conversation with you just by eye, is either a newly arrived exchange student who is equally nervous, or a homeless person who seems to be mentally unstable.

The weather in California, even in the middle of winter in January, is always laid out in a heartless blue, and the sun is shining all year round. Who wouldn't want to be a homeless person? They will gather in the place with the best sunshine, where the pawnshops are in place, the sunglasses are put on, and the signs for help are put away, just like a long-traveled tourist who has bought a ticket and can finally concentrate on admiring the passers-by. Although I am a newcomer to the scenery, I quickly became familiar with their preferences - some homeless people are just playing life, seeing you with a good face, rushing over to tell you that he and Bruce Lee shook hands. Although this enthusiasm is unbearable, it is also easy to deal with, as long as you smile and do some exaggerated praise, and then walk away quickly as if you are in a hurry; Really conspiring for your belongings. When you encounter this kind of thing, you must be like an animal in a zoo, hide as soon as you can, and hide as soon as possible.

Therefore, seeing people is also worrying, and seeing people is also worrying. Walking on a wide and flat street that is so quiet that there are crows gathering in broad daylight, how much I hope that the sky will descend on fellow travelers, even if they look at each other from a distance, and walk in the same direction together; but a figure really appears. In the field of vision, he became nervous, slowed down, narrowed his eyes and looked at it. Seeing that he was quite burly, he was worried, and quietly walked to the other sidewalk.

But there are always times when I can't escape - I was walking to the intersection in front of the supermarket, and a speeding car suddenly slowed down in front of me, and stopped me half-blocked and half-scared. The red-haired aunt who was driving rolled down the car window, stretched out her sturdy arm under her oversized T-shirt, pointed to the back of the car, and yelled a few words at me vaguely. There was also loud rock music in the car, and the flesh on her arm seemed to understand the rhythm, vibrating along the beat of the drum. Naturally, I didn't understand anything, so I took a step back and felt my hand in my pocket. In fact, he didn't have any self-defense equipment, but he acted like he was thinking, and he didn't know whether to run straight away or pretend that nothing happened. There are often homeless people, but it is rare that they can afford a car, but the road is so empty, so this is exactly what I said... Could it be asking for help, or is there something wrong? As soon as the complex analysis in his mind started, his footsteps stopped in place. Seeing that I didn't say anything, the aunt was very disappointed, and shook her head a few times, but she didn't mean to move.

Although I have seen the mentality of Americans who can thank you no matter what you are facing (the teaching assistant thanked me for being silent throughout the morning class!), but in this situation, I really don’t know whether to say thank you or not. Had to shell out $20 to break the bank. After another moment of stalemate, she seemed unbearable to be embarrassed, so she raised an eyebrow at me and walked away.

Hurry up and continue the trip, and comfort yourself after all, it is normal to encounter all kinds of strange things. However, it was only one road away from the supermarket, but there were more and more cars coming out of it, and it became more and more dense. After finally passing through the traffic, I got closer, only to see a slanted handwritten sign. I struggled to read halfway through, and then I suddenly heard the red-haired aunt's warning - the supermarket just closed due to an emergency! No wonder she saw that instead of expressing her thanks to me, she insisted on doing her own way.

Now, I have confidence in the enthusiasm of the American people again. On the way back empty-handed, I always harbored guilt for the red-haired aunt—she was so big, and I was wary and suspicious because of her big size, which became a negative teaching material for American enthusiasm. Just in time for the two father and son riding bicycles, I followed suit. When I stopped on the way they had to pass, my voice became louder: "Hey, the supermarket is closed!"

long silence...

The little boy's body was too high, so I blocked him, staggered out of the car, and finally moved on tiptoe to the seat again. Dad finally said, "Thank you, but we don't have to go to the supermarket..." Look carefully, milk, bread, fruit and all kinds of utensils are already in the basket of the car, and there is no need to go to the supermarket, it is clearly about to Have a picnic on the beach!

Presumably they are not often greeted by strangers who do not look like homeless people, and it has not been a long time since they have encountered such enthusiastic neighbors who volunteer to broadcast daily community current affairs, so the response is a beat slower. Fortunately, they are Americans after all. No matter what happens, they can thank you...

But how did the red-haired aunt know that I was going to the supermarket?