A meeting with the old guys.

Today on my way home, I went to a little shop that I regularly visit.  Outside were the local women learning a new dance.  I walked past and into the little shop.  The usual guy was there sitting at a warming table with another guy I knew.  I bought my stuff, and they asked me to sit down with them.  Soft moment.  I looked at the chair.  It was the usual 30cm big chair.  Yikes!  Would my knees do it, would I be able to get up afterwards?  I managed both...Just.

I sat down and we talked very simply, mainly in Chinese.  The guy on the right understood mist of what I said and translated it for the guy on the right .  We discovered that we were all about the same age.  I am 59 and they were both sixty.  The guy on the left asked the guy in the right for some paper.  They had none, so he ripped open an old bottle box.  He started to write Chinese, then asked me to read it and write it.  It was a strange experience.  As I am beginning to understand more spoken language, I am beginning to be able to read handwritten Chinese characters.  Only very simple stuff and only if I know roughly what we are talking about!  It was a very interesting ten minutes, and I am now an advocate if warming tables...Even simple home made obes.  A very pleasant time!