I really have to empathize with all those famous people out there who are constantly bombarded with interview requests and followed by cameras wherever they go. It is exhausting! I know this from the vast experience I’m getting…not from being pestered by Oprah’s staff or from being trailed by TMZ, but with school kids who are anxious to practice their English.
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been swarmed by local students in their school uniforms. The conversation usually starts like this “We are interview foreigners [no, that’s not a typo]. We interview you?” I’m a sucker for doing interviews and surveys – even when it’s an annoying telemarketing type – so there’s no way I’ll decline when asked by a group of kids.
When I inevitably say yes, it’s followed by a round of giggles and kids jostling for position on who gets to be the interviewer, who’s taking notes, and who just gets to listen. The interview usually goes like this:
- What is your name?
- Where are you from? I say USA or America, which is always followed by more smiles and giggles. Today there was a great debate on how to spell “United” – the interviewer knew how to spell it and was really put off that the scribe just wrote “USA.”
- How many times have you been to Hong Kong? I say I live here, which always confuses the crowd. Discussion breaks out in Cantonese to figure out what to write down. I really should just start giving them a number.
- How does it make you feel? This question makes me laugh. The answer “it depends on the day” would really perplex them, so I usually pick a happy adjective that is easy to spell.
- Have you been to _____ (a variety of tourist attractions)? How did it make you feel?
Then, they ask to have their picture taken with me. I’m not one who really likes to be photographed, but these kids think it is super exciting to have their picture taken with a “foreigner” and it’s impossible for me to say no. It's funny to think that there are dozens of photos of me floating around in local kids' cameras.
Today I asked my interviewer if one of his classmates could take a picture of us with my camera. He was shocked. His classmates lined up and solemnly watched as the photo was taken. I felt like I was some sort of celebrity. Here I am with my intrepid interviewer:
Just another day in the life of a not-so-famous expat!
Molly, that is too funny. And how much fun!
ReplyDeleteI have two similar stories:
When we took the kids (who were 6 and 3 at the time) with us to Hawaii, we had several Japanese tourists ask to take their picture with them. ??? We never could quite figure it out.
When we were in Germany last month - in my sister's little town of Schweiberdegen - there were a group of young, teenage boys hanging outside the grocery store. When we came out one of them said 'Welcome to the Jungle' and the rest of them broke out in hysterics. It's like he had been dared or something and it sounded like the only English he knew. Guns n' Roses fans, maybe?
Your picture with your interviewer is adorable!
*Hysterics = Hysterical Laughter
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