2 Questions Every Girl is Asking Herself

Chapter 5

After visiting Lijiang Old Town, I flew to Xi Shuang Ban Na, also known as Sipsongpanna, which in native Thai literally means "twelve thousand rice fields". It's a city in Yunnan close to the border of Burma, Thailand, and Laos. Tropical weather, lots of ethnic minorities, you begin to see Thai influence in the temples and architectural styles.

On the way there, I couldn't help it but to think about Han. I was seriously disturbed after meeting him. I thought this "one-man-to-multiple-wife" thing was a dinosaur concept as outdated as feudal China. It was 2011, for god's sake, are we progressing backwards now? He kind of ruined the image I'd originally held about Chinese men, who in my eyes, were supposed to be family-oriented and loyal, more into relationships than one-night-stands. Sweet, caring and romantic...

I was half hoping I'd fall in love with one...

And then I met Cloud.

There was a popular evening event in Xi Shuang Ban Na called bonfire evening extravaganza. It was set in what used to be the imperial gardens of the Thai rulers. At the event you get all you can eat local specialty foods, a 2-hour evening show, and in the end, a bonfire.

The evening show of singing and dance in brilliant ethnic minority costumes included an interactive element, where the humorous host would invite members of the audience on stage to play some games, and make fun of them at the same time.

"Can I please have four volunteers?...Three gentlemen, and one lady..." the host asked.

Before the he could finish his sentence, I heard a rumble on the floor among the audience, as men jumped out of their seats, squeezed past their neighbors, dashed to the front, and leapt on stage.

The slowest runner, and hence the fourth man to leap on stage, was Cloud.

The host asked him to return to his seat since he was clearly, not a woman.

Unfazed by the host's request, Cloud went up to the third guy, whispered something into his ears, who then promptly walked off the stage like an obedient puppy. And the man left standing in his spot, was Cloud.

The host asked again among the audience for a female volunteer.

A long silence draped over the halls like a heavy blanket.

No one would go up.

The host asked again.

Still, no one.

After the 3rd call for volunteers, I was so surprised that no one went up. I mean if this was in North America, at least three girls would have raced up stage along with the men at the first call.

Are Chinese women that shy? The place was completely sold out. There were over 2000 people, and half of them were women. I'm shy by nature too, so volunteering was out of the question for me.

"Can we please have a female volunteer from the audience?" The host continued.

There was desperation in his voice, "or I'll start picking..."

People began to shift and fidget and look around their seats nervously.

I couldn't sit there and watch this any longer. Overwhelmed or maybe compelled by a sense of duty to get the show started, and to pay homage to my North American upbringing...

I stood up.

It took a moment for the host to notice me, still searching in the darkness for a glimmer of hope. It wasn't until people started pointing that he finally looked in my direction.

"And we have a volunteer! Please come on up!"

The host was relieved to finally see someone, anyone, willing to participate. The whole place clapped. Relieved also.