BEIJING – A strange question deserves a strange response.
"What is your favorite kind of animal?" I said to a Beijing taxi driver late one recent evening.
"What?" he said, and shot me a confused look. I repeated myself, stressing the tones to ensure comprehension.
"Well, uh, Chinese people. Chinese people are my favorite animal."
Chinese people? Really? The best animal? I laughed and told him that white people would take offense at being called an animal, no matter the circumstances.
"But we aren't white people," he said. "We have yellow skin."
Point taken.
Monday, June 04, 2007
My Favorite Animal
