Overheard in Beijing

Man: Oh my god, can you believe they’re playing this song?!

Woman: Ha, I know! It’s totally 80s!

Man: Yeah, you should probably get some leg warmers and maybe I should wear sneakers with a sports jacket. And Ray-bans!

Woman: Ha ha, totally!

Man: God, remember Thundercats?

Woman: Of course! ‘Thundercats, ho!’ Man. Say, what about She-Ra?

Man: Oh man!! I totally forgot! Wasn’t she He-Man’s sister or something?

Woman: Ha, something like that.

Man: Man. I can’t believe you remember this stuff!

Woman: Are you kidding? The 80s are so ghetto!

Man: Wait – ‘ghetto’ is a good adjective now?

Woman: Oh, totally.

Man: Hey, listen, sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier. I’m Li!

Woman: Hey Li! I’m Lanying!

Li: You, uh, going to school or anything?

Lanying: Yeah, I’m in my 3^rd year of Polly Sci. You?

Li: Oh, I just graduated Agriculture last year.

Lanying: An aggie, eh? What’s your specialization?

Li: Rice.

Lanying: I love rice! I eat it all the time!

Li: Well, you’ve got me to thank. Ha ha!

Lanying: Ha ha!

Li: Nah, I’m just kidding. (silence, then…) You’re a Moosehead girl?

Lanying: It’s the best!

Li: Totally! But you know what they say about people who rip off their labels!

Lanying: Oh shut up, silly!

(conversation starts to fade)

Li: So, Lan – can I call you that? – Lan, you remember Tiananmen, right?

Lanying: Shh! We can’t get caught talking about that!

Li: I know, I know, but you remember that dude standing in front of those tanks?

Lanying: Are you joking? Between you and me, he’s such an inspiration! To do what he did, to risk so much to show the government and the people that we need freedom… I’m sorry, it’s just so moving.

Li: Alright, don’t tell anyone or anything, but that was me.

Lanying: What?

Li: Yeah, I was the Tiananmen Guy.

Lanying: That’s you in that photo?

Li: Totally. That was totally me. You see the dark hair?

Lanying: Yeah, but a lot of people have dark hair…

Li: No, totally. I still have the white shirt and black pants in my closet… back at my apartment.

Lanying: I dunno man, that’s a bit much to swallow.

Li: Oh, you like to swallow, eh?

Lanying: Okay, fuck you, I’m out of here.

Li: Bitch.

That takes some brass ones, I'll say