Do you Si what I Si?

So there I am, trying desperately not to be gloomy over the fact that millions of families everywhere were holding each other close, and ripping open oodles of presents, while I sit all by my lonesome on an Amtrak, leaving Cary, NC headed to Union Station. I did not have long to wallow in the mud of self-pity, because suddenly I heard a chipper female voice say, "Is anyone sitting here?"
Yes, her name is Si, and she is a 22 year old Chinese girl I met on Christmas day.
Of course, I didn't know she was Chinese at first. I had secretly hoped that she would be, and we might have something in common to talk about, but living in Fairfax has made me accustomed to the high probability that if I meet an Asian on the street, they will be invariably Korean. So I held back the urge to blurt out, "Ni hao."

Si was always the good little Chinese girl from Chicago. She listened to her parents, and worked her butt off in high school. Sure, she had to sacrifice a robust social life, was terribly shy, and looked like a total nerd for most of her high school years, but looking at this Stanford Senior now, I would say she came out just fine.

Physical Description in her own words: Tall. 5'8. Pretty skinny, but I don't work out. Mostly because I'm not fat, so I don't feel motivated. I feel like my face is very flat, and I have single eyelids, so sometimes it's kinda hard to put on makeup. I once considered getting the eyelid surgery done, but then I thought about what I would do if I didn't want the double eyelids anymore. But it's okay. I like the natural look better anyway. I have naturally fuzzy hair, so I straighten it, and I'm obsessed with plucking my eyebrows. Sadly, because I pluck them so much, they're kinda thin, so I have to pencil them in a bit.

So what changed? Si claims that, by senior year of high school, once all the college applications had been turned in, and all the pressure was off, she could just kick back and concentrate on just living. This is when the nerd glasses came off. (Hehe. Funny, because they're just now coming on for me.) Not only did the nerdy facade come off, but also the squeaky clean routine. With her new found freedom at college, Si traded in her Good Girl badge for a fake ID, and hit the bars. (Not too hard. She didn't strike me as a raving alcoholic.)

As always, I ask for a bit of family background. Well of course she had Tiger parents. She's Asian. But she didn't have the kind that remove bathroom privileges until the Bach fugue is mastered. Hers were fairly reasonable. As an only child, she was given all the opportunities, but was not forced. At six she tried the piano. That failed. In the 5th grade, it was the flute for the school band. That didn't last very long either. As a kid, Si wanted to be a teacher. Then in high school, she decided she wanted to be a doctor. That didn't work out so well when she discovered she wasn't so great at chemistry. Now, she just wants to get by. She's okay with just finding some job with which she can support herself. With a business degree from Stanford, a decent command of Mandarin, and a bit of Japanese, no doubt, she'll land on her feet.
The biggest downside to being the only child was that holidays (pretty much all holidays) mostly went by unobserved. With just the three of them, it seemed like a waste to feast and throw elaborate hoopla. Si didn't seem too bothered by it, though, it made me sad to think about it. It's not a holiday for me unless it's too loud for me to hear myself think, and there is a spread of food fit for a troop of Philistines (Giants, for those of you who are biblically illiterate).

Now since I get this question ALL THE TIME, I had to ask her. "Do you have a preference of Asian or Caucasian in the men you are attracted to?" Not really. Her first boyfriend was Chinese, and her current boyfriend of about a year is Caucasian. We could argue that there is some Asian connection in that she met him in Japanese class, but other than that, he's as white as they come. In fact, she was on her way to Alexandria to visit him and his white grandparents over the holidays.

Things that Make Si Smile Real Big:
1) Her boyfriend. Hanging out with him, and getting surprises from him.
2) Cupcakes. Particularly Passion Fruit cupcakes from Kara's Cupcakes.
3) Going to the farmer's market. "Americans don't really get out much, and tend to keep to themselves. Farmer's markets are different. Everyone is out and about in the streets. It's very alive and community feeling."

As the train rolled on, Si became sleepy, and Sudoku was calling my name. So I let her sleep the rest of the way. I hope we weren't being terribly loud. Although the rest of the passengers were silent the whole time so I have a sneaking suspicion that everyone on the train heard our entire conversation. Oh well. Merry Christmas everyone!