I have your mobile number?

When I worked in America, I once asked someone for their cellphone number (it was relevant and sort of necessary). She responded, "Oh, haha, I don't get paid enough to give that out." As Americans, we relish our privacy. Maybe that's why reality voyeur television is so popular; getting to see people's private lives is so uncommon, we eat it up when it's offered. I see where she's coming from, I guess. I give my number to one person here at work, and before I know it, all of China is calling me. In China, there's no such thing as privacy, or a personal life outside of your professional life. It's totally normal for a shop keeper to exchange numbers with a customer looking for a certain product, and it's totally rude to not answer your cell phone each and every time a number, unknown or familiar, shows up on caller ID. Yeah sure, that's what we're supposed to do in America, but in China this means a work colleague can and will call you on a Saturday morning, a student will call after midnight. In a meeting? answer your phone. Teaching a class? answer your phone. Essentially, you're supposed to be available to everyone at all times.

So I tell people I don't have a cell phone.

The person who set up my English class for the engineering students was quite disheartened to here the news. And by disheartened, I mean he shook his head yes and smiled. Then he said, "Perhaps we could purchase a mobile phone for you." Before I had the chance to decide if it would be immoral for me to accept said phone, he continued, "Then, we can call you anytime! With questions! Then we can call you!" I realized that a free upgrade from my what's the cheapest one here cell phone would not be worth the headache it would cause. Of course I'm friendly. Of course I want to help where and when I can, and maybe eventually I'll give in and give them my number, but for now I said that was too much trouble. If they have my number, they'll call me, and then I'll have to answer, and then I'll have to drop whatever I'm doing. I'm pretty sure they won't call just to say hi.

I was supposed to teach my lovely engineering students this afternoon. I came into the classroom, set up the projector and my laptop, and sat down, waiting for the students to file in. Only 1 came.

"Hello! How are you? Yes, I need to tell you, we will not have class today. All of us are very busy because there is a visit from a Taiwanese university. Andy wanted to call you, but he only has your home number."
"Did he call me? I was home all morning."
"No, I don't think so."
"Well, please tell him next time to email me."
"Ah yes, email. That is the best way to contact you."

See? So it's not new information that they should just email me. I interpreted this as a very passive aggressive, "Get a cellphone, bitch!" But I hope they meant something else. Maybe he didn't want to bother me by calling me at home? Not that anyone else has held back before. And why the refusal to email? I would think they'd like that better, as written English is easier than spoken English, and everyone sits in front of the computer all day. I kind of think it's like America 15 years ago, when email was more of a novelty, not a legitimate form of communication.

If people are annoyed that I don't have a cellphone, they can rest assured that the feeling's mutual.