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China Elevator Stories

“Why are you going to the 12th floor?”

A little girl starts to chat with me in an elevator in Shenzhen.

10/07/2014

Ruth Silbermayr China Elevator Stories profile picture
Ruth Silbermayr

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I enter the elevator and press the button for the 12th floor. On the 8th floor, a four-year-old girl and her grandmother enter. They press the button for the 23rd floor.

The little girl looks at me and asks, “Why are you going to the 12th floor?”
I tell her, “Because I live there.”
The grandmother tells the girl, “You know, she could ask us the same question. Why are we going to the 23rd floor?”

The girl shows me a necklace. “Look at what I have here.”

Chinese girl - Ruth Silbermayr illustration

She seems to enjoy talking to strangers. Before I can respond, the elevator arrives at my floor. I say goodbye to the little girl and get out.

Have you ever had a similar experience?

This is part of the series ‘Conversations with Locals in China,’ where I share conversations with Chinese people on my blog.

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