As I nursed my self-inflicted injury, I couldn’t imagine enduring a long-winded lecture from Mr. Dai about China. I mean, c’mon, I’ve got a wound here!

I wasn’t exactly in the mood for an intellectual debate, so I told Mr. Dai straight up that we could spend the next six hours yakking about China’s difficulties, but honestly, who has time for that?

Sure, China faces its fair share of obstacles, but I’d rather focus on something more important, like, oh I don’t know, trying to find a bandaid that actually sticks to my skin.

Mr. Dai probably thought I was being flippant, but really, I just couldn’t handle the thought of boredom while dealing with a painful wound.

Besides, there’s only so much discussion one can have about another country’s soap opera of issues. It’s like a never-ending saga of drama, and honestly, I’d rather watch paint dry.

In the end, Mr. Dai reluctantly agreed to shift the conversation to something less dreary, and frankly, that was the best news I’d heard all day. Who knew a little self-inflicted pain could lead to such a life-changing decision?

Serious News: nytimes