My Foreign Friend

By Chen Jing

Over 20 years ago, Auntie Fei came to Chengdu to visit my father one day. My father was invited to a party. A moment after he went to the party, he telephoned me: “Hey, there is a Filipino man here. You can come here to practice English with him.”

“What?” I felt totally puzzled.

When I arrived there, the man standing in front of me was a tall white man, not a Filipino—he was nearly 2 meters in height. I looked at Auntie Fei and felt at a loss. She laughed and told me that the man was her husband and he was an excellent engineer from Australia. His name was Philip. However, my dad heard wrong, and mistook Philip for Filipino.

Philip was an honest, sincere, and nice man. I spoke to him in simple English sentences and he answered my questions carefully and patiently. If I did not understand his words, he would make gestures to Auntie Fei and ask for help. Auntie Fei would then shake her head and let him solve the problem himself. And poor Philip had to use gestures, drawings, and all other possible methods then to make himself understood.

Later, Auntie Fei and Philip went back to Australia. Whenever Auntie Fei called my dad, Philip would always ask to talk to me.

20 years later when they came to Chengdu again, I had already become a mother and had a cute daughter named Xiaoxiao. Philip was so happy to meet my baby—just like the first time he met me. However, Xiaoxiao was scared by this tall foreign man with blue eyes and a high nose. Her loud cry floored the sixty year-old man, who apologized again and again for upsetting the baby.

In order to make communication easier, this time Philip brought an ipad with translation software. He told me he liked Mapo Tofu and Kungpao Chicken in Chengdu. He had tried to cook these dishes many times in Australia, but hadn't got the recipe right. We took them to eat the authentic versions in the neighborhood, and he was full of praise.

In fact, we do not need to give much concern to nationality, age, or personal experiences when we make a friend. Sometimes, friendship may be light as water； sometimes they miss each other. Happiness is to have a friend who can converse and exchange ideas with you. Phillip is just that type.

20年前的一天，爸爸的老同学费阿姨不远万里来成都。爸爸应邀赴约，没多久，就给我打来电话：“来了一名菲律宾人，快来练口语。”菲律宾人？练口语？我丈二和尚摸不着头脑。

谁知到了一看：这哪是菲律宾人啊，长得白白净净的，个头有1米9左右。我问费阿姨到底是怎么回事。费阿姨哈哈大笑。原来，她的先生叫菲利普，是澳大利亚著名的工程师。我爸把“菲利普”听成了“菲律宾”，才闹出笑话。

菲利普能力出众，却很谦逊、耐心。我用简单的句子慢慢和他聊，他认真地一一回答。即使有些问题很幼稚，他也丝毫没有不耐烦。遇到我不懂的单词，他就像个做错事的小朋友，双手在胸前合十，向费阿姨求救。费阿姨总是摇摇头，让他自己想办法。可怜的菲利普，只有做出委屈的表情，耸耸肩，通过用手比画、画图等方式，让我明白他的意思。

菲利普（右）和小小 Philip (right) and Xiaoxiao

他们回澳大利亚后，每次费阿姨和我爸爸通话，菲利普都在旁边“央求”，希望和我说两句。

转眼20年过去了。当费阿姨和菲利普再次来到成都时，我已经当上了妈妈，有了一个可爱的女儿——小小。菲利普见到小小时，还是当年见我的那副高兴样儿，露出天真的笑容。小小却被吓哭了，她第一次见这个高个子、高鼻梁、蓝眼睛的爷爷。这一哭，竟让60多岁的菲利普不知所措，慌忙着一再道歉。

为了能够更加顺畅地交流，菲利普这次专门带上了ipad，下载了翻译软件。他告诉我，在成都，他最喜欢吃的就是麻婆豆腐和宫保鸡丁。上次吃过之后，他回家经常自己做，但总做不出那个味儿。于是，我们带着菲利普吃成都正宗的麻婆豆腐和宫保鸡丁，他赞不绝口。

在我看来，朋友可以无所谓国籍，无所谓年龄，也无所谓阅历。朋友之交可能淡如水，但彼此挂念。有能聊到一起的朋友，便是幸福。菲利普，是长辈，也是一位很好的朋友。