Post by Evan Y Hacker 何艾文

I never expected my barber in North Carolina to be from China. He’s from Hunan Province. I’m from Massachusetts. Neither of us expected that a shared connection to Shaoxing would become our first real conversation. He doesn’t speak much English. I don’t speak Chinese perfectly. But every few weeks I sit down in his chair and, we talk anyway. One of the things I’ve learned from studying Chinese is that language isn’t really about vocabulary or grammar. It’s about access. Access to conversations you otherwise wouldn’t have. Access to friendships you otherwise wouldn’t make. Access to worlds that would otherwise remain closed. I found him because I needed a barber. I keep going because he gives a great haircut and it’s one of the few places in North Carolina where I can sit down, speak Chinese, and feel connected to a part of my life that still means a great deal to me. That’s one of the many gifts Chinese has given me.