The Downside to Understanding

When you're traveling to certain places (like China) it can be difficult to tell when people are arguing.

In the US, raised voices and rapid speech generally mean someone is pissed.

On the dial from 1 to 10, China's average outside volume is at an 11. That people talk loudly comes somewhat naturally from the fact that to get over the noise of machinery, traffic and horn honking you have to crank it up a bit.

When I was walking back through old Lijiang to the hostel I heard an exchange between two women that sounded loud even by Chinese standards.

A 70-to-80-year old rather haggard looking Naxi woman was sitting on a small plastic stool shouting back and forth with a Chinese woman in her mid-twenties. The old woman continued yelling even after the woman walked around the corner, finishing by screaming:

你家有房子 (Nǐ jiā yǒu fángzi)

This translates roughly to "...your family has a house."

Old town Lijiang is a Disneyland of sorts. While it's a truly historic area (and even a UN World Heritage site), the shops lining the cobblestone streets are filled with the same cheesy trinkets, yak meat jerky, and "artisans."

There's lots of exhibition weaving, wood carving and silversmithing.

As garish as all of this is, it attracts millions of tourists each year, mostly from other parts of China.

The younger woman, like me, was probably a tourist. I can only imagine the rest of the argument.