Buck's Hat

Buck is one of our technicians from North Carolina over here to help setup a new machine and teach Chinese operators how to run it.

He is just a good old boy. Well, as he would say, just a good old redneck. Tattoos, Harleys, and that southern drawl. The interpreters who are assigned to work with him just give him the oddest looks and say “You talk funny.” No argument there. Not even from him.

And Buck has been “Doing China.” He has no fear. Our hotel is in an area I have not explored that much and I think he has learned this neighborhood better than most. Now the food might be a different story. He didn’t like the pigeon and hasn’t been too high on some of the other Chinese foods, but there are enough western places to keep him happy. Despite that, he claims to have lost 15 pounds so far. He had it to lose, though. Regardless of that aspect, he has certainly been seeing the sights including riding his first Chinese subway, walking up 10,000 stairs to see The Big Buddha in Le Shan, and shopping ths antique market trying to find Chinese Kimono's

But Buck doesn’t go out without his hat. Baseball style biker hat.

When he sits down to eat, the hat comes off. He puts it nice and neat on the floor under his chair. The waiters come by and slide the decorative slip covers over the back of the chair to cover a coat, but the hat on the floor has really thrown them for a loop.

Buck enters the restaurant. Takes his coat off and puts it on the back of the chair and places his hat neatly under him as he sits down and three times now, the waiter drags a 2nd chair over to put right next to him and places his hat neatly on the chair. One place even removed it from where he hung it on the back to put it neatly aside for him.  Buck’s hat must  have a chair.

I know ya’ll can hear it now … “Gosh awmighty, wouldja lookit that. My hat has its own chair!”

So now the standard line is “Buck can’t eat no dinner if Buck’s hat ain’t got no chair!” For those of you married guys out there, I’m sure you can guess how that will go over when he pulls that line out at home.

But he is having a good time. Learning how it takes three times as long to get anything done at work (with all the language and cultural differences), and certainly gaining appreciation of the lifestyle of those of us who have been doing this awhile, and certainly seeing the world through a lens he never dreamed of seeing – but as long as Buck’s Hat has a chair; he’s happy!