(2004)
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+++++about
He got really excited and yelled: "High five!" I gave him a high five and didn't know what had happened. I asked: "Why?"
"In fifteen days, I'll be 33."
I was surprised myself.
"Do you have friends?"
"Yeah."
"Chinese?"
"Most are Chinese, a few American. How about you? Do you have Iraqi friends?"
"Three... Four. I have four."
"Are they all from Iraq?"
"Yes. I play soccer. We call it 'football.' You know, Americans call it 'soccer,' and call the other 'football.'"
"I understand. We call it 'football,' too."
"Iran is good. We like them."
I'm surprised he likes the Iranian team. I thought the two countries were at war so there must be some kind of hostility between them, more than, say, England and France.
"Iran is only good in Asia. When they entered the World Cup, they never won."
"You are right."
He said once Iran, Iraq and some other countries in Middle East were one great country. I knew because I had learnt their history at high school. But I barely remember anything. So I just spoke based on my limited knowledge: "That was hundreds of years ago. Probably Mohammed's time." I know Mohammed was like their Sakyamuni.
He asked me if I knew Mohammed. I said no. He asked me if I knew Kolan.
I said no: "I'm not religious. And I think most Chinese are not religious. Maybe 80 percent are not. The No. 1 religion is Buddhism."
"Hmmm. Religion is good. But sometimes it causes trouble."
