“Oh, before I forget, I want to ask what your living situation in Wuhan is like, as you’re a student in this city.”
“Oh, yeah. I live in a dorm with three other girls. We live in the student living area, which is about a 15-minute walk from the West Campus. Next time, you should come visit my dorm!”
“We’re a nuclear family.” She says assuredly.
I blink my eyes, confused. “Um, what exactly do you mean by a nuclear family?” I ask.
“Well, my family only consists of my parents and myself. There are no other family members, like grandparents. That is what we call a ‘nuclear family’ (核心家庭, hexin jiating) in Chinese. Do you not use this phrase in English?”
I chuckle at this difference. “No, we don’t--at least not that I’ve heard of. ‘Nuclear’ is usually associated with bombs or explosives. Because I had this connotation of the word, I thought your relationship with your parents was very explosive, or that you fought a lot.”
This time, Tanila chuckles, too. “Oh, no. My relationship with my parents is very good!”
“I usually just walk places,” Tanila says with a shrug.
“I prefer to wear casual clothes,” Tanila says, gesturing to her outfit of a plain white t-shirt and jeans. “I usually wear a t-shirt and pants, like I am today.”
