strictly platonic

Yesterday I had a little down time, so I thought I would post a Craigslist ad.

The tragedy of Craigslist is that there are plenty of legit people who are just cool and looking to chill, and CL could be the perfect forum for facilitating that…but CL is so anonymous and every-man-for-himself that it usually just looks and reads like a creepshow.

Still, it’s worth a shot.

I’ve been meaning to work on my Chinese. My Mandarin is definitely enough to get by even in very “local” spots, but sometimes I get tired of not being able to say what I want.

No, this was not one of those NSA “casual encounters” classified ads. I posted the following in the “strictly platonic” section:

English speaker looking to practice Chinese – 22 – central, causeway bay, north point
Reply-to: pers-755593009@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-07-15, 4:56PM HKT

hi, i am a taiwanese girl, grew up in america, and now in hong kong; i know some mandarin but am not very good, and don't know any cantonese. i am completely fluent in english. i would like to practice mandarin and learn some cantonese. let me know! Thanks

-Location: central, causeway bay, north point
-it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Replies to my ad:

Need mandarin practice
Hi. I'm 32 have business in Hong Kong and just set up office in Beijing, therefore need to learn/practice mandarin like FAST. I speak Cantonese and English full well, could work on Mandarin. Wanna help each other out?
Danny
Attached picture: a humanoid silhouette in a completely dark room.

hi there, thank u for taking time to read this email
hi girl
i saw your post on http://hongkong.craigslist.org/
are you still up for talking in mandarin, i can speak fluent mandarin,and need to brush up on my english,
can we teach each other?
talk to you later
have a nice day
kevin lee

hi…………….
hi,
i am a chinese man living in HK................speak cantonese.................we can talk in english or cantonese on bed........^-^.....haha......
nice to meet you............................
peter.............

hong kong craigslist
Hi pretty Taiwanese girl,
I am surprised to see such pretty gal on net. Which one in the photo is you? Let me guess, the leftmost one?
How long would you stay in Hong Kong? I am very eager to teach you Cantonese on and off bed !
Wait for your email or call at 5162-4015.
Raymond

AD IN CRAIGSLIST

DEAR MADAM

HOW ARE YOU??

I SAW YOUR AD IN CRAIGSLIST.

MY NAME IS ANDY AND I SPEAK FLUENT CANTONESE.

I AM BORN IN HONG KONG AND AM INDIAN.

I AM LEARNING BEGINNERS MANDARIN NOW.

I AM WILLING TO TEACH YOU CANTONESE SUBJECT TO YOU TEACH ME MANDARIN.

WE CAN MEET UP FOR COFFEE IN THE EVENING COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK.

PLS KINDLY INFORM WHETHER ITS OK WITH YOU OR NOT.

PLS KINDLY REPLY AT YOUR EARLIEST POSSIBLE.

B.RGDS

ANDY.

Other responses:
A pastor working at a local school asking if I would volunteer to teach English to a class of high school kids
A Korean-American expat who speaks neither Mandarin nor Cantonese but wants to make friends
A Singaporean man who wanted to hang out…that very night
Daniel Chen, Canadian edition, on vacation (will the real Dan Chen please stand up?!)