Looking for some space in the fridge, I suddenly noticed something moving in a jar, balancing on top of the fridge. For a split second I thought that someone’s old take-away lunch had decided to leave the kitchen by its own force, but giving the thing a second look I noticed that what I was actually looking at was a turtle. A real, living turtle.

Not larger than an egg, the turtle was floating around in its tiny pool, biding its time in the shadow of an abandoned plant, both of  them sharing the same forgotten destiny on the top of the office fridge.

Who left it there? Is it being fed? Why didn’t I see it before? My head made a quick calculation of possible turtle-owners in the office, but thinking of my middle-aged Chinese colleagues, not one of them seem like the kind of person to house a little pet in the office kitchen. This will need some investigation.  

Beijingers in general love their pets, but also seem to have a predisposition to treat them more like room accessories than actual living creatures. If not achiveing anything else in this country, at least I could get a proper aquarium for this guy, and even get him some company just by rounding up some of the goldfishes scattered around the office desks.

Usually, I just avoid looking at them. Bright orange, isolated one by one in their tiny tanks, they are like miniature Guantanamo prisoners of the sea, doomed to a life in isolation in this depressing office landscape.

My Chinese teacher on strange Western habits.

Teacher: In the West, you just eat one dish, right? One plate each? That’s not much.

Me:  Yes, but on that plate you can have several different sorts of food, like meat, vegetables, potatoes maybe.

Teacher: Ooooh. I see. But just one plate?

Me: Just one plate.

Teacher:Ha ha ha! Yeah, that’s very funny!