Table 16 at Hooter's of Chengdu. © David Lee
Hooter’s of Chengdu, or any Hooter’s worldwide, is by no stretch of the imagination what you would characterize as a classic pick-up joint or “Meat Market”. However, for the keen observer, there are often targets of opportunity to be investigated and explored.
As many of my frequent readers have known for over a year, Hooter’s of Chengdu, located on the ground floor of Lippo Tower, is my usual hangout several nights a week. I may even stop-in for lunch if in the neighborhood.
Hooter’s is primarily a restaurant serving American style food with their signature chicken wings by far being the most popular. There’s also a wide variety of burgers, other sandwiches, salads, seafood and other dishes. Of course, a lot of alcoholic beverages are also served! Probably 75%, or more, of their customers in Chengdu are Chinese men and women.
Until recently, Table 16, or “David’s table” as it’s known to Hooter’s staff, has been my table of choice. It’s a tall table located by the larger of the two windows overlooking the North Kehua Road, thereby affording a great view of daily life on this busy main North/South Chengdu artery. From this vantage point, it also affords an excellent central view of the main seating area, front door and most of the bar side seating area.
It was about 8:30pm and I had been there several hours one evening talking with two of my American friends, when later, I had to make a “Pit stop”. As I left the table for the toilet, previously unnoticed by me, were two attractive 35+ year-old Chinese women sitting at a table behind me adjacent to the other large window.
“Not bad”, I thought to myself. Of course when returning from the restroom, I had another look which confirmed my initial assessment.
Believe it or not, no matter how direct I am in my writing, I am very much on the reserved side as far as my personality goes. As a child and teenager, some people might even categorize me as “Shy”. Maybe I was.
Later in life, I preferred to characterize myself as reserved. I enjoy the “Observer” role in a crowd more than being the “Life of the party” type always in the forefront of any social gathering.
It wasn’t until about half-way through my twenty-five year law enforcement career this significantly changed. I was Secretary/Treasurer of our State Trooper Association and had met Tommy at an association meeting, who was one of our departments best known and liked Troopers. Tommy was a Lieutenant (upper level management in our department) and had a “Good Old Boy” persona, but was extremely intelligent, as well as loaded with common sense.
Tommy had one of the most coveted jobs in the department that being the Legislative Liaison or lobbyist. The Legislative Liaison’s duties were to mix and mingled with the “Shakers and Movers”, i.e., state legislators, other government officials, various association directors, other lobbyists, etc. to make contacts and win friends who might help and influence favorable passage of our legislative program. For reasons unknown to me this day, Tommy selected me to be his assistant and heir apparent to his job even though I was only in an entry level rank.
The plan was I would “Learn the ropes” from Tommy for a year until the time he planned to retire. He was about fifteen years older, starting his career at age eighteen as a Cadet until he turned twenty-one being the legal age to become an arresting officer.
Tommy was promoted to Captain three months after I became his apprentice, therefore, he decided to stay three more years with the department which was necessary to enhance his retirement earnings. However, he was not allowed to remain in the Legislative Liaison position as a Captain.
Quickly and unexpectedly, I went from the “Frying pan to the fire” when I became THE Legislative Liaison and responsible for all the duties required even though I had little experience. I was sweating bullets!
Fortunately, my department Director realized this and Tommy’s new position allowed him to mentor me, as well as allow him some freedom and flexibility to assist me from time to time with various officials over the phone or in meetings. However, what he could not do for me was the day to day work at the statehouse where the members of the House and Senate had offices and met in their respective legislative chambers.
One of my many duties was testifying on behalf of our department’s legislative program Bills, or proposed laws, in a House or Senate committee. I was also required to occasionally speak against other’s proposed legislation that we believed would have an adverse impact on our department and/or citizens.
I’ll never forget the first time I had to speak before one of the most important House committees. I was sweating bullets again! It was truly “Trial by fire” since I had no experience in public speaking, but here I was. There was no Tommy there to take the lead, much less there for back-up on that day!
Obviously I survived and subsequently in my over four years as Legislative Liaison, I learned many public speaking lessons, as well as the importance of being prepared as much as possible in life, so as not to embarrass yourself in front of a large audience if you were ill-prepared.
This lengthy personal background on just five years of my life and former career is meant to illustrate one point. My persona was forcibly changed at the age of thirty-five from reserved to more out-going because my job FORCED me to do this almost overnight. Make no mistake; I was still not the life of the party, but progressively less inhibited.
Fast forward twenty years to 2011. I’m now in Hooter’s of Chengdu in China. There’s two attractive 35+ year old Chinese women… alone and sitting close to my table... Targets of opportunity.
A little “Liquid courage”, or a few drinks, also tends to help get me off my ass at opportune times, especially when targets of opportunity present themselves. Here was an opportunity and just enough confidence, mixed with just enough liquid courage, fueled by my pal Jim Beam, had kicked-in.
I grabbed my drink and went over and spoke to them and they were most receptive. After being invited to sit down, it was apparent only one had limited English skills, however, it was enough to initiate some conversation.
Vivinia with the limited English skills was a native Chengdu woman professing to be thirty-eight, but had been living in Australia for several years. She was back in Chengdu for only a few weeks to tend to her elderly mother.
The other woman was Vivinia’s cousin, professing to be thirty-three, who was a kindergarten teacher and lived in Chengdu. She had no English name, but I later gave her the name JoJo since it sounded like her family name.
We traded phone numbers and soon after they had to leave since JoJo was working the next day. By then my American friends had also left. Alone again, but not for long.
Then around 2004/5/6 I didn't live in Panama, but when I wasn't in China that's where I was mostly, and for about 2 months a year I stayed with a friend there. Across the road was a Hooters and we were in it every night. We had a group of about 6 friends and no one ever asked what should we do tonight until after we were already settled in Hooters quaffing our first pint. Half the time we'd go somewhere else and then return to Hooters to end the evening, the other half we just settled deeper into Hooters for the evening.
Nowadays I hang out mostly in my own living room, but your article made me nostalgic and brought back some good memories of friends I miss. Cheers, David.