Here, there be 龙

DID YOU KNOW THAT CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI'S BOOK, INHERITANCE, THE FOURTH BOOK IN THE INHERITANCE CYCLE, IS OUT NOW?!

READ AN EXCERPT HERE 

I would buy it here, but I think I might have told my mom I wanted it, and it would probably be the same price as it would be at home (yes people not everything is dirt cheap here, there are some things that are super expensive. I know I'm always talking about cheap things, but I happened to buy a tea cup yesterday for 150 yuan, which is 30 US dollars), and I'm starting to run really low on room in my carry on... so this will have to wait til I get back. Can somebody please read it for me, so I can vicariously live through you. Thanks.

I also tried to see if any of his book signings would take place after I came back to the states... but that's a negative. Why can't I be nerdy... wei shenmeeeeeeee?!

Speaking of dragons, although the western version of dragons looks cool, I think asian dragons are waaay cooler. They're like air snakes or something, and sort of more believable. If dragons are real. Were real. Could be real. Did anyone else see that special about dragons on discovery channel ages ago? Oh you didn't? Me... neither.... *cough*

Regardless, to be completely honest I should really be doing 我的功课(my homework)，but I don't feel like making a sentence using the word "to interpret" or looking up the difference between "有点儿“ or "一点儿“ (they're basically the same thing, just one is used before a noun instead of after). It's just so much wooorrrkkk I'm too lazyyyyy. And we have a dictation tomorrow bleeehhhhhh.

Have I mentioned the difference between Chinese teachers and American teachers? Let me give an example. In school, when I took German, I remember that even though I got the genders wrong on words (like "die" instead of "das") they would still give me credit for having the correct noun after it.

Chinese teachers: if you have the wrong tone mark above the word, it's completely wrong. One stroke is missing from the character? Wrong. Don't have a period 。after your sentence?! 不对！你是不好留学生！FAILURE. YOU ARE A FAILURE TO YOUR COUNTRY, AND YOURSELF. BUT MOSTLY TO CHINA.

I've realized that although I can understand what people are saying, I feel like a little kid who knows how to talk, but doesn't want to. Unfortunately, to get better at Chinese I need to talk. Especially since I only have 二十五天( 25 days) left. Apparently having a Chinese significant other (boyfriend in my case) improves your Chinese vastly. But how do I expect to get a boyfriend in the next 25 days when I never got a boyfriend in the first 21 years (Almost 22! My birthday is in a week!) OF MY LIFE?! HOW?! WHY MUST LIFE BE SO DIFFICULT?!

为什么？！

In other news, I've had this song stuck in my head for like five days.

I keep trying to use this program on my computer that takes the audio from youtube and turns it into an MP3 or 4 or whatever... but it keeps saying file is invalid (MAYBE I'LL INVALID YOUR FACE STUPID PROGRAM).

Whatever man. I wanted it mostly for my playlist I'm already starting on for my trip back to Houghton College, because my OTHER playlist that was TEN HOURS LONG got deleted when they re-imaged my computer. You want to know how long it takes to make another 10 hour playlist?! For-FREAKING-ever! So far, I'm only up to 6.8 hours. So close....


In other other news, yes I managed to celebrate Thanksgiving. And since none of us study abroad students are made of money, and didn't feel like spending a bajillion dollars on turkey (an 8 lb. turkey was over 100 US dollars. To be more exact, 800 kuai. Dudeman. There was like, 12 of us.) we ordered chicken from KFC. We also made pasta, and mashed potatoes, and corn. Since there weren't enough forks, we ate with chopsticks and a giant spoon. I felt like a mixture of cultures as I ate my "American" food in China and cut my chicken with my spoon like I was Thai. Kind of weird.

Also, I'm at that point where, when I'm watching a show, and see the characters making breakfast, or pouring coffee... I lose all focus on the plot and just stare at what they're eating/doing. I miss english muffins. I didn't even realize this until today. I miss being able to blow my nose and my snot not being grey. Flushing my toilet paper. Daylight savings time. The stars.

But when I leave I also realize there will be things I will miss about China. Like Baozi. Or chopsticks. Bus rides. Especially when you take the 79 back from the night market and your bus driver seems to think he's a cab driver and there are no shock absorber things on the wheels, so essentially riding the 79 is akin to riding a roller coaster. Dumplings. With vinegar. So much vinegar. Matuan. Oh matuan I love you. Agh. I'm not ready to leave China yet. NO 25 DAYS. WHY HAVE YOU COME SO QUICKLY. I DON'T WANT IT.

DON'T WAAAAAANT IT.

So have fun with your life and stuffs peoples. The next time I post, I will be 22 years old. The same age as Scott Pilgrim.

Procrastination Initiated

Guess what I'm doing?

Procrastinating.

And I'm quite good at it.

Like I just spent about 30 minutes trying to find a decent Doctor Who quote to put in my facebook status.

Time well spent.

Ok, to be honest, I should be writing an article for my internship at That's Zhejiang. These two British guys (one's in charge of the paper version, and one's in charge of the magazine version) are sort of our bosses I guess? Anyways, Taylor and I both thought our first day would just involve us editing other people's articles. Then we found out, since we're "newbies" to Hangzhou, they want our first impressions of the city. Or an outsider's view. Fresh stuff.

So long story short, I've got 154 words out of the 300 word minimum.

I know, I'm halfway there, whoaaaa...


I'll tell you what I wrote about if it gets published. Don't worry, I'm not feeling any pressure. Especially since there's only like what, 6 million people who live in Hangzhou and could potentially be reading this?

Psh. Whatevs dudeman.

In other news, I bought three books at this massive bookstore called Booku for 98 Yuan, so 16 dollars? I think? Yea? I realized I have like nothing to read. So I figured a 1000 page volume one of Sherlock Holmes stories would help solve this dilemma.

In other news I just finished episode 12 in season four of Doctor Who. I might be borderline obsessed, mostly because I've been watching it so much, and also because the past few episodes have been SO GOOD. I think Catherine Tate (or Donna Noble as she's known in the show) is probably my favorite companion thus far. Martha just... I dunno. Annoyed me somehow. And Rose was pretty cool, but I think I only liked her in the most recent of episodes she appeared in. I must say I'm slightly jealous of her and her life. In the show.

Spoilers? Don't worry.

Did I even mention anything about China?

Well I have a phone. We went to a museum today. I'm currently sitting in the apartment alone, and it's midnight. And I should really finish this article. I've probably written more than 300 characters already. Blimey.

Oh and the moon festivals in like four days, so I should have something exciting to report. Did I mention we're going to a theme park? We were all excited, cause we're going for free cause this other newspaper whose name has escaped me that writes a lot about international shenanigans is taking westerners out on the 11, because well it's the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Although none of us are sure if theme park means rides, or the opposite of rides. I tried looking it up on google, but I kept getting hotels. And I'm pretty sure we're not going to a hotel.

Alright, I'm gonna stop procrastinating and looking up Muse videos on youtube and funny moments of various shows I love.



Alright. New tidbits.
-You can't flush your toilet paper, but must throw it away.
-Exit signs here are green.
-I ate my dinner in a dark alleyway. I'm pretty sure it was because I was white. Also, the restaurant (which we've called Pacman for the red Pacman sign out front) was crowded.
-All the coffee here... is instant D:

So have fun with your life and stuffs. Until next time. When I write something worthwhile.