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.

So I understand the Chinese driver stereotype now....

Dear Lord. I never understood why people always said that Chinese peoples are terrible drivers. But coming to China. I now understand. Like today, we rode a bus from the West Lake to a McDonalds near Zhejiang campus, and there are four lanes on both sides right? Well our bus was in the far right lane. Now in America you wouldn't be allowed to turn left in that lane. But our bus turned left. Also, cars will go into lanes with on coming traffic to bypass cars that are slow or stopping for some reason. But they will use their horns so it's ok.

Basically, I hope I never have to drive in China ever.

However crossing the street can be terrifying. Today our group played a real life game of frogger. And it was terrifying.

On a completely different note, I've had some weird dreams since I've been in China. I blame this largely on the heat. For example, I had this dream where I went to the bathroom, and suddenly realized my toilet had been moved, and the ONLY possible logical explanation was because a serial killer had snuck through my bathroom window. And as I tried to move to escape, it was at that point in the dream when you start to wake up so you sort of move slowly, and I could see the killer coming at me from my periphs... then I woke up.

Although that's not as bad as my plane ride to China. I kept going in and out of consciousness, and at one point I woke up, and could not for the life of me figure out why I was on a plane, and why there were so many Asians around me.

I also watched Kung Fu Panda 2 on the plane. Not as good as the first. Actually, I completely forget how it ends, and I think that's mostly because I was half conscious.

Also I'm proud to say I haven't used a fork yet. Not like that's an option. But still. I'm proud of myself even if you aren't at all.

Speaking of food. This kid in our group ate the head of a chicken yesterday. Brains and eyes and all. For those of you wondering, he described the brain as tasting like mashed potatoes. For those of you also wondering, yes I lost my appetite.

They serve the heads of animals with a lot of things. Mostly duck or chicken.

And dang. I had no idea how cheap stuff would be here. Like one US dollar is the equivalent to 6 Chinese Yuan. The average bottle of water or soda here is 3 Yuan. So I'm gonna be way cheaper than I normally am when I come back to the States.

Although to be perfectly honest, it's slowly hitting me that I'm actually in China. I feel like I'm just in some city's Chinatown, and I'll turn the corner and be able to read the signs again. I just can't wait for my classes to start on the 13th, because this whole not knowing any Chinese thing is getting slightly annoying.

Oh, and I'll end this blog with this. The street cleaners here sound like an ice cream truck, and they usually play the birthday song.

Alright now for realz I'm gonna stop. Cause I could probs write like a bajillion things right now. But I honestly don't feel like it. It's sort of tiring. Also I have to keep a journal for Houghton, and one for the program I'm in, and keep in contact with my parents.... so... much.... writing....