let's play a game...

It's called "guess what I put in my mouth at dinner."

Ready....

.....................

Begin...

Round 1: hint: it is illegal in America, one of the most popular movie scores ever produced is about a movie starring this creature, my sister's favorite week of the year is dedicated to it...

Answer: shark fin soup. I had eaten half a bowl before I was told what it was. Then I finished the other half. It was just so good.

Round 2: makes my dad squirm, usually has an entire room dedicated to it at the zoo, was the proper choice for the devil to disquise himself in the garden of eden...

Answer: snake. I thought it was eggplant at first, (similar texture). After finding out what it was I had 3 bites. The first one took about 4 minutes and involved a lot of squirming, then 2 minutes with minimal squirmage, then I just shoved a big one in for good measure, and to make a point to my friends that I'm not grossed out by their food choices. (even though I so was).

Mmmmm.....sssssssssssnake...

I had dinner tonight at a fancy schmany hotel restaurant with my dear fave doctor friends.

I made them carrot cake: (recipe and more about that to follow).

I think they liked it, though in Chi.nese culture it's really hard to tell if people like your gifts...

We talked in Chin.ese and English and laughed in the same language. We talked about serious stuff and not so serious stuff. Important stuff and not so important stuff. After dining with them I always have a lot to think about. There's so many things I want to write here about what they tell me, but I have to process them first, and figure out the best way to talk about it.

These people are my windows into the true Chin.ese culture, something I will always be a spectator of, no matter how long I stay here. I could eat a million snakes and shark fins, but I'll never fully understand most of what they tell me about their lives.

But no matter, this face makes up for any misunderstanding...

Don't you just wanna squeeze those cheeks and make baby sounds??

walk slow. xoxo.