This morning I busted bum in the gym and then headed home to shower, do work emails, and eventually meet up with a friend who is moving into the dorm! Across the hall from me!
Happy happy joy joy!
After our coffee/chat session, I headed to Chinese class where my tutor taught me useful phrases like, "Good horses don't eat grass behind them." (hao ma bu chi hui tou cao). Meaning - what's gone is gone, no looking back.
And - "Radish, cabbage, everyone likes something different." (luo bo bai cai ge you suo ai). Meaning - Everyone has different tastes and likes.
This is what I pay the big bucks for. :) I need to have her drill me on hard stuff but instead I beg her to teach me phrases and idioms. :)
At one point in our lesson, a delivery man dropped off the door to the bathroom in her studio. Her sweet studio is newly renovated and looks great inside. When I realized what the door was for, I announced in Chin.ese, "Yay, now I can poop alone!" He stopped in his tracks and looked me in the eyes. "Who taught you that and what country are you from? Russia?" He said in shock that I knew the word for "poop". Hahahahaha.
"I'm from America." I replied to the old man while my tutor giggled.
"There are not many Americans who live in C.hina," he said and then walked out the way he came in, this time without a door slung over his bony shoulders.
After class was over, I went next door to the coffee shop to edit some english papers for the head bosses of the children's hospital. The one I am working on now is on infant mortality and child health care progression in Zhejiang Province (my "state") in the last 11 years. All I can tell you from reading these papers is - I am so thankful to have been born where I was and I refuse to have a child in Chi.na. Scary stuff.
The coffee shop was peaceful and nice, though, and I enjoy learning from these papers, even if the topics aren't too comfortable. It's hard, though, to shake my re-occuring feelings of, "The world is so messy, how is it possible that I can sit here so nicely drinking my coffee while wars and poverty and horrendous things happen elsewhere?"and "How did I get this lucky/blessed to be me and here and doing this?" The unfairness of lots in life can feel crushing. Even from the lucky side.
#whoa, deep.
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| mmmmm coffee. |
After a few hours of editing I walked to the greatest restaurant of all time to have dinner with some friends to celebrate our Kazakstani classmate Laura's return to Ch.ina to visit.
Garlic eggplant was the star of the show. I hope there is garlic eggplant in heaven.
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| HEAVENLY POTENCY. |
Group shot of the classmate beauties...
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| Russians don't smile. :) |
After dinner we decided to keep the party going and hit up the night market. At this point I was exhausted, but didn't want to miss a chance to hang out with my friend from far away...
I'm glad I tagged along because otherwise I never would have known that you can buy a mini jellyfish in a light-up cup as a pet for $2!
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| WHAT? HOW? |
Apparently these little guys can live for 2 years and eat what is in tap water. All you have to do is change their water every week. We couldn't figure out HOW to change the water without losing the tiny dudes, so no one bit the bullet and forked over 15 rmb for the exotic pet in a light up cup.
I would have contemplated a $2 pet jellyfish if I didn't think that Mushu would tip that cup over in a heartbeat. :)
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| what do you name a pet jellyfish? |
After shopping, we got some unphotographed lemon/coconut slushies from a street vendor and made our way home.
Long day. Good day.
I can still taste the garlic eggplant.
Time to brush my fangs.
Good night from my corner of the world.
walk slow. xoxo.
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