Automatic Celebrity

Warning: I have a little extra time today and so this post is going to be long. Complain all you want, but not to me. I like to think that you are sitting there everyday getting much enjoyment out of my tales.

Yesterday was an extremely long day. We met some friends and I ended up talking to this girl for nearly 4 hours. Not only is it draining to focus on one person for that long, but also, my personality just isn't wired for it. I am always self consciencious about the dead air time, but apparently she didn't mind. Rachel went off with another girl and so i was on my own. (I have to admit that it was actually quite nice.)

We were sitting under a pavillion type thing in the middle of this lake and there were some really cute elderly people. (Sara, I took pictures for you.) There were also these three boys that hung around all afternoon. They would throw things at the goldfish for a while and then they would go play in the stream and then go buy something to eat at the convience store type place. They always came back loaded down with junk food and since they knew I wasn't from there, they would always offer me some. I don't know what flavor the potatoe chips were suppose to be, but I think that it is safe to say that we don't have them. Should you ever come here, I would also reccommend that you stay away from the bean curd ice cream. really. Rebecca (another American) and I gave the three boys English names, Toby, Teddy, and Bobby. Even though the had prblems pronouncing their new names, they found great delight in runing around calling to one another.

Rebecca and I went to dinner outside the back gate of the campus and she introduced me to (the spelling is based only on how I would spell it) chow cow. Basically, you walk up to the place and get a basket. Then you choose what you want to eat- I had eggplant, mushrooms, green beans, lotus root, quail eggs, and beef. (Other choices included imitation crab meat, liver, some sort of dough, and a few unreconizables.) Every thing was ona skewer and after making your selection, you give your basket to the woman. She dips it in a spiced oil and then grills it. Awesome. I will take pictures the next time I go back.

After chow cow, Rebecca showed me this place to get what can best be described as fried apple turnover. Add in a fresh peach smoothie (no smoothie king here, just peach, ice, and sugar) and you have a perfect finish to a lovely meal. It was really nice to spend time with Rebecca and to here about her year here. She is returning home to Atlanta soon but will come back again in August and will be living with one of my good friends.

Rachel and I had decided to hang around campus last night because we had word that there was going to be an English corner. It is suppose to be a time when students come together to practice their oral English skills and we thought that it would be a nice opportunity to meet people. And meet people we did. At any given time, there were 20 students standing around trting to ask their questions. I have never talked so much in my life. Nor have I ever felt so much like an instant celebrity. Like Paris Hilton, I had done nothing to deserve the attention, but still they all wanted to talk to the American.

Somehow, Rachel got all of the girls and I ended up with a mess of boys crawed around. And you should note that since they mostly get to pick their own English names, I was talking to IceMan, Napolean, Shrimp, Anger, and so forth. Just as soon as I would try to answer a question, someone new would walk up to the group, get right in my face (which you all know I loved) and start asking their questions: "Hello, Are you from America? And are you a student there? And do you like our country?"

But this is a transcription of my favorite conversation:

Student: In America I think that it is much like American Pie?

Me: I'm sorry?

S: American Pie, you know the movie?

Me: Yes, I know the movie. I think that it is funny, but I do not think that it is what all of America is like.

S: Yes. I think that in America, all boys are interest in is chase skirt.

Me: (a little confused and taken aback look)

S: You know what I mean, chase skirt?

Me: Yes, I know what you mean, and I think that there are some boys in Amearica that are very much interested in chasing skirt, as you would say, but I do not think that it is true of all boys in America. Hollywood exaggerates and not all of America is like that. Especially where I am from. I am from the Southern US and we tend to be more conserervative there. Do you know what I mean?

S: Yes. We have Chinese saying: Beauty is better from afar.

Me: Ok. (I am not really sure that we are connecting, but I am doing my best)

Friend of Student: You have governor that is Swatn... (it trails off into something I can't even begin to recognize)

Me: Say that again. I didn't understand.

Friend: Swatzn..... You know, the Terminator. "I'll be back."

Me: Oh yes I know. But he is the governor of California and I don't live there. I live in Atlanta, GA. Our govenor is a man named Sunny Perdue.

Friend: Do you think that Swatzn... is very attractive?

Me: I think that he is too big. His muscles are maybe too much. (Notice that I have begun to slip into the practice of just throwing in random maybes like they do.)

Friend: Do you think that my firend (orginal student) is too big, or is he attractive?

At this point, thank goodness, some one new walked up and saved us from this conversation. Not long after that we left, promising to return to the English corner next week.

I hear that it has been cold and rainy at home. Here it has been nothing but balmy. Hot and incredibly humid (I serioulsy do not think that it would be an exaggeration to say that it is close to 95% humidity today). Every morning we have to walk a mile to class. (Well, we actually only have class 3 days a week, but that is besides the point. I still have to get up and walk the mile to catch the bus anywhere.) Within 2 minutes, I am sweating up a storm. My hair has just settled into a state of big. Nothing I do helps. And unfortunatly, my skin does not seem to be adjusting well. My forehead looks like Rebecca's did in 7th grade (Sorry Becs.)

Today for lunch, I ate with a new friend and I let her order. Tofu cubes. It wasn't so bad, but not something I would like at every meal. So far, all of my conversations with have been very surface level, but I am hoping soon for the chance to share my story and what is close to my heart.

I think that is all I have for now. I hope that you have a great Thursday; it has been a good one for me. It is weird for me to think that you are all still asleep ( it is now 2:30 AM for you) and my day is almost over.

And one last thing, do you know what is very hard to get here? Diet Coke or Coke Light. Wouldn't you know that as soon as I made the switch, I would come to a country where no one drinks it. Of course, rare is the Chinese person who needs a diet...