Monday

Huh. So, for the first time ever, the MSN messenger is working in the internet bar. I am signed on and all of you are asleep because it is, oh 2:30 in the morning for you. I did have a nice chat with Jamie Lane this morning when I used the computer in one of our classrooms and it had messenger. (It was only about midnight then.) So, if you are ever struck by a bout of insomnia, be sure to get up and log in- I just might be online.

This morning on our way to school, we left early so that we could call home and wish our dads a happy father's day. In a way it is nice to be here because even though we forgot about the holiday until late Sunday evening, we are still 12 hours ahead and so we hadn't missed it in the states. But, obviously, we were an entire week early. oh well. I couldn't track down momma and daddy anyway and so I just had to leave voicemail. Daddy, you should save it and play it next week. (Besides, I am a little put out that our family vacation at the beach is going to the the week before I get back. That's rotten.)

When I wrote my last post, I forgot to tell you that on Friday we went to the Panda Research/Conservation Place on Friday. I got to see many a Giant Panda and a few kid Pandas. I took lots of pictures and I think that they will be a better description than anything I could write. In addition to the Giant Panda, there is apparently another Panda, frequently called the "Red Panda," or (with less regards to the Panda's self esteem) the "lesser Panda." Really it looks nothing like any panda that you would imagine. We had the opportunity to hold and have our picture taken with one for a mere 50 kuai (appx. $6). Part of me wanted to hold the panda, because when in the world am I going to have the chance to hold a panda again? But then the rational part won out- If I came back with a picture of me holding this sort of ugly racoon looking thing, there is no way that I would be able to convice my cynical family that it was really a panda, so I would have been just wasting my money. It was a good decision because the panda decided to prove to my friend Taylor that he isn't "lesser" by biting Taylor's arm.

Saturday was a big festival here: the Dragon Boat Festival. (The following knowledge is proof that I am paying attention in culture class.) It commenerates the death of a great poet who wanted his part of ancient China to stand up for themselves and not be overrun by whoever was trying to conquer their land. Many people disagreed with him and their province/area merged with the neighboring province. He was so upset by this, that he thought it would be better to wrap his arms around a giant rock and then jump into the river, drowning himself. When everyone learned that the poet had done this, they were very sad and they threw food into the water so that the fish would eat the food instead of eating the poet. (How kind, right?) Eventually they decided that the dead poet needed food and so the zhong zhi was born. It is a pyramid of sicky rice with some random culinary surprise in the middle and the whole thing is wrapped in a palm leaf and tied with a string. Now, I don't really know why it is called the dragon boat festival, but the present day practice is to get together with family and eat some zhong zhi. At sundown, people go down to the river and put a tea light candle in a paper boat that they have written their wishes upon and then set the boat in the river. Thousands upon thousands of little flaoting lights. It was very beautiful and thanks to extended exposure, I have some very nice pictures of it as well.

What wasn't as beautiful was the 4 zhong zhi that I had to eat. You could see the look in their eyes. It said, "Oh there is a foreigner and I bet she doesn't know about our festival. I should give her one of our zhong zhi." The first had some sort of bland meat, the second (and best of the 4) had what I think was figs, and the last two, bean curd. yum.

Even though I wasn't so much a fan of the zhong zhi, I have been eating things that I never would have thought of going together. For instance, today for lunch, I had a type of fried rice (peas, carrots, and pork that looked more like Spam than pork) and it was covered by a very thin fried egg (think omelet) and topped with catsup. Sounds gross. In actually, it may be one of my favorites. That or the tomatoes and eggs dish.

Finally, a note on the poor packing advice that I received before leaving the states. I was warned over and over about the food and told to bring planty of stomach medicine. So, I have 4 bottles of Pepto tablets that I have yet to touch. (Honestly, I think that I have enough that I could be taking three a day.) And yet, I wasn't told about the bugs and so I have absolutely no misquito repellent. And I haven't been able to find any here that works.
Bug bites prior to weekend with Pandas and hanging out by the river: 6 on right ankle and 8 on left for a total of 14
Bug bites after weekend spent in mosquito havens: 12 on right leg, 10 on left leg and 4 on each arm for a total of 30.

Still no one online. Hope you are all having sweet dreams. Good night from the Steller Cyber Cafe. (For real, I can't make that sort of thing up.)