Too Damn Hot to Hike

It is too hot to hike! The rest of the group went to hike up a mountain to see stuff, I asked to be excused from the activity so I could go into town again and get lost. Well, I didn't get lost, because Xiao Xin was with me, so I'll have to go another day... by myself... to get lost. We'll see.

We bused down to 西湖，a beautiful lake that makes Hangzhou famous. It was beautiful, more beautiful than, say, Capital Lake... Not as big as Lake Washington... the vibe is kind of like Green Lake in Seattle, except bigger and more Chinese.

Xiao Xin pointed out where I could buy pearls and silk, and I said, ooh, great... before I leave in August (wink). Then we caught a cab back to campus, and ate great food at the most obvious restaurant outside the North Gate. Clams in a light soy sauce, zucchini with bamboo shoots, tender beef strips fried and somehow coated with a beaten egg, and a mushroom soup that was the bomb (but that Xiao Xin wasn't crazy about). I insisted we take the leftovers home, he explained to me that when you're with a guest you should order at least four. I told him about taking food home, even if you don't want it, you give it to homeless people... he said, ah, beggars? (He uses English sometimes to clarify, but sometimes I don't need it). I had to explain to him that in America there are people without a place to live... There are beggars in China, but they have a place to go home to.

Anyway, the food was the bomb, better I think than the expensive and beautiful banquet we had last night (see the previous post for the picture). If you'd like to see the (few) pictures from our day in town, check them out here.

Here's some notes I was writing earlier in the day.....

My IP address is down now, for some reason. It happened while I was online. Odd. There’s always gotta be some kind of drama. I think it’s the network that’s down.


I wish I had brought:

• my own razor (I had to buy a new one, the exact same kind; cut my finger on the plastic packaging)
• more guayaberas (polyester is the way to go in this heat)
• bandaids
• skin-so-soft for mosquitos
• my japanese brush pens

So my roommate, 小新 Xiao Xin, he’s awesome. I really lucked out. He’s from Shandong province, here studying M.E. He just finished his courses for the year, so now he’s working in a lab doing research. The lab is top secret enough to not allow foreigners, but apparently undergrads can work there!

So he’s really patient with me and extremely helpful, almost to a fault. He enjoys writing down new words for me (I really need to rewrite them), and when there’s a question about pronunciation, he uses IPA! Apparently they all know the IPA! What a country!

I told him I did want to go hiking with the group today, mostly because I want to get to know the buses better. The ride-around-on-the-bus activity we did the other day wasn’t... I am still not familiar with any bus lines or landmarks. I encouraged him to go on the hike without me, since his friends are all going, but he is insisting on coming with me, so hey, if that’s what he wants to do! I will pay for lunch today.

The group returns at 4pm for showers, and then it’s off to get foot massages. I am quite exited about that!

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The charger for my PDA has blown, I need a new one with the proper voltage.

My class schedule looks monstrous. Lot’s of cramming, every night.

• 0800 Grammar and Content
• 0900 Pattern Drills.
• 1000 Situational Drill and Activity
• 1100 Newspaper Reading
• NOON lunch hour
• 1300 One-on-one Conversation
• 1400 One-on-one Conversation
• 1500 One-on-one Conversation

50 minute classes.

Fridays are a little different:

• 0800 General Review
• 0900 Test
• 1000 Oral Test
• 1100 off
• 1200 off
• 1300 Language Practicum
• 1400 Language Practicum.

I’ve been eating carbs, but eating less. Lots of walking. Blood sugar levels have been just fine.

Haircut is ridiculous. I look great when I put in a little pomade, but like a clown when I don’t. I’m thinking of just getting a military hairdo. The downside is, I don’t really want to go to the barber every freaking week, just to maintain it.
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Lookup:

• Add value (to a sim card, to my internet account, etc)
• power cord
• Vancouver