So I'm an ass. So what?

So today I wrote the evaluation for the academic component of this program that I'm on.  No, I wasn't brutal, I was constructive, but I'm sure they will look at it and say, "what an ass, what is his problem?" 

My problem is that crap that stuck to the bottom of my shoe has better pedagogy than the textbook we're using.  I paid good money to come to China and all I learned were adverbs and conjunctions. 

Afterward E and I went to lunch at a place that I've been to twice; the waiter was soooo so happy to see us (he hated us the first time!) and was surprised that we ordered without first laboriously studying the menu.  Beef lo mein!  says I, though there was some discussion about whether I said "lo mian," "la mian" or "liang mian."  For some reason, I finally realized that the place is Muslim; I should have known from the headwear people had.  I told E that there was no pork in the whole restaurant, he was less than thrilled.  Keeping kosher in China is too hard. 

I feel bad for him.  Faith and tradition are a gift.  As a Catholic, I'm fortunate that even while in China I can continue our tradition of discriminating against women. 

Speaking of religion, C got a pamphlet from some evangelicals.  It has cartoons of short cartoony people worshiping Jesus and the cross, a cartoon devil, and slogans in English and Chinese about heaven and hell.  And of course, it's long-haired white Jesus wearing robes.  There wasn't much "love one another as I have loved you" or "love your enemies, or "blessed are the poor..."

Anyway, after lunch I went to buy my sister a phone.