Finally some pictures from Easter weekend. So, we hiked up what the Chinese here call a mountain. I think the epithet may be a bit generous, especially by Appalachia's standards...but, anyways. It was a pleasant hike to the top. Once we arrived, we found a nice little stone table where we squatted down and munched on some of Rachel's delish homemade hot-crossed buns (with New Zealand butter!). It was quite a treat. Benjamin found a black lady bug with red spots as pictured below. Ben's finger, my knee, and the bugaboo:

A shrine that was also at the top of the mountain:

The group checking out the location:

The way down was a bit more treacherous (including a couple incidents where I could see myself plummeting down...). But, much to our delight, everyone's shoe grips withstood the exertion and we made it down safely. At the end of the hike down, we stumbled upon the legitimate entrance to the park/mountain area (which we had bypassed so as not to pay any entrance fees, if they applied). In this area, stands this structure. Lopsided and certainly no cathedral, but noteworthy, if only because it is so utterly imperfect:

After the hike we headed "out west" to a yummy restaurant in a yurt. There was milk tea and mutton and dancers, even an area to lie down afterwards. For the first time in a long time, I felt at home.

Blogger is being really funky and not letting me attach photos. So, sorry those of you who enjoy pictorial stimulation.

Let's see...

Birthday is right around the corner. My brother, Derek, informed me several months ago that this birthday would be more unique than any I have had or will have. Ever. Why? This year I turn twenty-three on the twenty-third of April. How's that for snazz? I'm excited though I've nothing of particular import planned as it falls on a Monday =(

This past weekend I celebrated the THIRTIETH birthday of our dear french friend, Nadeige. Friday night we did the low-key dinner party with curry, fish, flowers, champaigne, wine, 2 cakes, a pinata...the whole bit. I made the mistake of making the pinata into the guest of honor's favorite animal...which led to a pinata that was raided and not beaten. Half the fun, but I suppose the results are somewhat similar. Saturday morning some of Nadeige's fellow countrymen trained in from Jinan. We met for apperitif at 6.30 and then headed to the night market where we supped and got royally ripped off, despite the fact that we had a Chinese woman in tow. One thing is for certain, we won't be returning to that particular tent. What I did gain from this experience was a renewed interest in seafood. We had some oysters that were incredible, so now I am on a mission to purchase and cook some!

It was a fun weekend, though I did not get much sleep and came home after class on Monday morning, quickly ate breakfast, and slept for 2.5 hours!!

Saturday Morning

This morning as I was walking on campus, I noticed the workmen who are building the new student dorms. They were hanging from little seats, chatting, and sanding the newly plastered walls...WITH SANDPAPER AND THEIR BARE HANDS. I couldn't believe it. I mean, geez.

Easter hiking trip fell through. The weather never particularly warmed up and all interested parties (including me) were feeling that getting ill at this point in the semester would not be fun. Not that getting ill is ever fun, but whatever. I think we made the right decision since no one has appropriate gear and it is now pretty cold, windy, and raining.

Yesterday, I zipped out of class and then met up with Wayne and Lori for lunch and to read the stations of the cross. Spent the afternoon with them and found out the Lori is one of the few others INTJ's in the world. We shared some amusing tales about getting the Myers-Briggs and learning that we would be good in management... a fact which we seriously doubt since we don't like being the end-all and be-all of decisions. After the relaxing afternoon, I zipped home to attend Nadeige's screening of Le Papillon. It was an excellent movie and I think I understood no more than 15 percent of what was being said. AND still it was good. So, check it out if you get a chance. Then, Nadeige and I stayed up and chatted until well into the morning--nearly 3:30 am. Towards the end, my words were barely sensical in English, let alone my attempts at verbalizing in Spanish. Seven hours of thinking/speaking and whew!!

Tomorrow, for Easter, we will meet in a group and hike up a hill/"mountain" to hold service on top of the mountain. Should be fuuuuunn!!

HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!!

Last Weekend...

was an absolute blast. Friday night I met up with what was scheduled to be 3 students and turned out to be 6 to play ping-pong. The three extras were beginners, so I am no longer the new kid on the ping-pong block. Which is nice. We played for a couple of hours during which began an incredible lightning storm. It was really beautiful. After ping-ponging, we grabbed dinner at the on-campus restaurant and then parted ways. I headed back to my apartment and chilled for the remainder of the evening... this entailed a nice cozy stretch on the couch with the book of the week Les Miserables. I am fairly certain that either parts of the book have been edited out or I fell asleep while still turning the pages. Regardless, I am enjoying the read much more than The Hunchback of Notre Dame which I shamelessy abandoned after falling asleep twice while trying to read the first page. Perhaps I will attack it with renewed vigor after I complete Les Mis.

Saturday morning Neal and I showed our new super-cool French-Spanish-Turkish-and now-Chinese speaking French friend around the city, stocked up on things for a party we were planning on hosting that evening. It turned out being quite fun. We made a pasta bake and had salad and some zucchini for dinner. Invited Nadeige, Julie, and Rory. Small crowd, but turned out to be a blast. Upon reflection, I wonder if such nights are un-lived college days. Like the parties I never cared to go to minus the throwing up and the sex. Just pure fun. Fantastic. Lots of laughter. We played the infamous "Circle of Death" which is a ridiculous game involving cards and beer, then a French game I will call "tops." It is rather simple: once everyone has an open bottle of beer, you place your bottle cap, upside down, on top of the bottle. You take turns throwing your bottle cap in an attempt to knock off a friend's. If you miss, you drink; if you make it, friend drinks. Obviously, the worse shot you are the more you drink and the worse your aim gets. Another friend joined the party just in time for one round of beer pong, Chinese style. We set up on our tea tables. I find it amusing that it took coming to China in order to be exposed to this game. Haha.

Sunday was pretty low-key (don't get any ideas from the above story, I was feeling fine). Had my second French lesson. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep my mind out of the gutter and many of the words sounded vulgar to me which caused several spells of inexplicable laughter. Nadeige certainly knows how to test us. She had us repeating dialogues without having read a text, just listening, trying to comprehend, responding, and repeating. I found myself trying to "read" the lines in my memory but couldn't find them there. I think that this method will definitely require extra diligence on my part as it doesn't involve any visual learning techniques. Perhaps as I get better, I will be able to spell what I hear in my head and read those prompts, but until then...it will be rough going. But, it is super fun, and I am very thankful to have the opportunity to not only practice my Spanish with her, but to also get some foundations in French!!

Still waiting on updates from Honduras. My mind has been on little else. I have already tried compiling a list of the necessities so that I can begin to collect my thoughts, etc. Geez...I know these next few months will whiz by, but sometimes the days are agonizingly long!!