Xiamen Here I Come!

Spring break is (finally!) almost here!

I am blogging from the student center instead of reading my International Politics readings...*whistles a happy tune*...

The syllabus doesn't seem to really have a class reading for today anyways...

So today is Emily's birthday (my roooooomie) and last night/this morning at 12 midnight, everyone gathered in one of the apartments and sang her a happy birthday song. Lara got her a cheesecake/pound cake/with raspberry syrup cake from 85 degrees Cafe, and it was amazing! That was a nice surprise - even I was surprised! =P mwaha...well planned guys...

So for spring break I am going to Guangxi, where I will have a nice ole' adventure in the beautiful scenery. Then after I come back, I want to go to Xiamen. (Homies!!!!) It's a bit of a pain, planning all the logistics of the trip, especially since people want to ride trains and some want to ride planes...some want to stay on the island and some want the mainland...complicated!!!! But I'm excited. As long as I get my damn tickets and housing, I don't care!!! Which also means, I need to ask Ama/Ang Kong where they're from, in terms of whether it's at a suburb, certain district, etc... My plan for the trip? Walk around Gulangyu, then go to mainland Xiamen city center and sit in a cafe and wait for someone to say SOMETHING in Hokkien, and then I'll jump them and be like, "SPEAK TO ME!!! I WANT TO PRACTICE MY HOKKIEN PLEASE!!!" And then they will run away and think "Crazy Americans..."

I am SO EXCITED because I am going to check out my clothes on Saturday, the ones I got tailored. Julienne, the tailor, said I could come back on Saturday and check it out, and I REALLY HOPE she finished some of the pieces so that I can try it on and bring it home. It's already getting muggy/warm here in Shanghai - some summer pieces would be nice right about now...

Registration time for Fall semester is quickly approaching. For the first time, I am not even anxious or searching for what courses I have to take. It's mainly because I already have an idea of what I have to take, no matter what. OH GOD - I wonder if we even get midterm grades here in Shanghai. I hope I am doing well enough in all my classes, because really, I have no idea. For Chinese, ha - you should see me, I am the kind that doesn't talk in class, but if you ask me, I'd probably have an answer if I know how to say it in Chinese. So when I talk, my voice is sooooo veryyyyyy small and low. And I KNOW that everyone in my class KNOWS that I don't talk like that. I just get ridiculously shy and insecure in class - which I KNOW will affect my grade in that class. But I can't help it!!!

So yeah, uh, Mom? Me improving my Chinese? Not really happening right around now... Especially since it's easy to get away with pointing, and saying, "我要一個..." and you get what you want. Two useful phrases: "我要。。。” and “多少錢？”

I have no pictures right now because I am a buttface and refusing to take pics with my camera. I also have nothing interesting to take a picture of. Although I really should take a picture of those awesome "lunch ladies" that are outside the student center, serving an awesome three-dish lunch with white rice for 10 KUAI!!! And the menu changes too! Lunch is different from dinner! Making me spend a lot of money, and making me fat, seriously. Must stop eating from them, but I am always so happy when I see them, and they seem to be happy to see me. Probably because I bounce around them like an idiot and say "WAHHHHH! 好像真好吃！！！”

[BTW, if you can't understand the Chinese words I'm typing in, then... TOO BAD!! MWAHAHAH! just kidding. Just google a translator and cut and paste.]

Anyways back to the lunch ladies - they're so lovable and sweet, and the nicest creatures on earth. I would call them my Ayi's but that just might be wrong....

Ok, have half-an-hour before class and I should totally do some skimming right now. Much love and laters!!!

ooh - and this may be bad but I have a substitute for my chunju-naicha fix: hongdou-naicha!!!! Which is basically milk tea with RED BEANS!!! hey - there are no tapioca bubbles in it, so it's ok!! Besides, love red beans...can't give up red beans...not now!!! And they don't have it in the US.