have you ever tried to buy a slip in this godforsaken city???????????

I met with my Chinese friend Su Jian yesterday. For those of you who have been following my life for more than this blog, you might know that he is my former Chinese crush. Yes, I said former Chinese crush. Though he is the only Chinese person I have ever been attracted to, and he is amazing and wonderful and pushed my bike for two hours so I didn't have to, he is former. As much as it pains me to say it, his girlfriend is moving to Hangzhou next month and he is planning to ask her to marry him so I've decided that I can no longer pretend she doesn't exist. *sigh* But aside from that crushing (no pun intended) news, I had a wonderful time with him. Yesterday was the best day I've had since I came here. Su Jian's English is such that we can branch out into various topics w/o being fettered by a vocabulary barrier. I felt like I was with a friend from back home. I can only explain it as being relaxed in conversation. Most of the time when I am conversing with folks here, I am very tense, thinking of what I will say next, how I will say it in a way that they can understand me, and what we can talk about that they have the English vocabulary for. It was a welcome change! Somehow I shall manage to beat down my undying love for him and settle for friendship.

So the official moving day is here, and in Chinese fashion, there is no moving going on whatsoever. Furthermore, naturally, no one has a clue when or where we might be moving for real. School starts in three days and we have no rosters, no classroom assignments, no textbooks or daily class schedule (i.e. what time the classes begin and end). Ha. This place is a trip. I am not sure I will ever get over my bafflement at Chinese logic.

Also, I would like to announce that the winner of the "Who-responds-the-most-to-Cammie's-blogs" contest is........drum roll please........Corrine (Cream) Cooper!!!!!!1 Now, I know those of you that didn't win will protest that you didn't know there was a contest going on.......I kept it a secret so I could see how you acted naturally, without the impetus of a contest.