This week has been pretty awesome. My refrigerator is still broken/ it broke again so I have been eating at the greasy chopstick (Asian version of a greasy spoon dinner) near my house. Not only do I consume delicious, MSG-filled entrees on a nightly basis, but the waitresses have been teaching me important Chinese words such as 'rice' 米饭, 'potato fried meat'青椒炒牛肉 and 'move over, I am a regular' 移动它。我是一个特殊的客户. Still, I really hope that my fridge can be fixed- and stay fixed- soon.
Speaking of fixed, I finally have my e-bike back. With the help of two students, I took my bike to a repair shop near my school and got it worked on for 5 RMB ($0.79 USD). Not only does my ride now work, but the repair woman kindly obliged my request to ‘jailbreak’ the speed control. There is nothing better than taking my bike out for a ride, especially now that cold weather has come. I absolutely love gunning it and feeling the icy wind kiss my face as I fly past the cars (some of which now go slower than my bike).
In other news, one of my top students received her acceptance email to Purdue. This is a girl who pulled a Ken Jennings during a Jeopardy themed review class for a test and scored over 100% on the exam for good measure. She was bursting with excitement today when she told me the good news- I instinctively gave her a big hug and she hugged me back (in my experience, some Chinese people have an aversion to hugging). She is intelligent with a shy determination and possesses critical thinking skills typical of a post-college individual. Overall, a great kid and I am excited for her and her wonderful choice in University. Boiler up!
That's really inspiring news! I'm glad you got to experience the achievement of one of your students. It's quite an exhilarating feeling, no?
ReplyDeleteAnd, may you continue your Chinese education in the dining environment and beyond.