I was prepared for a karaoke experience unlike the ones I've had in the states but honestly, my experiences wilted in comparison to the one I had on Friday night. We went to KTV, very nearby JD's oddly enough (and conveniently enough I think for some post rocking out dancing), and when we entered we were transported to a luxurious hotel- like atmosphere where they guided us to our room. Ok, they actually guided us to a room they thought was ours because they assumed we were with the big party of white people. They led us up to a couple dudes standing outside a very loud and thumping door and looked expectantly at us. We all burst out laughing. Typical! I mean if we're white we probably know the other white guys here, right? After much confusion and jumbled phrases, they led us to the correct room. We stepped into a space of delightful proportions, and if you're friends with me on Facebook, you can see what I mean. We immediately sat down, ordered some beer and started working on selecting a playlist. Three mikes were there beckoning to be used so we picked them up and didn't put them back down until four hours later.
It was like a time warp in that room, we spent the four hours dancing, singing, occasionally meeting new white people who had also mistakenly been brought to our room, and I tell you what, it was the most fun we've had in a long time! Toward the end Heather and Tricia took over the singing and myself and our friend Kyle just enjoyed the show...along with some delicious veggies and dip. We decided to end the night with a classic JD's dance off, so we tripped off to the club, danced for about an hour amidst other enthusiastic and unfortunately very sweaty people. I don't even care though, because JD's is a place where nobody cares what you look like while you dance. Its our workout place, and our platform to blow off steam from work.
I just would never want to see the place in broad daylight.
Saturday morning came very quickly, along with my wake up time of 7.51. That's normally freakishly early for a Saturday morning, but if your Chinese class starts at 8.00, and you are possibly a slight monster without breakfast...7.51 is a tad bit late. I rolled out of bed, somehow managed to get dressed, avoided looking at any mirrors and headed straight for the kitchen. Heather and Tricia were ready to leave, and I kinda grunted at them to go without me. I got a bowl of cereal and ate it like I would on a nice, warm Sunday morning, with the paper in front of me...as leisurely as you please. I rolled into class around 8.05 and not a word was said.
Do I feel a little like a rebel? Yes. Yes I do. Will I do it again on a weekly bases? Nah...I felt too guilty for being late.
Last night we went out to eat to an actual authentic Chinese restaurant. "What!?" you say incredulously, "How can this be?? You have been in China for two months now, and you are just now sampling the cuisine?" (You are very eloquent when you are indignant, I might add). Well, I haven't really had too much Chinese food, most of what I eat is Westernized, or made at Shangri-la...not exactly the local food you'd expect.
Our Canadian friends took us to one of their favorite places, and set about ordering for us right away. First one of them ordered this pork dish, then a salad thingy a tofu dish, and some shrimp, chicken wings and a sweet bread. Every thing seemed in order, and fairly normal until they brought out a metal pan. I saw nothing wrong with this inauspicious pan. That was until the other girl took out a plastic glove from it and passed it around to us. I startled and checked my surroundings. Had we transported to a medical facility without me noticing? All I saw were tables and Chinese people (who of course were staring at us). I delicately took a glove from the proffered pan and nervously looked at our friends. The server came up and plonked a dish down. Our pork had arrived but it looked funny...it kinda looked like the backbone with a little meat stuck to it.
Weirdly enough...that's exactly what it was. Instantly I flashed back to the insidious plate of bones we ordered the first week we were here. I might've squeaked a little, and issued out a hiss of air. Orianne and Eva just laughed at our expressions, slipped on the glove and picked up one of the sections of spine. I followed suit and dug it. I will tell you this now- it was delicious. The glove is for the grease, so you can hold down the bones while picking out the meat with chopsticks. The salad thingy had clear sweet potato noodles with the texture of what I imagine jellyfish to have and cilantro, the tofu had the consistency of scrambled eggs and contained peanuts and cilantro, the shrimp balls were fried and shaped like those weird bouncy balls with square protrusions on it, but no cilantro surprisingly. The sweet bread and chicken wings were very good. Maybe because they didn't stack cilantro on it. I'm a fan of cilantro, don't get me wrong...but in every dish? Nay nay. Overall it was an experience, and I'll add it to my list of things to do while here in China.
This morning I called in to work and told them I would prefer to stay home. In my wisdom of nearly 23 years, I decided going any more than 15 paces away from my bathroom would be unwise. So today will be a nice day of updating my blog, sitting, maybe laying down, reading, watching a tv series, and probably not involve any activity that requires movement. Unless it's a short sprint to the porcelain throne. TMI? Probably. If you are faint of heart, either don't read my blog and expect me not to mention my ailments, or just remember...poop happens.
Oh and Happy Birthday to my beautiful and wonderful Mom! Age is just a number, and 35 looks sooo good on you!! My fantastic boyfriend had his yesterday so here's a late shout out to him too:) Love you both so much!
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