Hot Pot

So today I lounged around my apartment, hardly leaving at all. The dumplings I made were DELICIOUS! Then my friend came to get me for hot pot. The place we were going to is at one of the "In Time" places, they are big malls. It was interesting. We all sat at this table and in the middle there was a hole where the hot pot sat. The gf of one of my co-workers ordered for us since it was 100% in Chinese. So they bring the steaming pot and then later all of the individual things you asked for (of course we all forgot our cameras so I cannot show you, but I am sure we'll go again). So there was bacon and beef and lamb and veggies and noodles and dumplings and you dump what you want into the hot pot (it is all raw) and you let it cook; some of the meat takes seconds. Then you pull it out and dip it into the sauces you select. Every time I have been out some Chinese person has looked at me uncomfortably and tried to give me a fork; I NEED TO PRACTICE USING CHOP STICKS!!!!!!! So tonight I used chop sticks the whole time, I actually even used them at my apartment today with my dumplings. The hot pot was really tasty but it was a lot of work just to have dinner! Afterwards we went to KFC for ice cream; ice cream has never tasted so good, the chocolate sauce actually tasted like chocolate!

After dinner we went to the night market; they had lots of fun stuff but it was raining so I was not super into looking around too much. Then we walked for awhile and found this place called Shiny Day or something to have a beer. It was an interesting experience. One person there could speak a little English; that was all. Girls often tend to go to the washroom together (I still don't know why) but this is the only place I have been where I felt unsafe going to the washroom alone. It was outside and then down a dark ally and then in a weird room, so I took my friend both times lol!

One of my friends bought a bike today. I am tempted to do the same. I have the bike that the school gave me but every time I go out on it I am unsure whether or not I will return. I may do that tomorrow. But I also need to start prepping for my second unit tomorrow! The mall we went to today also had a starbucks, it is probably the most westernized place I have been to since arriving in China. It was strange. We went into a few of the stores, they had a levis store. A pair of levis cost 1250 RMB.....that is around 210$; talk about expensive!!!!

We get a week off for some National Holiday soon, so I think some of us may go to a city a couple hours from here called Hangzhou; it's supposed to be pretty neat. I'd like to go to Beijing, but I think it will be too hard to organize with such little time.

People keep asking me what I miss now that I am here, I still don't really know. A few of the things were public washrooms having toilet paper and soap. I miss having varied options for food readily available. But when I was talking about things I will ask my parents to bring with them, I said sweaters, chocolate (there is next to none here), boots and my mom's homemade pickles (she makes the BEST pickles). So far there isn't TOO much I really miss. I miss not having to plug in my water heater a half hour before showering (sometimes I don't have that much forethought). I also miss having a bed that is softer than stone....but I'm getting used to it! Speaking of bed, I should go there now, it's nearly midnight and I need to get some work done tomorrow!!!