I went out with my Chinese tutor and friend Sesame.  We had beer and spicy snails, which I'd never had before.  This is the classic Hunan spice, more insidious than your ordinary spicy food.  It tastes good, a little hot but no problem.  But the more you eat the more you feel it.  Suddenly your mouth, fingers, and anything else that's touched the spice starts to increase in temperature.  I had to stop eating half way through the snails because my lips were on fire.  Then of course it hits your stomach.

I was able to relate my travels to America completely in Chinese, which kicked ass.  I didn't go into to much detail, and summed up the entirety of Scav Hunt by saying 'my university had a big party.'  But I was still able to mention my Cao Zu and my Nu Pengyou (hidden message for you Chinese speakers!)  The only mistranslations were when Sesame thought I biked for 8 hours from Minnesota to Chicago, and when he thought I saw a cow washing snails.

Then we were beckoned over to a neighboring table by some female teachers, who bought us dessert.  It was a sort of sweet shaved ice, toped with beans.  Unusual, yes, but you would think I'd be used to unusual by now.  Stupid America spoiling me. 

My junior 3 classes have been canceled for the rest of the term, so the kids can study for the big end of the year test.  So I have Thursdays off.  Sweet.

-TWN-