Tidbits of Eggplant and Other Things

Shortish attention span today, so this will be a dim sum sort of entry.

I don't know why, but I have a lot of trouble with the distinction between "eggplant" (qiezi) and "wife" (qizi).

It's some sort of big important stores-are-closed-all-week holiday at the moment, but I can't be bothered to find out exactly what. Aren't I a good little cultural anthropologist?

Today was our oral exam, in three parts. The first was skits- Lili was Batman and I was Rogue and she interviewed me for a talk show called "Today's Superhero." We now know a lot of good superhero vocabulary, including the Chinese names of several characters. Rogue is "Luocha," Batman is "bianfuxia," Wolverine is translated as "wolf man" and Cyclops as "laser eyes," which makes a lot more sense than his English name. These utterly useless vocabulary words will no doubt stay with me for years, long after how I have forgotten how to discuss the U.N. and taking one's bird for a walk in the park.

The second part was a five minute speech on "My Most Something Something." I chose to introduce my favorite logical paradox, which I guess is the Liar because, horrifyingly, I was only able to come up with two and the Heap is hard to explain in Chinese (I know because I tried). I have clearly been in China for too long.

The third part was just a bunch of crazy rambling and I don't want to think about it anymore.

I don't think there are many people in the world I would like to travel with for six weeks - that's a very VERY long time. But the thought of being alone for six weeks doesn't entirely appeal either. Even apart from my concerns about safety (note to all relatives: There are no concerns about safety), I'm afraid I will be lonely. How long does it take to go insane from isolation? Of course, you're never really alone in China, and it's not as though I don't speak the language (ha) but all in all I do wish I could just skip this bit. I fear there must be something wrong with me, to be so unmoved by the thought of six weeks, footloose and fancy free in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Tomorrow is our graduation ceremony and I have been selected to make a speech (in Chinese, obviously). I don't know what I'm going to say. I feel kind of down on the whole experience at the moment, even though strictly speaking I am still very happy.

Before I came to China, I used to spend a lot of time thinking "I'm going to China" and feeling a deeply distressing vertigo, like looking over the edge of a cliff. For the first few months of actually being in China, I often thought, "I'm in China," and felt an amazing floating sensation, like being lifted off the ground. Now I think, "I'm in China," and there's nothing. I'm like a dead battery. Moreover, before I left the States, I found it very hard to believe that I was actually going to China - it just seemed so unlikely. For the past few days, however, I've felt like I will never go home. I keep thinking, "I'll never read Kavalier and Clay or see the wallpaper in the bathroom in Washburn or eat catfish pecan meunier ever again." It's very irritating and I wish it would stop.

The Chinese guy next to me is definitely swearing in English as he plays his computer game. Where on earth did he pick up a word like that? I wonder if there's money to be made teaching Chinese youth American vulgarities. I should look into that.