National Day...week...ish

The good news is that I'll be getting a full week off for the Chinese National Day holiday. The not quite so great news? Well, it's not actually a weeklong break, so they move work/school from Monday and Tuesday to the previous Saturday and Sunday... why do they do it this way? Why not just have a true "week off" like EVERYONE wants? "Because it's always been done like that." Once again, mindless tradition trumps rational thought... c'est la vie, I suppose... at least I get 8 days in a row off, and only one class to teach tomorrow. I'm planning to just show the class a movie and be done with it. After all, they don't want to be there, I don't want to be there, and I know for a fact that they're not going to absorb anything I might say. Their minds - like any student who's about to go on break - is already gone on ahead of them.

I discovered that I do, in fact, have my residence permit. It's been adhered into my passport like my visa was... so that's convenient. Of course, though I'm "technically" supposed to have that with me should I leave the city, it's incredibly unlikely that I'd be hassled over it. I'm a white foreigner... It's not like I'm unwelcome here, and I certainly am not coming from the "dregs" of any society. Meiguoren, by and large, get to do what they want... and if all else fails, pull the ignorant foreigner card. It's amazing how far acting like a complete moron - when applied judiciously, of course - can get you.

Went on a date last night with a woman named Nancy. I met her a couple of weeks ago, a regular of La Luna. And yes, she's Chinese. Her English is... well it's Chinglish, but it's at least functional. She works for a shoe and clothing company and, apparently, goes abroad on its behalf to... well the details are a little fuzzy (it's the Chinglish), but it sounds like she's been an awful lot of places. I'm not sure how old she is... certainly older than me, but hey, it's just a number. We had a good time, and maybe we'll go out again sometime.

Hmm... what else... went out today with Xiaoxian to the Digital Market and bought a wireless router for the low, low price of 170 RMB (roughly $25)... So I officially have a real, live wireless connection that - with any luck at all - will be WAY more effective that my previous "borrowed" wireless. In short, my Skype is back to 100%! Yaay!

Alright, well that's about all for now.

P.S. I'm watching Across the Universe right now... a musical about the 60's using Beatles song for all of the numbers. Love, revolution, war, and GrOoVy tunes! It's fantastic so far!

If the sun don't come you get a tan