Time Flies Like the Wind...

...fruit flies like bananas. - Marx, G.

Holy cow! How did I manage to not post anything for this long?! Event, events, events...

Saturday morning found me being forced into semi-consciousness by my phone ringing at 7:33am. It was - of course - the ever-babysitter-ish Xiaoxian calling since I (clearly) hadn't made the 7:30 bus out to Chashan which she was riding. Why, you might ask,would I be making that 40 minute jaunt at that ungodly hour on a weekend? Because I'd *been signed up* for a student/teacher pep-rally game-day...thing.

I make it sound like some awful thing. But my main gripe, really, was getting up so damn early. Once I was underway - via city bus (the 53, which I learned does an od series of loop-de-loops on its way out of the city) - it wasn't so bad. Nothing an iPod full of music can't fix, even on the earliest of mornings. And once there, they provided a bagged breakfast of sweet-ish bread, an orange, and some water (I was just as glad it wasn't milk... or eggs). The events were vaired, and I was only signed up for tug-o-war. Little did I know that it was just a clever ploy to get me into their web... and that once there, I would be asked - nigh, conscripted - into forced labor for no less than 2 other events: the team-whip relay race, and the half-inflated-volleyball-behind-the-back-team-passing game. Truly horrific, I know. You may want to keep small children and the elderly with heart difficulties from reading this... I don't want my plight scarring anyone permanantly.

With that behind me, I was able to catch a ride back into town with a woman named Luyi, who is the vice-dean of the Foreign Language School. We had a nice conversation, and she was kind enough to drop me off right outside of my apartment block. I then slept for most of the rest of the day. Heck, I told myself, it was Saturday... and by 11:30am I'd done more than most people do all day!

I awoke the next morning feeling something akin to what I imagine being trampled by an elephant feels like. My back was stiff, sore, and I was barely able to get up out of bed. The really super obvious answer as to "why" completely eluded me until... well let's just say it was a while. Taking a few ibuprofen, I was able - with a bit of subtle coercion - to convince Jienan (whom I've up 'til now referred to as Nancy) to take me to a local music store to investigate claims of an electric bass taking up residence there. Indeed, after a bit of perusing, I stumbled across the beast lurking in a plastic cover. It was 1000RMB for the little guy - some noname Chinese brand, I'm sure, called Gojira (which I think is literally the real way to say "Godzilla" in Japanese). Unfortunately, the store had neither cable nor amp to offer...making my thoughts of purchase a moot point until I could find these other rather important componants. We scoped out another music store, which turned out to have 2 bass guitars - one of which was a "Fender" for 2200RMB - but again, no amp. And so, the search continues. But THEY EXIST HERE! And by the Power of Greyskull, it shall be mine!

After that whole tirade, Jienan was tired and not feeling great, and so she took me to a spa for a massage. She was able to get 50% off, she told me, since she was a business owner and a frequent customer. Suffice it to say - as with all business/government dealings in China - she pulled some strings. The masseuse did a number on my back, loosening it up to the point where I could actually move it again... only to discover that it still *really* hurt to move. It was at this point the whole tug-o-war debacle popped into my head. DUH! But I was pressed for time since...

Jeff Barlow had arrived that very day, and Aaron and I had been *cordially* invited to attend a dinner with him, the dean, vice-dean, his liason and her husband (Warren). It was a delicious meal at - I was told - one of the most popular restaurants in town. It was great to see Jeff - hey, he brought me Nature Valley granola bars! I didn't know how great it'd be to see something like that, haha. Moreover, both the dean and v-d made a point to commend Aaron and I on our performance so far, saying that, while we certainly have lots of room for improvement, we're both doing quite well, and the students like us. She then made a point to tell Jeff that I was something of a "movie star" at the school. Sigh... it's embarrassing enough that it's true, but did she have to bring it up? Granted I'm certainly not complaining that about 80% of the girls there are virtually swooning over me (not complaining at all), but talking about it, for whatever reason, just makes me feel ridiculous.

So drive them staples deep!