Mmm......good food at last....

Parents got into town last night. My stomach feels so satisfied after eating a sucession of good meals over the past 24 hours....=) Apparently, there is this sign that marks all the famous/time-honoured brands in Beijing. This also applies to restaurants, so if you see one in front of one, you can be assured that the food will be pretty good. My stomach hasn't felt this happy since arriving in Beijing. =)

Only about 2 1/2 more weeks to go. I feel like my Mandarin has definitely progressed, but I am also definitely looking forward to going home. I miss non-greasy food, being able to get around easily, not constantly being stared at (well, that's partially my fault for conversing in English with my friends) and a bathtub. Yep, you heard me right, I miss my bathtub. You see, in our dorms, there is no such thing in our bathtub. There is a showerhead, but you basically shower in the same space that the toilet/sink/bathroom floor is. There is a dinky shower curtain, but it only goes halfway to the floor, and thus does not prevent any backsplash. My brother was laughing at the expression on my face after my first shower upon arriving in Beijing since I looked so traumatized. I think if I had been warned about this, I wouldn't have taken it so badly.....I know I'll definitely warn any potential students in the future.....so if you're reading this, consider yourself as having been warned. =)

There is a pretty cool bookstore on campus though. It carries a lot of learning Chinese books, including some on Chinese idioms. Not sure if you've ever heard those 4 word Chinese expressions that have deep meaning to them? Like 'frog at a bottom of a well'? Basically, this refers to people who have had very isolated experiences so far. Similar to how a frog at a bottom of a well can only see the sliver of sky present at the top of the well. Well, I'm planning to get a book that helps to explain some of that. I've been looking for another book/dictionary for Chinese legal terms (useful when I'm practicing Mandarin on hapless DLS clients) but haven't been able to find one yet. Alright, need to rest, going shopping with my mom tomorrow and that's gonna need all the energy I can muster.....