Under a week, so I'm getting better!

Last weekend, the 13th and 14th, as a pretty good weekend! I had planned to meet up with Vivian (Jin Lan) and her husband, along with Samuel and Anna to go check out the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. However, Vivian texted and said she wouldn't be able to make it. I called Anna and Samuel to let them know the change of plans, and shortly after I got off the phone with Samuel, discussing a change in departure times, Anna called and said she really wasn't a big fan of Bond. Hmm... okay. What to do now? Since we have all this unexpected free time, and our stomachs were definitely telling us to eat, I suggested that we go get some Papa John's pizza, and maybe some Starbucks afterward if we were up for it (of course we would be!) Yay for a completely Western afternoon! So, we hopped on the subway and counted the three stops down to deliciousness :)

When we arrived there was a small wait, but it was only five mins or so. During that time we figured out what we wanted: Large Pepperoni and a Large Sausage and Mushroom (with an accidental ordering of extra cheese, which was totally fine with me!) We ordered as the waitress sat us, surprising her a little with how quickly we knew what we wanted, then we sipped on our 2 yuan waters which we purchased at a little store next to Papa Johns. Drinks here are ridiculously expensive in restaurants, so people usually bring their own.

When the pizza came, we all but devoured it. Since there were just enough pieces for left overs, as planned, and because we wanted to say room for Starbucks, got a box and made our way or for some chocolaty-caffeiny goodness!

I couldn't decide what I wanted so I spent a lot of time at the front pondering over drink options and staring at the coffee mugs and thermoses. At some point, I was standing in the aisle staring up at the board and somehow ended up in the middle of a guy's path. I thought I wasn't in any one's way, but I didn't know where Samuel and Anna were standing, just that they were behind me, so maybe as a collective we were in the way. I stepped forward, the little that I could, and the guy went past. It was only after he went by that I even realized that he said excuse me-something Chinese don't do-and that it was in English! Realizing this I looked up and sure enough, it was a white guy. Kinda small and since I only saw the back of his head and the fact he was going to make a phone call, I didn't think too much of him or the interaction.

Samuel came up and joined in me in my American thermo-gazing, and then we sat down to enjoy our drinks. They ordered hot chocolate because they don't drink caffeine, and I had the holiday special 'Toffee-nut Latte'. I think that's what it's called anyways. What ever Toffee name it has, I recommend it!

As we were talking, Samuel told me that the guy who had said "Excuse me", not only walked past me four times, but that he had given me the up-down/once-over/elevator, but also could have easily gotten around with out me needing to move. Wow, was I ever clueless! My back was to the counter, so I never noticed him walking by, nor did I have any idea that he was checking me out so intensely. Finally, as he got up to leave I knew he was boring a hole in my head with his gaze, but I refused to look. As he passed directly next to me, I turned quickly, as if I heard a sound, but still never acknowledged his look. Samuel and Anna got to watch as the guy and his friend left since they were facing the door. I didn't want to turn around, but they said that the Chinese guy who was with the English guy was just laughing. HAHAHA! Shut down and they knew it! Which is funny because I didn't even realize I was doing it. Oblivious! I'm so used to getting stared at that I don't even recognized it anymore. Mom suggested that I would have paid more attention if the guy were more my type, i.e. tall, dark and handsome with a stocky build. I've basically given up on finding anything like that here. Point well taken, mom.

After a good laugh about that, we headed over to a bath/body type store and picked up some lotion and Kleenex. Samuel had the sniffles and I've been going through lotion like nobody's business! After showering I need to apply three times and wrap myself in long sleeves and pj pants before it all evaporates again! Crazy dry here!

When we finished up there, we made our way up and across the street to a grocery store to pick up dinner for Sunday. This store is a little more expensive than the Chinese Vangard near the hotel, both for its location in Nanjing Lu (a Westernize shopping district) and for carrying Western goods. Even though it's more expensive, it isn't too bad all things considered. I picked up some strawberries, Spinach pasta, sauce, coconut milk mix, and I feel like there was something else was well, but I don't remember it. I should have picked up some soy milk while I was there, just to give myself a break from whole milk, and so I could eat the cereal mom and dad sent me, but I didn't. And now I'm out of milk so I had to eat my Honey Nut Cheerios with water today. Not the best tasting, but desperate times call for desperate measures! Anyways, back to Saturday.

After the store the high-tailed it back to the hotel. Anna and Samuel were meeting up with Ma Heem to take all their kids from church out bowling at 4:00 pm in the lobby. I also had other plans after lunch, so I hopped in a taxi and headed over to my co-workers house, Yang Li Jun (who goes by the name Kissy...) for dinner. Very seldom do westerners get invited over for dinner or any other house event because their living situation is usually not very good. So, this was a pretty big honor/accomplishment for me.

When I showed the driver the address, which had been written out for me in Chinese by my co-worker, he said something, but I had no idea what. He asked it then went on his way. As we got closer, he stopped multiple times to ask directions. Finally, he dropped me off at a corner and pointed to a set of buildings (all five of them), gesturing that I continue that way... or something. I was hoping he didn't drop me off in a really random, out of the way location that I wouldn't be able to connect with my co-worker. I called her to let her know that I was at that location and she said she would be right down to come and get me... however, she had no idea where I was. Thankfully, the driver had dropped me off near a China Bank location, which happened to be the one landmark she knew on her street. Don't know how she only recognizes that, but at the same time, trying to describe the other stores/surroundings is nearly impossible!

I crossed over to stand in front of the bank, as instructed, and waited for Li Jun to arrive. I like spending time with her, but her personality is a little immature for my taste. So, I figured the evening would be bearable but not something I would like to do all the time. When she arrived I was pretty relieved that we had actually met up. Since it was still early, we stopped and picked up some juice and headed to down the street to her University. Just as we arrived, she received a phone call from another of her friends that she invited for dinner. When he arrived we did a quick walk through of the university, which is fairly small but still a nice campus, then walked back to her place. Since she wasn't sure if we'd have enough chicken, which we didn't, we stopped and picked up a roast duck and some goose livers in their whole state. The duck however, in true Chinese fashion, was chopped up into little bits, bones and all.

When we arrived at her apartment, it was pretty dismal. Not awful, but it was only accentuated by the fact that the Chinese don't interior decorate. Everything was blue and the lighting enhanced the blueness with its dull halogen glow. And it was cold.

She started cooking everything up, multiple dishes from a single wok, and within 20 mins, her second friend arrived via confused/lost taxi driver. By now, most of the dishes had been cooked, and while Li Jun finished up, I chatted a bit with the new arrival (I'm forgetting her name).
We ate slightly awkwardly on Li Jun's bed and because I was still extremely full from lunch, ate only enough to make it look like I enjoyed the cooking. I ate a lot of sauteed broccoli, but other than that, dinner was only okay. I can't wait to get home and cook! Have everything I need right at my disposal! What an exciting thought!

After dinner I looked at multiple photo albums and waited out the time before heading over to the directors house for another party-like event. Prior to leaving however, Li Jun wanted some photos taken, most of which involved stuffed animals. I played along, but was glad to be out of that environment.

The director sent a driver, which was not mine usual but I had ridden with this guy before (he drives like a bat out of hell!). When we arrived at the director's complex I saw my driver and the Chinese group lead from the cooking and cleaning department (who goes by Leo) briefly before they took off. When I got upstairs, I was ushered over to the dinner table where they Koreans had saved me dinner, which consisted of whole crabs and muscles, and promptly made up some fresh stuff. And, as always, they asked what kind of alcoholic beverage I wanted: Hard liquor (wine as they call it) or beer. I noticed they were drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon, so accepted one of those, and preceded to sip on it slowly over the course of my time there. I was hardly half way through my crab when I had another beer set in front of me. Wow, I know I'm American, but I'm not going to drink like crazy. 'Specially not around you!

I could only muster one crab, but I did hit the Muscles pretty hard. After that I was offered a quick tour, where the director told me he had too much space and looking for a roommate (not really, but I think he just gets bored and lonely sometimes), then we settled in the living room with the other Koreans, a few remaining Chinese from their day-long leader's meeting and the two drivers to watch Tianjin volleyball play. Not sure who against or what the outcome was.
People slowly started to filter out and the last to be taken home were the Korean managers. This left me with the director. I was a little uncomfortable with the situation, but he kept a comfortable distance, so all was good. I was going to leave once the driver came back from dropping the others off, which was only going to be about five mins, but the director started talking and kept talking for almost an hour! It was a decent conversation, I just didn't have the energy to maintain a conversation about ancestry traits and differences at 10 p.m.

Thankfully, the driver buzzed so I could go home and go to bed! The directory still had a lot of fruit and snacks left over, so he made me up a bag, walked me to the car and I was home by 10:30!

That was my Saturday...