Dinner for $1.30

Before I get into food, I think I'm going to tell you all about the more boring parts of my day (feel free to skip to the end). That will give you something to look forward too :)

Firstly, I made the decision to drop from 15 credits to 12 credits. I never thought I'd ever take a 12 credit semester (I've never taken anything less than 16 - really, I haven't), which takes us back to my first post about how many things I've said I'd never do that I've ended up doing. Add one more item to that list! But along with that, I know I'll have more time on my hands to be able to do what I came here to do - get to know people, experience the rich culture, and develop relationships. I certainly don't need that 3 credit class to graduate, and I didn't just come here to study - if I spent my whole time studying, I might as well have stayed state-side. So, long story short, I'm very excited to see what this semester will bring!

Along the subject of classes, the first week is over! We still have not started classes at BeiDa, but that will change this week. I am really enjoying my language classes at Minzu! Taking 9 credits of something and really focusing on it is much different than taking 3 credits of something. I feel like I'm being steeped in Chinese, and instead of being turned off to the subject, I'm finding myself spending a large portion of my free time reviewing what I've learned. My take-away from this? It's much easier and more enjoyable to study when you're not being pulled in several different directions. I like that when I'm studying for my reading class, it's also helping my speaking class, which in turn is helping my listening class, and so on. I also like that I don't have to worry as much about switching my brain from one subject to another - say, from Chinese to Chemistry. So, for those of you who may be thinking about immersion in a subject or language - I say, go for it!

Finally, today's food update! Lunch was Japanese today, I had a seafood/vegetable tempura over rice, which came with some miso soup and something that looked like extremely green pickles. I also tried some shrimp tempura sushi - yummy! That meal was a bit expensive though, because it was a nicer restaurant. So, for dinner, my friend Pla and I went wandering out to see what we could find for a very inexpensive but filling dinner. And what did we find? Baozi! Baozi are steamed dumplings that are just a tad smaller than my fist, stuffed with yummy things - you can get them with pretty much anything you want! I tried one stuffed with beef, and one stuffed with eggplant and some other veggies (those were the characters I could read on the menu :-P). They were delicious! And the best part? Together, they only cost 1.80 RMB - $.30 US! I also got a caramel milk tea for 7 RMB - that's where the $1 comes in. 

And with that....It's Friday!! Have a great weekend everyone!!