Yu Xiang Qie Zi

Yu xiang qie zi.
I say it three times before someone understands me-I’m just glad they bring out the right dish, fish flavored eggplant. It’s really just eggplant with small pieces of pork, peppers and onions in a special sauce, which I like to eat with rice (mi fan). It’s easier to order rice than anything else.
I settle into my chair, reading River Town by Peter Hessler. The book details Hessler’s time in Fuling, China while serving in the Peace Corps. It’s interesting to read about his experiences with the staring, the language barrier and just how different everything is.
It’s been two and a half weeks, but it feels like a month. The rain has been torrential but is now familiar, I no longer cringe when rainwater hits my flip-flopped feet. I have regular haunts; the white house restaurant down the street from my apartment, the Vineyard Café in town, and McD’s for a weekly McFlurry indulgence.
Overall, China is an experience. I’m learning so much. I have 25 characters under my belt, just enough to make out one character from random business buildings around town. I know enough phrases to survive around town, I can get around on the bus, and I know my way around the lake. I’m more self-dependent, I don’t need other people to figure out my way-which is good, because asking them would be a pain.
In short, I’m loving it here so far and I hope it continues to be this sweet.