Time again

Ah, yes, always time. That's what I say before I post, and thus, the post moves through time to some later time. It's quite amazing.

Seriously, though, it's about time I posted again. I won't write long; I have to get up early tomorrow morning.

A few posts ago, or maybe last post (I can't check right now), I mentioned that I found some...interesting hot dogs. If you somehow have not seen them, then now is your lucky moment:



Since I suppose I don't write much about how I'm actually doing, I should mention that I am doing just fine. Things here aren't too bad, and I often come across interesting things, or slightly odd things happen to me.

Like three nights ago - I was returning...
oh! From the bookstore! Yeah, I went to buy some things to supplement my literary studies...comic books. In Chinese. That way, they might be simple enough that I can read them. I've already tried, and it's not too terribly difficult - I know about 75% of what's being said. I just don't know the important parts. 加油!
heh. Anyway, I was heading back on the subway. I got to this transfer station, and, while I was walking from one terminal to another (is that the right word? It doesn't seem quite right), some old guy looked at me, saw I was going to walk right by him, and yelled for me to stop.

I had my doubts, but I wasn't in a hurry or anything.

So I stopped. I'll try to recreate our dazzling conversation:


OG (yeah, the original gangster...or old guy, whichever makes it more fun): "Sir, I will guess, I will guess today you wake up late. I can tell."

Me: "Yes, I did." (not exactly hard to guess - I was more awake looking than most other people around, at 11 PM, and besides that, I'm obviously young and dumb enough to sleep in on weekends).

OG: "You health, very important. I can tell, if I look at palm."

Me: "No, thanks."

OG: "liver, heart, organs - I can tell if healthy. Good health is important."

Me: "..."

OG: "You must take care - sleep early tonight. Stay up late bad for health. Must be asleep by 11." (Keep in mind that it's about 10:50 at this point).

Me: "Yes, I'll go to sleep early tonight."

OG: "Good health very important. Won't be sick if you take care. I look palm, tell you, you take medicine. Very cheap!"

Me: "No thank you."

OG: "Very cheap! 200NT!"

Me: "No."

OG: "Go to hospital, you...you...reg...uh...regular? uh, single word..."

Me: "register."

OG: "Yes! Go to hospital, register, already cost 200 NT. I can tell! Very cheap! Very fast! Have good health!"

Me: "I don't get sick."

OG: "Very important! Only opportunity! You are very lucky, I can tell! I look at you, think, he is very lucky person, so I talk to you!"

Me: "...yeah."

OG: "just let me see your palm!"

Me: "No thank you. I have to go."


I forget exactly what he said then, but he seemed shocked, even wounded that I would just walk away. Like I was his good friend, and had just told him that I actually hated him. But he stayed polite, and walked away with wounded dignity. I almost forgot about the whole thing until just a minute ago.

That's the first time I've been approached by a palm-reader, a chinese medicine guy, or much of anything else. Sure, there's homeless people here, and some of the handicapped and/or veterans will ask you to buy things on the street (usually gum or something like that), but they aren't nearly so insistant - they know when to move on. And more than that, they don't go for just one person - they go for everyone.
This guy specifically approached me, though - the station was full of people, even at that time of night, and he stopped, and wanted to talk to me.

Heh. Well, I suppose I did someone a favor by talking to the old guy - someone else didn't have to listen to his spiel.

Also, I had awesome dumplings today. I think they were called, 上海上壂(?)包子. I'm not real sure what that fourth character is, so it's probably wrong. And honestly, I don't remember if they were called 包子 or not, though they probably were. Well, whatever. They were good. Oh - and before I forget again, since most of you know even less Chinese than I do, that's something like "Shanghai style dumpling-thingies." Man they were good. They were a little expensive ($100 NT for 5 - so, like $3 US - keep in mind, though, you can get plain old potstickers for like 10 cents here), but they were definitely worth it.

Since I've got an early bedtime tonight, that's all for now - and besides, it's hard to read long posts, right?

I still haven't explained the pictures of squirrels. Or my trips. Or my teaching. heheh. Well, later.