Open Letter to Claire-

I wish I could read my blog. It really is banned here. I am that dangerous. (Well, I, along with all the other bloggers, including those gentle ones from the midwest.)

Scorpions taste crunchy, like the oil they were fried in, and not much more. Also, I tried to swallow as fast as I could to make sure that I would taste nothing but crunchiness. The fear of eating them dissipated after the first one, but the stingers still scared me a bit. They're too little to taste like anything, especially chicken.

I have also had donkey meat. But in my excitement to talk about scorpions, donkey just seem so... boring. Tasted like beef.

I nod a lot when people talk to me. And smile. The universal sign of "I have no idea what you're saying but I'm pretending that I do." I can understand the kids. And the city adults when they talk to me. The old aunts and uncle, I can catch anywhere from 65-85% of their conversation, depending on who they are, what they're saying, and who they're talking to. The rural cousins I can catch a little less, especially when they're talking to each other. But usually, they're good about treating me like an idiot and talking slowly. A few times though, I've had to just completely guess what's going on. All in all, my Chinese comprehension is top-notch, but the local accent comprehension, I'd say 55%? But then again, I haven't been responsible for understanding what's been said to me yet. That comes when the interviews start and the real test begins.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have old people to report to.