It's Tuesday!

I mentioned last time I posted that I might be getting a job. I haven't heard back yet, but I think it's still a go. It's pretty shameless, I'm almost embarassed to confess the details here... You probably guessed that I would be teaching English. Nope, that's not it. Translating? Nope. Restaurant work? Nope. Babysitting? Nope.

I'll be working in a night club. It's a one-time gig. We, (meaning my "Western" looking classmates and I) only have to show up, sit in the bar, and look like we're having fun. There is a row of night clubs outside of the East gate of campus. This particular club is just opening up, and they want to make it look like it's a popular place to hang out. I think this will be easiest job I will ever take. I'll look back on it when I'm 90 and wonder why life wasn't always that easy...

I really have a lot to blog about. I've been rather busy these past few days, and getting anything done has been a challenge. What follows is several day's worth of writing.

Saturday

Saturday, my roommate and I attended a Sichuan cooking class at a local hostel. You can read more about it by clicking on the link. When the cooking class was finished, we planned on going to celebrate Sarah's birthday at a local karaoke place. Karaoke in China is big. I mean REALLY big. There's a karaoke place on almost every corner. The buses are outfitted with televised karaoke, and the brand names of karaoke machines have been incorporated into everyday vocabulary. Karaoke is really serious business!

We all agreed to meet at Matthew's apartment and then walk to the karaoke place. After everyone arrived, we set off. Along the way, we discussed the differences between karaoke in our two countries. One of my classmates mentioned that she thought we should order drinks before the singing started. Ordering drinks, she argued, would make the evening ahead of us a bit more interesting. At least we wouldn't be feeling quite so horribly, painfully, excruciatingly self-conscious. After mentioning this, one of the Chinese students looked at her and dead-panned, "You like to get drunk and sing?!" We couldn't help it, we all burst out laughing.

We arrived at the karaoke place and ordered a medium-sized room. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I thought this place would be like a bar, with people sitting in dark corners sucking their baijiu. Instead we were led by an attendant up a grand staircase, through a long hallway that was painted to look like a giant fish tank. As I walked, I glanced at the giant goldfish painted on the wall.

The room was dark. Along one wall, a large television and speaker set sat perched on an ultra-modern stand. The opposite wall was lined with black leather sofas. Even though the lights were dim, I could make out the two microphones sitting in the corner of the couch. I sat on the sofa and tried to make myself blend in. This is a picture of me, trying to look invisible.
Soon the rest of our party arrived, and the singing began in earnest. The Chinese students were all very, very good. The Americans however, belted out whatever song they knew the words to. I still hid.

On a side note: I hope to make it the rest of my life without ever singing karaoke. I was successful in avoiding the mic on Saturday, I'll be successful forever.

Sunday

I spent Sunday morning at a church for foreigners. You have to prove yourself a foreigner by showing your passport at the door. It was fun, I really think I'm coming to like the people there.

I spent most of the afternoon running around. I bought some more black market dvds, and studied a short time in the library. At 75 cents, the dvds are almost impossible to resist!

That evening I met with my teacher at a local "Western" restaurant. My teacher had asked me earlier in the week if I would be willing to participate in a survey about computerized Chinese/English dictionaries. It turns out that my teacher's friend works for a company that is developing one of these dictionaries. Myself and another student were asked a series of questions regarding special requirements, color, font, etcetera.

There seems to be a real difference between Americans and Chinese people in regards to taste in decorating. It's almost impossible for me to buy something here that does not have a silly design on it. To me, it looks like "My Little Pony" has infected Chinese culture, to the point where they can't live without it. The women kept asking me what color I wanted for the dictionary, whether or not it should have a design, etcetera. It was funny, all of these things I didn't care about. I would buy an electronic dictionary if it was red, pink or black. I really feel that the less "frill" there is, the better. In fact, if the final product had any cartoon characters or silly animation, that would be enough to deter me from buying it.

I notice the same thing about clothing. Chinese clothes aren't all that bad. It isn't ugly. It's really just not my style. Everything seems to be over the top with patterns and design. Every shirt has ruffles, sparkles, stripes and plaid. It makes me wonder just how plain we Americans are in comparison.

The teacher who took me to this event has been really good to me. She and I started talking more when she found out I was an American. She has a friend who wants to practice her English in exchange for letting me practice Chinese, so she arranged to introduce us. I met my teacher's friend last night. I don't want a ton of "English" friends, so I was nervous about meeting this girl. I didn't want to end up getting into a situation where I felt obligated to befriend her.

Anyway, I met her last night. She and another friend both met me at a coffee shop. They're a bit older than me, and both speak English really well. They're both working professionals who just enjoy learning the language. It turned out to be a lot of fun. They both were really excited about speaking English, and gave me plenty of time to speak Chinese. I think we'll be meeting about once a week. Our next meeting is planned for after the October 1st break. And guess what?! She wants to teach me mahjong!