Classes Start Tomorrow

Today we had our last orientation, which means no more English until mid August.  I wonder how long I'll last.  We students have a system of spelling English words to get around the language pledge.  Spelling is irritating enough to not become a habit, but it gets us through a conversation.  Many of our Chinese roommates know a lot of English vocab. 

They brought us Subway for lunch, which was nice, but it was Chinese Subway, which is not American Subway. Then E and I struck out without Chinese people this time and took the 12 Bus.  First we went to the wrong bus station, then E figured it out and we walked to the right one.  It was freakishly hot. 

Getting Lost, At Last!

We got on the 12 South to find 文三楼口 because E needs a new camera charger.  As usual, we didn't know where to get off, so we totally missed our stop.  We eventually got off at the West Lake, right at the teahouse that I had tea in with the three others a day earlier.  It wasn't our objective, but since we were there, I showed E where the Carrefour (all the French megastores are here), and bought myself some emergency blood sugar peanuts that are GOOD. 

E and I had a plan to take the 12 a little farther south, walk east to the central highway, and catch another bus back.  Didn't happen, missed the stop.  We ended up at the Silk Museum, way south... Got off the bus and started walking across the street for the return bus, but then decided what the hell... We went into the Silk Museum and it turned out to be both free and air-conditioned.  NICE. 

At around 3:30 we took the 12 all the way back campus.  I looked out for 文三楼口 but didn't see it. 

Getting lost on the 12 with E was exactly the thing I needed to do today.  I needed to get lost and find my way back, and rely on our own smarts, and not our Chinese roommates or the GroupThink that happens when more than three Americans strike out to see the town.  I like the 12 a lot now! 

Laundry

I did my laundry today.  Did I already write about this?  It's lame to wear something different every day and then wash it on the weekend.  I have decided I'm going to have a three day rotation; wash my outfit every night, and then hang it out on the line to dry.  There is no reason in the world to use a dryer here, and there is just not enough space on my clothesline to hang out a week's worth of clothes.  Maybe if I was skinnier....

By the way, I wish I had more polyester guayaveras.  I only brought one.  Cotton absorbs my sweat and then holds the moisture against my skin.  Not comfortable.  I have a whole stack of shirts I don't really want to wear now.  Oh well. 

So to avoid wrinkles, I'm hanging out my clothes without wringing out the water.  I just rinse it out and hang it up.  The weight of the water weighs down the shirt as it drys, so there are less wrinkles.  Came up with that one myself.