Today I made my teacher smile. I was chatting with my American classmate while we were on mid-class break this morning. He asked me if I'd bought my plane ticket for the holiday yet. I told him I've bought the one to Bangkok but not back. It went on like this for a few minutes. We two Americans were speaking to each other in pure Chinese. My conversation teacher, who is actually the master of this class (as in, the teacher-students observe his class), I noticed was listening intently. Then, when I finished a particularly nice sentence, I noticed his grin. So I asked, "Did you like that, teacher?" But I asked it rhetorically. He then told the whole class that he is happy that Americans are speaking to each other in Chinese because that's why we're there. That is, to learn to speak it.

Turns out we get a four-day weekend for New Years. New Years! How ridiculous is that? They spit in Christmas's eye, but New Years gets us two prime class-days off! I know why this is, and you can deduce it. It makes me kind of mad.

Today I went and purchased a couple of pieces of art in the Silk Market. They're laquered paintings on some sort of wood-like material. I think they're nice, and I got them for a decent price, though I'd rather not say what. Every time I say how much I paid for something, someone immediately tells me they got it for half as much. It ticks me off. I hate it when people under-price me on things. It's not that I'm mad they got a good deal. Much the opposite. I wish I, too, had gotten the bargain basement deal. For example, I was told this week that the girls bought the same figurine set I got the Professor for Christmas at a different place for a quarter of what I haggled down. They paid 15 and I paid 60. It is irritating. Anyway, so I bought some art, and it's nice, and I'm happy.

Tomorrow we're actually going to IKEA and the art market. I didn't go on Christmas because my roommate is too lazy. But it's ok. We're for real going tomorrow. It's hard to buy art here because anything I buy either has to be small or cloth. I can't buy large canvases (though that's what I want), because it would be a waste of money ultimately. I plan to keep what I buy here.

Tonight, after my Silk Marketeering, I met the Professor for dinner at a Russian restaurant. The food was bland but hearty. I guess it was realistic. Potatoes were involved. At 8 p.m. the floorshow began. It was awkward. My integrity did not let me stay to see if it got better. I've honestly never seen women wearing angel/bellydancer outfits writhe about to techno music while dancing with enormous golden wing things. It was weird. Our exit was hasty.

Happy New Year! Xin nian kuai le!

T