The thing is, I really like to eat Kermit.

That is, Kermit the Frog.  I also like to eat Miss Piggy for that matter, and I am sure that I have probably consumed the entire cast of the Muppets.  The other day at dinner, we were eating this dish that I had never seen before and it was rather delicious.  After eating a huge bite, my grandma asked me if I new what is was, and I had no idea.  And then the entire dinner table proceeded to "ribbit...ribbit...".   So I really like frog.

Last week I got back from a wonderful vacation and immeditately was forced into the middle of finals week!  I think I did alright, despite missing two weeks of class.  My speaking final was really easy, and went fairly smoothly.  My teacher said that my speaking had improved drastically, but my reading was the same.  Not bad, considering I hadn't spoken Chinese in two weeks.  My written test was the hardest thing I have ever faced.  I think it was on par with the level of diffficulty where Chinese students achieve.  About one hour into the test, our teacher left the room for a moment and everyone proceeded to moan in pain.

I find out my grades tomorrow.

Other than finals, not much of extreme excitement is under way.  The weather is getting colder.  On Saturday my host family deemed the weather far too cold to go outside.  On Sunday they said that we could go outside, but should be extremely careful.   Without central heating, it is so cold inside that I can see my breath.  This is of particular excitement to me every morning immediately after breakfast.  I usually eat a steaming bowl of noodles and eggs and fish tofu for breakfast, and after I finish eating it feels like my stomach is steaming, and when I exhale, the steam escapes with such fierce heat and force that I can legitimately pretend that I am a fire breathing dragon.   Which is fairly appropriate, being in China.

In fact, I almost forgot, on Sunday I got my hair cut for the first time in China!  Or in a foriegn country even.  If was a little nerve wracking, because I can't ever communicate exactly what I want in English, let alone my third language.  The barber shop next to my apartment complex was having a special, so everyone in my family got a hair cut.  Its important to get a hair cut before Chinese New Year because you need to get all the old stuff off because it has a lot of bad luck in it, also no matter what it is forbidden to get a hair cut during the new year because you could cut off new luck.  In this same manner, one should not wash himself or his clothes or his home excessively (if at all).  

Back to the hair cut, I paid 10 kuai (just over a dollar) to have a head and neck and shoulder and hand massage, shampoo (three times), facial type thing (which included a ear cleaning), and finally a haircut.  I think I might have been the first blonde to appear, as everyone was dully fascinated by me.  When I sat down all the hair cutters gathered around me to have a powwow and discuss how to approach my glowing head of hair.  The massueses also had a similar meeting.  So did the maids, I caught them looking at my strange blonde hairs in a pile of swept up black ones.