Home sweet hostel

For the past few days I have lived at this hostel, and for the past few days I have suffered a disgusting amount of mosquito bites. I think I remember saying one time that I didn't really notice the mosquitoes in Asia, but Xiamen is a different story. I'd wake up in the middle of the night in itchy fits. If there were curse words I used them. It got to the point where if I thought at all that smearing the dead carcasses all over my body would stop them from biting me I would have done it. But other than the bugs it was great.

For the first 2 days I couldn't open my suitcase, I didn't shower, and I wore the same uppity skirt and stuffy shirt. On the third day (he rose again?) I decided that enough was enough and asked the reception for a hammer. They looked at me funny, said "uhh what is she going to do with a hammer?!?>!" in Chinese and quickly said no. What they didn't know is that I am a crafty girl and even without a hammer, I know of other things that can smash just as well. Three flights of stairs and two rocks later, I was on the balcony smashing away. My previous attempts at "hacking" the lock via internet advice were giant failure so smashing seemed like the next logical step. Smashing, on the whole, is not an effective way to open a lock so I tried one more time to open the suitcase with the hack and...voila!

Now here I am in what I would describe as my third outfit since opening my suitcase. I have the internet. I am sitting outside and looking at the ocean.
I am a 22 year old girl and I am living in a dorm...WTF DORMS.

Xiamen Sunday: the city smells like incense

It's been like this:
Asian: Ni, hao! LWKEJRKLAJLKJALKNELKRWLKJERKJWLKJE LKWJRKLJKJSDBKHJBAUjhaoiujerklanelkjHLAJHLEK SNJRL KNE ALKJR KLENMJ ma?
Jeannette: :(... (in chinese) Can you speak English?
Asian: NO WAY!
(long paaaaause and)I am forced to speak Chinese which is what I needed anyway. In that long pause a mutual look of horror passes over our faces and eventually subsides as the business commences. Pendleton told me that I have to stop starting my conversations with that and he's right so I have. But I feel like it is an appropriate way to excuse my poor Chinese.
I have done things so far - found a place to live, purchased a sim card/chinese telephone number, found a grocery store, walked along the beach, climbed a mountain and found out that livejournal is blocked by the Great Firewall of China (awesome). Everyone here is friendly, or at least that is what I have perceived and I don't feel like I am going to get stabbed or anything. On the beach I encountered a midget who was begging simply because he was a midget. The place that I am currently staying is right by the school, and most things that I need to be near. Every night a man plays the harmonica and every morning I wake up around 6 am to watch people bustle off to their important places.

Here is a list of confirmed stereotypes I have encountered so far:
Asians are short: Come to Asia if you want to feel like a big man and take stairs 2-3 at a time. Got tiny legs? All the better as everything here is built to accommodate your tiny steps.
Asians love rice: It's whats for dinner. and lunch and breakfast and other meals if you can invent them. And it is delicious.
Asians eat disgusting things: Uhh duh
Asians are afraid of the sun: Opting for liver and other organ damage, Asians walk around under umbrellas (when it is not raining)and slathered in bleaching creams to keep their skin white and also to spit in the faces of albinos who don't have that kind of choice. If you do not have an umbrella you kind of look out of place and you will feel it. I'm not getting an umbrella dammit!
Asians cannot drive: Holy shit, it is terrifying being anywhere near a road.

I think that is all for now. This beer is getting warm with neglect. Maybe I'll tell you about my awkward silence with a Chinese old man. How does one write that though?