It's almost time to leave Changsha. Tomorrow is our last night and Monday morning we leave for our sites. Today we left for Orange Island with our Chinese teachers. It was quite a walk and I've never tanned this fast before. I think I even got a sunburn. I can't say for sure because I've only been burned once before, the rest of the time I've been careful about sunscreen or covering up. It was a really wonderful day out. We had a blue sky instead of a hot grey day. It was a real workout and my congestion started to kick up in addition to my constant sweating. I could totally see myself going back though. I liked it a lot.
A duplicate of Mao's poetry and handwriting. I still have so much to learn about this influential figure.
Big Mao head on Orange Island. The face of a young Mao I've never seen much in the US.
On another note, I finally got a taste of chou doufu (stinky tofu) which I've been meaning to try for so long. I've heard it smells like garbage but when I got it, it just smelled really vinegary. Then again, my congestion may be preventing me from experiencing it in its full stinky glory. It was good. Maybe not the amazing food I expected given how much high praise I've heard for chou doufu but I spent all day thinking about going back and buying another since I thought the textures and everything were really wonderful. She fried it and covered it with cilantro and other toppings so it was fresh out of the wok when I got it. I have a feeling that I'm going to be a full participant in Hunanese food culture even if I'm not the biggest participant in Changsha's ever active nightlife.
I surprised the woman selling the doufu though. She told me I looked Chinese after she heard me talking to one of the other volunteers in English and I told her I was American but my family was from Guangdong. It's the best explanation I can give with what Chinese I have. I was told I would have different expectations from other foreigners because I'm part Chinese but so far people seem to understand that I don't speak Chinese and seem receptive to the idea that I've been away from China my whole life.
I surprised the woman selling the doufu though. She told me I looked Chinese after she heard me talking to one of the other volunteers in English and I told her I was American but my family was from Guangdong. It's the best explanation I can give with what Chinese I have. I was told I would have different expectations from other foreigners because I'm part Chinese but so far people seem to understand that I don't speak Chinese and seem receptive to the idea that I've been away from China my whole life.
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