Day 7

It’s really hard to believe that I have already been here one week. Today was a much better day compared to the last few days. This morning I went to the lab but instead of researching my project (which I know just about everything about except for the experience) I decided to bother some of the other graduate students and get to know them. It worked out great! I ended up spending the morning chatting with two girls named Sun and Ren. As a sidebar I should tell you that if the names of the graduate students sound American, they are. Student who take English give themselves English names, except for Ren. For lunch, I went with Sun, Ren, and Tony. It was very nice, and they were very eager to talk to me. Then, after lunch, we took a traditional afternoon nap. This afternoon I was tired, so I decided to actually nap instead of read, but it only made me more tired. After lunch, I went back to the lab and helped Ren number 1700 tags, so she can label her cotton plants next week in Hubei. That ended up taking the rest of the afternoon.
At around five, Alex told me there was a party that night for the graduate students who had graduated (this includes Lily). He wanted me to go with him and Shen to the restaurant to order the food before everyone got there. The restaurant was very nice. It was nicer than many I have been to in the US. About thirty people came, and I have to admit that the food was great. There were four large tables and each table had about a dozen large platters of various food items, but they were the same for each table. Ren pressured me into trying them all. I decided that it would be in my best interest not to ask what was in each one. I would rather remain unaware of what exactly I was eating. To my surprise, everything was amazing! I did have to draw the line at eating fish with the head, scales, tail, and bones still attached to it, but by that time, I was truly full.
I have fully realized what a small world it is because one of the girls at my table, Jessica, will actually be going to Iowa State in the fall to begin her PhD in Horticulture. Everyone came over and introduced themselves to me and taught me new Chinese words (none of which I can remember sadly). But it was the thought that counts. After dinner, I was invited to go with everyone to play Majong. It is a tile game that I absolutely love. I had never played it with a group before, but Jessica, Ren, and Shen patiently taught me. I even won a couple of games. It was a great evening, and I have made a lot of new friends. I am finally beginning to fit in here!