3 Day Weekends Rock

This weekend we are going to Xi'an, home of the Terracotta Warriors. We are taking an overnight train there and back in a hard sleeper-can't wait for this experience! Friday we have an "Amazing Chase" which will involve us going around Xi'an completing tasks and racing to the finish line. We had our midterms today, so classes are officially half over.

I went to McDonalds! They have the same sanitation standards here as in the U.S., so relatively clean bathrooms (and American toilets, which are a plus) are almost always guaranteed. McDonalds is like a hang out place here. To make an analogy, McDonalds:China;Caribou:U.S. There are regular tables, but also comfy chairs and tables where you can study, eat, and just relax and chat with buddies. The McDonald's culture in different countries is very interesting and while I don't have time to explain it now, the book Golden Arches East, edited by James L. Watson, specifically Chapter 1: McDonalds in Beijing by Yuxiang Yan explores the role of McDonalds in other countries and examines many cultural differences between the Chinese concept of fast food and McDonalds and McDonalds in the U.S.

I got 2 pies/6 kuai (off the 6 kuai menu, which is comparable to the $1 menu) and they were Pineapple and Sweet Taro. Buying 2 pies for $1 has been one of my favorite McDonald's orders since I was little. Both flavors were delicious! (see picture)

Another dessert which is popular here (but not at McDonalds) is crushed ice with an array of toppings, including fruit such as watermelon, strawberries, pineapple, etc. and vegetables such as small green beans, red beans, etc. (see picture) It might not sound very appetizing, but it is SO delicious. I would like to open a "health food dessert store" in Chapel Hill and sell only healthy but still delicious desserts. I think one of the many reasons the US has the "fat" stereotype is because we eat so much dessert after every meal! Our dessert here has been watermelon. The Chinese concept of dessert at a meal is usually fruit and sweets or chocolate are usually for snacks in between meals. I have been going through strange dessert cravings and often succumb to buying chocolate ice cream at night...

Vocab word of the day: 麦当劳 (Mai dang lao) McDonald's
For now, off to Xi'an!

CHINGLISH ALERT:
(at one of the gardens we went to)
Your love creates greenness
Be careful, Beware of Pond