Tim braved the heat and spent the day in a "golf" meeting. Tucker, Abi, and I went out briefly this afternoon to get lunch and pick up some shoes that Abi ordered. We discovered a place in the fabric market that makes custom shoes....ie....they can make them to fit us Westerners with large feet. Sad news....the shoes were not back from the factory. Now we have to go back tomorrow. AAARRRRGGGG! Oh well....TJC!!!

I have been on a hiatus from Chinese language lessons for a couple of weeks while the school found a new teacher for me. My last teacher graduated from University and went to Beijing while she is waiting to be accepted in a Masters program in the US. My new teacher started on Monday. This is good news.....except.....she will start University again in September so she is just temporary. (Note: She is Tuckers age....born in the year of the tuzi (rabbit) Wow! Do I feel old!) Anyway....starting in September I will have another new teacher.....#4 teacher in 6 months. I am starting to get a complex. After a friendly but stern conversation with Mandarin Today (which went something like this....."I am going to find another language school that can retain teachers on a long term basis." "Please do not invoice HP for any classes after August 31st and refund all prepaid invoices through the remaining year.") they assured me that the "September teacher" has a long term commitment. Hmmmm....I wonder? I decided to take one more chance with Mandarin Today because I will have Tim's teacher and he highly recommended her.

Today in my Chinese lesson I learned how to ask someone "covertly" how old they are. It would be rude to ask someone directly how old they were so the Chinese have a way of finding out this information by asking a different question. The question is.....Ni shu shenme? This literally translates to...You belong to what year? By "what year" they mean the zodiac sign you were born under. If you know this information....you can determine the persons age pretty easily. For example: I was born under the year of the RAT....laugh if you want...Tim is a HOG. In order to be born in the year of the RAT I would have been born in the year 1948, 1960, 1972, or 1984. By process of elimination you will discover that I am 35 years old....born in the year 1972. Stop laughing!!!!