Monday26thMarch07

All's well in a day with no classes.
Or so I thought.
Turns out that I didn't get away with as much as I had hoped. When I came back from my morning trip for breakfast, I was stopped and interrogated by 'the matron.' I've come to the conclusion that her not so perfect english makes her seem more formidable than she actually is since she did smile at me after making me sign some sheet to say that I had fled without warning (although it could have been a sadistic smile, you never can tell.)
I had a bit of a 'lost in translation' culture shock type day today. It was bound to happen sooner or later, but I guess I'd figured I'd skipped it. I think I was just really tired after a long few days with little sleep, so everything I have been avoiding caught up with me. Thankfully these things never last long so by the evening (after spending most of the day in the dorm (see photo) with several cups of plum green tea, and episodes of season 6 'sex and the city' from a girl on my floor) I had decided to get a grip, and get on with it.
It also turns out that I missed the biggest weekend on the Ming Chuan calender this year. The 50th anniversary. I was vaguely aware that something was coming up, but had no idea how big a deal it was. My roommates and classmates regaled me with tales from a weekend filled with cheerleading contests of epic proportions, specialist award winning wine developed by the biology department, on campus night markets, official meals with presidents, smoke bombs over military parades by day, and fireworks by night, and all with photographic proof.
Oh well.