a week of experiences

I've had a few firsts this week:
My first time to sing (and, ahem, dance) with my students at a karaoke room. My beginner class took me and my partner teacher out to eat and then they insisted we go to the nore-bang (Korean for song room) together. I've been to plenty of these in Korea, but this was my first one in China. We sang a few songs together and then everybody got up and they put on dance music. Not only that, but they spun a bottle on the floor to decide who would dance in the center. It was an experience.

Last night was my first time to eat dog. Yes, I ate it. It was good. I always said that I wouldn't intentionally go out and eat dog, but that I would eat it if I was taken to eat it. Well, last night, I got that opportunity. My roommates from the summer English house took me out for a meal before we separate for the winter. They ordered dog soup, and honestly, I would have thought it was beef if I hadn't known. They brought out a broth to warm in front of us, then the meat and veggies to put in with some noodles. They also ordered another dish, guo ba rou, which is a sweet and sour pork dish that just about every Westerner likes. I think they ordered it as a back up. Anyhow, we had a good dinner. Afterwards, I went to meet a group of teachers at a going away dinner for one of our teachers in the conversation office, then we went to the sauna/bath house for a last scrub and massage. Very nice.

Tonight, I'm headed out. Not quite packed yet, and still a few errands to run, but I should be ready by 5. A small group of us is flying to Beijing together and a larger group is taking the train (24 hour train ride, and they didn't get sleepers...I don't envy them). So, we'll meet up for two nights in Beijing, bring in the new year together, and then I'm off to Texas! Yee-haw!