郭跃 Guo Yue (my roommate) invited me to dinner tonight to show me how to get good food for cheap. The quest for cheap food took us across a six-lane road and down a back alley to a restaurant that was completely invisible from the main road. We ate lamb on skewers and noodles. At one point, I started eating a skewer that was particularly tough and a bit crunchy. When I asked Guo Yue what it was, she launched into a long explanation that I did not understand. Finally, she said that it was kind of like bones and pointed to her ears and nose. Cartilage.

Guo Yue said that she and her friends thought that I was one of the prettiest American students. I was incredibly flattered and stammered protests. “But I’m too fat!” I said. She replied, “When Chinese people say pretty, we are only talking about your face. Anyway, you can lose weight!”