Bought a jacket

So I went to this market that I had been to once before because my
friends were getting suits tailored. This is my real listening class.
I had seen a jacket that I liked last time and I said if I get a good
price I'll buy it. Last time I had joked around with the two ladies
at this stall because they were pretty funny. "Can I help you little
boy" was how she greeted me. So they recognized me this time and I
said hey will you give me a Christmas gift, I want that jacket.
Anyways I got it for 150 RMB (<$20). It is a nice Arc'Teryx soft
shell jacket, looks pretty sharp. I wanted a jacket that could stop
the Siberian wind we have here. It was fairly easy to get to this
price, I expected it to be more expensive and so figured 150 was a
good price, so I worked her down from 300. While I hung around
waiting for my friends she said she would give me a gift so her
coworker went and got a jacket and gave it to me. It was a nice North
Face fleece jacket that was the liner to a parka that she said a guy
bought, but didn't want the liner. She said the clothes I was
wearing; a wool sweater and my fleece jacket, were not enough. And
she couldn't sell the jacket liner anymore so she gave it to me. It
really looks like a regular fleece jacket, so I'm happy. I guess she
really got a good price out of me at 150 even though she said I was a
nasty bargainer. Anyway, if anyone wants some nice fake goods, lemme
know.

Christmas

Christmas really snuck up on me this year. There isn't the buildup
like there is at home, and I was off and on dealing with some
digestive issues that held my attention for two weeks up until now
but I think they are over and I feel fine.

On Saturday I went with a friend to a park in the morning and walked
around. There were a few frozen lakes with people riding chairs
around on the ice. The chairs had rails to slide on. People were
skating on another lake. I threw the frisbee on the lake with my
friend. At one lake the ice had been cleared in this one area and
there were some older men swimming. I talked with them and they say
it is good for their hearts. They do it all the time and really like
swimming. I might try my hand at it next weekend.

Christmas Eve I took two Chinese friends and went to dinner with some
of my classmates at an Indian buffet restaurant. That means I stuffed
myself full of Indian food which I like to do, and watched various
people including my friend here from Mississippi get up and sing
songs. He sang some of a Chinese song that he likes. Its probably the
most famous song here right now, and it goes "I love you, only you,
like the old mouse loves the big rice." Some Indian guys eating there
started dancing, and anyone who has seen the Maggie Walker talent
show knows that Indian guys can dance.

After that we went to a 17th century Jesuit Cathedral hoping to
attend a midnight mass. But it was crowded ( I don't know how I
didn't expect it to be packed, we're in China) and the service was
ending. We didn't get a good look at the Cathedral but it seemed to
be decorated with tacky Christmas lights. Oh well, I'll go there
during a non holiday to see what its really like.

On Christmas I went and ate lunch with the Carroll's: Michael and
Corrina. We went back to their place and we played some video games,
ate dinner and watched a movie. Their dad/husband is working at the
US embassy in Afghanistan and the daughter is at school in Washington
so we were separated family members hanging out together.

Next week I have Jan 2 and 3 off for New Year's, but school on
Saturday. I just found out about this a few days ago. Sometime soon
we will have exams.

This weekend I got 14 text messages on my cellphone from Chinese
people wishing me a Merry Christmas. Some of them I know, some of
them I don't know because I don't have their numbers. Everyone I
meet, even if its for 2 seconds walking down the street, asks for my
#. I even got a "Feliz Navidad" from one girl. They are very friendly
about it, even the elevator girl in my building wished me Merry
Christmas. 祝你圣诞节快乐.

Anyways. Merry Christmas. Enjoy your holidays.