So, I have completed one week of Chinese class, and I've managed to slide (mostly unscathed) into a three-day weekend. Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival (zhong qiu jie), a traditional Chinese holiday I know very little about, except for what I've read on Wikipedia. Apparently it involves celebrating the harvest, appreciating the full moon, lighting lanterns, and putting pomelo rinds on one's head (?!). I do know that people give, and eat, a lot of mooncakes around here at this time. I also know, as of yesterday, that I don't like mooncakes. They're kind of oily, and they have a bit of a funny taste to my tongue. Not fully sweet. Not savory. Just kind of . . . sweetish, heavy, and, well, blech. Or at least the ones I tasted were.
Nonetheless, I'm pretty excited about this holiday. First of all, it means I get a much-needed extra break from classes. I feel like my brain is in a bit of a fog here. I'm learning tons, but I'm also a little overwhelmed by all the new information being thrown at me. Studying language in an immersion situation is, I'm finding, all-consuming and a bit exhausting. Hooray for 3-day weekends!
Secondly, I'm excited because my mom is coming to visit this weekend. Sam and Zhou You's wedding is on Wednesday evening, and Mom is going to be here for the week, for the festivities. We're picking her up at the airport tomorrow night, and I can't wait to see her. For me, that's a celebration all in itself.
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