Singing lessons
Trip Start
Jan 05, 2012
1
29
51
Trip End
Mar 28, 2012
Haikou, Hainan, China
Saturday, February 4, 2012
I tried to distract Nemo with fish while I fed Noz squid, but Nemo definitely noticed and came over to steal the squid right out of Noz's mouth. What a little twit. I decided to give them both squid so Nemo didn't feel left out, and I got Noz to eat a couple pieces of fish so I don't waste the fish. I also gave Wild Bill 4 pieces of squid, which he ate happily. Its so nice to add him into the feeding rotation. I skipped some of the fluids he usually gets, since he's eating now, but still gave him a couple of shots just to keep him healthy since he hasn't eaten in a few weeks. The needles were really big this morning, and he actually started to bleed a little bit, which scared me until I noticed that we were using 5 mL needles instead of the 2.5 mL ones. That's what I get for having Thomas get the needles and not checking them first. No harm done, I just cleaned it up with some Betadine and everything was fine. Though I'm sure Wild Bill didn't enjoy it too much.
After everything was done and cleaned up, Thomas wanted to give the new people a tour of the Museum of Biodiversity. This gave me a chance to go back and check the names and displays that I hadn't really gotten a chance to look at before, as well as take more pictures! Sadly, the first hatchling sea turtle that I've gotten to come in to contact with was the Chelonia mydas (Green sea turtle) hatchling preserved in a small jar. Still cute, but made me kinda sad. I'm sure I'll get to interact with some live hatchlings before I leave.
I also found out that the big sea monster skeleton I was talking about earlier is actually a type of whale, called a Bryde's Whale. I didn't check out the tags well enough the first time, and I was only going off of Thomas's story, but obviously it couldn't have been a real sea monster or dinosaur or anything like that.
Thomas took the two visitors to lunch, and I went to the office to get some work done and spend some time on Skype. My meeting with the head of the office was cancelled, so I found a lot of free time. I think her name is Sabrina, not Sheparina. Sabrina makes more sense, and I think I just misunderstood her when she told me.
I had dinner at the noodle place downstairs, and decided I would try something different, since the owner always asks me to point out what I want. I ended up getting a pork noodle soup, with some this glass noodles and a big piece of some kind of cheddar bread to dip in the soup. It was so good. The shop owner tried to ask me something, and I think he was asking where I am from, because he kept saying "bu Meiguo" (not America) and then he said "Jianada?" (Canada?). I'm not sure why he was so convinced that I'm not from America, but once he asked if I was from Canada I assured him that I am, in fact, from America. Maybe I'm just not like other Americans, so this information surprises people. I don't know.
After dinner I caught the 10 bus to the University. I always see it pass the places that I need to go, so I stayed on past the main gate to the University, and it took me into the little streets and dropped me off right down the street from Thomas's guitar teacher's shop. Quite convenient might I say. This session consisted of the teacher asking me if I knew the words to any popular songs that he could play on the guitar. He first asked about "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train, and I knew most of the lyrics so I said yes I know them. I then showed him and Thomas the song "Hey there Delilah" by the Plain White Ts, which they both really liked and since I knew all of the lyrics, the teacher decided to learn the cords. Apparently they roped me in to being the singer in a two person performance, and the teacher invited Thomas and I to a bar sometime in the future so that we can perform and watch other performers. I have no idea how I became the singer, except that I'm the only one that knows the words and speaks English fluently. I really doubt I'll be able to go through with this scheme, but for the night we practiced playing and he gave me a sort of singing lesson - sort of. I would sing the lyrics with the song playing and he would tell me where I needed to go higher, and since my voice doesn't really do "higher", unless its terribly high, my voice started cracking at the end of two hours of attempting both of these songs. I could barely even sing in front of the 4 people in the shop without breaking out into nervous laughter. Luckily Thomas was there and kept singing with me so I could try to ignore how bad I sounded.
Finally the torture ended around 10 o'clock, and Thomas and I went to get ice cream and I had to pick some things up from the store, including throat lozenges. Thomas insisted that the Halls I picked up were candy, but I don't know why anyone would eat Halls like candy. The honey lemon ones I got aren't too bad, but definitely not my first choice if I'm going to pick up some candy.
I walked Thomas to his house, since it's on campus, and then I walked home. I really like feeling like I know where I am and how to get around the city I'm living in. I mean I know my knowledge is limited, but I've even learned a few characters from just reading the signs so if I think a bus might be taking me somewhere off track, I can wait 5 minutes and look at the signs and realize that I took the right bus after all.
Since I got home pretty early, I listened to some music and practiced a little Chinese before passing out - probably with my phone on my face and the apps still turned on.
Comments
LMAO!!! Hahahahaha hehehehe love it!
A singer! A guitar player! An Entertainer!!! What absolute fun ... and sooo good for the right side of your brain :-) And congrats on navigating the city & recognizing the Chinese characters ... so perceptive Watson :-)