Hot Hot Heat, Un-air-conditioned Classrooms, and Burning Spicy Food

I began school today and had four classes this morning. It was pretty overwhelming with so many tones, initials, and finals to learn, not to mention characters (those are a little further into the future). The classrooms did have air conditioning, the title of this post is a little deceiving, but the air-conditioner quit twice while I was in class, so it got quite hot a few times. By the time I walked home, I was soaked...eww! I already have some new friends on campus, so that's really encouraging. We have many more students here than back at UGA...like 20K more! Anyhow, sloppy game by my Bulldogs this week, but I'm happy with a victory! There are lots of colleges around here and they play soccer alot, so there are tracks and fields all over the place, which is nice to go get some exercise. The days are hot though, and from what I've been told, unusually clear outside. Perhaps the city's efforts to clean up pollution for upcoming sporting events in a few years are paying off, or maybe it's just a lucky streak! Regardless, we're enjoying the weather to some extent, just downing the Gatorade to keep cool. 8 AM is coming very early though, so waking up is a struggle after getting up so early the day before to watch the Dawgs. I've kind of figured out what foods I like here now, too. I really like rice, so that's a good thing since we have it at every meal for the most part! (Not breakfast) But I also like the sweet and sour pork, garlic cucumbers, green beans, broccoli, and fried corn (their vegetables are awesome as you can probably tell). But they have these things called lai jiao that are like a spice they like to use, but if you eat one it makes your tongue numb and tastes like menthol or what I imagine Vick's vapor rub might taste like if you swallowed any...it's awful! Anyhow they really like hot and spicy stuff here, stuff that feels like a match is lit in your mouth. Phew! Talk about guzzling some fluids to offset the pain!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY UNCLE KEN!