now i know how helen keller felt...

..oh, but i can see...true, true...the whole 'not being able to speak or understand the language' thing is really interesting. it has shown me alot about life, and allowed for alot of time to ponder such things. i have made a chinese friend who pretty much hangs out with me all night every night unless i forcefully request otherwise and without him i don't know what i would do. trips to the hospital and around the university are..well..can anyone explain to me why, when it becomes glaringly obvious that i don't understand a word that the people are saying, they continue to talk in chinese? a hundred miles an hour? i mean at least in america i think we would bust out some hand motions or something (which i do, but i think they get it confused with some sort of kung fu)..anyways, it's pretty funny to me...sometimes i just say things back like 'you know i don't understand you...why do you keep speaking chinese?'...interesting culture this china...