Hands Off The Panties!

It's tradition in China for students to exchange picture name cards with each other and give them to their teachers. (I have around 200 from students so far; yes, I'm bringing them all home with me.) There are little picture kiosks at shopping centers and near the school gates where you can choose from thousands of backdrops and have a sheet of pictures made for about $2.00. It's so much a part of the culture here, we just had to try it out. I chose this background because it cracked me up-- Hands Off The Panties!

It is also the tradition for Chinese girls to pose with their hands around their faces in dramatic gestures. I have no idea how this started, but it's everywhere. (See http://asianposes.com/category/pose/ for more examples.) I think I pulled it off pretty well. You guys, I'm integrated!

Okay, want to hear a funny story? Apparently because my hair is so dark, when I'm wearing sunglasses I look Chinese. I was wearing sunglasses and a woman came up to me at a bus stop and started speaking reaaaallly fast in the local dialect. I had no idea what she said, so I lifted my sunglasses and said, "Shenma?" ("What?") She almost fell off the curb she was so startled! I felt bad, but I also thought it was hilarious. My eyes give me away immediately, but now sunglasses are my secret weapon when I don't want to be bothered.

(p.s. I asked my friend today if the bull penis worked. He said no change, but he was already happy with what he has, so it's all good. You heard it here first: eating Chinese bull penis = an old wives' tale.)