Day 31

September 20, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Provence, China


Shengri Kuaile...

So, it's my birthday. I had class today, so there's that. The teacher asked another student to come up front and recite a dialogue but she didn't want to, so she deflected it to me. I said "今天是我的生日，我不要。" ("Today is my birthday, I don't wanna.") The teacher ask if that was true and I said "yes."

I found out that another of my classmates, Sanket, was also having a birthday today. I invited him to come along to dinner. He's from India, and it just so happens that I chose Indian food for dinner. A few other classmates wanted to come, too, so there were six of us in total.

We had been told that, of the two Indian restaurants near the Wild Goose Pagoda, one was good and one was bad. Separately, Sanket had been told that, of the two Indian restaurants near the Wild Goose Pagoda, one was owned by an Indian and one was not. As it turns out, the "good" restaurant and the "Indian-owned" restaurant were one and the same.


Xi'an Indian Restaurant. The good one, Indian-owned.

For dinner I had Mutton Tava. Sanket was quite helpful as it turns out. The owner was also from India and he and Sanket could communicate in ways the rest of us wouldn't be able to. Tava, as it turns out, is the name of the metal plate the food is served on.



Mutton Tava. A tava is the metal plate/pan.

Afterward, we went to the Village Cafe for dessert. I had the DRIEST slice of chocolate cake imaginable and very delicious Coke Float.


Cake an a Coke Float. Wow, that's mighty dry cake.

All-in-all, not a bad birthday.

Also, today marks the end of my first month in China.

Hayden