The Most Selfish and Irresponsible Thing I've Done EVER

I took him home with me:



But damned if he wasn't worth it!

I know, I know. Before y'all start yelling at me, I just want to let you know that it looks like I'll be staying here for another year, and I already have a potential host family lined up for after that. So maybe I'm not as horribly irresponsible as I feel.

His English name is Maurice, his Chinese name 小熊 or Xiao Xiong, which means Little Bear.

I got him last Sunday at the Bird and Flower Market in downtown Kunming. I often go there and am usually am emotionally prepared to walk by the dog vendors, but this time was different. I had just witnessed the police chasing down the "illegal" vendors (illegal in that they haven't bought exorbitantly priced permits that they can't afford) and confiscating their goods. One was an older woman, obviously a peasant, with a baby on her back pushing a cart of cabbages. She couldn't run fast enough with the baby, so she got caught. It made me want to cry (although I've heard worse stories). Anyway, directly after that we walked by a dog stand, and this one and I just sort of bonded. I left and went to Carrefour for like an hour and a half before deciding to run back and get him.

The first week has been pretty good. He no longer whines at night when he's not sleeping on the bed with me. We've also managed to get rid of his fleas. One unexpected benefit is that he's a real ice breaker! When we're out for walks, Chinese will come up to me and start talking about him, and that's just great. I've spoken more Chinese because of him than I would have ever thought. And he's just so cute and cuddly. We've fallen asleep together on the couch several times.

And in case getting a dog wasn't impulsive enough for one week, I've also managed to sign myself up for the Foreign Service Written Examination in Shanghai for late April. I also just got a new job at Mars Corp. (like the candy maker) here in Kunming teaching some of their employees English for quite good pay. It's been quite a week!

And in other news, I did want to wish Becca a very happy birthday, even if I am a little late (it was on Monday).

Also, some people (read my mom) didn’t appreciate some of my editorial comments in my last post. Although I agree with her to some extent, I just would like to defend my position on why the China Daily is unworthy of the title of newspaper by directing your attention to an article in the New York Times regarding how the China Propaganda Office May Be Censoring the Premier. Oh, so Chinese!