I bear a new name

Today was busy. Jintian shi hen mang le. Morning came at 5 am again, and I used my time to play comuter games and study study study. I learned many new words like wrist watch and silent, but not the only words that matter "Shut down all the garbage smashers on the detention level!".

Once again the food was copious and at times delicous and at other, sadder times, rife with meats and kinda gross. Every meal except breakfast, though it's served then as well I just choose to drink juice instead, I consume mass quantities of Xue Bi, or green snow. Yes, I have already made the yellow snow joke. Twice.

Today was the welcoming ceremony. We listened to the stories about what's going going on around around around the CUEB campus. Traps mostly, sometimes another Cuebnaut. The sad thing is when we finally escape the Cueb we'll be subjected to two simple questions, and if I fail I am burnt alive. I was given the obligation of introducing myself to the directors of the program. I made several mistakes and explained I had no chinese name, though my honorable surname was Searles.

Then we had some important buisness to attend to, I had my picture taken for this important file. Passport picture in us: 2 pictures for 15-25+ dollars, Passport picture in china: 8 pictures for 3 dollars. It was pretty sweet, best of all; no exploited factory workers. Yet. We're negotiating, I'm sure we can degrade some people by making them crawl on thier knees to bring you the photos when they are finished.

Then more study and webcam chating. Followed by a big important dinner with
the directors. I sat with them at thier table along with all the faculty. I was the only non-native there besides Andy Buchman. It was ..... demanding. There are many different manner expectations to be polite. I had to learn these as we went, making various mistakes along the way. Firstly, you have to let the staff basically de-napkin wrap your silverware and pour your drink. Then you can't eat until the head director takes his first bite and toasts the program.

Through the long dinner I found out from Li Lao Shi that he had devolped a Zhong Guo Ming Zi name for me; Zhou Mo. Mo, which is my given name and akin to Joel or Jilly, means on it's own: silent (I was quiet at dinner, and in general around Li Lao Shi because he uses unique sentence composition that makes it hard for me to understand him, despite knowing a majority of the words he uses). However when combined with my Surname Zhou, an attempt to capture Joel, it takes on a new meaning, which is Humorous.

So I apparently am one of two extremes, saying nothing or saying jokes. Which has numerous implications that I likes. Also, as an added bonus Zhou Mo is also how you say the weekend, a time period that suits me best. Sooooo, I accepted. So long Han So Lo. So long Qu Ba Ke. So long Da Shang Gao. So long Si. (Another one that he offered, I got to choose, was basically "Sharp Joe" which has it's own cool. But I couldn't pass up the idea of being either silent or hilarious.

So now you know what to call me. Zhou Xian Sheng if you respect me, or Mo if we are friends. So everybody will have to use niether.