Cushions

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Chinese people have a thing about cushions. The number of cushions on a couch is equal to the number of people that should sit on that couch. Hence if there are two cushions there should be two people - no matter how big the couch is. My couch can very comfortably fit three people but Shina insists that only two people sit on it. Tonight the three of us had dinner together - Russell, Shina and myself. Shina made Russell sit on a stool instead of letting him sit on the big huge couch because she insisted it would be too crowded. I'm not sure I really understand it. It also used to be the same with the couch at the Salon and the couch in Camillo's house. Although with the couch in Camillo's house there's not really anywhere else to sit so more people do end up sitting on it. In the Salon it was kind of comical because there was one couch with two cushions and one bench with one cushion on it - both the same size. But you'd end up with three people on the bench and two people on the couch - almost all the time. I was taught very early on that I was not to sit on the arms of the couch (even though they were very wide and square arms) and was not allowed to sit on the couch if there were already two people there. Very strange quirk if you ask me.

I warned Craig before and I think it actually may be true now. I think Camillo and I have separated (as much as two people who have never even dated can separate). Ever since I've gotten back to China I've been to the Salon very sparingly - not a lot of times. Camillo used to call me up and invite me to hang out every once in a while. But that has changed. He no longer does that. He called me yesterday because I told him that I needed to talk to him about Visa issues last time I was at the Salon. But when I started to tell him about them he dismissed me. "So your little cousin is giving you money right?" "Yes but that doesn't matter. What's the next thing." I tried to approach the same subject from a different position. "I've got that covered, next." Finally I gave up "Camillo, I'm trying to tell you but you're not listening to me!" "I don't have time for this, I'm with Hui." "Okay then I'll tell you later." "No, tell me now!" I tried one more time and he hung up on me. At the time Kelvin and Cat were over at my place and they looked at me when I got off the phone and asked "Is he always like that?" I told them no but lately he has been a lot like that. I'm not sure what's going on but whatever it is he needs to snap out of it if he wants to go to the US because we need to have our second interview in August.

Monday has turned into my ultimate Sunday. I do absolutely nothing on Mondays. I used to have my art class and my Chinese class on Mondays but then I realized that I just needed a break after my two biggest days and I changed them. Now my art class is on Thursday and I don't have a set day for my Chinese class currently. So today I spent the day watching Monk and doing my Chinese and talking to some friends. That was about it. For the whole day. It was really nice.

Happy July Fourth to all those of you who actually celebrated. Once again, this is China. They don't celebrate anything here. Forget another country's independence day (not that any other country does either - although I remember they had a huge celebration for it in Costa Rica but that was at the American Embassy).

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