February 18th: heart scarred with scissorcuts

Day 155

Woke around noonish, left Heather still sleeping, had lunch with Mike at Sandy's. A gent behind us sat, fiddled with his cell phone. Suddenly I caught a whiff of Satan. There's no way this guy was drinking baijoh this early. Mike had a disgusted look on his face and I heard something hit the floor wetly. He had already drunk his baijoh, now he was calmly vomiting on the floor, not going to the WC just a few feet away. He sat and continued fiddling with his cell phone as if vomiting on the floor of a public place was as normal as putting stamps on an envelope. Mike and I ceased eating, couldn't pay the bill fast enough.

I pedaled back, the school starting to fill with teachers and staff milling about. Rose knocked on my door, asked about my holiday, gave me a package of winter stuff my parents had sent. I expressed my concern for Erin and Matt even though she could do almost as much as I, it's better to share the worry burden.

The internet was connected again, so I caught up on the blog, emailed, then got dinner at the dining hall. It was a nice return to form, with three of my favorite dishes being served. I got up to leave and a gaggle of four or five older women eyeballed my tray, started chattering about how I didn't finish. I looked at my tray, gave a thumbs down, inquisitive eyebrows. I sat, finished the rest of my food, but couldn't quite eat all the rice. Afterwards, I asked the nearest one, "A-ee...kuai le ma?" (Auntie, happy now?) She smiled, nodded, the ladies laughed. I wished them a happy new year (the mileage I'm getting out of this line is incredible) returned to my room.

Rhys texted me and invited me to get dumplings. I told them I'd eaten but I'd certainly hang out. I got my bike out, all bundled up. Nigel appeared, asked, "Oh, are you going out?" No, I'm taking Darby for a walk to do his business so I don't have to clean up a little pile of batteries when I get back. YES, I'M GOING OUT! I have my bloody coat, hat and gloves on! My bike is under my arm! Christ!

I met them at the tree place and afterwards we watched "Edward Scissorhands," killed another crate of Tsingtao Light. Heather had never seen it before and she loved it. I was on the verge of tears throughout the film, as usual. Tim Burton has yet to top himself.

I told them how Edward was my Halloween costume a couple times and how after a breakup with Laura, could have slipped into that character and never come back, wandering the halls of a mental institution for all time with my cardboard and duct-taped scissors. I wasn't in danger of it happening, but I understood why some people do it. Edward moves me; such a beautiful, frail, sad, comic, tragic figure.

I showed them the trailer online for Burton's next film: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and we debated Johnny Depp in the role of Wonka. Burton was going back to the book, doing a reimagining rather than a "remake." He's putting in the darker stuff the first film adaptation shied away from, and taking out the sappy stuff. As much as I love Gene Wilder, he was just playing Gene Wilder (see "Young Frankenstein" for another manic helping) and author Roald Dahl claimed he didn't care for Wilder as Wonka. So I'm excited for Burton's new and more faithful adaptation, and I'll see anything Johnny Depp is in.

I rode home, chatted online with friends all too briefly, watched ifilm viral videos until about 4am.