On Friday, I went to TIan Tong Yuan to see my aunt. Although she and her family moved to Tian Tong Yuan about two years ago, I had never been to her house. Friday also happened to be my cousin Meng Meng’s 30th birthday, so I thought it was a good opportunity to accomplish two things with one visit. I took the subway to Tian Tong Yuan and met up with Fan Wei at grandma’s house. The two of us then headed over to my aunt’s house, which was only 15 minutes away by foot. My aunt greeted us cheerfully at the door and welcomed us in to a partially furnished living room. Her apartment is a lot bigger than grandma’s, she tells me, so it has taken them a long time to move in and get furniture. As we talk in the dining time (there’s no couch in the living room), I can’t help but admire the woman sitting across from me. Although she’s almost 60, my aunt does almost all of the housework in the family. The relationship between her and Meng Meng is strained at best, and her husband has been idle ever since he lost his job some time ago.

Fan Wei and I treated Meng Meng to dinner at a Korean restaurant not too far from his house, and after we said our goodbyes, I went with Fan Wei to her new apartment, where I spent the night. Although I had to sleep on the couch, I didn’t mind at all, since I was more than happy to be in a room with air conditioning again.

Looking forward, I can’t believe it’s only a week until Fan Wei’s wedding, and a week and a half until I leave for the U.S.! I’ve been watching 24 (currently on season 3), learning differential equations, and playing some old school StarCraft over the past week to keep myself busy until then. Talk about a weird combination.