Party Papers

Ping's Party papers have arrived. In a few days she'll be able to transfer her party membership to her new university. More importantly it means we can hit the road. Shanghai is four hours away by train and bus with a transfer in Nanjing.

But before that I've so many things to do. My own papers to organize, forms to download, bags to pack, gadgets to charge, numerous other things presently escaping memory. In two days though I'll be back in America.

It's frightening leaving China with even a minute possibility of not being allowed back. I just hope to get the blasted visa sorted this Friday.

Next post from Shanghai.

 

Chinese Toenails

Chinese toenails are today's topic.

I know that sounds mad, but here are the facts. Evidently some Chinese people claim you can tell if your Han Chinese or not by looking at your toenails. Specifically you want to look at your pinky toes.  Han Chinese, it is claimed, have two toenails on their pinky toes. This picture will help you visualize what I'm saying.

I don't quite believe this ridiculous claim, but my limited attempts at falsification have proved futile. Sure enough Ping has two toenails on both pinky toes.

In any case, now you know. 

Teuku Jacob is a Bastard

I wake up with sinodonts on the mind. So I spend a few moments examining my teeth for Chinese characteristics. I then look up what exactly sinodonts ought to look like. In the book they were described as shovel like incisors. I suppose my incisors could be shovel like, and the pictures aren't really clear. I sheepishly ask Ping if I can see her teeth for a moment.

Nonplussed she opens her mouth. I take a look, commit the incisors to memory, they're not much like mine. The internet soon provides more informative images, and I conclude I don't have sinodonts. I thought there was at least a possibility, seeing as the Acadians intermingled with the Algonquin Mi'kmaq.  But after a second examination I have little ground to stand on.

In any case, there was a link on the page discussing hobbits, homo floresiensis, and I thought why the hell not. I soon discover they're drilling their teeth for DNA. I rehearse arguments in favor of cloning them. In the process I stumble across an argument about cloning Neanderthals. Well if they deserve a second chance surely hobbits too.

I try to imagine how it must have felt to be the last hobbit. Were they really killed off by a species of giant storks? Are they really hobbits at all?

I discover Teuku Jacob, hobbit desecrator and denier. He contended hobbits were just diseased modern humans. And while carelessly conducting his hate fueled research took it upon himself to damage several hobbit specimens. To make matters worse, he then used his clout with Indonesian authorities to shut down hobbit dig sites.

Teuku Jacob is a stork.