Chinese food brings people together

More accurately said would be simply 'food brings people together' especially in Cutting Edge. Especially boys. Anyway, twelve of us went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant called um well the one on Moray Place, the Asian one. We were squished in elbow to elbow like sardines round a table probably designed for 8. Which made eating twice as tricky. My first challenge was actually holding the chopsticks correctly, but no matter how many times I rearranged my fingers following Chris's patient instructions, I had absolutely no control and switched back to my usual chopstick-holding position (which usually works except when I have to pick up rice) The second challenge was sitting next to a leftie (chris)....Again!! So the whole 2hr meal was really a battle of the chopsticks to see who could knock the other person's food off their chopstick first before it reached their mouth!

And although I look more Chinese than my fellow friends, I still have to ask where Canton is in China and me and Dan receive a disgusted look from Jian when we pronounce Guangzhou (the name of the village where our ancestors are from) terribly wrong. It's pronounced Guang-jao NOT Guang-zao!! No excuses Dan, even if I did say if wrong first.

And beware where you position your feet, some people decided to stretch their legs from almost one end of the table to the other. So when others tried to fight for space, they ended up playing footsies with one another, don't think people in China have that problem, being short and that.

Sigh. I really have to learn how to be just a tad more Chinese or at least put on a better front! I am just too Kiwi. Oh well. I love it. Even if it means getting teased when I ask 'Ni hao ma?' in my New Zealand accent.

Dedicated to my flatmates: Mike Reeves, Tom Clendon and Tim Wilson

Finally, I can grant the request of my flatmate Tom by writing a post about my flatmates. And I think that they couldn't agree more, they never knew what they were getting themselves into when they invited me to flat with them. I distinctly remember Mike emailing me 'We are looking forward to having someone new in the flat'. Someone new, perhaps a little quiet at first as I settled in, missing the presence of 5 girls (from last year's flat), and actually realising that if I left the flat at 9.50am I would NOT make my Economics lecture on time.

But then something inside me changed. Maybe it was gaining a nickname of 'Wacky Jong'. Maybe it was the love for craziness and spontanuity that I picked up in Germany. Or maybe it was just the fact that I refuse to believe that boys are better than girls (which I hear more than once a week!).

I decided to take action so after Mike had had his nightly half-an-hour shower, they were all sleeping soundly, I snuck into the bathroom, with the bottle of Wattis tomato sauce, my hands tingling with excitement . As I stood at the foot of the shower and looked up at the row of shampoos and conditioners neatly lined up, I desperately jogged my brain, trying to figure out which one was Mike's. I finally chose the bluey grey bottle of VO5 shampoo that was screaming out to me. Out with the shampoo, in with the tomato sauce.

Three days later, no reaction so I returned to the scene of the crime, careful not to leave any evidence of foul play, and squeezed a tablespoon of tomato sauce into the boys' toothpaste.

Finally! Got 'em! Turns out, it was Tom's shampoo. He had mindlessly squeezed shampoo onto his hand and instead found himself staring at this thick red glob. While Mike squirted the tomato sauce onto his toothbrush. Success!

My third flatmate, Tim, claims to be neutral Switzerland despite our attempts to sway him either way. It was suggested we call a truce and gang up on tim but neither of us had the heart to prank or shoot Tim with BB guns.

Speaking of BB guns, since the pranking begun I decided to ensure I was always one step ahead of the boys. I 'borrowed and hid' (aka stole but I'm a Christian so you do the math) one BB gun and the bullets. Though remaining true to the pact, I have not shot mike....yet. The train of pranks following include...tom shooting me with BB gun many a times, mike waking me up numerous times with a glass of cold water, mike luring me into my room when I thought they were reclaiming the BB gun, and then throwing a pot of water on me...IN the flat, me turning mike's shirts inside out, me pairing up tom's socks oddly and hiding the matching pairs in mike's closet...and now, well I am still ahead by one fab prank so I will end this blog here.

Let me just say, it has been great flatting with you boys despite our neverending battle, which admittedly, I did start and will finish. To all my fellow pranksters, if ever you need a helping hand, flick me a txt. I will be there!!