All the Single Ladies

This month a pizza joint opened up in Qufu. What? Qufu, the city that only recently has stocked peanut butter or ziplock bags, suddenly goes out on a foreign limb and offers pizza?? My teammate Tarah and I had to check it out. So last weekend, we strolled into "European Jazz Pizza" and sat down to a delightfully Chinglish menu. It is the first menu I've seen in Qufu that has any sort of English. We about died when we saw french fries and hot chocolate -- rare treats!

Our waitress recommended that we get the "lover's repast" (a good deal for two people), which we accordingly did. It turned out to include a fruit plate, french fries, and a surprisingly good pizza that included cheese, pepperoni, sausage, and bacon -- all items I have never seen in Qufu! The restaurant was clean and open, with a mix of 50's rock-and-roll reminiscent of a small-town diner. There were as many waitresses as customers, and they spent a good bit of time watching us from a distance, coming to re-fill our glasses of hot water whenever they were even a little less than full. It was great. As you see in the picture, our pop even came with heart-shaped straws, which brings me to my next topic...

Happy Bachelors' Day! Yes, today is a day for all the single folk here in China. Take that, Valentine's Day! Some of the single students are celebrating by going out to dinner with their roommates. They told me that today, you should wish single people a happy Bachelors' Day, and also wish them that they don't have to celebrate it again next year! I fully agree with this sentiment.

So, happy Bachelors' Day to my single friends, and I hope you find love if you're looking for it. On a serious note, happy Veterans' Day to my dad, my grandpas, and all of those who have served.