After photographing this Chinese demon bug this morning, I couldn't help but turn to some research to find out what exactly my shower shoe just smashed. It turns out, this sexy, 30-legged creature is nothing less than the Scutigera colcoptrata, or "house centipede." According to the trusty Wikipedia, it's a fast bugger, known to run at speeds of up to 1.3 ft/s. They're usually found in human homes, typically running along walls and lurking in sewer drains. Those red pincers on the left end are also mildly venomous. Lovely. As the designated bug-smasher of room 219, I have so far exterminated no fewer than four of the creatures just in my little dorm room. I'm sure it's not the end, just yet. They're everywhere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutigera_coleoptrata
On a much more cheerful note, the final installment of the Harry Potter movie franchise won't be in Chinese theaters until August 4th, so I would like to share with my friends and family what exactly I'm doing to sate my Potter cravings in the meantime. Allow me to introduce:
"Ha Li Bo Te" is the closest Chinese people can get to pronouncing HARRY POTTER. GAH IT'S IN CHINESE!!!
Isn't that awesome?! So far I've been able to understand most of the text, even if it's slightly slow going. I'm hoping that by reading J.K. Rowling's original masterpiece in Chinese for the next couple of days, I'll be fully prepared to rock the reading portion of the HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, or Chinese Level Exam) coming up this Sunday, as well as (sob) deal with the lack of HP 7.2 in my Chinese life. Wish me luck!
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