Mandarin Whaaat?

Ok, so you're probably wondering why I named my blog "Mandarin Ducks." There are three main reasons:

1. It's an inside joke. I was walking on BYU campus with one of my roommates from the Chinese House, Anneke. I was super frustrated that day and irritated that a guy had stood me up on a date. We were also walking really slowly because a pair of ducks was blocking the way; these ducks were obviously a couple and were being really showy about it. That put me over the edge. I started yelling random things to the ducks about retarded dating practices. When I accidentally looked back, the guy who stood me up on a date was standing only a few feet behind me. I could tell from his expression that he was glad that he didn't take the insane duck-hater on a date. To my consolation, he wasn't that good looking anyways.

2. Anneke and I have had frequent run-ins with these dumb ducks, even when we have been in Taiwan! A favorite text message from Anneke: "That bimbo duck and his girlfriend are out parading on the lawn again."

3. Just yesterday, I was reading one of my books for school (Wild Swans) when I came across this quote: "She studied drawing and embroidery. Her favorite design was mandarin ducks (which symbolize love, because they always swim in pairs), and she used to embroider them onto the tiny shoes she made for herself." Man, that was it. Another frequent reminder about how my most embarrassing moment; these reminders even happen in different countries!

Basically, these Chinese ducks have followed me all the way to Taiwan and have become a part of my experience. Sometimes, I feel like a bimbo duck in a foreign land. Anneke and I also walk together a lot --the two UN-mandarin foreigners.