a little difference on dorm policy

When I was an resident assistant, one of our biggest duties was to be, as one student put it, “Candle Nazis.” Having candles in the dorm was, in some ways, a bigger offence than being caught with drug paraphernalia or supplying minors with alcohol.

I spent the night (or, rather, the early hours of the morning to slightly later hours in the morning) in the dorm room of one of my friends. As the power goes off there, too, of course there can’t be a rule prohibiting use of candles! (there’s also not a rule prohibiting the use of cigarettes indoors – both outlawed in dorm rooms back home for their potential to be fire hazards). [So – are there not incidents here of people getting sloshed and lighting their beds on fire? Seriously, what is so wrong with American university students that they can’t be responsible for a simple candle. Yet I also recognize that candles are used here for their functionality and not so much for decorative purposes…].

Other news that probably isn’t blog-worthy but it’s probably even less talk-worthy…
- 3 girls around 10 years old came to where I work for 3-5 hours on end. They kissed and pinched my cheeks so much that I finally got a little huffy…but they are awfully cute gals.
- At a birthday party last night, I was given stuffed peppers, pite, rice and chicken, pickled tomatoes, bread, yogurt, cake, mandarins, “peja,” tea, and peanuts to eat. Especially as I haven’t visited this family much recently, they were *very* insistent that I eat up. So, is gluttony an acceptable thing in the name of accepting others’ hospitality?
- I was talking with a friend about slightly more abstract biblical concepts a bit ago. As my language skills certainly aren't at that level yet, it wasn't going very well. Finally I just rattled off in English super fast and ended with, "muuuuuhrrr-gaaaaaaaauuuf-nyeeaaaaaaaaaal...." because I was so frustrated (and, yes, making nonsense noises does my heart good). Well, the waiter came over with a glass of water and a concerned look on his face. Oops.