Koneko ga detekita. amd other happenings

So, first and foremost, we have a new (temporary) member of the household. he is small and skinny, black with a white chin, white paws, white belly-splotches, white whiskers and a white dot on his nose, very affectionate, and an eggplant addict. Becuase of that last bit, I want to name him Nasubi (eggplant), but Cat is holding out for Goma (sesame seed). This may cause a household rift, but hopefully we can all reach an amicable solution. Nasu is probably about 12 weeks old, though he looks to have been somewhat malnourished. I've seen kittens in worse shape, but when I first coaxed him out of his hiding place on the back porch he was so weak he couldn't walk in a straight line. He's very fond of all three of the human members, and while the three cats haven't qwuite figured out territory issues yet, nobody's done more than growl. Theo seems to like the kitten, while Vanya seems to disapprove and is indulging in full-scale bishounen neko angst.

Speaking of household rifts, Sushu is refusing to acknowledge the inherent superiority of the Italian eggplant. Yes, Chinese eggplant is tasty, but Italian eggplant is definitely the best. To prove this point I made eggplant parmesan last night, and as I was sweating the eggplant (which gets rid of the harsh taste), the kitten was attempting to eat it. So I moved him, and instead he fell into the trashcan trying to get at the eggplant peels. he failed at that, so instead he settled for licking eggplant juice off the bag it had come in, until finally I chopped some of it up finely and put it on a plate for him. He not only devoured it, he licked the plate clean.I think we have a very odd kitty here.

Yesterday I witnessed firsthand the joy of low expectations. While I did fairly well on most of my Chinese homework (especially those parts I had Sushu's help with), there were several parts where I would only get about two-thirds of each section right. Normally, this would be cause for a redo. However, in a class where some people got 95% wrong, I am easily in the upper half, though not the top. And I have mastered "ni hao".

Anime club seems to be going well. We have a few uppity newbies, but better that than apathetic. Everyone seems to have found at least one series they're fond of, and Rose of Versailles got applaus at the end of episode 4. Giant Robo continues to need explanations, but Jono's research and Sushu's Chinese Lit geekiness seem to be keeping everyone happy with all the necessary details.

Phonetics is indeed hard, but not as hard as I feared. At least, not yet. Bio is remarkably fun, thanks to a professor who really likes his subject and is determined that we will like it too. And Performing Japaneseness is a much cooler class than it's title suggests, and has not only likeable classmates and a really neat professor (actually a Japanese performing artist currently working in Chicago), but the readings and assignments have all been interesting.

So I like all my classes, club is going well, and I have a new kitten. For now. I will find a new home for him, really. Be quiet, Sushu.