Going to Explode!

After a full and wonderful day--art museum visit, Buddhist museum tour lead by the monk-curator, sunset at a resort on Sun Moon Lake--I begged my overly kind and generous hosts for a light dinner. When they suggested that the four of us share a few plates, I thought I had won out over the 14-course (!) extravaganza they had planned. They dutifully ordered, and we were served a bread course and two small salads. Yay! Oh, wait. The restaurant manager approached the table. He was a lifelong friend of one of my hosts. The "light" dinner then became bread course, two salads, the world's best mushroom soup, a second bread course (to keep up with the soup), rose-lychee sorbet (out of this world!), linguini with pesto-clam sauce, roasted duck, the most incredible steak I've eaten (since last night!). As most of us were hoping for relief from the onslaught, David arrived at the table again to announce that he was making pizza for us (cheese with salad on top). And then there was creme brulee and coffee and tea. If it's possible to gain half your body weight in half a week, I've done it! It's another steamy night here, and tomorrow may be worse, as I'll be in university housing. My future does not look bright as all my hosts seem to be competing to overfeed me.