Piranha 3D

On Friday, I rode on the back of an ojek (taxi-motorcycle) for the first time--in a skirt and without a helmet. It was terrifying and fantastic, but it wasn't the craziest thing I did this week.

I also paid 50,000 rupiah to have a swarm of tiny fish nibble my feet.

It was a spa procedure called Dr. Fish and I'm told it's fairly common in Asia. The "pedicure" consists of fish eating all the dead skin off your feet, leaving you with baby bottom-soft soles. My friends Emily and Paige and I decided to take the plunge (pun intended) and try it.

Once we were sitting on the ledge above the tank of fish hungry for our flesh, all three of us had embarrassingly girlish freak-outs. But we stuck our legs in anyway. The sensation wasn't unpleasant; when I closed my eyes, it felt like a thousand gentle vibrations against my feet. Looking down at the little black, almost worm-like fish devouring my body, however, remained disturbing for the duration of the 30 minute pedi.

If I had done some research ahead of time, I would have learned that fish pedicures are banned in several states because of the health risks. I would have read a doctor's warning: "Risks include the possible spread of viral diseases, such as hepatitis and AIDS, as well as the fact that the water is not sterile and is full of bacteria." And I probably wouldn't have done it. But I did--and my callus (and infection)-free feet are grateful.

In other slightly freakish news, I spent one evening this week being an ex-convict aunt-of-the-groom at a Hick Wedding. It was an ETA named Talya's idea: put on a very un-PC, backwoods-themed wedding and reception, with all 44 of us participating as characters, from "homeless groom" right down to "awkwardly seductive ring-bearer." We threw ourselves into character with the same imagination and passion that will serve us so well in the classroom. There were exaggerated Southern accents, fake cigarettes, insults hurled from family member to meth-addicted family member and a brawl between the groom and the bride's ex-boyfriend.

Looking fierce in my prison-orange and prison-tats (thanks to Elena for the quality photo).

Leif, the belligerent ex, interrupts the ceremony.

And best of all, there was Justin Bieber performed by the ETAs' very own, brand new, chart-topping boy band.