Post-Thanksgiving Post

The photo is from our leftover dinner at Holiday Inn. All I have to say about it was overpriced and not what mom makes. :) Next holiday I'm cooking!

So, this isn't exactly a China post, it's more of something personal. But that's only because I'm dying to connect to people on less than in a superficial way.

So I'm doing something very special tonight... At the request of my good friend Champ, since it's the weekend, and that's when I work, I'm *gasp* staying at home. Champ is my good friend but also my newest teacher assistant for my kindergarten classes. So he's been a little concerned about me. With good reason. While I've been keeping really busy and having lots of fun, I've also started neglecting important things about myself. So after our little heart to heart tonight I've decided to post something I found while doing some cleaning and straightening of papers I've been meaning to sort since before China. I ran across this little tidbit scribbled on notebook paper stuffed in my haphazard journal. And what perfect timing to boot. I'm not sure exactly when I wrote this, but I'm guessing by the content I was about 13 or 14. Whew. Ten years. It does go faster and faster doesn't it. Without further ado (try not to laugh too hard)

Things I'm Thankful for.
I'm thankful...
for God's grace. life. all 5 senses. the lessons I've been taught so far in life. A sunrise. A good sense of humor (especially in the worst situations) my musical abilities. The people that have no reason (but still do) care about me. For a great dog Max, my friends. Technology I am exposed to. The big rock beside my house. Asparagus. My sister. The opportunities I've been given. Warm bed at night. My cousins. A nice house. Food. My dad's unconditional love. For the bible. Electricity. My hair. The mountains. For the ability to differentiate between good and bad. Free will. God's plan in my life (even though he won't tell me what it is) good music. Bad music (so I can tell what is good music) a computer. My weird sense of logic. That my memory blots out the bad things in my childhood (actually, most of my childhood)my writing talent. My Sunday-school teacher. That somewhere, somebody understands exactly what I'm talking about (even if it's nowhere near here). That I have more to learn. That life isn't as predictable as I predict it to be. That my little brother was born. That he wasn't born twins. That my best friend still calls me just to talk. Alarm clocks. Backpack. Cubed steak and scalloped potatoes. More than 1 language in the world. For fads that I don't follow. For words that rhyme. Appliances. Stars. Water. The beach, but not the sand. Mirrors. Pictures. Adolph sax. For people that agree with me when I say "drugs are stupid" bubble baths.

yep, there ya go. a peek into my young innocent life. my my.
ok, now i'm going to go get ready for bed before 12. let's see how long this lasts.

Happy After-Halloween

Sorry for the lack of communcations by blog and by email. I still have lots of pictures to upload and to explain as well. I've been very busy. I'm out all the time with lots of friends making contacts and getting to know the city, the people, and the language the fastest I can. Some interesting things of note lately would be my role in the upcoming made for TV chinese movie. I got a few walk on roles. Filming was a lot of fun, especially since only one person was there to translate. Luckily I can understand enough and speak a little so that things were really fun. One day we filmed at an old antique hotel and the next two days we went to the TV studio. It was really cool and I got to take lots and lots of photos.

I'm starting to get more brave with my camera and taking it out all over the place. There are so many little things here that are interesting as well as the strange and tourist like places.

Also, TPR opened a franchise in another city nearby so Tuesday a few of us teachers traveled there to be what I like to call, "walking white billboards" It was your standard impress your investor party with champange and speeches. Then a they took us out to lunch (where the red wine and toasts were flowing) and then on an excursion that deserves a post all its own. Which will be soon.

I am getting a new roommate, an american girl, 18, from Ohio, named Lauren. I met her thru a new friend (Casey, another american) and we all had a great bonding time, remembering fun american things like Dave Chappelle, cartoons from the 80's, and commericial jingles. Things that you just can't share with Aussies and Poms and such :)

I apologize for any deteriation of my vocabulary or grammar skills. As I learn how to better communicate with my chinese friends I find that I over simplify many things. But with some of my friends I like to use really "big words" just to help them learn more than what's on the tests that they're all so ferverently studing for.

But all in all, despite some spats with Daniel, and the whole "i'm not a teacher" thing, things are going really well. The weather is starting to cool down, and I just bought a nice Lane Bryant sweater for 5 USD. It's nice. And SOON I think I'm going to give in and buy a cheap sax. Things are really really looking up.

So if you bear with me, I'll start replying. I really do miss everyone and communicating properly with you guys. I love you all.

-B