NEW NEW NEW!!!!

I put new because I have 3 new things now! The first one I mentioned in my last post. A new look! The contacts are going well, I can get them in and out fairly quickly now, however I still can't tell which was is the right side. So other than putting them on the wrong way, I'm pretty comfortable. I'm sure it only gets easier.

Ok, the second and third new things are both contained in this picture:


Not the best picture in the world, but I'm sure there will be more! So as of 3 days ago, I agreed to "settle" down, so to speak, and get a boyfriend :) I met him thru the singer at Live bar. He would come to see her sing and met me on one of the many occasions I was singing/playing there. He didn't speak much english, and my chinese is only good in controlled conversations, so we didn't really say much to each other those times in the past month or so, except for "wow you're pretty today, you sound really good, and you're chinese is good" to which i would reply, "thanks" and smile and blush. Then, for chinese new year, somehow he got my phone number and sent me a nice happy new year's text message. his number wasn't in my phone so I asked who it was, and we started chatting by text message (with my chinese friends help, since it was all in chinese) i'm getting fairly ok with reading some chinese words and phrases now, but still not good enough. anyways... so we agree to meet at the bar because he wants to hear me play some more. and after i finished playing i sat with some new friends and started drinking johnnie walker (**ugh**) about 2 hours later, I was feeling pretty confident with my chinese, so I boldy walked over and started chatting with him. It was really neat. It started to get really late so we went to get something to eat. then i invited him back to the house, and we continued to talk all night long. so long in fact, we didn't sleep and he had to go to work at 7:30! I felt a little guilty but not much. But during this little chat I learned a lot of things about him, mostly that he's really sweet and kind-hearted. I asked him as many questions about life as I could think of :)

Then the next day I got to see him again, so I also had a little chat with his cousin the singer about him. I dunno. I'm feeling kinda weird about the whole thing now. I mean it is really strange, but it's also really comfortable. He's totally smitten with me, that much I don't need language to tell. And it's not just that, want to sleep with me, kinda smitten either (altho I'm sure that's in there too) So, I figured, why not give this a try? it's better than looking like the bar slut, because i flirt with all the guys there. and it's always nice to have a companion. it'll be great for my chinese, if nothing else! i'm also just really scared about hurting him. i know that chinese people tend to be a little more serious about these whole "feeling and emotion" things. I'm afraid I've been hurt and gotten to bitter to be able to do those sorts of things anymore anyways.

But here's for trying! :)

And the other new thing is the cat! Not sure if I'm going to get to keep him because Joe (my roommate) seems to think that it's an unlucky cat. And if you've ever tried to argue with someone who's (for lack of better word) religous about their superstitions, you'll know what a bind I'm in. So we'll see how the cat thing works out. And the 新的男朋友！(new bf)

A new form of Chinese torture?

Nope! this is me getting contacts for the first time ever!! The kind lady (who spoke no english) is helping me put them in for the first time. And James thought it would be cute to take a picture. Soooo I might as well share it with you guys.


So that's exciting news... I finally gave in and did something for sheer vanity because everyone told me to. I personally think I look better in glasses. But whatever :) and it's a little more convient I guess because I'm always losing my glasses. Oh and now! for the first time ever I can wear sunglasses

Other exciting things... since the band was out of town for spring festival/new year's... the boss at my second home (aka Live Bar) asked me to come and play for the past few nights... so I've been playing in front of an actual crowd (not just my drunk friends at 3am) it's kinda cool having people anounce your name (in chinese to boot!) and then getting on stage. so here's what james called my "album cover" and another picture to satiate you my brandy-thirsty audience.

That's not too bad right? I mean sure the guitar was out of tune, but eh. I need new strings :) I'm still working on learning my chinese song. I know the chorus but the verses are a little more of a challenge. However the chinese lady singer did invite me up on stage to sing it with her. That was pretty wild. I just kept thinking... if you would have told me a year ago I'd be standing on stage singing a chinese song, in CHINA. I'm pretty sure I would have laughed. Hard. Maybe laughed my lungs thru my nose or something to that degree.

Annnnnyways...

And in other news: I learned the chinese word for vomit. Courtesy of what I've self-diagnosed to be food poisoning. Which now is by far my least favorite thing in China. I also seemed to have misplaced some crucial medicine which is making this little joyride that much more unpleasant. However, they do sell gatorade in China. Not that I can hold anything down (not even water) but it's like a comfort food/drink. Whenever I was sick back home, I can always remember mom or dad giving me lemon-lime gatorade. So... that's one relief.


Well that's enough for now I guess... any more questions, comments, concerns, and just general "hey how are you you stupid girl you never email me" notes can be sent to my email as usual! ;)

from china - with love,
brandy

bad news...

the call me free option is now gone :(

Thanks to everyone who took advantage of it.
From here on out we'll have to use skype or yahoo... and i'll have to get a mic. again, i'm just too lazy. but soon.

New Pictures as Promised

More pictures from the Housewarming, and possibly a snippet of a video!

Also in my Google photo albums the TPR New Year's parties has an additional 10 photos.

A new little album of Sue and Wayne's goodbye lunch.

And I'm going to redo some of the Misc albums...
I'll let you know how that goes.

新年快乐!!! Happy Chinese New Year!

So here I am, my new year's vacation is almost over. And what have I done?

Learned a new song (well, the chorus) on guitar in chinese. See more about that here.

Studied lots of chinese. Went one day to Shenzen with Ashley to visit our friend Sandy. Met an interesting new friend of hers there named William. By far one of the most strange guys I've ever met (chinese or not) We all went shopping (I bought some jewelery and an egg timer)and then ate dinner. We found a nice little bar that reminded me of Live bar. (Except they wouldnt let me get on stage) One band rocked out on a version of Hey Jude. The singer was really great. Had I had the chance I would have definetly said so to him, but he took off right after his set. So we had a good time teaching William the dice game, and listening to good live music. We were headed to the hotel when Sandy recognized her friend's car outside a kareoke bar, so we went in and hung out with them for a while. Interesting people. Waste of space in my humble opinion, but maybe I was being a little harsh :)


But it was an interesting time none-the-less. Because my sleep patterns have been totally messed up thanks to the holidays and one looooong night of playing Counter-Strike with my new group of geeky/computer game guys, I couldn't sleep until about 6. So I sat up having a nice conversation with the little hotel clerk. A little pimply-faced 19 year old boy. It was really neat to realize that if I'm speaking to someone with enough patience to try and understand my poor pronunciation and so-so grammar, that I can have actual conversations about things other than what food i want to order or which bar i want to go to :) Which is why I feel pretty good about my chinese at this stage... only 7 months now.

Oh, interesting note. I've been in Zhuhai too long ;) I've now had two taxi drivers remember me! One shouted out my name (Chinese one of course) from a crowd of taxis I was negotiating with. The other one, I hopped in with Ashley last night. As usual, I started my battery of questions and it wasn't long before he starting talking and he said "Actually I know you. You talked to me when you had only been here 3 months, your chinese is much better now" I laughed for a solid 10 minutes. So did Ashley once I translated.

So as pictured above. CN, Ashley and I got down by the sea on New Year's Eve to watch an amazing fireworks show. It was a little foggy and was hard to see the true beauty of the fireworks. I was dissapointed at first because there weren't many people around. Turns out, we just werent close enough. People were crowded around right underneath where HUGE fireworks were being launched. I kept waiting for the accident. So was an ambulance and a firetruck. Police were also scattered everywhere. I was also amused that people would stop staring up at fireworks to stare at me and Ashley, two foriegners in a strange place. Interesting to say the least... so I would say happy new years in chinese and watch them get suprised :)

Anything else interesting... hmmmm. That's really all I can think of right now. I'm going to put up more pictures. Probably tonight, maybe tomorrow. It's not like I've got a lot planned.




Here's one last picture of me and Sandy in Shenzen after shopping. Aren't we so cute?
The american Sandy and the Taiwanese Brandy. An interesting pair to say the least.

New and also some Updated Pictures

So I copied some pictures from Ashley's camera, and added a new album from another night of bowling. So be sure to check both the bubbleshare and picasa web albums for updates to Christmas, New Year's, TPR New Year Party, and more!

:)

New Webcam!!!

I bought it because it was cute, and cheap. I didnt realize that it was demonic. It's still cute, in that, demon possesed kinda way tho, right?



However, I neglected to see if it had a microphone and apparently it doesn't. That or I just dont know how to work it yet. I'm just impressed I can install the drivers and make it work. So, if you want to see me in China, or have a 10 second tour of my living room, jump on yahoo messenger and find me there. I will perform like a little monkey for your viewing pleasure. And soon enough I'll either get the sound working, or buy a microphone so I will also be making phone call soon. Get Skype or Yahoo and email me your ID if you want me to talk with you.

Moving Pictures

Mostly...

Not all of them. But some. Be patient. I'm lazy.


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New House, New Number

Pictures are still on the way, I promise. But I'm still cleaning from the aftermath of the housewarming party. So please bear with me. Also...

You can still call me for free using those numbers I gave you, but I have a new cell phone, and no house phone. If you call those other numbers, I have no idea who will answer.

So my new cell phone is 15919281160.

I'm still uncertain as to whether or not I'll be traveling for the New Year's holidays... seems like a few of my friends will still be in town. I wanted to go up to beijing, but really decided agaisnt it, in that JEEBUS it's cold kinda way.

In other news, I think I'm getting a tattoo to signfy my chinese-ness :) I'm still designing it, but it's going to be a white orchid. a Bai Lan. which is the first two characters in my chinese name. Bai Lan Di. When you add that third character it changes from beautiful flower, to brandy, the alcohol. My name is a great conversation starter. It's like running into someone named Tequila or something.

Hmmm anything else? I bought a really big toaster oven and I'm currently on the hunt for a pan to fit inside. Soon I shall be cooking western style food again. I've not cooked since I been here and I kinda miss it. Also it seems to impress any chinese person when you say you can cook. I don't think it's something that everyone can do. I mean back home everyone can cook, but shit we all use microwaves right? :)

Ok well I've got 6 more hours of teaching to get started on this week. Just the VIPs. Then a two week vacation. *sigh* life here is so hard ;)

miss you, love you all (most of you)
b