Happy New Year!
December 31, 2007
Happy New Year, all! It’s almost 6 p.m. Dec. 31 and I’m getting ready to make a veggie stew, and a box of mac ‘n cheese from home. Right now I’m boiling some hot water to do the dishes before I cook. Today was relatively productive, given the fact that it is a holiday for our school. I hired a Chinese tutor, our friend Wang Wei (Stone), and we met in the a.m. at the coffee shop Bei Bei’s. Then, I dragged my lazy rear out of the house, into the cold, and onto a bus to the gym. After I got home I definitely didn’t clean my apartment, and I didn’t grade final exams. I took a nap. Well, it’s a start. I only recently noticed that I’m not on vacation anymore. I live here for the time being, and it’s high time I did the things I said I’d do – keep healthy, and learn the language, already. So, I’m trying. Trying to get out more instead of shutting myself in with Mark and watching pirated DVDs and TV series. BTW, anyone who thinks moving to China is a “diet” is way off. If you, back in the US or otherwise, stuffed your face at McDonald’s on a weekly basis, or your diet included a stead supply of fried chicken and mashed taters, yes, I’d bet you’d drop some poundage. If you were relatively healthy back home, then you’ve gotta watch it. I, too, was mistaken when I thought a move to China was the path to Asian skinny thighs. These folks have been eating starch and oily, oily dishes for thousands of years. Me? Not so much. So let’s just say I’m packing a little extra these days. How much? Wouldn’t YOU like to know. Probably not. The other girl expats and I complain at how easily boys drop weight. Darn boys!
Well, my water is boiling and Mark is home with the food, so I’m going to go Martha Stewart on your asses and make some stew. xoxoxoxo
A Great Wall Christmas
December 25, 2007
And through the far east
Few signs of the holiday
Were seen in the least
Trains chugged and stationed
Mark and Jules felt a bit sad
In this far away nation
From her new friend Julia, who said,
“Ya wanna hike the Great Wall?”
Made for a great outing at the 7th wonder.
Were three Americans, two Brits and a Swede.
held an Earth Summit and busted up the World Bank.
When the trip adjourned, invigorated, but still far from home
But then, Ju got a text from a student
That said, come to the G building, make haste, be prudent!
But a class of happy faces, bearing gifts and cheer.
“We know you miss home, but you’ve got one another
“And we are your sisters. We are you brothers!”
Christmas spirit did thrive
In this far-away land, homesick hearts felt revived.
Kitties and puppies
December 21, 2007
Pets here are usually takin’ it to the streets, though I did meet a dog last night who lives in a drawer at a bar called A Perfect Life. I’ll post a picture of the bar dog named “Oo oo” soon. Meanwhile, here are some pet pics.
Ya wanna puppy? I gotta puppy.
Box ‘o puppies
“Aw hell no, fool!”
Puppy warmed up to Mark and became bashful puppy girl.
Saaaaaaave Uuuuuuuuussssss!
Ya wanna canary? I gotta canary.
Dog is thinking: Whatever happened to Mark Sommers of Double Dare?
This is my kitty friend. He follows me to class and meows at me. Has nothing to do with the milk I gave him once, I’m sure.
This kitty played at a store. She reminded me of my dear, bitchy Kitty Cat.
Christmas in Qinhuangdao
December 20, 2007
glory, redemption, disappointment, thy name is departmental basketball
December 19, 2007
I wrote this a while back while my blog was blocked. Here it is:
I learned two things recently. First, that sometimes there is redemption for childhood dreams gone awry. This has to do with Mark. When he was 15, he was cut from freshman basketball. He didn’t even make the B team. “I was a good player. I played constantly when I was young,” Mark says, recollecting the way the cards fell that year. “I didn’t care that much, but it was still disappointing bull shit.”
Our English department played in a championship basketball game against the Administration team. The game capped a series of departmental battles that have been a weekend fixture for the last month. In the university gym, emotions ran high. Questionable calls, bad combovers, and dirty play couldn’t keep down the lowly English department. Justin (his English name), who has effortlessly hip hair and smokes in the bathroom before games, beefed up offensive numbers with sweet, Kareem-esque finger rolls. Foreign teacher Eric of Oklahoma not only showed consistency by scoring most points, but nailed a killer three-point to close the gap when it counted. With two seconds left, Mark went to the foul line. He missed the first free throw, leaving the game on the brink at 35-34. He took a second shot. I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers. The ball hit the heel of the rim and teased the crowd before finally falling in, sending the game into overtime at 35-35. What a relief! Mark had been missing shots all game, though his defensive effort was spot on. The first overtime ended at 46-46. Another tie! We ladies of the English department stood and chanted. My stomach buzzed. Play resumed and something snapped in Mark. His accuracy soared and he shot 5 of the last 7 points, resulting in the victory. “That was one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of,” Mark said after the game. Finally, victory was his.
The second thing I learned, the hard way, is never to underestimate placid-looking middle aged ladies. They may have a few gray streaks running through their practically-coiffed short ’dos, but killer instincts and aggression on the basketball court apparently don’t fade with hair color. “We are younger than them, so we just will move faster,” a 20-something colleague said to me before the women of the English department took on the older compilation team of seemingly harmless library and computer science employees. “Yeah, no problem,” I agreed. “We’ll move fast.” Little did I know these ladies weren’t about to let us to get a move in edgewise.
The whistle blew and our assumptions proved immediately incorrect. These broads were not only fast, they were tough. Real tough. They held onto the ball and ripped it out of our hands with every fiber of their being. They pushed around the smaller ladies on my team over with ease and cunning, so no fouls were called against them. I went down twice. First, I fell flat on a knee, hip bone and elbow, and a little bit of jaw while going for the ball. Was I pushed or just overzealous with my own momentum? I don’t know for sure. After I ate the floor, I felt a yank under my right arm. An opponent was pulling me up…or, trying to pull my arm out of my socket. Again, I really couldn’t tell. I later went down on my left knee. The sound of bone on wood echoed throughout the gym. But my meat and thigh girth on the Chinese gals prevented further knockdowns. The shorter, smaller ladies on my team did not have such luck—and they are the ones with true skill! The ladies from library and computer science formed two-or three-person Venus fly traps around our key players every time one had the ball. Their fingers were the sticky teeth; the English girls the unlucky prey. We seemed to be flopping around like fish on a dock more than we were on our feet. And I, shabby, laughable basketball player that I am, was nearly the only one to get a shot in, only due to the few more inches I carry on my frame, and the few more pounds in my gait. We took a beating. For all their aggression, they didn’t have much accuracy, but still managed to whomp us 10-0. Ouch.
Back on!
December 18, 2007
I am able to blog again as of today! More to come!
