东西 - Things

Hey FOLKS!

I'm in a good mood. I am supposed to leave now to go to this western cafe and book shop, called The Bookworm. But Tanner is online so I'm just waisting time and talking to him. He types so slowly though, that I can write while I wait for him to finish.

Look, look! I just took this photo with my computer's camera. You can see how happy I am, and also how long my hair is getting. And that I don't have any makeup on, ouch.

It has been sunny here, about twice a week. It has been cold and drizzly in between. That means the air has been cleaner, and then the sun shines, and it is almost blue! Really! It has been so pretty. And the rainy days are about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and feel just like Seattle. I can pretend the sky is full of low lying clouds and not pollution.

The other day a father was walking with his daughter. She was jumping rope and then running to catch up. I think she was 5 or 6. I sped up to pass them, Chinese people walk slowly everywhere. The father saw me pass them and said something to his daughter, "这是老外..." I didn't understand the rest. The first part translated as "This foreigner..." So I turned around and looked at him. He sort of started, and said ”你好" or "hello". I said hello in Chinese and kept walking. He was surprised and embarressed. His daughter missed the whole thing anyways, she was too busy jumping rope. It was actually pretty funny for me. I didn't mean to scare a grown man.

The fall leaves here aren't very impressive. They mostly look like Seattle fall leaves. Except the gingko leaves. I didn't know ginko trees have a fall and lose their leaves. It is very pretty. I will take some photos.

The Sir Lankan guy quit creeping people out. He doesn't walk around in a towel anymore. But now he talks to people in the kitchen. He had some of his luggage stolen when he got here. And he thinks Chinese people will always rip him off. So he mostly stays in the dorms. He cooks every meal, so it's hard to avoid him. He is angry and very intolerant. I have the idea that he is probably part of the problems in Sri Lanka and not part of the solution.

The Thai girls are still nuts. They are also so very pretty.

The Korean kids in the dorms really get on my nerves. They leaves messes and are loud at every hour. I think they are very disrespectful of the woman who work in the dorms, who clean up after us, and let us into locked rooms, and generally keep up the place.

I have a HUGE crush. (I already told Tanner, and everyone knows I always have a crush, and am not about to act on it). He is a boy from Slovokia. He is tall and very good looking. Mostly I have a crush because he has the nicest voice, and then a very attractive accent on top of that. Too bad every time I run into him I am in my jamis and look a mess! Seriously, every single time. I guess it's a sort of karmic way of reminding me not to act on it.

I might be getting a sinus infection, fucking pollution.

I went out last weekend for the first time. I didn't drink too much. We had fun dancing and listening to a live Chinese band.

I have a favorite noodle place, I love getting spicey noodles for dinner, or lunch. I'll take photos. The waitress knows Lisa and me, and everytime we go I manage to speak a little more to her.

Everyone tell my mom to really visit me. I think she is going to. But I really want her too!

After midterms I am going to decorate Lisa and my room. I decided not to move out at semester. I will probably go to more classes if I still live five minutes away from class. I am totally excited to decorate. It will be fabulous. Lisa is broke anyways, she is here on scholarship, so it's totally up to me!

They wash the trees. The trees lining the roads in Chengdu. If they get covered in pollution they won't survive, and they help keep the air healthier when they are alive. So they have giant trucks with hoses, and drive slowly down the streets washing off the leaves of the trees.

I broke my phone. So I bought a new one, this one is really pretty and even has a camera! It was 400 yuan. That is less then $100. Jeez, things are so cheap in China sometimes.

Almost everyone in our group needs a haircut. A few boys have taken the risk and got thiers cut. It turned out okay in most cases, in one case it looked pretty bad. I am growing my out, but really only because I'm too afraid to cut it.

Alright, I'm bored, bye