Rollerrcoasterrrrr.

Hello, little blog. I've been avoiding you. But in the spirit of true self-absorption, I have returned.

So much can happen in one week! Holy Moly.

Sunday night I went to dinner with CBOTW (who is turning into CBOTMonth). We went to a wonderful Thai restaurant and I was excited to practice my two Thai phrases with the dancing Thai waitors. haha. They were impressed with my "kap kun kaa"'s and I wanted to go back to Thailand SO BAD! I ate the most delicious food I have ever had in my life...vegetables served warm in a dragon fruit shell with the dragon fruit melted over top of it. OH MY GOSH, heaven. Absolute genius food.

After dinner I was prepared to go home. I was tired and feeling fat and just wanting to end the night after dinner. Well, CBOTM had a different idea. His friend was getting married and was having a pre-party night shindig at KTV. KTV is a swanky place where you rent out rooms and karaoke with only your friends. And then drink a lot of whisky and green tea. And dance. And it rocks because there is a bathroom in the room and fancy couches and you basically sit and chill and sing with your friends for hours. A jolly good time for all. So we ended up going to met about 20 of his friends at KTV to celebrate a wedding. It would have been good Chin.ese practice and a fun time, if the people had not been stumbling over. Oh well. Around midnight I asked him to take me home. I stuck that experience into the "weird experiences vault" and moved on. haha.

Monday was a really bad day. Like, a "I want to buy a plane ticket home and get out of this hell-hole of craziness" kind of day. I had a particularly negative interaction with a student who approached me after class wanting to attack me for the US's stand on criticizing Chin.a for eating dog. Of all things to back me into a corner about, seriously? The newspapers here highlight the US almost every day about something we are griping about about Chin.a and how we are wrong about these accusations. It is often outright laughable and sad that my students and the general public believe these things and then think I am the person to be rude to about it because I represent my country. He wanted to yell at me to tell me that eating dog is the same as eating pic and cow. I basically told him to bugger off. I did not handle the situation well and I basically never want to see the turd again. But being the nature of my profession, that is not possible. Oh well, live and learn.

So I left work fuming about the general close-mindedness and one-sidedness of my country of choice. I basically hit rock bottom in my head and had a very hard time crawling out of the hole. I then had to grab a taxi and hurry to the university that I am apply to for a PhD scholarship. I made it with minutes left to the deadline and was greeted my a sour secretary who was incredibly rude to me and told me in lamens terms to give up my dream because I don't have the proper paperwork. Needless to say, I needed some Jesus at that point in the day. I had had enough.

I came home, bought a diet coke (the cure) and watched 3 episodes of Project Runway online. One of my best friends in town called and she was a wonderful sounding board of grace and truth and hope. (don't we all need those people in our lives who speak truth?). I then went ot bed at approximately 9:30pm. (a genius idea, ps).

Tuesday I woke up determined to have a good day, to let the disappointment and hurt feelings of the day before leave my mind and to not allow one student or interaction to change how I treat the other 263 students I face each week. Thanks to the One above I had a wonderful day filled with good friends, good classes, and a new purple manicure.

Yesterday was also wonderful. My morning classes were pitch perfect thanks to the wonderful attitudes and work ethic of my students. I had lunch with Jacky who has returned to campus from Weifang (finally!) I missed that kid so much! We ate pumpkin and talked about his future plans. We always have so much fun shootin the breeze. (imagine teaching that idiom, haha.)

I then got a call from one of my fave humans, Dr Xu who was frantic in telling me that he had received notice that he would be interviewing for a fellowship in California today! He wanted to get together. It being St. Patricks day and book club day and having a date with CBOTM, I had NO time, but I prioritized, and told him to be at my house at 9pm, after book club, before going out for St. Patty's day, and told CBOTM to meet me and my friends out later.

Book club was wonderful and uplifting and mind-stimulating. We ate watermelon and discussed redemption and JD Salinger's religious meanings in Franny and Zooey. Wonderful. We have finished the book and are now moving on to Rebecca.

I hurried home and found Stone and Michael in my building waiting for me. They had gotten into the building by pressing the wrong buttons and talking to my co-workers. haha. I love love love them. I got to see pictures of Stone's baby who was born in January and gave them gifts from Ame.rica. (coffee for Michael, baby clothes from Disney for Stone). We discussed possible interview questions and I helped him get over his "Chin.ese modesty" so that he could really stand out. He is an incredible man who volunteers for the Red Cross and has raised over 10 million yuan for orphans in our province. He is an inspiration and the hospital in California would be honored to have him on their staff. We talked until about 11:30 and then I headed out to meet friends to "celebrate" St. Patrick's Day. Any excuse to celebrate any reminder of home. haha. We danced all night and I ended up bouncing back and forth between CBOTM and his friends and my friends at two different locals.

This morning I booked another tutoring job for a Chinese friend's niece who is in high school and wants to take the SAT. We will meet this weekend for a little tutoring sesh. It's more of a favor to my friend than anything. Around here you really have to work to earn friendship.

I am eagerly waiting Dr. Xu's call about his interview. We have been working for over a year on his english for this interview and I can't believe it actually happened. I feel like a nervous little sister!

UPDATE: he just called and told me his face, "was like an apple". haha. He said he did his best and the people were, "very humor." He sounds good about it, so here's hoping they choose him! He said, "bless me that I will get it." haha. Oh what a precious soul. I want this so badly for him.

Well, I am off to shower, then the grocery store and then trivia tonight with friends.

Life is flyin. I miss you.

Here's some picaroos:

Me and Gan Gan, a fave friend and the most perfect dancing buddy. Her affinity for leopard print almost matches mine, which makes us a perfect pair.

The most delicious meal of my life. Thanks Banana Leaf Restaurant for making my fruit and vegetable dreams a reality. And thanks CBOTM for taking me there because there is no way I could ever afford this meal.

Walk Slow. xoxo.