Adios, Ciao, 再见, Goodbye.

In my Ch.ina life, I tend to roll in groups of three.

First there was the Dream Team. My dearest friends, classmates, and workmates at HDU. There's also my CREW, my traveling group of the best people I will ever have had the chance to travel the world with. My best memories in Chi.na are with these two groups of people.

Then I came to ZJU and bonded into a group of 3 again. Two of my classmates and I have become really close and formed a little unit. We sit in a row in class. We help each other out with school stuff, life stuff, living stuff. It's been almost 4 months together of intense classes and intenser lives. We bonded together quickly because we can get each other's humor because we are all native english speakers.

Today we lost a member. Waaaaaaa.

The three of us had breakfast together this morning one last time to say "zai jian" to Kenneth. He's going to Hong Kong next week to visit his dad, than back to Vermont where he will finish school.

Kenneth is one of the most interesting people I have ever met. First of all - he's seriously a global citizen. Born in Hong Kong, English passport, USA green card, and attending college in the US. What are you? :)

He's a comedic relief, always late, has a horrible memory, and doesn't believe in jackets in the cold weather. And he sleeps in class. Every day.

Stephanie and I will miss him these last few weeks in class! Our row in the middle of the classroom will seem so empty.

Our semester officially ends January 20th. But because some students are studying abroad for a semester, they must leave early to make it back for the "western" time line of classes beginning in January after Christmas.

Another of our classmates, Ondrej from Prague, also left this week. We had a jolly farwell for im in class. He was quiet and kind. I hope to make it to Europe one day to see all my European classmates. They're good people.

a goodbye breakfast of Hangzhou's famous xiao long bao and red bean soup:

on the street where I live. Peacin' out.

This is one of the worst parts of extended life abroad. People leave. Out of the afformentioned 2 groups of people (dream team and the crew) I'm the only one left. My classmates will soon be dispersed to new classes for the new term.

I was contemplating all the wonderful people that I have known in Hangzhou that are not here anymore and I was struck by how lucky I am to have come into contact with such great people. How lucky I am to have had something that makes saying goodbye hard.

Bon Voyage, dear friend!

Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes. ~Henry David Thoreau

walk slow. xoxo.

emotions and a frozen pig.

Today was an emotional doozy.

I'm blaming Aunt Flow for my rollercoaster of uncontainable emotions (mostly low) today. It's been a rough ride. But all is well, I didn't run over any Chinese people, and I'm home, warm, and decently clear-headed.

It's common speech amongst expats that living abroad in a different culture, especially in an intense place like Chi.na, makes your highs high and your lows low. I'm thankful as I've gotten older I've befriended my emotions. I'm a feeler, it's ok, and days like this one sometimes happen.

My poor teacher didn't know what was coming when he went around the room asking us if we "missed home." At that point in the day I was extremely low, and answered, "last year I didn't miss home, but this year I really miss home." When he asked "why"? I answered somewhere along the translation lines of, "this year blows." Oops. Of course I don't really mean that. In my heart of hearts, when I am still and quiet, I am content. I am pleased with my life, and I see divinity in at all. It's not an easy road, but it's my road and I'm not alone on it.

Work was great tonight and after returning home I recieved news that sent me working for many more hours. There is a possibility of something big on the horizon...but I'm just waiting it out to see what happens. Vague, yes. But I still want record that there is somethin' a brewin' in these here parts!

In cuter news:

My friend Rachel and I spotted this little piggy outside a hair dresser studio!

Presh.

walk slow. xoxo.

joy to the world.

Snow happened today.

I decided against my bike and walked to class. The only thing that froze was my feet. I need some thick socks or better boots or something. But other than my tootsies, all body parts were decently warm and accounted for.

The international dorm was quite a site. Apparently, many people from African and South East Asian countries have never seen snow. It was a ruckus of African snow ball fights. A dude pummeled me with a hard snow ball as I was walking out of the dorm. I wasn't too happy about it considering I didn't even know the guy! And it hurt! but then I laughed realizing the hilariousness of it all.

While I was walking home I ran into my new friend from Iran. The first time I met him in our dorm (he lives here) he was weird and said, "we are friends?" when I told him I was from the US. Then he went into some speech about governments or something, I wasn't really understanding. Now, every time I see him I make sure to chat. Just because you are from Iran doesn't mean we can't be friends. He was telling me about the snow in Iran and that he is "no surprise this." (translation - this snow does not surprise him, it is normal). I told him I'm from Florida. He's never heard of Florida. I told him to come visit someday.

After class, Steph and I headed by bus to West Lake to check out the scenery. We didn't last long (cold feet, slippery ground = awkward Jessica), but we soon found ourselves warm and happy in a Starbucks admiring the scenery from inside.

I walked from there to work, about 30 minutes, because the snow was just to fun to pass up by taking a bus. This is the most I have seen it snow in HZ, it has snowed in the past, but never stuck. It snowed all day today, and is planning to snow into the day tomorrow. I can't wait to see what it looks like outside when I wake up!

Snow is fun when it is a commodity!

"...let heaven and nature sing...."

walk slow. xoxo.

always winter never Christmas.

It's cold and I'm feeling dangerously honest.

I am sick and tired of Chi.nese people telling me they "don't have Christmas in Chi.na."

This happens just about every day.

Well, I guess technically they are right. There is no holiday, we plug right on until the end of January in work and school. (those of you taking finals, I am officially jealous). There's no mention of Christmas on the streets except for the random odd decoration in a window. And the only places you can find Christmas music are the fancy mall or a Starbucks. (Which is probably why my trips to Starbucks increase exponentially in the winter, even though I have to buy a bottle water because they don't sell decaf anything.)

And truth is...most of these people have never heard the Christmas story.

It's like the white witch's Narnia..."always winter and never Christmas."

Well natives, I'm here to tell ya that Christmas is everywhere. Look inside yourself and wonder what you're missing. You see that little hole? Ya, that one that you fill with the desire of money and alcohol and western movies and Jackie Chan kungfu moves?

Fill it with Christmas.

The Christmas message and spirit is everywhere. Not within country boundaries. This isn't Thanksgiving. Christmas belongs to no country. It belongs to a child who was born 2000 years ago. It belongs to you and me.

All winter and no Christmas? That's a sad, cold way to live.

"Wake up, O sleepers! Arise from the dead! He has come...."

walk slow. xoxo.

2 Party Evening = proof I'm getting old.

Last night began with a Christmas party at my friend's Shen Kan and Wei Wei's house. I took my classmate Steph along for the ride...

We sang songs and chatted for a few hours. Singing was a little strange though because I was the only person in the room who celebrates (or even is aware of) Christmas for its true meaning. And when the other Americans mocked "Sient Night" I was upset. But so goes life. There's haters everywhere. I kept it to myself and we still had fun. And I brought cupcakes decorated with sprinkles that my sister sent me from America! whoooo...

Shen Kan and Wei Wei were nervous for their first ever Christmas party, but they did a great job as host and hostess.
the whole group. Americans, one Brit, and Chi.nese. A beautiful mix of Chinglish all evening.

I left the Christmas party early to make it to KTV for Angel and Haiyan's wedding celebration. They were married on a whim last week, shocking most of us, but I still feel the need to suport my friends. We sang songs until about midnight when they went to another party destination and I went home...

Two parties in one night makes for a very tired Jessica. Maybe it's becase I live a caffeine-less life. Maybe I'm just old.

This morning was Chrch and Christmas performance practice. A friend and I were teaching the kids their dance performance. I could write an entire post about how frustrating it is to deal with parents from different countries with different parenting ideas. Screaming, crawling on the floor, defiant children are not dealt with the same here as in my home. And I had to bite my tongue to not "go american" on some parents. That would have been easy to do. But we've got to rise above cultural differences and just live. Just keep on.

Tonight is homework and learning more characters. Tomorrow starts another crazy week of this whacked out, nutso, blessed Chi.na life.

Go outside and look at some Christmas lights for me. I sure do miss Christmastime.

walk slow. xoxo.

Photo Update...

Just catchin up the little bloggy on recent-ness via pictures because tonight is full of events that will surely eclipse these recent happenings. And if there's one thing that we don't want - it's an event being eclipsed, kappesh?

So, here we go...I'm going to let these photos upload and go take a quick nap. I need some rest/patience in order to make it through the coming night. See you on the other side!

lunch with Hailong and Yangxue:

mmmmm:
sweeties making sure I'm on the right bus, while I'm sitting in the bus taking their pic, haha:

damage:
Dr. Xue came over this morning and brought me this: a bread/chocolate Christmas Tree decorated with dog bone candies. Oh, Ch.ina. Clueless.

walking with my class:

my class at the Hangzhou Museum:

My British friend's first Dairy Queen!

I'm puttting on my sparkly pantyhose for a 2-party evening! First up a Christmas party, then a wedding party....here's hoping for some endurance....

walk slow. xoxo.

hahahahaha.

Scene:

Tonight riding home in the front seat of my Chin.ese BFF Doctor Xu's car. He is explaining to me his plans to marry his girlfriend.

Me, "how do you say, 'fiance' in Chin.ese?"

Him, "Fiance? Fiance? That is a singer! A singer!"

..........confused pause..........

Him, "Ohhhhh, BEYONCE!"

Me, "hahahahahhahahahahahahaha..."

walk slow. xoxo.