Mama

A quickie:

Mom just sent me her first email and it almost made me cry! I’m so proud of her. She just started keyboarding classes in September and her typing is actually pretty good! The computer is going to use! : ) Ah, makes me miss the family. <3

Anyway, just finished two midterms of five. I wish I didn't screw up my 口语 exam but what can you do. Gotta continue studying. 加油！

Week 8: 我新最喜欢的生词：真牛！

先要祝我哥哥生日快乐！他今年是二十七岁了！

I will first apologize for the lack of photos in this (and perhaps) future entries. My Mac is dying on me and it breaks my heart! I lost a lot of configurations for most of my programs, including the VPN network I use to give me full access to wordpress. Sigh. What a pity, considering I took so many great pictures during Halloween! You guys will just have to be patient and wait until I fix this problem.

Lately, I’ve been uptight and I don’t know why. I’m really sorry if I’ve been defensive or overly sensitive. I think it’s maybe because I haven’t had that much time to myself … and time to write/reflect. Lately, I’ve been busy meeting more Chinese friends. Actually, I’ve been meeting a Chinese or Taiwanese friend almost everyday! But, I still think that it’s one of the best ways for me to study … to really practice my 口语。Tomorrow, I’m meeting a new Chinese student and 丁砚！丁砚 and I are going to a 潮州 restaurant and I’m super excited to try 潮州菜! Whoo.

Well, winter has finally arrived and it’s kicking my butt. I went with Kyu, Elodie, and Sabina to H&M today and bought some warm clothes to help me survive. Did you know that in one day, the temperature dropped over 10 degrees Celsius! I think that’s about 30 degrees Fahrenheit, right? Insanity. I heard January is going to be the worst. I need to brace for it.

What else is new？Oh! I have a student to tutor! I actually met with her Dad on Sunday and he was very excited to have me teach his young daughter some English. So I’m starting on Friday to help her with her conversational English and reading. I hope it turns out to be a good experience. I’m also applying for another teaching position … we’ll see how that goes. I need to make money, but I’m beginning to feel that maybe I’m overwhelming myself with too many activities. Other than that, I’m also planning to go to 苏州 on Thursday with my Korean classmate. I hope we will have fun, despite the cold. : ) I’m looking forward to new adventuring with my classmate! Next week I have midterms (wow, it’s been a while since I’ve taken college exams) so this is going to be a dry week and weekend. Only hard core studying allowed.

Okay, I’m going to try to watch try to watch some football …

Bye Bye Blackbird …

Decided to read some of the entries in my diary since I’ve been in Shanghai. I cannot believe how much has happened and how much has turned around in such a short span of time. If only you can read the diary … it’d bring you to tears. Bittersweet, bittersweet. As they say, everything happens for a reason.

More jibberish that I must write: For the first time in a very long time, I am no longer chasing after dreams, after evasive love, after happiness. I have everything I want here. China. Personal independence (okay, this is ironic considering I’m in China). Happiness. New Friends. Yes, I do miss my family dearly and my ‘bra and DT friends. But my life in Shanghai has nothing to be stressed about. I am myself, unbound, unrestrained, unafraid.

***

(Typing this as I wait for my Season 4 Premiere of FNL to finish downloading. Thank you Elaine for the link! You are piecing my lovelife back together … haha.)

This week has been rather busy. On Tuesday, I went to a grand opening event for the USC Shanghai Office. It was awesome to meet more Trojans! I’m really glad I went and look forward to hanging out with more of my SC fans in the future. Yesterday, I also met with 丁砚 for an awesome spicy crab dinner. I love 丁砚 for being so sweet to me! She treated me to dinner and even gave me a plant and some leftover candy from her wedding!

Tonight, Zhen, Kyu, and I met up with Brendan for a Cantonese dinner. After, the Allies + Kyu watched “Public Enemy” in Elodie’s room. Good times. Big weekend ahead … Halloween! That makes me think of Anita and Guistinna and what they are dressing up this year. Oh, how I miss my cousins and nieces.

 

One of my favorite Halloween celebrations:

Helping Dad hand out candy and donuts at the store to customers.

 

 

 

6 AM and I can’t sleep because of a mosquito.

I am going to find it and smash it. Thank you for biting my face, you little prick …

ARGH. TIMFC.

Calm. Breathe.

Realized today that I have been watching the wrong sport all these years. Never realized how incredible football (soccer) players were. Breathtaking. Thank you European/South American friends for opening my eyes.

Week 7: Koreans are funny

Quote of the day:

“What do you mean try Koreans. We are not a fruit.” -Kyu

HA!

So, let’s just start this week’s entry with some awesome photos.

Brendan with Sumin. Hahaha. On Thursday, we went to a Korean restaurant in Gubei. We were the only customers for two hours …

I love this picture of me and Kyu! The background is awesome.

Arm wrestling because we had nothing else to do in the restaurant.

Jenga!

Kyu has the best poses.

Next day …

With Zhenzino at Kevin’s place.

Zhen says Julien looks like he’s getting punched in this photo.

Anyway, I am tired like hell. Woke up early this morning to go to Pudong for a tutoring job interview. I need to make money!! The interview went okay; I just hope I get some students soon. Other than that, it’s been a slow day. Had dinner with Brendan, Kyu, Shan Dai and Zhen then visited Brendan’s place to chill. Came back to the “uni” to watch an episode of South Park & Ricky Gervais and then chilled out with the hallmates for a while.

Currently obsessed with Stereophonics – Have a Nice Day.

Okay, I’m out. PEACE!

Unstress

I’ve been so wound up lately; I apologize to my friends if my bitterness or stress have been rubbing off. I will learn how to be better cope (or deflect) conflict and tension.

Anyway, today was a million times better than yesterday. Studied for a bit with Zhen at Costa Coffee then came back and napped. Woke up to homework and then met my second Chinese friend, 丁砚. She is so cool (she brought me cake and it was my first time meeting her!) and has already told me that she’ll help me buy Nine West shoes for cheap. Love her! All the Chinese people who’ve befriended me so far are so polite and respectful. I feel really fortunate to have met such warm people so far. : ) Chatted with the neighbors, finished my homework, and chatted with Ken online! How I miss my PAK … you guys are amazing! I think Ken and I will have a live phone conversation soon which makes me happy … it’s been over 1.5 months since we’ve talked!

Nothing else exciting going on. New goal: finishing all my homework by 6 pm. I can’t study at night with people constantly coming in and out of my room.

ps. I need to 减肥！Freak!

I hate drama.

刚刚遇到一件问题。现在心里很伤心。I absolutely hate dealing with this stuff. I don’t know how people can be so hurtful with their words. I hope I never make others feel this way. : (

Moments like this make me pine for my drama-free friends from home. I miss you guys! Thanks for the encouraging words.

Happier note:

Have you seen Brian’s new music video? Such a great cover! Talent!!

Week 6/7: Wow, I’m losing track ….

Man, I feel sick. Went to 七浦路 today in attempt to buy a Halloween costume. I’m attempting to be a Parisian but I didn’t even buy my beret yet. I really hope I don’t ever have to go back to that hell hole. Way too many people, way too hot, way too many Shanghainese people trying to rip you off … my bargaining skills in Chinese are not up to par.

Well, there’s quite a bit to catch up on. This week I have been pretty good with studying, but this weekend was a huge distraction because it was both Nat and Kyu’s birthdays. We celebrated with style (and soju) last night at an all you can eat/drink Japanese restaurant. I’m sure we are forever banned from that place. Haha. It was great fun and I think we all enjoyed each other’s company. Awesome memories. I love my hall!

With Kyu’s help, I’ve made my first Chinese local friend, 俊伟. He is so nice and friendly … definitely top 10 friendliest people I know. It’s great to be able to have dinner with him and Kyu because we actually have real Chinese conversations! He is also very patient with me and my broken Chinese. I’ve helped him revise his resume in English (yes, I am still editing resumes even in China!). Yes, the beginnings of a new friendship. I am also having dinner with another Taiwanese friend tomorrow so hopefully I can practice more of my Chinese. Oh, I also use Chinese to chat with these two guys on MSN!

Pictures to catch up on:

(Last weekend)

Kyu rinsing mint leaves for our mojito party.

Mojito partay in Zhen’s room.

Kyu wearing Elodie’s size 24 pants. Freaking RIDICULOUS. He also can wear my tight skinny jeans and it’s still baggy on him. Insane!

(This weekend)

Crazy boys in my room. Always in my room.

Josh, Nat (Bday boy), Olia, Julien, Nicolas, Shan Dai, and Zhen at the AYCE Japanese restaurant.

Serena, Gloria, Elodie, Sabine, Johanna

美国！With Kevin and Brendan

Bday Boi #2 with Elodie, Sabine, and Josh

with my favorite ABC. Brendan, you tank.

Awesome group pic.

Another great pic. Zhen claims he took this but the credit actually belongs to me.

Weekend definitely belonged to Kyu and Nat. KYU, you are the best! Definitely my Shanghai BFF. : )

poetry. soon. i promise!

it is comiing …

so much going on in such a short span of time. must. sort. out. thoughts. feelings. dreams.

it’s coming.

Week 5: Qingdao!

Just came back from my first vacation in China since I’ve been here. Needless to say, it was five days full of adventures, from arriving at the horrid hostel listed in Lonely Planet (Never trusting guidebook accommodation recommendations ever again. Word of advice: make reservations at several hotels in China) to celebrating Zhen’s 23rd birthday … on the street with bottles of 青岛, ice cream, and BBQ sticks in hand. Eight of us (Julien, Zhen, Sabina, Nina, Nat, Josh, Miro, and I) went to 青岛 to celebrate the National Holiday and Mid-Autumn Festival from Oct. 4 through the 8th. Qingdao is about halfway between Beijing and Shanghai so it was just far away enough to make it feel like a real vacation. Then again, any getaway with the right people always feels like a vacation.

Without further ado, photos!

Day 1: Hostel Nightmare

We arrived at Qingdao around midnight and tried to check into this hostel that we found in Lonely Planet. Let’s just say the rooms were comparable to the huts I “attempted” to sleep in while vacationing in Inner Mongolia. It was pretty disgusting … but you get what you pay for, and for 30 元 that’s not a lot. Julien and I had to walk around for about 45 minutes until we were able to find a free room in a hotel. We managed to squeeze in four people to the room, but poor Nat, Josh, Zhen and Miro had to stay at the haunted hostel. Zhen was having none of it and wanted to stay out all night. As a result, we had a walking tour of the old city in the wee hours of the morning.

Secret lovers

Day 2: Beach!

Day 2 started off much better, with breakfast in a nice cafe in the new city, then a full day of sunbathing at Shi Lao Ren beach. Then, a wonderful seafood Shandong dinner!

石老人 Beach

The crew eating Shandong cuisine. Fresh seafood! Delish!

Day 3: Old City (aka Sabina’s 2nd home)

At our new hostel … the Old Observatory. The staff and food were quite BOMB.

TIC!

Old City.

Sabine and Miro.

Attempting to be European. Like my tan?

The bay … a 20 minute walk from our hostel.

Love this picture of me and Sabine.

BBQ sticks!

Day 4: Happy Bday Zhen! (Mountains and more!)

The crew at 崂山

By the sea.

Artistic picture of the birthday boy.

Awesome night … by 9 pm. Haha.

Day 5: Exploration

“Farmer’s market”

Some modern architecture.

And some old ones.

I am becoming more and more Chinese by day! All the locals are starting to assume that I’m Chinese (not so much because of my speaking ability, but because of the way I dress, act, and walk. Yes, my manners are slowly dissolving). They get so frustrated at me when I can’t understand them! It’s not my fault … : (

I told this to Mom and she couldn’t stop laughing.

Anyway, I just spent an hour blogging instead of studying. You better appreciate! Class tomorrow. Hope you are all well!