Well today I hit it, my first year anniversary. I’ve officially been in China for 1 year.

As I reflect back on the year I can hardly believe it is already over. As a kid years seemed to crawl by at an unbearably slow rate, now they seem to fly by. As I look forward to another year in China I know this one will only go by faster.

I have my list of regrets and accomplishments. I hope to add to the accomplishments and reduce the regrets as my second year gets underway. I know I’ve made the goal before but this year I’m serious, I will not go home until I can carry on a fluent conversation in Chinese.

I always scoffed at those who lived in a country for more than six months without trying to learn the language. I have become the worst offender and am determined to change that this year. I can do it! I can no longer hide behind the excuse of settling in. With a full year under my belt the big surprises are gone. There is plenty of room for the little ones which will inevitably come but I can turn my focus to Chinese and the culture and way from day to day living.

I’d just like to say Thank You to my family for all they support they have given me over the year and continue to give. I could not be here without all your constant love, support and of course Skype calls.

I’m no longer the newbie! I’m officially a Sophomore!

Okay for the record I’m still alive I’ve just been trying hopelessly to get a handle on things these days. Oh how did I so eloquently say it to a friend the other day,

It seems as if everyone and their dog’s uncle’s neighbor’s pool boy has been conspiring against me. I don’t even think the gods on Olympus could justify the way my weeks been going.

Anyway long story short, the Internet has been down for four days at my place and it is only thanks to a friend I’m on tonight. So I promise when things get settled down I will post about my trip to Tibet.

I hope you are all doing well, and as usual I’d love an email or better yet a skype call!

Goodnight

Adam and Dantzelle have left Weifang. I am left alone at the school. My circle of Western friends has begun to shrink. Over the next month and a half that circle will continue to shrink. I cling to two rays of sunshine, I will always have Katie and Thomas across town and Kelly will join me in the Spring!

I can hardly believe it is already December, and half way through at that. I feel like I got here last month some days, others I feel the 3 months 2 weeks 5 days and 15hours. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to meet Adam and Dantzelle and all their help in adjusting to life in China. I think it safe and only honest to admit I couldn’t have adjusted so quickly without them. I will feel their absence but am grateful for their time.

Best of luck you two, with all your future travels. The memories we’ve shared will always be dear and thank goodness when all else fails I can call you when I need someone to understand life in China.

Well as long as it’s foggy its too warm to snow, right!? It has been a little foggy a few times but when I looked out the kitchen window this morning it felt like home.

Out my Kitchen window. The Cantina isn't even visible.

View from my Bedroom.

At least Christmas will have the same foggy feeling as home. I am learning my weather limits here. If I move somewhere cold again, knock on wood, I want to go dry cold. I think I would be able to handle that better. This damp cold just seeps into your bones and makes warming up a real chore.

I had to take a picture because I just didn’t think anyone would believe me. I saw this in the store the other day and just couldn’t get over it. When I saw the add I had to take a picture. I think it is pretty self explanatory.

I'm speechless. Okay not really but it's probably best if I keep my comments to myself.

So I can’t seem to shake the respiratory part of this flu, which is the reason for all the hype I’m guessing. Atleast the coughs change it up daily so no two days have been the same, seal, dry, green stuff, don’t know what stuff, etc.

One thing stays consistent, I’m dead. No other way to put it, I’m worse than a zombie, I have no idea what gets me out of the bed in the morning. I must look as bad as I feel, the look on Wendy’s face when she saw me this week would have scared me half to death if I wasn’t already there. What a way to greet a good friend fresh from her wedding. I tried to keep the conversation light but when you feel like me you really just wish the world would stop so you can crawl back under the covers and never come out.

So here’s the topper, four days past the fever and still feeling lethargic and now my Door Phone is on the blink. So for all those fortunate people who live in homes and not apartments. I live on the fourth floor with the door in a locked stairwell. In order to receive visitors they must buzz up and be let in. So what do you do when your phone doesn’t work,

I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!

 Option 1 – book it down 3 & 1/2 flights of stairs to see who it is only to be disappointed that it is yet another group of chatty students from Adam or Dantzelle’s classes wishing me a speedy recover, THANKS FOR THE JOG!! Oh did I mention the 3 & 1/2 flights you must now drag yourself up.

Option 2-  yell out the kitchen window and pray they know enough English to get the hint you are not coming down 3 & 1/2 flights of stairs just to see who it is, mind you the screen is locked so you can’t even lean out the window dangerously to get a peek before you shout.

or Option 3 which seems to be the option of  choice – ignore the broken phone altogether and leave the water guy standing at the door step with the elixir of life. Yes this third option is king until you need H2O.

Once I realized who it was I booked it down but too late, an irritated water boy had already left. I’m not going to lie if I student hadn’t been mopping the stairs I would have sat right there on the first step and cried myself to sleep! I explained the predicament to the student who thank goodness was Dantzelle’s student and she said she would watch for the water boy when he came back.  Back up the stairs I called James and explained the predicament and got the water resent.

My thirst will be quenched I have water. Wendy was kind enough at lunch to offer to grocery shop for me although was not able to find any herbal ginger teas for the congestions. So I guess it is Lemon and honey for the weekend.  One miracle I would like to thank my Heavenly Father for is that Wendy ran into the British Bonnie at the grocery store who helped her find Gatorade for me. So I won’t wash all my electrolytes away.

Okay quick update. What sick Murphy’s law states that when they send some one to look at a broken phone it decides to work? NOT FAIR. It has been on the blink for a few days and low and behold it decides to work just now!!!!!! I give up.

Great, I’m choking up just writing. I hate crying!!! I’d better make this quick I have to run to make up a class anyway. Honeymoon over. I’m tired, still not altogether feeling well, frustrated and lonely. It was bound to hit eventually. I think I did pretty well myself. It has been over a month. Ahh this blog has been helpful. Just writing makes my mood lighten and brings me closer to all of you. I could sure use a good hug from Mom though, nothing really beats that, wait sorry a hug from Dad, love you Mom, you know that.

I hope you all are doing well. Better run got to hang a load to dry before I head to class oh and grab something to eat, still keep forgetting that one since I’ve been sick. Wow, no one ever told me living on your own was so much work!! Maybe a husband doesn’t sound that bad? He is just there to do chores right.

I always forget how hard it hits. That is probably for the best if I remembered it would be harder to leave in the first place. But this too shall pass!

Adjusting to new money is always a little tricky. No offense to the American buck but it is just boring compared to the Monopoly Money most countries  use. China is no exception, bright colors and scenic landscapes grace the back of each bill. Like the Euro the denomination also determines the size which makes it easier for sorting.

The formal terms are Yuan for the bill and Jiao for the cents. The informal is Kuai and Mao. Interesting note they don’t have the equivelent in pennies here. The smallest amount is 1 jiao or 1/10 of a Yuan.

So this week I have learned a few valuable lessons as usual. The most important is what Single means in China. It has two meanings to be exact, if you are single you must be 1) Lonely and in need of constant visiting and 2) Underfeed and in need of food!

I really must take a look at that bio the school put up because I’m really beginning to feel that my marital status of SINGLE is somehow bolded, underlined with a flashing Vegas lights border. Every student in school seems to know I’m single and wants to take pity on me. Let me just set the record straight…I AM SINGLE, HAPPY AND DARN WELL PLAN TO STAY THAT WAY FOR A GOOD MANY YEARS!!!

As for the Chinese definition the friendly students here plan to rectify the two injustices caused by my single status. Not only do my students come and visit me more than my anti-social and hermit loving self likes, but all of Adam and Dantzelle’s students ring up to my room first and visit me before going to see their teachers. If I am not home they voice their concerns to Dantzelle asking if I am lonely. Again let me set the record straight, Skype has done wonders for those living abroad. I know, I probably spend more time online in a week here than I did in half a year back home.

As for the second definition, well I guess I should be thrilled to have people offer to cook for me, goodness knows I hate cooking for myself. I’ve had three students now offer to come cook dinner for me some time. Early this week Matinda had offered to cook dinner for me tonight which I had forgotten about. When she mentioned this to Dantzelle, Dantzelle jokingly asked why she didn’t cook dinner for her, mind you Matinda is her student not mine. Matinda replied she’s single you have Adam. So what makes Matinda’s single status any different from mine or any of the other SINGLE students who have offered to cook for me I’m still trying to figure out.

To top off the apparent food crisis,  this evening I invited a few students over to chat. [This was the first group of girls I've  invited over and not just agreed after they asked to come.] Anyway I told them in class I had a ton of pears to eat through and I hoped they would take some off my hands when they came over. I hope my face didn’t display the horror I felt when I say all the groceries they were lugging up the stairs to see me. There was enough fruit to feed the entire Chinese Army I think.

I love Bananas but really they go bad so quickly here.

 In class they had asked my favorite fruits and drinks but I just figured it was curiosity as our topic today was home and interiors. Nope, they took notes alright and then provided me with a year supply of fruit! Yes I know perishables are not the way to go for food storage. So here I was hoping to pan off fruit on them and they just restocked me with more options. Oh and to top it off, they rushed off to a night class before I could give them any pears! So I did the only thing I could think of and sent half down to Adam and Dantzelle.

 Oh the ins and outs of being single in China! 

When we were out to dinner tonight Matinda did ask if I was planning on getting a boyfriend soon. Maybe I’m wrong and maybe this is one of the reasons I’ve never had a boyfriend but I didn’t know you were suppose to PLAN on having a boyfriend. Whoops let me just go get my planner, humm do you think the second Thursday in November would be a good time to pencil one in?