In Doodle News
Doodle is still peeing/shitting in the house, but she's growing bigger and more loyal everyday, which is a cause for celebration and an increase in my tolerance for its naughty behavior. Doodle can sit, respond to her name, and follow us without a leash. We had a bit of a scare when she shat out some tapeworms. We saw our vet the next day, got her some medicine, and she proceded to excrete a ~9 inch tapeworm which was both awesome and disgusting. We have pictures, if anyone doubts the veracity of my claims regarding its size. Aside from poop pictures though, we have lots of other (read: cuter) pictures we'll be sharing with everyone soon.
In Work News
Work is good. Easy. I'm working at the new center on New Hope Road, while Eunice continues to work at the main center closer to the center of the city. The atmosphere in and around the new center is highly preferable to that of the main center. It's quieter, smaller, cleaner, has a great cold-noodle stand next to the building where I get my daily dose of MSG, and the staff is a bit more tightly-knit than the staff at the main center. Unfortunately, Eunice is stuck working at the main center (which, of course, has its own advantages) so we're working apart 4 out of the 5 days.
Yesterday was the monthly "ECA" (extra-curricular activity) which is a little get together for students and teachers where stories are told, plays are performed, games are played, and prizes are distributed. This month's ECA was focused on the Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival, which is chiefly celebrated by the exchanging and devouring of moon cakes. Moon cakes are heavy, circular, palm-sized cakes which can be filled with an assortment of ingredients; everything from peanuts to chicken to egg yolks to tiramisu can be found lurking beneath the outer layer. I've been extremely cautious in my consumption of moon cakes fter my first encounter with a salty, chicken-filled moon cake.
After the ECA the teachers all went out to a a buffet together to celebrate Teacher's Day, the other holiday du jour. It was the second day in a row we went out with some of our fellow teachers (both Chinese and foreign) and it was great to do something outside of work with our co-workers. When we first got to WEB, it seemed like the foreign and Chinese teachers were completely independent entities, some hardly even acknowledging each other as they passed in the hallways. It's nice to get a little more familiar with everyone.
In Revelations News
Okay, first, Chinese bureaucracy is fast. Painless. Efficient. At least what Eunice and I have dealt with. When somebody described to us the procedure for extending our tourist visa a month (deal with local police, go to a place called the "PSB" and speak with officials), it sounded like our experience would be characterized by long lines and misunderstanding paper-pushers. We got neither. Each of those visits lasted about 20 minutes each. All I could say was "Booya!"
Secondly, trying to pay for meals and booze is not going to be easy here. Getting treated is nice, but I'm reminded of feelings I had when Eunice and I stayed at Guo and Niu's home where I so desperately wanted to pitch in more than I was allowed. I'm going to have to start getting creative in how I pay people back. Suggestions are welcome.
Thirdly, The-Dream is an absolutely incredible R&B artist. Nobody sings about sex quite like him. Or quite as much as him (think pretty much every song). I've never heard someone sing about the same topic and make each song sound fresher and, dare I say, sexier than the last. And nobody has ever made me feel like I "ain't hittin' it right" (the refrain from "Veteran" off of album Love King. You can probably guess he's not talking about war veterans...). That I'm just now realizing The-Dream's greatness is shocking. I've been a huge fan of his "Falsetto" (as in: "talkin' all dat shit, soon as I hit, I got her talkin' like this, in a falsetto") and appreciated his ability to make four-minute serenades to his own sexual prowess not only listenable, but ultra-on-repeat-able. But The-Dream is a sick producer and has effectively drawn me into the world of R&B. Please go to his website and listen to the Michael Jackson-evoking "Fuck My Brains Out."
Fourthly, the website thxthxthx is a cute, wonderful, and strangely thought provoking concept which I've recently stumbled upon. The premise to the website is the author hand writes a thank you note to an inanimate object everyday. These things range from her period to emotions to interactions she's had with people. It's extremely simple, but the idea of focusing on one good thing that happens to you every day and physically showing your appreciation for them is a disposition-altering practice. After discovering the site, on my walk to work I began to think about what small things I am thankful for, and thinking of things in such a light - as opposed to, say, focusing on all the things that I am annoyed or bugged by - really had an effect on my mood. I'm tempted to adopt the practice myself, and I recommend experimenting with it yourself. You'll be surprised at how many things there are. If that's too much work for you, go to her site and see how she does it. I'm also sort of attracted to the idea because, doing so much blackboard writing recently, I'm once again confronted by how awful my handwriting looks. Writing by hand everyday would be a nice way to combat the slow deterioration of that outdated-but-important skill.
And finally, life without a smartphone is simpler. I may not have a camera or mp3 player at all times, but that ain't the end of the world. So...
Dear Thief Who Stole My iPhone,
Thank you for ridding me of the crutch and distraction that my iPhone had become. I know your intention was not to bring me into a more intimate, personal, and appreciative relationship with the world around me, but your actions have helped me more than any self-control article on any website could. I hope you're enjoying the picture I took of that enormous crap I took one day. And Angry Birds.
Keep it safe,
Dan
No comments:
Post a Comment