These last couple days have been long and boring. I have somehow caught a stomach bug that won't seem to go away and haven't been feeling too good lately. I actually haven't left the house in two days now, and here, in my nice modern apartment, it's easy to forget that I'm still in China. I've had to miss the last two days of classes, which I hate doing, and I'm starting to go a little bit crazy. I don't want to leave the house for fear of being too far away from a clean toilet (which is hard to come by in this part of the world).
So, I've done what anyone else in my position would do...watch hours of tv shows. I have finished an entire 4 seasons of The Office (and caught up on the new ones online), and endless hours of Weeds. Both awesome shows. Both remind me of my year in Portland with Karl. Both bring back memories of things that sometimes make me sad to think about.
Now I'm listening to old music and contemplating what to do with the remaining 11 hours of my day. Studying Chinese would be too smart, going outside would be too risky, and watching more tv is going to make me lose my mind. Hmmm...tough choices.
I know sickness is a part of traveling and being away from home, but it's a part I'm usually pretty good at avoiding, and one that really brings down my mood.
Another frustrating thing right now is my impending trip in May. In a couple days it'll be April, and although in China time May is very far away, my American brain tells me that I need to figure out what country I am going to and what I am going to do there. Part of me has been planning a Japan trip, but the budget-conscious side of me says its too expensive (because of all the travel plans I have after my contract is up). So, I may just stay in China and travel to a couple different cities. Who knows. Just thinking about it is making me want to run to the bathroom...
In other news, we're having taco night at our apartment this evening. I will be having bread and butter night, topped with a tall glass of water. Yum. At least I have that to look forward to.
Anyway, don't mistake this post for "Lindsey's having a horrible time in China," (especially you -- Mom and Dad), it's just that not all experiences are happy ones. I am doing fine, and eventually this bug will leave my stomach and move on to better places -- like my bedroom. Actually, maybe that's where it started. Maybe I actually swallowed it when I was sleeping in there the other night (which I only do maybe once every two weeks now). Hmm...
Ok, well I got some Pepto Bismol, a hot shower, a cold toilet, and a good book to read waiting for me. Catch you all later.
Much love.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Thoughts.
Life in China has been speeding by at a pace I have never known before. I am almost halfway through my 6 month internship, and I have to start thinking about what I am going to do next. I would rather not think about it and just let it happen, but I know that some type of planning is necessary. I feel like there are too many choices and decisions to make, and too little money to do it all.
Due to other ideas and invitations, I am not so sure that I will still be going to either Mongolia or Japan in May. I might just travel further south by train in China, and try to save some money for later endeavors. These endeavors will be mentioned at a later time, as I am tired of getting excited about an idea just to have it thrown away. Who knows…
Anyway, things have been great here lately, as usual, but a tad bit confusing (for reasons that are beyond my ability to explain).
Last weekend all of us got together and had a stupid t-shirt party, where we all wore typical Chinese shirts that were either really funny or didn’t make any sense (this is called “Chinglish” and can be found all around China). It was a great time, and a good souvenir for home.
My shirt, which is a bunch of random English words that don't make any sense and are spelled wrong.
Mollie and I
Chelsey and Mollie -- the most awesome roommates ever.
So the weather here in Shenyang is starting to warm up, and it finally seems like a season other than winter is actually possible in this part of China. However, a student of mine told me yesterday that spring here is super windy and dirty, and that summer is just too hot. Maybe winter will be missed after all, we'll just have to wait and see. I am looking forward to a change in weather though, and being able to go outside without wearing layers of clothing.
In other news, a new teacher is supposed to be arriving today, and I know that we are all very excited to meet him. In just 3 short months we will all be leaving and more teachers will be coming to take our place. I am not ready for this to happen yet...I am happy here and don't want to leave.
China has forced me to think aout things much differently than I do back in America, and the challenge is welcome and refreshing. No matter where I end up next, I'm sure I'll feel the same way.
For now, I hope everyone is doing good, and I miss you all.
Love you.
Due to other ideas and invitations, I am not so sure that I will still be going to either Mongolia or Japan in May. I might just travel further south by train in China, and try to save some money for later endeavors. These endeavors will be mentioned at a later time, as I am tired of getting excited about an idea just to have it thrown away. Who knows…
Anyway, things have been great here lately, as usual, but a tad bit confusing (for reasons that are beyond my ability to explain).
Last weekend all of us got together and had a stupid t-shirt party, where we all wore typical Chinese shirts that were either really funny or didn’t make any sense (this is called “Chinglish” and can be found all around China). It was a great time, and a good souvenir for home.
My shirt, which is a bunch of random English words that don't make any sense and are spelled wrong.
Mollie and I
Chelsey and Mollie -- the most awesome roommates ever.
So the weather here in Shenyang is starting to warm up, and it finally seems like a season other than winter is actually possible in this part of China. However, a student of mine told me yesterday that spring here is super windy and dirty, and that summer is just too hot. Maybe winter will be missed after all, we'll just have to wait and see. I am looking forward to a change in weather though, and being able to go outside without wearing layers of clothing.
In other news, a new teacher is supposed to be arriving today, and I know that we are all very excited to meet him. In just 3 short months we will all be leaving and more teachers will be coming to take our place. I am not ready for this to happen yet...I am happy here and don't want to leave.
China has forced me to think aout things much differently than I do back in America, and the challenge is welcome and refreshing. No matter where I end up next, I'm sure I'll feel the same way.
For now, I hope everyone is doing good, and I miss you all.
Love you.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Oh, China
As I lay in my bed (and by bed, I mean the couch in the living room, since bugs have overtaken the ceiling of my room and won’t seem to go away), overcome by an overwhelming lack of sleep, I can't help but think that my iPod has a mind of its own. After selecting a few favorite songs to try to lull me to sleep, I put it on shuffle so I don’t have to think about it anymore. One by one, I am transported back to the past, each song reminding me of a different time in my life. Feeding the gibbons in California…walking through the crowded streets of Barcelona…hopping on a plane to Paris with Fife…long, lonely plane rides, a wonderful year in Portland with Karl…family time with my parents…singing along with my sister…
The list goes on. The memories go on.
I know that a year from now, a lot of these songs will remind me of my time in China. I love that a song can do that.
It has been a while since I last updated, and there’s no reason as to why, really. The internet in our apartment is shaky again, but I guess that’s a bad excuse. It’s almost the middle of March already, and I know I’ve said it before, but I can’t believe how quickly time is flying by.
Things have been good here.
We had a pancake breakfast for all the teachers at our school, which turned out quite well. The Chinese teachers weren’t as thrilled about the maple syrup as all the Americans were, but it was nice for us to get a taste of home without having to spend a lot of money (imported American food is very expensive here).
My Chinese classes are continuing to propel me forward in my goal to become as fluent as possible in the next two years (a goal which I have recently set for myself). My teachers are awesome, and I couldn’t ask for a better learning experience. A couple of days ago my classmates and I talked our teacher into taking us on a mini field trip to a bookstore that we had never been to before. Turned out to be a good time and a nice break from the classroom that we are becoming so accustomed to.
I have recently found out what trying to plan an international trip in China is like. My friend Alex and I went to a couple travel agencies’ yesterday to see what kind of help we could get in planning a trip to Mongolia – and got responses like, “Mongolia? What? Why?”
Turns out, nobody goes to Mongolia. According to the travel agency, it’s too cold in Mongolia (uhh, haven’t they ever heard of spring/summer?), and it’s best for me just to stay in China. So, although I am still pursuing this plan, I have now started to think about other choices for my week and a half long trip in May. This is China – I have to keep my options open and be flexible.
So, the new idea is Japan. Supposedly, there is a ferry that runs from a city in China called Qingdao to a port city in Japan…it takes around 29 hours, and costs less than $350. Alex has friends there, so this might be a good option. There is still a lot of planning and figuring out to do, as we would need to arrange transportation down to Qingdao (right now the idea is to fly from Shenyang on the way, and take a train on the way back). Either way, I hope to get some kind of rough itinerary planned in the next couple of weeks…planning a trip is so exciting!
I have been thinking a lot about how I will spend the months between the end of June (when my contract here is up) and the middle of November (when I promised my family I’d be home). I have a rough idea in my head, but things can change so quickly, I don’t want to limit myself too much.
I have finally managed to get my pictures off of my memory card and onto a CD, and am hoping to post them this week (I know I’ve said that before, but now it actually seems possible). I’ll send the link when it’s ready. (For now, enjoy a few pictures below!)
In other news, I have realized in the last week just how tough a long distance relationship is to maintain. I have also realized that I am not very good at it. It’s been a roller coaster week of emotions, but in the end, I know it’ll all work out as it should. For now, I hope everyone is doing well back home, and I miss you all. I know sometimes it’s hard to keep in touch and I may not always answer emails in a timely manner, but my thoughts are always there.
Meg – I can’t wait till you are safely home…and when you are, I’ll call you and we can catch up. Miss you.
Chris – You’re crazy, and I miss our daily talks.
Love you all.
Because it's fun to buy fireworks in China.
The puppy -- my true love.
I miss her.
The pancake breakfast.
Some students at Langston
Mollie, Veronica (our Chinese teacher), and me.
Our little field trip -- I'm eating, as usual.
The list goes on. The memories go on.
I know that a year from now, a lot of these songs will remind me of my time in China. I love that a song can do that.
It has been a while since I last updated, and there’s no reason as to why, really. The internet in our apartment is shaky again, but I guess that’s a bad excuse. It’s almost the middle of March already, and I know I’ve said it before, but I can’t believe how quickly time is flying by.
Things have been good here.
We had a pancake breakfast for all the teachers at our school, which turned out quite well. The Chinese teachers weren’t as thrilled about the maple syrup as all the Americans were, but it was nice for us to get a taste of home without having to spend a lot of money (imported American food is very expensive here).
My Chinese classes are continuing to propel me forward in my goal to become as fluent as possible in the next two years (a goal which I have recently set for myself). My teachers are awesome, and I couldn’t ask for a better learning experience. A couple of days ago my classmates and I talked our teacher into taking us on a mini field trip to a bookstore that we had never been to before. Turned out to be a good time and a nice break from the classroom that we are becoming so accustomed to.
I have recently found out what trying to plan an international trip in China is like. My friend Alex and I went to a couple travel agencies’ yesterday to see what kind of help we could get in planning a trip to Mongolia – and got responses like, “Mongolia? What? Why?”
Turns out, nobody goes to Mongolia. According to the travel agency, it’s too cold in Mongolia (uhh, haven’t they ever heard of spring/summer?), and it’s best for me just to stay in China. So, although I am still pursuing this plan, I have now started to think about other choices for my week and a half long trip in May. This is China – I have to keep my options open and be flexible.
So, the new idea is Japan. Supposedly, there is a ferry that runs from a city in China called Qingdao to a port city in Japan…it takes around 29 hours, and costs less than $350. Alex has friends there, so this might be a good option. There is still a lot of planning and figuring out to do, as we would need to arrange transportation down to Qingdao (right now the idea is to fly from Shenyang on the way, and take a train on the way back). Either way, I hope to get some kind of rough itinerary planned in the next couple of weeks…planning a trip is so exciting!
I have been thinking a lot about how I will spend the months between the end of June (when my contract here is up) and the middle of November (when I promised my family I’d be home). I have a rough idea in my head, but things can change so quickly, I don’t want to limit myself too much.
I have finally managed to get my pictures off of my memory card and onto a CD, and am hoping to post them this week (I know I’ve said that before, but now it actually seems possible). I’ll send the link when it’s ready. (For now, enjoy a few pictures below!)
In other news, I have realized in the last week just how tough a long distance relationship is to maintain. I have also realized that I am not very good at it. It’s been a roller coaster week of emotions, but in the end, I know it’ll all work out as it should. For now, I hope everyone is doing well back home, and I miss you all. I know sometimes it’s hard to keep in touch and I may not always answer emails in a timely manner, but my thoughts are always there.
Meg – I can’t wait till you are safely home…and when you are, I’ll call you and we can catch up. Miss you.
Chris – You’re crazy, and I miss our daily talks.
Love you all.
Because it's fun to buy fireworks in China.
The puppy -- my true love.
I miss her.
The pancake breakfast.
Some students at Langston
Mollie, Veronica (our Chinese teacher), and me.
Our little field trip -- I'm eating, as usual.
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