It's been a rough few days for Mike & I & everyone here in our China life :(

Maybe I'll sit and ponder...then type it all down. Or just keep it simple and say I love China very much, but home can't come soon enough.

I haven't written back to Cindy...I haven't sent out packages and cards for my grammy, my aunties, my friends, my SJB/KE kids :( my life feels very out of my control.

Yesterday was the single most stressful day of my time here in China, but it was a bit of a relief because what has been building for weeks & months finally came to a head. But, I felt like I had developed an ulcer instantly from everything that happened yesterday. I know this is cryptic, and probably very frustrating to anyone reading this, but I need to get some of this out :S

Not everything has been so negative the last few weeks...there was a hysterical moment along the way. Mike & Darryl dragged me out for a break. They took me golf club shopping at the silk market. The guy led us across the street, up to an apartment where he stores all his extra golf bags & clubs. Darryl, Mike & I were crammed into this tiny apartment with the golf guy, his cousin (who lives in the apartment) and dozens of bags. Maybe five minutes into Darryl & Mike searching for the perfect bag, the golf guy drops one on my head... I saw stars! I shrugged it off like it didn't hurt...but man, it really did! I'm happy I stayed standing, or it would've been a nosedive into the golf bag collection, lol!

Then, a few days ago, we had a pizza party at the Canadian Club at our school. Last year we had one where we invited all the Chinese Teachers of English to come and be our guests. This year, we did the same thing...and for the most part people helped out, but a lot of work for it fell to me. Being the Administrative Assistant isn't all just sitting and typing. Planning a dinner party for 30 people is not easy. Chasing people for their money nearly killed me. Then people just started inviting whoever they wanted, not realizing that I didn't have an enormous unlimited budget to work with (I wish I had!)...grrrr

Just like last year, I have some nicknames for my co-workers (but only Mike hears them):

Mr. "Windbag" - likes to hear himself speak ...all...the...time
Mr. "Tuesday Nights with Starbucks" - self-explanatory
Li'l Miss "Tag Along" - she won't go anywhere on her own (but she's funny, I like her)
Li'l Miss "Drama Queen, version 2.0" - the original left, phew relief, but was replaced with a new and even more dramatic one, arggghhhhh!
Li'l Miss "Mini Me" - she's Li'l Miss "Drama Queen" in training if things continue...
Li'l Miss "Barbie" - she is like a human Barbie doll, down to the fake eyelashes (she's cool too)
Li'l Miss "I have a question..." - every single sentence she has ever spoken to me has begun with those four words, lol
Mr. "Saskie" - he's from Saskatchewan, one of the friendliest people I've ever met
Mr. "Snort" - he snorts when he laughs about anything, which is all the time :S
Mr. "You Go Girl" - his favorite line to say to me

...the other teachers haven't earned their nicknames yet...but they will. It's inevitable!

After yesterday's craptacular events, today was a wonderful experience. Mike & I drove our bikes to Tongzhou, and we left just as the first snow of the season fell. It was a cold and calm... fluffy, delicate flakes fell around us as we walked our bikes to the gate. I needed that little pick-me-up.

The bike ride was fun, mucky (my backside ended up splattered with mud!) & productive (we bought 2 webcams, 2 microphones, milk, juice and got fenders & a kickstand installed on Mike's bike).

Oh...We've reserved our tickets for the Spring Festival holiday. We'll be back in New Brunswick on January 27th, and we'll be home until February 23rd (unless something happens between now and then). Home...hopefully there will be tons of snow for cross-country skiing while we're there. But really, I'd like hugs from everybody I love, I miss them most of all.

Sleep is all I want. That's it. That's all I need to make me happy these days. But can I have it? Nope.

I would go to sleep at night and just dream repeat my days, like I had never actually left work. I would wake up with bags down to my nose! And no hot water most mornings just made me cry before work, blah! What a way to start the day!

The lack of quality sleep finally caught up to me and I got really sick, so I ended up at the Vista Clinic in Beijing on Friday morning. But, a funny thing happened on the way there...

Since going to the clinic wasn't me doing work, I had to make a pitstop at the O'mart for office supplies to cover my absence from school. I know, I know...I was sick, but oh well. Anyway, I get to the O'mart and the doors are open, but no power. Hmmm. A woman meets me with a flashlight, notices that I have their catalogue in my hands and drags me in. In the dark. So, we're in there and two more people meet up with us, one with another flashlight and a clipboard, and the other with a cart. The three of them dragged me all over the O'mart in pitch black to do my office shopping. lol! Business continues in China no matter what!

After re-adjusting to the bright outside world, I hopped back in Driver LI's taxi and headed to the clinic. The doctor there thinks that I have too much anxiety from work, so she gave me anti-anxiety stuff and sleep medication. Now I'll be so doped up I won't dream, great :) And she wants me to reduce my workload. But that's practically impossible. My workload will lighten when I leave China, lol!

Last night, I took the medication the doctor gave me...8pm and I was out, lol...and I didn't wake up until 8am. Felt nice to sleep and feel nothing. But then I was off to IKEA for Christmas shopping for the office...rest is really a luxury I can't afford.

My mom's kitty got very sick recently and had to be put to sleep :(

When I was back in Canada over the summer, I spent some time at Mom's place and I took a bunch of pictures of Triller. She's happy to have them, and I'm happy I took them.

Triller was an odd cat...he attacked my ankles when I visited my mom (she thought he was jealous), made strange noises instead of meowing (this explains his name) , and was moody most of the time...but he was cool. I'll miss him and I'm sad for my mom. They were buddies :(

Click here for Triller's Memorial Photo Set

Hey people :)

Free time is a luxury these days...I have been uploading photos to my Flickr site, but not writing anything here...I know, I know...I will try to be a better blogger, lol

This year, the teachers are a bunch of keeners that want to do everything, so most nights I've been running into Tongzhou & BJ for different events, etc. Also, the school has been sending me on field trips & to fancy dinners. I'm getting tired of this jet-set lifestyle, *grin*!

I have packages & postcards waiting to be sent, hope to have time today & tomorrow to get to the post office. Today I'm going shopping with Angela for some desperately needed winter clothes (brrrrr!) and tomorrow is a teacher fun day. We're going go-karting! I have to learn to say no...um, maybe?

Actually, I'm having a lot of fun just being here this time. Yes it's busy, but it's a really fun busy, lol! I think I took life too seriously last year. Since this is my last year in China, I'm going to live more in the moment instead of watching the moments pass me by. Sometimes I get down when I think of leaving this place for good, but I also wonder if I stayed here for longer would I love it just as much? Better to have a little magic window of living in China than many years of China day-in day-out?...

I think the China I experienced in 2003 is partly gone, the China of 2006 will soon be headed that way too. It will be like another new experience if I do return in the future. And this, for me, is the major difference between Canada & China. In Canada, I wake up to the same place as the day before, and it's like a security blanket. Makes you feel warm & safe. In China, I wake up to a roller coaster existence. It's really cool to be on and gives your heart a lift, but you can't stay on forever. Yet, you return again & again...