Shout out...

I was talking about this "shout out" with my mom and sister on skype... until the call dropped. I would NEVER complain about skype... the fact that I can VIDEO CALL friends and family is endlessly fascinating, mind blowing, comforting, and entertaining all at the same time. I'm not complaining. However, it is frustrating when the robotic voices start or you can't hear the other person at all... that's all I have to say about that.

SHOUT OUT... as several people have blogged about packing topics here is mine:

Before I left, my concerned family was helping me prepare for my trip. They were helping me think of every last thing that I might need. The items below are things that I would not have packed had a) someone not bought it for me, b) physically took me to the store to purchase it, or c) inform me that I would need it.

1. EARPLUGS! Aunt Nancy - bless her for sleeping in the same bed as my Uncle Jim who can SAW SOME LOGS recommended this. This was really really clutch. I'm not sure I'll sleep without them even when I get back.

2. Rain jacket! Being monsoon season... I would have been a fool not to have had one. Thank god my mom took me to go get one when I was about to blow it off.

3. TRAVEL BOOKS! My sister took me to pick them out and even bought them for me! Many restaurants, fun things, and even art history lessons for my project have come from those books!!!!!

4. EmergenC and other meds... Rach saved the day here too. Encouraging me to get more than I would have! Fortunately, (knock on wood) I have not needed to take any meds since I have been here, but I've had them to share with those who have needed them!

5. My flip cam and flip charger!!!! Even though I haven't been able to load my videos this summer.... I will have them for when I get back!

I know there are more... but these are the MVP items that I am constantly thinking... MAN - I sure am glad I have these!!!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!

Today is my Grandpa's 90th Birthday!

My mom sent me this pic from the Neighborhood Fourth of July Parade!

Grandpa and Maizi are rockin' it out in their 90's... if we all can only be as lucky!

I have another blog in me. However, it is not in a place where I can tap into it right now. My 6am bed time after SPAIN CONQUERED THE WORLD CUP... has tonight's bed time setting in much earlier than usual! Lindsey, Graham, and Craig (Lindsey's brother) were in town this weekend. Not to brag... but I'll say one thing... WE CONQUERED SHANGHAI! I absolutely loved having them here!!!

To be continued...

Being Resourceful...

One of the things I love most about Chinese people is how resourceful they are! In part, their resourcefulness is reflected in their wide variety of foods they eat. Some would call it crazy or gross, but we’ll just call it a wide variety!


Some have said that in some regions they eat everything that flies, swims, and EVERYTHING in between. Another saying is that they eat everything that has legs, except tables and chairs! AYE!

Other than food, their use of bamboo constantly amazes me! Scaffolding, mean street-sweeping-machines (bamboo brooms), my house shoes, side dishes, table decorations, and on and on and on… bamboo is everywhere. I kind of feel like bamboo is China’s duck tape!















And waste management… Scotty here you go! China is all over it. There are people hauling (not brush like Dad, Jim and Gpa!) cardboard, random construction materials, styrofoam (you knew that one was coming), and anything else you can imagine and doing something with it! I have no idea where most of it goes, but it seems as though, everything will have a place and be reused if it can be!

Last week, I happened upon a waste sorting area! I was dropped off by my taxi a little premature while in route to an art gallery. I was supposed to meet some people so I thought that if I just stayed put, they would find me! I ended up having a “conversation” with this man sorting the trash. He was speaking Chinese, I was speaking English. Both of us were gesturing, talking rather loudly, and laughing (mostly) for about five minutes; I have no idea what we actually said to each other. It didn’t really matter.


Luckily the people I was meeting found me and we were on our way! Oh China.

Shreveport or Shanghai?

I thought Dean Hemphill was moving to Shreveport...

Distractions are my FORTE!

I single handedly derailed progress this afternoon. I was obsessed with the cement pouring in the area around the gallery this morning. I don’t know why, but wet pavement is like a magnetic force drawing me in without escape! I jokingly (but secretly very seriously) mentioned how much fun it would be to write our names in the sidewalk or break some of our ceramic pieces and make a mosaic at the gallery entrance!

Before I knew it… We were ALL outside… Best. Day. Ever.

Mosaics... will take place tomorrow! The ceramic pieces are staged and ready!

CATCH UP TIME

My blogging has been abysmal lately. At BEST! I’m sure most people have given up on the blog at this point, but I plan to do my best to give the “cliff’s” of my last couple weeks, and once again… make aspirations to do better!

In the other times that I have been away, specifically, Spain or in Washington at Holden, (a retreat center – not a cult like Rachel and Jessie like to claim that it was! :)) I went through the same sort of phase that I went through over these last couple of weeks. During the middle point, I unintentionally, semi-lost communication with people outside of what I was doing. The lack of communication was merely a byproduct of my general mood and questioning of everything going on around me.

I still do not fully understand the culture (desperately want to, but that can’t happen in 10 weeks, let’s be real.) I see things and want to ask people questions; I can’t. Many of the things that were crazy-shiney-new the first few weeks have lost their sheen. I question if I’ve been as efficient with my time as I could have been. I hope my project will turn out great. I wonder what it is exactly that I’m learning or have already learned.

I know… the true “ah-ha” moments will come later on down the road (BUT I WANT THEM NOW!) at a least expectant-moment, when I think – YES! China! That is where I came to realize… At least this is the way my major life experiences have been thus far. As I’m moving through this crazy Chinese woked experience – it’s hard to discern the full impact of what I’m moving through.

What I DO KNOW is that a lot has happened since I have last blogged! In the spirit of my fellow Rebecca who I will be living with NEXT MONTH – I am making a list.

1) Dinner with Dr. Singhal’s friend – Arthur Wang. (note: read Mircha’s blog for a more detailed account!) It was a fantastic evening filled with great advice, genuine conversation, new friendships, new project opportunities, tequila (oh… my…), and TEXAS BBQ!!! For me, the new project opportunity happened when Arthur said, “Don’t plan for an event; HOST AN EVENT! I can make this happen. NEXT WEEK!” (That will be a whole blog post…)

2) More AWESOME GALLERIES! The translator from Yale ended up helping me out a lot and was lots of fun to hang out with!

3) Trenia and I have started CHINESE LESSONS!

4) A concert by Abigail Washburn, Belafleck’s wife!

5) DIRTY, yet delicious crawfish! AH!

6) Chinese Kareoke! SO. MUCH. FUN. Every party has a private room and controls the play list. I must admit that the random singers were missed, but this type of karaoke was super fun.

7) 4th of July! Apart from having NO FIRWORKS show, parade, neighborhood yard volleyball, or lake time… we managed to have a great time. We went to a bar where there were lots of Americans (and SOUTHERNERS!) who enjoyed American music, a pie-eating contest, and a beer drinking contest. (Fortunately, I did not participate!) Hallie… we did meet some AWESOME people from Vanderbilt!

8) The clothes from the fabric market are FABULOUS! Trenia and I are stoked about everything that was made.

9) Loads and loads of random encounters with people, new foods, new friends, and more to come…

If I slack and you are missing my blog, shot me an email and harass me about it; that tends to get me in gear! :)

GRAFFITI ARTIST!

Dr. Standerfer! What are you doing?!

WOOOHOOO!