it was my birthday yesterday.

happy belated birthday to me

people wanting New Years letters! Leave addresses here (as i left my address book in leeds) and any particular topic you'd like me to ramble about.

anyone who hasn't requested a new years letter is also very free to do so :)

i hope the festive season is treating everyone well

♥

This week: Confess anything. A secret, a fear, a passion, a dream, a buried hatred, or a hidden delight that only you know about.

When I feel that the confession’s contents constitute an ostensible "sin," I’ll hand out a penance. Kneel and be remorseful.

IP logging is off. You may post anonymously, if you like.

While you're at it, head over to the journal of jesus_h_biscuit and spit your venom at the assholes in your life via Rat Bastard Fridays

M-A

So, Tuesday last week my husband killed my car. Totaled it.

	Front view.
	Side view.

The problem is, the money we're getting for the car won't be enough to buy a new one. All we can hope for is a used one of the same model in halfway good condition.

I confess that thoughts of murder *have* intruded from time to time. That car was not only my mobility, it was my *tool*! I need it to go to conventions, to transport stuff, to do my job. Now it's dead. Killed. Smashed.

Is it very evil of me to wish to strangle my husband on the hood of my mangled Toyota? >.>

So we're looking for a used one. We'll see how that goes...

Options so far for after graduation:

- I am applying for the Critical Languages Scholarship to study Japanese in Japan, an 8-10 week program over the summer. It's run by the State Department and it's very competitive, but it would be a great experience. This is the first year they're doing it for Japanese (due to recent tensions with the new Japanese government).

- A field study is offered over the summer for a course I am taking next semester, Asian Ethnography, focusing on ethnic minorities in China. "A field study option is available for this course. This requires registering for ANTH 175.81 along with a one-credit research addition, ANTH 195.60.At the end of the spring semester, students enrolled in the ANTH 175.81 section will visit China between May 23rd and June 11th. The first several days in country will be spent in Beijing, attending discussion sessions and visiting cultural sites in the city. On Friday, May 29th we will arrive by train at Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province in Northwest China. We will then travel overland to the Tibetan pilgrimage town of Xiahe (Labrang) and continue by road through a grasslands area to the Tibetan towns of Langmusi and Songpan via Jiuzhaigou and Huang Long National Parks. This journey will finish on June 9th at Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, in Southwest China. The group will return to Beijing by air and students will depart for the USA on Friday, June 11th." !!!! HIKING TO TIBET? AWESOME. (But I'd really need to work on getting in shape next semester). Unfortunately the timing might conflict with the Critical Language Scholarship. Have to figure out whether to register for that. Etc etc etc. But eei!!

- I think I'm going to apply to teach English in Thailand for a year - probably through viaprograms.org, going to look into other places as well.

And then I'll be looking for possible jobs over winter break/next semester in case these things don't pan out.

And, of course, this is if finals don't kill me. The next few days are not going to be pretty. They're bad this semester. :(

Up to 40.353 words now. It's moving along quite nicely.

kaigou, you've corrupted me - I've actually started setting up an EXCEL table for my story... ^^ Not as precise as yours, and definitely just in the beginning stages, but... I've never done it before for one of my stories. :)

What a novel idea. :)

Isn't she lovely?

Friends for life! ^____^

*sigh*

I've been watching Disney all day - Hercules, Sleeping Beauty, Lilo and Stitch. I need to get a new copy of the Little Mermaid. After several hours of singing, twittering wildlife, I'm watching Married with Children to reset my brain.

I got one of my 5's back! I walked into my class yesterday morning and saw my Betty Boop!

( G3 and G5 pic! This is the kid that adopted an older outdoor cat over a store-shop kitty. )


She's joining us to finish off the term and then she'll be back for the new one! *glee* Now if Kitty, Angel and Jenny are telling the truth, they'll be joining in February!

And of course, there were stories. ^^

M: "How's your cat, Betty?"
Betty: "It's good, Mandy."
Hallen: "It? Is it a boy or cat?"
Betty: "It's not a boy or a girl."
M: *has a feeling she knows what she means* "Do you mean the doctor made it so your cat will never have babies?"
B: "Yes." *to Hallen* "But it used to be a boy."
M: *howls*

My class is three hours long, which means the kids do a LOT of work - talking, reading, writing, the whole shebang. Sometimes they get a little bored, so I bribe them with prizes and candy. I had candies from last week - expensive Cadbury's I bought from the import store (yes, I spoil my kids, so sue me).

M: "So what are some ways people can help each other?"
*crickets chirp*
M: "C'mon guys, I know it's been a long day. Anyone?"
Amy: *reluctantly* We can help someone with their homework if they don't know it."
M: "Good girl, thanks Amy! Anyone else?"
*more crickets*
M: *hauls out ye old bag o'sweets* "Remember these from last week? How do we help people?"
Tom: *throws hand in the air eagerly* "We can help people who don't have sweets - like me - and give them some!"

Sammy seems to know his status has changed. He insists on curling up on my arm while I'm typing, and he no longer runs from Ruthie. Now I have a little prince to go along with my little princess. ^_____^

I'm gonna make pasta with cheesey meat sauce and lots of parmesan, and then methinks it's time for some Wolverine. :D

Monday:

- took the subway to the train station (1 hour); took the train to Hangzhou (1 hour, 20 mins); took the bus from the station (40 mins); took taxi from bus stop (10 mins). Travel time - under 3 hours.

- all that to give a 1.5 hour workshop. But it was cool, because the trip was actually very good. The D-train was luxurious and comfy and I got my notes for the workshop done.

- retuned home by company van - took 4.5 hours. Should have taken the bus/train/subway combo. Will do so next time.

Tuesday:

- got up at 8:30. Cleaned entire apartment from top to bottom, washed all floors, bathroom SPOTLESS, kitchen... clean, but less spotless. Need to buy new stove top thingy - mine is not washing clean at ALL.

- my cupcake delivery from OMGBakery arrives! Organic, red velvet cupcakes with buttercream frosting. Yum. ^^ Must sample one to make sure they're okay, of course. I want these for my birthday, damn it. :D

- off to the office! Technically I'm off today, but it's Coordinator's Day. :D I have to give cupcakes to my two coordinators, Lucy and Chris (as a thank you for letting me run them ragged every day) plus I bought extra ones for the secretaries and the janitorial staff. Coordinators get gifts and thank you's from their teachers, but no one thinks of the other staff members who work just as hard. Cupcakes for everyone!

- Back home to get changed - it's the annual SCAA Christmas party! Officially from 7 to 10, I get there around 4:45 because I'm helping set up, but I don't actually get up to where the party is at the Grand Hyatt at the Jinmao Building (in liujiazui) until 5:15 because the Jingmao building is freaking HUGE and I promptly got lost. Thank god Emily (one of the directors) was entering around the same time and we spotted each other.

- Spent the whole night selling entry tickets and later on raffle tickets. Won a cat carrier and a decorative set of coasters with matching decorative bowls. Stayed until midnight helping to clean up and took home over a dozen leftover giftbags filled with goodies (will give them out as prizes to my Saturday kids). Collapsed just after 1am.

Had good time at the party. Carol Wolfson was back in town! It's always good to see her! She's one of the few people I think Ruthie would cheerfully leave me for. Also got to see some SCAA peoples I don't see very often - Flora, Yolanda, Stef, Sue, etc.

I can't always afford to go to SCAA shindigs - these events are geared towards expats who have far more spending cash than I do. I was there last night on Carol's dime, and so I did not mind one bit manning the ticket booths all night. It was the least I could do to help. I never forget the SCAA gave me Ruthie, and I can never adequately repay that.

It's different than it is with Sammy, who I am officially adopting. ^__^ Ruthie was one of the original SCAA dogs housed at Baoshan. When I adopted her formally, I barely had the basic adoption fee to give (which was 500). Leeanne let me give 300 instead. I have never forgotten that, and so I try to pay the SCAA back with voluntary manual labour. :D I figure I've paid it off a few times over, but since I can't afford to make the big donations all the time, the best way I can help is to be a packhorse.

Now I'm just relaxing this morning, until I have to go in this afternoon. Workshop week again - which means I won't get out of the office until after 8pm, which is why I'm not there right now. ^^ Hangzhou's workshop is a default 12 hour day due to the travel, but the others are NOT, thankfully. ^^

Did I mention I'm adopting Sammy? ^^



Jo's agreed to take him for the summer for me, and Mom? I'm gonna hold you to your promise of coming to Shanghai before I move back permanently so you can take Ru on your passport for me. ^^ Even if I have to buy the ticket myself!

I have a confession to make. I had not listened to the entire "Who Killed Amanda Palmer" album despite my slightly unholy love for Amanda Palmer. Purely because I had not got all the tracks on the album. All this was solved just under a week ago and I am in love people *_* sparkly eyed, 'take me, do what you want, i am totally easy for you', heart beating just fast enough to make all the extremities tingle with life.

Currently, I'm listening to "Astronaut" which is where my subject line comes from. It's got Amanda Palmer throwing herself into her playing, thumping empassioned piano intro but filled with strings and every word she sings, you can feel her heart, hear her utter involvement with what she's singing.

Did I mention the album is produced by Ben Folds? 'Cause it is.

In non-music, flailing news, it is the last week of university! Huzzah! Except that for the first time in my uni career, I have actual work besides exam revision over the break. The work is two essays culminating in a decent 7000 words.

/o\

There may be mild worry about this especially as things in my life this past week have been more social in nature than academic. Which spells a day in the library for me tomorrow. Huzzah. Feel the enthusiasm there folks? That's because there isn't any. Well, there is a little bit. The library I study in is very very pretty *_* and I do enjoy being away from the distraction that is my room (Seriously, I live in this space, how do I always find so much to seque myself away from work? It is a skill folks.)

I have also been ponificating about my birthday. Because I am starting to get old. OLD, CHILDREN. I guess LJ is the wrong place to say that because most of my close LJ friends are older than me, ha ha ha. But, 23! Although, I am going to play the Blonde Redhead of the same name over the course of the year to remind me that the number 23 can be filled with awesome things. AWESOME THINGS DAMMIT!

Another call again for New Years Letters, my loves! Get in before my birthday ;)

Bed? I think so.

Are there any PSP players on my flist?

I'd like to know whether it's possible to connect the PSP to my computer monitor, because I find the small screen at my age not very convenient. I don't have a PSP yet and before I even *think* about spending the money on one, I want that question answered... :)

My dear friends,

It was cold, rainy and I had to get up really early (3:30am) to get ready for my flight. BUT it was a funny event and worth the shivering and running of my nose. I felt like an iceblock as we finally got back to the train station to catch our rides and flights home.

Here are a 111 picture strong Photo Gallery. I hope you will enjoy it. XD

http://pics.livejournal.com/become_one/gallery/0000qbyb

I will go to bed now. I have to get up early tomorrow and then a new week of work is coming up for me. ^__^

*hugs and loves to you all*
terra

Friday Dec 4th was Ru's "birthday" - her 4th one with me. I was so busy I completely forgot. I was reminded today at Adoption Day when we saw Carol (SCAA founder) who asked me how long it had been - and it hit me that it had been 4 years exactly, 2 days ago. On with the annual birthday letter!

Dear Ruthie:

Another year come and gone, little girl. We had some scares this time - gastrointestinitis (at least that's what L called it when she emailed me with your progress report), skin infections so bad we had to drug you to the gills to stop you from ripping yourself to shreds. But you're all better now - even your hip problems have cleared up according to our last x-ray. The vet says you're fit as a fiddle once again.

Don't you scare me like that again, baby doll. I need you around - you keep me sane. I know it's harder now - Momma's gone 10 hours a day instead of 5 like all those other years, but you are incapable of holding a grudge. You still greet me at the door with bouncing and tail wagging and yips. It's nice to come home to someone who is always happy to see you, no matter what.

Love you so much it hurts, princess. I don't know - and don't even want to contemplate - what I'd do without you. I adore you, sweetness. Always and forever.

Love Momma.







PS - whoever sent me that snowflake virtual LJ gift - thank you! *hugs* You made my day!