Welcome to my blog. It is my hope that this space can be a place where we can laugh, cry, share stories, and culinary secrets during my 3 year stay in China.
With this inaugural post I would like to start us off with an exercise in thankfulness and worldview enlargement.
I was enjoying dinner with my good friend, Jessica, while on the Seattle leg of my farewell tour when she asked me to name the 5 things that I will miss the most during my time abroad. Jessica, here are my answers:
1)Central heating
2)Potable tap water
3)Spaghetti
4)Driving (especially quickly around corners)
5)The North American strain of the common cold
I am curious. What kinds of things, dear friends, would you miss about the United States if you were gone for 3 years?
Secondly, I would like to inform you of my travel plans. I am currently in Puyallup, WA with my brother's in-laws (also known as my 'out-laws'), and will be traveling home tomorrow to live with my parents for one month before I head to Akron, PA (October 20th) for an orientation at the MCC American headquarters. From there I will be flying to Glasgow, Scotland (October 31st) to visit my brother and his wife before I arrive in Beijing, China (November 16th) to meet the organization's regional representatives. I am not sure at this point specifically where I will be teaching, but I believe it to be in the Sichuan province.
9 comments:
So what you need to do is get a good Halloween costume to wear on your transatlantic flight. I suggest moving about the aisles, saying 'trick or treat', and snapping up all the airline peanuts. Perhaps you could even dress as a stewardess. Did you want relevant comments?
I do in fact miss these things while I am away from the US for 3 years:
1) Having a cat
2) Driving.
3) Family
4) processed foods with a shelf life of 3,000 years
5) road trips
Well, let's see: what would I miss?
1. Everybody (mostly) knowing my lanugage
2. My comfortable bed
3. Most people being taller than or as tall as me (I feel funny when lots of people are shorter than I)
4. The American (or Western, as the case may be) independence and confidence (or at least the appearance therof) I'm used to seeing/experiencing in other people (this would depend on what culture I was immersed in, of course)
5. Yeah, I would also miss the heating I'm used to
Have fun in Newport!!
Amy Harman
Hmm. I would miss natural peanut butter. And chocolate chips. And Andrew Hays. And end-of-season sales at Ann Taylor Loft. In that order.
I already miss (and I've only been here two weeks):
1) Tillamook extra sharp cheddar
2) swimming
3) Tillamook pepperjack
4) my tools
5) Tillamook vintage white
Right below peanut butter and chocolate chips...that's about what I expected.
I think I would most miss the possibility that I might see Shelly walking down the street before she sees me, duck behind a corner, and then leap out from hiding, pushing her into oncoming traffic, yelling "BANZAAAAIIIII" all the while.
Yep, that's what I would most miss.
1) Mexican Food
2) Dr. Bronners Almond soap
3) Biking in Portland
4) Real pancakes
5) Payless ShoeSource
Hmmm, it would depend on where I was going. If I was going to China, and not a Western country, I would miss chocolate, Diet Coke, cheese (all kinds), being average height, and petting cats.
It is difficult for me to order these - Chocolate, Diet Coke, and cats all tie for first with cheese being very close.
PS
I would also miss seeing Shelley in her party dress/shirt/scuba outfit/Halloween costume/pants she pulled out of the garbage. Your profile picture reminded me.
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