Have a Smile

Made the spaghetti sauce, but it doesn't taste very tomato-ee. Sad. We'll see how Nathan likes it.

Cleaned the kitchen, did laundry, on to the bathroom next.

Also have finished On the Road, Twilight, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, and Boy Meets Girl in the past four days. Haven't been getting much sleep due to the cough, so reading helps pass the time. Half-way through The Bean Tree now. Need the other books in the Twilight series.

Check out the hilariousness of this series of photos.

Today a saleslady at the supermarket called me cheap because I didn't want to spend 23 yuan on honey when there was a bottle for 13 yuan.

....

Also, I bought medicine at the pharmacy. The lady there was really helpful. We communicated by me saying, "Wo de..(points to throat) bu hao." (Translantion: My (points to throat) is not good).
Then she asked me if I was coughing/sneezing (she did this by making the noise) too, which I nodded at, and she knew exactly what to give me. So I'll give it a try. Of course... I have no clue how much to take and how often. I'll figure it out.

I also have honey and fresh lemon too, so I figure I should be better by the time Nathan gets here on Friday.

I have been unable to locate salt. MSG aplenty in the supermarket, but no salt from what I can tell. I somehow don't think MSG would have the same effect as salt.

And... I'm making home made spaghetti sauce. I cut up the tomatoes already and put in a cut up clove of garlic, so that's sitting in the fridge and will be cooked up tomorrow to be ready for Friday when Nathan gets here. Hopefully it works out. I bought onions, garlic, and mushrooms to put in it.

Started reading Twilight. Pretty good so far, but I honestly wouldn't compare it to Harry Potter like so many are, I've read better. I think I'll have to hunt down the other books while I'm in Shanghai or Beijing if possible.


It was warm today.

Over n out.

Things which have happened recently..

1. I went to Nanchang to see Nathan and Mike, lured there under the false pretense that we were going to be going hiking in the southern parts of the province. But it was lies! Actually, I think Katie put it most accurately, it was mostly laziness.

2. Instead of camping we went clubbing. Every night Mike was there. We also went to karaoke. This was okay as I decided not to drink for the most part. However, it did lead to many late nights, meaning that the following day we didn't get up until the afternoon, which further lead to us not having time to go hiking. Mike was very popular with the ladies, they really like his beard.

3. The food made me sick, as usual. Chinese food is not kind to me. This lowered my immune system, and now I believe I have tonsillitis. My symptoms are: swollen tonsils, lots of itching which then leads to coughing. I'm drinking ginger tea and sucking on watermelon frost (a type of Chinese throat lozenge).

4. Jennifer left for Nanjing today which sucks because I just missed her. I'll have to make sure I get a trip up there soon.

5. Nathan is in Changsha for a few days, then comes to Jiujiang. Just means a few boring days in Jiujiang for me. Perhaps I'll give David a call to see if he's around so we can hang out/eat pizza.

Edit:// Due to the recession (which means SALES in the shopping world) there are some super fabbo sales at places like Vera Bradley and New York & Company. You should check them out!

It's Snowing!

Even having lived in Massachusetts I still get excited about SNOW!

It's snowing! Big, fat snowflakes.

It's too warm to stick though. Shame.

SNOW!

Jennifer is Right...

I am a lightweight.

Half a bottle of red wine (the one from the wine-tasting gig) is gone and now flows through my veins giving me flushed cheeks and an airy mind.

Today I ventured out into the not so cold world of Jiujiang, the first time in far too many days. I bought contact solution, conversed with the locals, and purchased groceries so that I could cook a feast.

Upon my return home I made a scrambled egg- tomato concoction which is popular here, although my scrambled eggs didn't turn out so well as they do in the restaurants. Then it tasted a bit bland so I added the wonder that is ketchup and it was edible and bordering on good. I even added rice, and it must be a different kind of rice than they use in the restaurants, because I didn't have quite such an allergic reaction and although my stomach is now sore, it doesn't feel like there is a rock in it as it usually does.

Keroac's On the Road is turning out to be quite good, although confusing in how he writes and 'speaks'. Dean is just a crazy man and Sal isn't much better. He lets himself get sucked up into the madness. I still agree with my original thought that this book rests better with the males species than with the female. I'm starting to pick up some of the lingo which is fun, although maybe will end up being confusing to any who don't understand it (i.e. the Chinese who speak English with me). I'll probably finish the book tomorrow, and then you can have my full thoughts on it. Has anyone read it? I'm definitely not trying to dive into any of the metaphors or philosophy that Keroac spins out in this book yet, that I'll leave until I finish it.

Today I saw a cat walking around meowing in the grass, and as he walked a bunch of little kitty heads popped up, and wowee, started following him/her. Strange, strange, but I wanted to take them all home. I've been missing Jack something fierce, although it sounds like he's having a good time with his grandma and 'adopted grandpa'. Spoiled little thing.

Nathan comes back with Mike on Wednesday, then we start our hiking trip around the southern parts of this province. Hopefully it will fulfill Mike's need to get out of the city. Lucky I've got this fantastic new hiking backpack so I'm well equiped for our travels.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about the Kauai 2010 plan. Summer, winter? What are we thinking here? I've got about a 5 weeks in the winter, and 2 months in the summer, so I can swing it either way.

Have fun on your trip Grams and Gramps. I hope, hope, hope I'll see you in Hong Kong, I'm definitely planning for it.

Nana! I miss you lots. I hope you're holding up well. I'll send you an e-mail soon.

Mom gets here soon. Well ain't that crazy. Just a few more days of boredom then off on a trip of a lifetime.


Love!

I. AM. SO. BORED.

My friend Leah is talking about moving here to Jiujiang next year. I need her here now! Keep your fingers crossed she comes, so I can stay here in JJ another year, otherwise... I'm outties. I need a bigger city where I can meet more people who are my age.

That's all.

Edit://
I realize I'm actually only bored because I'm trying to spend no money at the moment and everything I like to do around here costs money. Boohiss.

P.S.

If anyone finds that game Apples to Apples on sale, please get it for me! I'm desperate for it. :))

The End of One Year, The Beginning of Another

Well, 2008 is officially two days in the dust.
Some reflections:

-I did quite a bit of traveling in 2008, something I hope to continue in 2009. A trip to New York City with mom, a road trip all the way from Massachusetts to Texas with a lengthy stop in Maryland, trips to Vermont for trapeze classes, moving to China, Huangshan, Nanchang, and Nanjing once in China. It's been crazy.

-I left one job and began another. I'll never forget working at the Marriott, ever. Perhaps I'll go back into the hotel business one day, but for now, I'm happy to be teaching. And I started teaching! Perhaps it's not a job I'll have forever, but I appreciate the freedoms I am awarded because of it, those students who actually care make my days brighter, and this school is full of kind souls who just want to help.

-I lost two people who I loved very much this year. Both to prescription medication, although for two different reasons. They will both be in my heart for the rest of my life.

-I moved to China! Wowee! China! I'm still not over that one. It was one of my major goals to move here, and I achieved it. Amazing.

-I made some incredible friends who I hope I'll keep in touch with forever, Rachel and Jennifer and Jessica especially.

-I took trapeze classes! It was definitely an unforgettable experience, and I hope that I'll be able to continue learning it one day.


I can definitely say that 2008 was a year of change for me. Big change!


Everyone makes resolutions for the new year, and rarely keeps them. I'm going to keep mine.
I resolve to:

-Practice my Chinese and find someone who can teach me
-Make new friends, both Chinese and laowai
-Travel even more

Nathan and I have both resolved not to get married, haha. But perhaps we will be living together again before the year is out. Only time can tell. I'm excited to enter into our third year of dating this summer and see what that brings us.

What are your resolutions? They better be: 'Visit Jess in China!'

Christmas and the New Year

Christmas:

I finished up my grades and handed them in to Max on Wednesday before hopping on a train down to Nanchang. I managed to catch a cab just outside the train station and had them deliver me, for 60 yuan, to Nathan's front gate where I met him and his parents. We decided to grab some food, Chinese, from the area behind Nathan's apartments for dinner. It was fun, with Nik joining us. It was a loud dinner, and very crowded in the restaurant. In China, Christmas Eve is considered almost a Valentine's day, so many couples will spend the evening on a nice date.

On Thursday, Christmas Day, Nathan and I woke up fairly early. We got ready for the day before his parents joined us, then spent the next few hours opening presents.

We both recieved quite a few books which I shall spend my break sifting through. I'm pretty stocked now, which is fantastic. After opening presents we headed for downtown Nanchang where we would have dinner later that evening. We were on a mission to see the pagoda that sits on the river in Nanchang. On our way there we stopped by a beautiful Buddhist Temple and had a look around before heading on to the pagoda which was closed.

We walked to the restaurant, Detox, and arrived just in time for dinner; turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and for dessert pears in a creme sauce. After filling up, Katie and I went to a hair salon across the street to get our hair washed and styled while Nathan and Rick went to have a couple beers at the local expat bar. After the hair washing was finished, and only 22 kuai each at that, we went back to Nathan's apartment to watch The Office and relax.

Friday morning meant Nathan was back to work at 8am. When he finished and returned to the apartment we were picked up by a Ford van and driven to their local factory for a tour. It was all rather top secret, but a very interesting look at how cars are made in China. The factory was so clean! After our tour, they were kind enough to take us to dinner and a rather fancy restaurant. It was delicious. Post lunch they dropped us back off at Nathan's apartment. He had one more class to teach, so his parents and I joined him. They were just going to have a party, but many of the students did magic tricks, sang, and danced.
For dinner it was more Chinese food at another local restaurant.

On Saturday we continued our quest to find the pagoda and actually get in. We took a mien bao che into downtown Nanchang, then found a cab to take us to the front entrance of the pagoda. It was beautiful and I was excited to finally get in to see it. We walked around for quite some time exploring the many floors and enjoying the views.

After our pagoda experience we decided to walk to the restaurant where we would be enjoying dinner. On our way there, we stopped at a tea shop and enjoyed a few samples. Nathan and his mom enjoy 'dirt tea' which... tastes like dirt. Haha. I'm not a fan, but it was interesting to try it again.

Post-tea sampling we continued our walk to the restaurant. I stopped in one of the shops to buy a Juicy Couture bag that I had been eyeing and then we arrived at the french bistro. It was once of the best meals of my life! I ordered shrimp ravioli with a creamy tomato sauce and Nathan and I shared cheesecake for dessert. Too much delicious.
We headed to Stuart's bar for drinks and to socialize/digest afterward. It was nice to catch up with him and to see Simon who arrived soon after we did.

Sunday we packed and stayed in. Nathan and his parents were to head to Beijing that day and myself back to Jiujiang. My train left a few hours before theirs but they were kind enough to come to the station with me. It was a sad farewell.
I arrived in Jiujiang not too late and caught a cabbie home.

Nanjing/New Years:

Jennifer and I decided to head to Nanjing on Tuesday and stay for a couple days so she could get a better feel for the city and so I could do some shopping. We bought our bus tickets and a few hours later arrived in the city. We decided to stay at Jinn's Inn, but now that we look back on it, perhaps not the best choice. The hotel was under construction at the time of our arrival and the only room available was with one bed that was about the size of a closet. We took it anyways.

Immediately the hotel had issues with my passport, something with their scanning system. They told us to bring down our passports the next morning.
We were hungry when we got there so we dropped off our bags and headed out to find a restaurant. Immediately we found a Mexican place named Behind the Wall. We weren't sure if it was open at first, but a large group of expats walked past us and headed in, we followed.
The food was AMAZING. One of the best burritos I've had in a long, long time. Also, damn good Sangria.
We were exhausted after our trip and headed to bed pretty early.

Wednesday morning we decided to head to Fuzimiao to do some shopping. After taking care of the passport business we were off. It was a pretty chilly day, but bright and sunny. First we had to head to Skyway Bakery to get a sandwich though. It was, of course, amazing.
I did almost kill one of our fellow customers though. He was obviously still new to the China scene. He was on a date or something with a Chinese girl and... ugh, would not shut up about America. That was fine, it was when he started to stereotype about Texas when I nearly went over and strangled him. The poor girl obviously wasn't having a good time and eventually made up an excuse to leave. Serves him right.
We spent a majority of the day shopping and trying to find the underground market which we finally located. I bought myself some sneakers, purple Uggs, and a cute Louis Vuitton purse.


It was back to Behind the Wall for dinner. Nachos this time, which were also delicious.
Around 10pm we decided to head to a bar/club for the countdown. We met up with some friends there and also made some new friends too. Guess who I saw there... sandwich shop boy! He disappeared before I could smack him though. I had a nice time talking to a man from Spain named Antonio. His Chinese was worse than mine! I drank far too many long island iced teas before our group decided to go to a different bar.

This bar was much more quiet. The boys bought a bottle of whisky, I ordered a Tequila Sunset (yum) and we sat around a chatted for a couple hours. It was great. I forgot what it was like to be in company like this, where everyone is just relaxed and friendly.


Jennifer and I checked out of Jinn's and headed for the bus station. I actually bought our tickets by myself using all the Chinese I could remember. It was a pretty proud moment for me, and I answered all of the ticket ladies questions.
Jenn and I had to wait awhile for the bus so I started reading On the Road by Kerouac. I was finding it hard going at first, but I'm slowly getting into it. Some of the lingo still throws me a bit though.

Now I am home, although I don't want to be. I get paid on Monday and thusly will begin my travels yet again. I'm not sure where I shall go though, but I need to make sure that I stay semi-close to where I need to be, in case Spring Festival travel gets too crazy. At the moment I'm thinking of going to Guangzhou, Hangzhou, or doing this nice little trek. There are so many options!

I've also been thinking about looking into bigger cities for work next year. I was planning to stay in Jiujiang, but after experiencing/remembering how nice it is to have friends who speak English fluently/understand my culture, I'm thinking that I really want and need that in my life. I'm not sure where I'll end up, but I guess that's all part of the adventure.