This Dream People Call Human Life: who knows, Yeah I may come home,Yeah I may return......This is the way I'm always leaving

Well this semester is on break and the spring festival is coming up. i've decided to work at an english camp for a week for some extra money in the hopes of heading to Beijing and Xian at the end of the month. it's nice to have a break from teaching. sometimes having so much free time gets a bit boring, especially since Jack is in Korea right now visiting friends and family and isn't sure when he will come back. Chrisbin leaves soon as well. For spring festival i'm actually going to be spending it with a chinese family. i'm really excited because it's such a important holiday here. It will be really great to get to experience it with a chinese family and see how they really celebrate.

I met a really cool woman from Kenya, named Caroline. We've been getting along really well and i have a really great time talking to her. Meeting people from all over the world only makes me want to travel more.
Nate and i have been hanging out alot and have started learning a bit of korean with the help of a korean girl we're friends with. i hate to say it since i'm in china, but i enjoy speaking korean more. Lately I've felt completely unmotivated to study chinese. I will be the first to admit, i'm not so great at chinese..i'm really struggling with it. It's hard!! i'm just having an easier time picking up korean although it too is difficult. It doesn't help that it's so easy to live here without speaking the language.

Going to Korea in the future is defintly something that's been on my mind. i miss my friends and family, especially right now when i have so much down time. But i really like the idea of seeing more of asia. it's really true what people say, that homesickness comes in waves. somedays you love it here and other days you're just fed up with everything. But i feel like i have many more good days here than bad. To be honest, thinking about going home to America feels scarier then staying in Asia.

It's true that China can be a big ego stroker for white people and foreigners in general. We're often treated like mini-celebrities, and you're constantly being told how beautiful you are. So it's easy to see how people can let that go to their head, but the longer you're here the more it evens out. because not everyone is so nice... I recently had to go to the hospital and one of the doctors refused to use my name on forms because it was english. She had the chinese girl who was with me give me a chinese name. And anytime a form did actually have my english name on it, it was spelled wrong.
although it sucks to be treatedly like you're a moron because you can't understand everything someone is saying in chinese, or shops try and trick you into paying higher prices, it's been a good experience for me. it gives you a tougher skin, even though it also can be INCREDIBLY frustrating, and makes you appreciate the nice people even more.

It's getting crazy cold here again. i keep hearing rumors of snow this weekend. i've been a lazy room hermit lately because of it. It's just waaaaaaaaay to cold out there. hahaha. Not that my room is all that warm either. Cuddled up in bed with my electric blanket has become my favorite spot. So i've been doing just that and watching alot of movies...which i know sounds really lazy, but i don't care....i'm on break. ; ) sometimes a little alone time can be good....and then sometimes you go stir crazy.

Nate has been living with a Chinese couple, Auntie and Unkie Ding, as he affectionately calls them. they are having me over for dinner tomorrow and i'm wicked excited. nate has brought me some of the steamed bread auntie ding makes and is always raving about her cooking. it's gonna be sooooo good. And Unkie Ding is going to play the violin for me, as well as a traditional chinese instrument that i can't remember the name of right now.

hmmmm that's a bit all for now. sorry nothing too exciting this time.

but i do have some belated x-mas photos