Use Time Wisely.....Check!

When I was in elementary school I would get in trouble for talking in class. In third grade, Ms. Moore made me move my desk to the front of the class, right next to her desk. This was supposed to ensure less talking and more wisely-spent time. I think I was a little bored. I was a straight A (well, back then it was straight E’s) student and didn’t really need to spend a lot of time on classwork to get a 100. My penmanship was also perfect. Each time we received our report cards, I would open mine with a certain amount of dread and there it would be, a perfect little checkmark in ink by my teacher in the list of negative things that could be checked: Use Time Wisely. Use Time Wisely. Use Time Wisely. Who knew, at 8 years old, that this would be on my "report card of life" for many, many years. If I had used my time wisely in college, I may have graduated with a better GPA. I may have received a degree in something more worthwhile than History. I definitely could have used my time more wisely when raising my son. I would have lived life more cheaply, gotten by with far fewer "things", never worked extra jobs, and spent more time with my son. Now, at 44, I honestly think I get it. I’m still learning and growing but I understand just how important it is to use my time wisely. I’m figuring out what’s truly significant and of importance to me and I’m pursuing those interests. I’m expanding my relationships into circles of friends from all over the world, some close to heart and home, some casual and far away, ALL significant.
I have a certain amount of time. Everyone has a certain amount of time to do the right thing; to use their time wisely. Follow the heart. Follow the path that brings peace and happiness. I’m learning. Soon....I will give myself a perfect little checkmark. Right next to "Uses Time Wisely."

Being Thankful for Diversity

Tangible and not so tangible!

Sometimes you can learn a lot from an email or letter. The beauty of handwritten letters is that they can be kept and bundled, handed down....later generations enjoying reading of what life was like for the sender and recipient all those years ago. Emails.....well, they provide for constant and instant contact. Which is good. But who keeps emails? There's too many. I tried doing that with one particular friend; printing out all her emails to me and mine to her. But we tend to email each other anywhere from 2 to 8 times a day. Not practical. Emails are stealing little bits of history.....but we won't realize that until some years to come. I think I should discipline myself to write at least one letter a week to a friend or family member. As it is, I get hand cramps from handwriting in my journal because I just don't "write" that much. Here's an email I sent today:
Megan, I don't think meeting on Tuesdays will be a problem. Would January 17 work for you as a first/organizational/slight discussion of book meeting? We can discuss which Tuesday of the month we want to meet onward at that meeting. I'm excited that Sarah, who is studying in Egypt next semester, wants to be involved via email! :) She says she'll read the books in Egypt and email us her comments. What fun that will be!
LB
P.S. I'm just curious.....what area of Anthropology are you mastering in? It's a big interest of mine. I took as many anthro classes as I could in undergrad without having to declare it my major. One of my favorite professors is Dr. Logan and I'd kill (figure of speech of course) to get to walk around the Body Farm with Dr. Bass! Forensics is also an interest of mine but then I'm someone who was thrilled to see an autopsy! :) My biggest interest is cultural anthropology and ethnographic work. If I could start all over again.....I'd major in anthropology. I'm sure of it. My degree, however, is in History.

Squatting Rights

Do we "take for granted" that every toilet in every civilized country in the world will be a "sit" toilet? Yes, I believe we do. I can be guaranteed that as Li-Yin and I get further away from the big cities we will encounter the traditional Chinese "squat" toilet. So I'm practicing. That's right. Practicing. One slip and the consequences could be....well, unpleasant. I'm also taking donations of travel packs of kleenex. Did I mention that we also take for granted the free availability of toilet paper?

Just a few of my likes......

I like to spread peanut butter on slices of Fuji apples
I like to use fine-nibbed fountain pens to write in my journal
I like to light lots of candles in my home when expecting a visitor(s)
I like to watch leaves fall from trees
I like to keep my toothbrush on the left side of the sink
I like to make handmade cards
I like to take pictures of people
I like the way it feels when I rub my bare feet together
I like to sit on porches
I like to think about moving someplace exotic
I like to laugh
I like to visualize my completed quilt
I like to walk slowly through bookstores and antique shops
I like office supply stores and stationary stores
I like to send and receive handwritten notes and letters
I like to sleep on the right side of the bed
I like to read in bed
I like the way I can see the moon through the landing window from my couch downstairs
I like very old houses and the "old house" smell of them
I like rum, preferably while sitting on a foreign beach
I like to listen to people from other countries describe their hometowns
I like to watch foreign and independent movies
I like to write poetry
I like to write down ideas in notebooks
I like to sing songs that I’ve changed the words to and made them silly
I like to sing in my kitchen
I like to take night walks
I like scented lotions, especially peppermint
I like the taste of chocolate and peppermint together
I like to sit around a campfire
I like multi-colored twinkle lights
I like caves
I like to read books about travel adventures
I like to smell the pages of an old book
I like to think about owning my own business
I like to dream......

Delicious Diversity......

This past weekend was rich in culture, diversity, and fun! Saturday I took a carload of my female foreign friends shopping. We hit Best Buy, Pier I, BB&B (Bed, Bath & Beyond), A.C. Moore, and the Dollar Tree. It was a fun, pleasant and productive outing. We finished up the shopping and realized that it was going to be at least 4 hours before we would have the Chinese dumplings we were going to make for dinner prepared and ready to eat. So I introduced the girls to the wonder of the "dollar burger" at McDonald’s. We flew through the drive-in and I assured the girls that, yes, it’s okay to eat in my car (please.....). Within 5 minutes there was only the lingering smell of cheeseburgers. After stopping at the Fresh Market and the liquor store, we finally made it back to everyone’s respective home to unload purchases. The girls later walked to my house to prepare dinner. If you have ever wondered whether drinking margaritas, listening to latin music and dancing the salsa, while preparing pork-filled dumplings can be a great ole’ time....wonder no more! :) We all agreed that it was the best batch of dumplings to date (or was it the Margaritas that were the best to date?). Nana also prepared a Georgia dish, eaten cold, made of fried eggplant slices and then you spread on ground walnuts that have been mixed with cilantro, salt and some water and fold the eggplant over. You eat it with your fingers and it was very good. For me, however, cold eggplant takes a little getting used to. The "all girls" party broke up about 10:30 and I met everyone the next morning at 9:00 for a Sunday trip to the mountains to hike to the Alum Cave Bluffs.
We all piled in the car and were waiting for Yeheng to grab her sweatshirt and come down from her apartment. A young Chinese girl came out the door and 2 of my friends said, "Oh, there she is!" and then "Oh, wait a minute, that’s not her!" I said, "Aha!" and they all started laughing because they knew right away what I meant. So it’s NOT just Americans that think most Asian folks look extremely similar. They also affirmed that, despite the differences in hair and eye color, Asians really do think Americans look alike.
It was a wonderful day for a hike and everyone enjoyed the scenery. I also took them into Gatlinburg for a little "street walking." They were especially amused by the "China Bazaar" shops. I explained that most everything in Gatlinburg is "made in China." They did, however, make some wise purchases, such as caramel apples, toffee popcorn, taffy, all handmade in Gatlinburg; just about the only thing that is. On the drive home I learned that this group knows quite a few American songs and we sang several old tunes and especially old Broadway tunes. Definitely another amazing day with a wonderful group of international young people! Photos to come!

Reflecting.....

James Taylor wrote:
I remember Richard Nixon back in ‘74
And the final scene at the White House door
And the staff lined up to say goodbye
Tiny tear in his shifty little eye
He said, Nobody knows me.
Nobody understands.
These little people were good to me.
Oh, I want to shake some hands.
Somebody line ‘em up,
Line ‘em all up,
Line ‘em up, Line ‘em all up.

What if, before our final scene, we could shake hands with those folks who were pivotal in our lives; whose actions or words, however small, changed us, altered our life course, or just remained forever lodged in our memories. I gave thought to some of the folks in my past I might want to thank. Ms. Peebles, my second grade teacher, was Hispanic and taught us words in Spanish and the wonderful Goodbye Song: "Adios, Auf Weidersehen, Au Revoir, and Syonara too, they all mean goodbye, goodbye to you...." I would shake her hand and say, "Ms. Peebles, I remember." There’s Mr. Sartor, my high school English teacher, who encouraged me to write and to read novels of substance, avoiding what he termed "popcorn" books. To this day there are times when someone asks me what I’m reading and I’ll have to say "Oh, just a little popcorn book." I would shake his hand and say, "Thank you, Mr. Sartor. I remember." I will always remember a single mother in Atlanta cautioning me, when I was pregnant, to remember to take time for myself and that caring for my child meant caring for myself. I remember the boy, Mitch, who wrote in my yearbook, "You’re nice to hold hands with." Sometimes it’s the very little things that you remember most or that just stick in your mind and never leave. To all those pivotal people in my life, I say in my mind, "Thank you. I remember."

Beautiful, Beautiful Zion....

I saw the movie, The Work and the Glory: American Zion, last night with a friend. I saw myself in the horse-drawn buggy and I heard myself singing! Of course, I was punching my friend and pointing to the screen, saying "That’s me in the third wagon," "That’s me!" The movie was very good and I thought it was directed much better than the first in this series. It’s the first time, however, that I’ve watched a movie where there was a super cliffhanger. A cliffhanger on the big screen? Huh? Even sequels, prequels, etc., are designed so that you can enjoy the movie on it’s own, apart from what came before or comes after. Not so for this movie. If you see it, you will definitely go see The Work and the Glory: A House Divided, in 2006. Trust me. I turned down the opportunity to be an extra in the third movie. At the time, I was glad (when I heard how long their day was). Now, I wish I had done it. Then I could punch some poor, unsuspecting soul in the arm next year and shout, "That’s me! That’s me!"

Just Hangin' Around.....

Datong, where I will be attending Yeheng's wedding and where Li-yin and I will spend a few days sightseeing, is a big coal-mining town and has the distinction of being the third most polluted city in the world. However, there are some incredible sights in and around Datong. This wooden Hanging Monastery was built about 1,400 years ago on the extremely sheer cliffs of Hengshan Mountain. Bridges and corridors connect the different buildings of the monastery. Numerous bronze, iron, stone and clay statues are enshrined in the monastery. In the Three Religions Hall Buddha, Laotze and Confucius are enshrined together. I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that I will be here....walking on the wooden bridges of this monastery and trying to avoid looking down.

Beijing or Bust!

Oh my gosh!!!! I must get to China soon before "westernization" completely takes over! This is a new apartment complex in Beijing. It could be in Knoxville. But it's in the capital city of China. I swear....