Quake continued

Take a glance at my part of the world. A is Shaojie, B is Dali - Dali is on both maps.

Earthquake in Shaojie!!

Things going through my head at the time:

Is my wooden cabin shaking?
Uh oh, I should put on some pants.
How about I put on this hoodie instead?

I think things are fine now. House not moving from side to side - side side to side (USHER)

We're safe again.

Now, a much more awesome picture of my seventh graders

Sometimes we have fun.

It's a Ludovico morning.

Today is one of those mornings where you wake up and it's seriously cold. Frigid. I turned on my heating blanket and I've got some serious rainy day piano music playing. This morning I woke up and I had a serious craving for Bach for Breakfast, a CD series that I discovered as a nerd in middle school. Everything about my life is like middle school all over again. Awkward, but enlightening.

I'm eating a cookies 'n' cream Luna bar as I'm typing this and it tastes as though it's laden with liqueurs. Mmmm! This sounds like it could be a problem that I think it's so delicious but.. hey. The stormy weather has made me glad that I kept all my winter clothes around and now can putz around my classroom warmly.

Gloomy rainy days mean that I will not be able to shower and that maybe just maybe I'll be inspired to paint. Happy Ides of March to ya'll in America. It's the day before St. Patty's Day here! In honor of St. Patty's... I reveal to you, my black board that is actually green and 53 of my 7th grade students.

I'm China

We entered the second semester of seventh grade with a unit on countries and their adjective form. After two full weeks in class, my students still say... "I'm Chinaaaaa.........ese?" This frustrates me, but I don't mind. I've been completely obsessed with grading things, if only to fill in the little boxes in my grade book. I was a suck up in seventh grade. Now that I'm teaching seventh - it's hard to stay as committed. I used to go to school early in the mornings, back when we still had to go to school for 7 hours a day. I'd go 90 mins early just so I could enter grades into a computer. That sick curiosity drove me just as my need to fill in the little boxes is driving me now.

The simple fact that I'm keeping track of all the work that I assign in my classes is helping me like I'm in control. I just got a crazy schedule change, which means that on Thursdays and Fridays, my kids are going to get English overload. Some of students have requested new names. Last semester, I didn't have the heart to give them less than decent names - now, I'm just going to look up the cast of the Expendables and go down the list.

Dolph
Sylvester
Mickey
Jet
Gary
Bruce
Arnold
Jason
Randy
Terry
Steve

I can't wait for Friday!

P.S. Since I'm in China, I thought I would post some Chinese food. I ate this today, and on Friday. The one I've posted was actually made by Chenyuan. Thanks, Lil' Buddy!

WK

I've had these uploaded for weeks now - if a picture says a thousand words - then that should be enough.

Best meal ever.

Jose Andres made love to my mouth

@Cafe Atlantico:

 Pork sandwich with cheese, egg, avocado. Dear heavens!

@Jaleo:

 Don't ask. Just feel it.

Where is the food?

 This is a food blog right (for now!)? I tried to move beyond food, but I couldn't. What's better than food? Food with mimosas duhhhhh.

Sara Brinda and I hit up my favorite Dupont disco brunch place, Level One for some yumyums. I ordered the Saturday Night Fever hangover.

Then took a sip of my mimosa, only to realize that it was straight champagne. Yay! Nothing to make my Saturday brunch better, my afternoon blackout and my dinner miserable.

Since I was deep into my cups at brunch, I wanted to demonstrate my love for Sara Brinda using a newly learned Laura Zulliger move. Caress the other's face.


Exhibit A:

*I don't know about you, but I'm loving this ACC 2007 tour!

Asian girl self pics

If you liked the work that Monica did, what do you think about Billy? One year of teaching Korean children - great takeaways Billy!

 Thanks for the best angle photo! Rawr. Billy was my wedding date to my big sis Clancy's wedding! Together we hunted muffalettas together.

Funny pictures of me and Monica

Just two girls drinking bubble tea. What up.

Don't hate me. Mwahahaha.

I have friends in America, too

But friends are forever, eat this food while it's hot!

After an all too short Asian vacation, I landed in Atlanta, home sweet home. Then, just as fast as I landed, I flew to DC where I ate this luscious lunch. 

TOO CUTE TOKYO

If you can't understand why true love is putting a miniature version of your fried in puppet form on your hand and introducing yourself to it, then I CAN'T HELP YOU. If you do understand, then we are kindred spirits indeed.



Moar cute babies! Introducinggggggggggg...

Cookie Hello Kitty Monster

Big Hello Kitty Bird

Hello Elmo Kitty

El - Hello Kitty - Mo

Seriously, who is in charge of Hello Kitty's ideas? Because they are genius. I want to be you.

Tokyo to eat

The next morning, I awoke to a beautiful amaretto coffee and cleanly sliced egg and cucumber sandwiches.

High on life and caffeine, Keiko and I went to eat more food before I rendezvoused with Yasu. On the way, we passed these beautiful wooden houses.

Before I knew it, more noms noms.

+

=

Heaven in my mouth.

Tokyo Meat and Greet

I have two good friends in Tokyo, Keiko Iida and Yasuyuki Goto, both of who I met in Beijing - in 2007.

First of all, I just gave away a bit of how old I am, and I can't believe that I've been friends with these people for so long. As part of my journey back to America, I flew from Taipei to Tokyo for a busy busy weekend in one of the most crowded and expensive cities in the world. Thanks Keiko and Yasu for showing me an amazing time.

First, to introduce my friends -

Keiko!

 

and

Yasu and me

The first thing that Yasu did was take me out to dinner at the Kill Bill restaurant, where apparently the restaurant was the inspiration of the Kill Bill Vol 1 set - I don't remember but everyone likes violence and destruction in an otherwise idyllic setting. :) Here, after I had explained to Yasu my lack of protein, we had a meat and wheat festival.

 

 

From top left rotated into a circle: fried chicken, fried shrimp, tofu, beef tartare, fried tempura shrimp, meat ball, fish, and fresh soba. Booya. 

From there we met up with Keiko, who later took me a beautiful artsy bar with a cute side door that I banged my head on and nearly passed out on the tiny bar floor.....

The bartender was a piece of art himself. AND he was capable of making beautiful artful food. Please behold: fresh smoked salmon on toast with dill. I didn't even realize that I missed dill until that moment.

After fresh Gin and Tonics,  - OH I'M SORRY - did you think this food odyssey was over? Keiko, Naoya, and I went to Denny's of Tokyo. I specify of Tokyo because of Denny's of America had a menu like this, tears would spring thine eyes.

I ordered something. I couldn't stop myself.

Food odyssey for the day, finished.