The hardest part about working in China--I just now stopped typing and considered deleting this because there are about a million things that make working in China difficult, so let me clarify--the hardest part about working in China at this time of the year is not having the standard U.S. break. The days after Thanksgiving are always a little hard to get through as excitement for the Christmas season really kicks off, but you can rest easy knowing that you only have to make it through a few more weeks before a bigger, better rest lays on the horizon. Mike and I are over here saying, "okay, only a month left, only a month left." Yikes! A month! A month? Actually, when you consider how much is scheduled in those four weeks, it seems scary that it's only a month away.
For better or worse (and let's be honest, it's for better), we will be getting on a plane and leaving behind Shanghai for almost three weeks! In the meantime, I'm listening to Spotify's "Oldies Pop Christmas" playlist, drinking lots of hot chocolate, watching terrible, terrible Christmas movies on Netflix and Hulu (you know, the ones that inevitably involve a soldier in the military; a letter that does or doesn't get delivered; a wise, sweet grandpa-like man who is actually Santa Claus, etc.) while I grade stack upon stack of essays and using more hair oil than usual because it somehow smells like Christmas trees and cinnamon candles (I know, I have no idea). Next on my list is watching Family Stone because I keep hearing Frank Sinatra's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and thinking of the scene in the movie where the father sees his grown daughter watching "It's a Wonderful Life" while her own daughter sleeps on her lap, and I become all teary eyed. Better to watch it, cry like a baby, and get it out of my system.
Since my last post, my baking has really taken off. I found measuring cups at a little Japanese store and learned that the Taobao market will deliver things on the same day if I order before 11 am, so sugar, flour, and anything else I might need are only a few clicks away. I think the ordering of our Thanksgiving meal also introduced me to a number of online western grocery stores, and now I order groceries every two weeks or so, and I can pretty much find anything I need. My next baking undertaking will be a coconut cake with a coconut cream cheese frosting. I am excited about it because I like coconut in desserts but Mike doesn't and I can't make an entire cake for myself (can I?), so I never make any at all. But my coworker Lynn tried coconut cake for the first time when she brought our eleventh grade students to the U.S. this past summer, and she's been dreaming of it ever since. Chinese cakes are usually beautiful but pretty tasteless, and coconut cake isn't really a thing her anyway, so I promised I'd make it happen. I should probably finish grading the monthly tests first though....
I turn 30 in twelve days. I didn't think it would feel much different, but it does seems that it is sort of marking an extra level of adulthood in my life. I think a lot of that stems from my forever-growing work responsibilities and the realization that if I want something, I'm ultimately responsible for getting it. Mike and I often talk about these two years in China as a stepping stone to something greater, but these two years aren't simply a time-out from life; they're still very much two years of our lives. This is why cooking and baking were added back into our routines and why I am taking a painting class next Sunday!
Becoming skilled in painting is one of the things on my bucket list. I always loved art class when I was in elementary and that creative urge never really went away, but I suppose finding the time to create something and then the fear of being graded on my ability sort of steered me away from doing any other classes. I actually took theater in college for my fine art credit because I was terrified by the thought of being graded on a sketch or painting. Ha! Somehow being graded on performing in front of people on a stage seemed less intimidating, which is a funny thought (but perhaps supports my sometimes ham-like nature). Anyway, after I did a paint night with my aunt last year, I bought a few basic paints and brushes and experimented a little, but I never signed up for a class to really learn the art of painting.
Last night as I was wandering around a well-known market in the city that consists of narrow alleyways woven together, I came across a cluster of galleries. One of my favorite things to do in a new place is learn about the local art scene, probably because it usually leads to talking to people and a really memorable experience. I talked to a few of the owners and painters, and then I saw a gallery that had canvases set up with what looked like student work. I scanned the WeChat code, which turned out to be the owner's personal handle, and before I knew it, we had set up a class together! The painting we will be working on is an incredibly beautiful (and very professional-looking) fall landscape, and I can't wait to get started.
I've made it about halfway through the essays I have to grade, and there are a number of other things on my to-do list, so until next time...
Nicki
