ode to lovely

say hello to my little friend

This little guy has been a visitor in our home for about 3 weeks now. I was finally able to get up close and personal to snap this shot of him. Yes, I think its a boy. He is nameless, which is very unlike me. I usually name most animals/creatures/insects/living things I meet.

Anyways, the first time I spotted him, I totally freaked out. But Matt keeps telling me that these little guys are good luck. Maybe it's a Chinese thing. I don't know.  But now I am used to seeing him from time to time. And he no longer scares me. We've even grown to respect each others space. Crazy, right?

hello 29

My important businessman turned 29 last week. This was his birthday outfit, picked out by me of course.  I bought him two Italian ties to add to his grown-up collection and he bought himself a brand new 37inch LCD tv (to replace the 50inch we left back in the states).   We celebrated by going out to eat a very American meal at Ruths Chris followed by THREE birthday desserts.

This weekend, we have been stuck indoors because of Typhoon Jangmi. But I am not complaining because the typhoon cancelled everything today and I didn't have to go to class, nor teach boring businessmen english. I plan to enjoy the rest of the day off by catching up on ANTM season 11 and finishing the quilt top.

adjectives

Frustrated - with Chinese classes. I am 92% sure that I'm the dumbest kid in my class.
Blessed - with good friends and good update emails.
Happy - that the white cat is gone. I don't miss his wake up calls nor his destructive claws.
Hungry - all the time. I am starting to think I have a tape worm living in my belly.
Thankful - for built-in-cameras on Macs that allow me to chat with my family.
Depressed - after doing a body-measurements chart and realizing I'm no longer the size 0 I used to be.
Excited - to celebrate birthdays. With a grill, lots of steak from Costco, beer, and party hats.

And lastly...

Pissed - that I got a virus on my computer for trying to download episodes of Gossip Girl, when this whole time I should have just been watching them via YouTube. This goes back to my first point which definitely confirms that I am indeed the dumbest kid in class.

first chinese report

I switched to the intensive Chinese classes and so far so good. Except for the fact that I have about 4 hours of daily homework. My homework last night was to write a five minute report on my life, in Chinese of course. And in about 2 hours I have to present it to my class. I'm nervous about messing up my tones during my presentation. As you know, Chinese is all about tones, and if you say the wrong tone, you could potentially say a completely different word/meaning. So, as a way to practice, I taped myself on IMovie. I'm tempted to post it, although, my accent in Chinese is so thick that I'm kinda embarrassed. Maybe if my real presentation goes well I will have the balls to post the practice one. Gotta go. Wish me luck.

next time i will remember to wear makeup

I have a new drink. I love me some almond milk tea. With the big boba balls. Half ice and low sugar. The only hard part is ordering them and remembering how to say all of that in Chinese. When I tried bubble tea back in the States, I wasn't a big fan. But I guess it tastes different from the source.

Ohhh and I also love fresh squeezed kiwi juice. I had no idea there was such a thing until recently. If you ever get the chance to try kiwi juice, I highly recommend it. Sooooo good. And so cheap too.

ETA: Notice the plastic lid? There is a machine that does this. It is the coolest thing ever. No spills. No dripping. So genius! I am so surprised this cool lid making machine hasn't made its way to the States.

ETA part deux: Thanks to my lovely readers, I have discovered that the awesome lid making machine has made its way to some US cities, mostly west coast from what I can tell. Faaantastic!

typhoon is a fancy word for hurricane

In honor of the typhoon that is hitting Taiwan today (and probably tomorrow too), we are having a Typhoon Day. We haven't left the house all day. The rains are too strong and the winds at times look dangerous. So, we made breakfast. And lounged. And napped. And messed around on the internet. And I even got to catch up on Episodes 1 & 2 of Gossip Girl, which were awesome btw. 

Andddddd....I am working on this little beauty today.

So far so good. But dude is it taking forever. I am 60% done with the top. Unfortunately, I ran out of the white fabric and due to the typhoon, I have no idea when I'll be able to get more. But, that's all for now. Time for more lounging and perhaps a movie. Happy Typhoon Day to all.

the word of the day: plan

I have a plan. These are words I haven't said in a long time. I don't plan very much. I am definitely not a planner. If you ask Matt, he will say I am more of a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of girl.  But be as it may, a plan has been made. And I am happy about it.

I've realized that finding a job here, sans Chinese speaking abilities, is nearly impossible. Yes, I could be a full-time English teacher (and make damn good money doing so). But after trying that route, I've decided that is not what I want. I want a real job again. A job that challenges me. A job where I can learn, and grow, and live up to my potential. 

So, ladies and gentlemen, the plan is to study Chinese. Studying Chinese will be my full time job for the next 10 months. And after this intensive Chinese program, I hope to be at a level where finding a job will be a much easier task.

You have no idea how happy I am to have a plan. During the last 3 months, I feel like I have been wondering around this strange place trying to do a million things at once. It will be nice to just stick to one thing. To focus...which is something that I have always struggled with in my life. So triple fist pump for plans.

And triple fist pump for finally creating a new banner.

today is saturday

Feeling inspired. By Elise's letterpress cards. And KC's new shop. And this girl. And the "I feel" mini that Stacey made a while back. Feeling inspired is good. Very good, in fact. It makes me want to stay in pajamas all day and just play. Play with paper. Play fabrics. Play with my new Fuji Instax Mini 7s, which is the coolest little picture taker. Or even play with the cute white cat we are watching for the next two weeks.

But first work, then play. First, a workout. And then some breakfast. Followed by a Costco run. And lastly, shopping for a new phone that will support this awesome software.  And only after I finish my to-do list will I play. I think my parents will be happy to know that living in Taiwan has truly made me more responsible. And has helped put things in perspective. But I'll get into that later. Have a great weekend, friends.