SCUBA Classes Have Commenced.

Yes, you read that correctly ladies and gentlemen. Your's truly, one year after she arrived here, has started the PADI course to make me a SCUBA diver. I am not able to get open water certified in our pool, but as our entire Aquatics staff is comprised of dive instructors, it is one of the perks for us as technicians. I, for one, am stoked.

We had our swim test Tuesday. I finished first out of my six classmates (the rest are boys) and even though it wasn't a race, with my highly competitive nature, it was for me. So I was pleased. We also had to tread water/float for ten minutes. I thought that would be super hard, but it was easy peasy. That was all followed by getting fitted with wetsuits (no pink... Sad.) and three hours of class instruction. Finally, I'm learning again. I was even excited about having homework. I know: nerd. Tomorrow we get in the water and have our first lesson with all the gear. SUPER PSYCHED.

On another note, we're getting two new roommates this weekend. Effectively doubling the population of the house. Cleaning out the kitchen cupboards and extra rooms was a daunting task, but we took care of it like champs on Tuesday. Sean and I discovered that somewhere along the way between the 5 persons that have lived in this apartment, we accumulated 4 whisks, 3 potato mashers, 2 can openers, 3 wine keys, 4 vegetable peelers, and a wicked new food processor that took us 10 minutes to figure out how all the pieces work. No lie. But we are excited about it and felt super smart. We are also not allowed to buy spaghetti, oil, spices, sauces, mustard, or basil from now until eternity.

Today I got the real estate agent to do his job and fix the broken things in the apartment. Finally. It only took forever. AND. We get to keep the apartment for a minimal increase in rent for another year starting in October. Whew. No moving for this crew, because that would have been a major bummer. Especially since we have no clue when we're moving on from Macoma. I can also get the deposit back after nine months if we give them one month notice that we're moving out. See boys and girls, it does pay to be a good tenant.

I miss home though. Kinda wish this apartment and this job was in New Orleans. Sigh...

Losing Friends is Never Easy.

I need to take this opportunity to write a post about someone who was amazing.

For four summers of my life I worked in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania in the woods of Caledonia State Park. Judy Houser was our executive director.

Judy Houser was a friend.

She took care of me when I was a little lost girl in the woods of Pennsylvania all by myself. She looked after me and Cadi when we were hanging out past our expiration date at Totem Pole. While she was fighting the ultimate battle of her life, she let me sit in her office and rage to her and Sue about whatever I was feeling at the moment. Happy or sad, she heard it with words of wisdom and love. She laughed at me when it snowed and (as a Southerner) I had no clue how to walk on the icy walkway to her office. She gave me work when I needed it and support when I needed that and while those few months in the woods were lonely for me, knowing Judy and Sue and Kathy were there helped. More than she may ever know.

I hope she rests easy. But I lost a friend. And nine thousand miles away from where my heart is at this given time, I am sad.

So Judy, this post is for you. It's not much, but from a scared, sad little girl to a woman who will always be remembered as one of the strongest women I know, thank you. You are and will be missed but never forgotten.

Two Posts in Two Days. On a ROLL.

As my goal for July - and July only - is to keep you, my devoted readers, more informed on my comings and goings in China, I will attempt to update my blog FOUR times this month. Yes, count 'em FOUR. Remember people, baby steps. Will reevaluate the goal for August after seeing how this month goes.

No end in sight for the follow spot situation due to extenuating circumstances (re: people leaving faster than we hire). THUMBS WAY UP.

This weekend, on a lighter note, was lovely. More of those please.

I'd also like to start taking weekend getaways to China. Dangerous, yes, but I hear it can be done AND keep your sanity. Ambitious, no? I figure, though, if we stay in the hotel most of the time and just get out of Macau, but be sure to pack a bag full of snacks, it's a winning situation for all involved!

I need to start cleaning out my closet and ridding it of surplus tank tops (I will count before I start, just to let you all know exactly how big my tank top problem is) and other things I don't wear. It's actually not that much, but I feel like I have accumulated WAY too much crap here. Story of my life, really. It's just so easy when all there is to do to make yourself feel better is shop.

Today's Forecast: R8 and Climbing...

So there's a little something we like to refer to in Macau as the "Rage Virus." Let's just say it's not pretty and it strikes at very predictable (and sometimes unpredictable) times.

Today we ventured to Hong Kong to experience the joys Ocean Park had to bring us. Our day started out by arriving at the ferry terminal 20 minutes before the ferry (plenty of time on a NORMAL day to catch a ferry) only to find out the 930am ferry we can get for 1/3 the price with our staff IDs was sold out and instead we would have to take the 1045 ferry. Not convenient if you have to wait 1.5 hours. So we paid full price for another ticket and were off on the 10am ferry bound for adventure.

And rage.

Normal days on a ferry there are maybe 30 other people on board. Today there was much more. When we got to immigration, there was a line the likes of which have never been seen before by any of the 6 of us in HK. Out. Of. Control. And we're still not sure it's even a holiday in China. It wasn't in Macau, that's for sure.

We took a taxi to Ocean Park (smart move, as the rage just gets higher the longer you spend with public transport - proven fact) and tickets in hand, began our fun filled day.

Let's just say by 5pm, half of us had had ENOUGH and the other half were ... growing weary.

One of us had her sunglasses knocked off her head three - that's right - THREE times by three separate umbrellas (or offenders - in the case of the cleaner on the ferry). And waiting in those long lines with people who have absolutely zero concept of personal space is exhausting when personal space is something you value.

However we did invent a new version of the China walk that is suitable for the summer parasol that may or may not blind you when wielded by the careless. If you need pointers, we might post a YouTube video.

After riding all the rides and sweating more than anyone would have thought possible, we attempted to make a 715 showing of a movie, only to find out that it is the last night in HK and only showing was 945. Too late for us tired girls. So instead, we bought expensive cheeses (Ok, I bought 4 types of pricier cheese) and had some amazing Greek food for dinner, bought takeout for lunch tomorrow, went power shopping for 15 minutes and caught the ferry back to Macau. Sometimes even getting away isn't a getaway.

Malaysia in September, though, sounds just about right. Stay tuned for details.

For those of you out there lucky enough to enjoy it: be thankful for your non-Chinese world. The R8 isn't pretty. And for some of us, it's unavoidable. If you must experience, be sure you surround yourself with people who understand the Rage Virus. It's the only way to make it out alive.

The Rainy Season

It promises to ruin every weekend we have for the foreseeable future. Rubbish weather. So as you can imagine, it rained this weekend. I had a very agreeable weekend planned: spend Tuesday at the pool, go plant shopping for Clara Camille's cage, get some Sari fabric for the Bollywood party next weekend, maybe do a nice outdoors dinner (with plenty of bug spray handy), just general chillaxing (yeah I said it. what.) and wandering around Macau.

Instead we got rain.

The girls and I did sushi Monday night instead of going out, which was the best idea we could have had. Tuesday, the general Macau public woke to rain, rain, and more rain. So we saw the new X-Men movie which was pleasantly surprising and also provided a couple possibilities for Halloween costumes. Let's just say one involves white go-go boots and the other black go-go boots. Whichever I find first dictates which one I pick. Then we wandered around Macau in the pouring rain. I bought some new flowers for the apartment - my new favorite, fresh flowers. Some gorgeous lilies and some what smells like gardenias and some huge bright orange daisies. Loves them. Then when we got tired of being wet, we went to the Venetian for power hour - happy hour with 45 Mop martinis and free steak sandwiches. Had a martini and then shopped for a bit, before calling it quits and retiring back here for a real dinner and some movies. Wednesday was quiet - movies and Teriyaki stir fry. I made some awesome cookies and then all of the sudden the weekend was over. Rubbish.

I spend my days playing Angry Birds and often wonder what it must be like to have a real grown up job. Probably not as good as mine.

The really expensive silk bedspread I bought in Beijing at the silk factory is on my bed now (looks SUPER nice with my fresh flowers) and I once again think to myself, "how are you ever going to readjust to life back home?"

No clue.

I'm reminded of a Zoolander quote "Who am I?" to which is reflection replies "I don't know." Kinda how I feel. BUT. Life here is ok for now. Don't know where I'm going, but I sure know where I been. That's a little Whitesnake for those of you at home playing along.

I was thinking about this today. I have travelled so far away from home, and I am surrounded by people and places and things who have no clue who I am and what I am about. I am sometimes amazed that I have managed to stay so true to who I am. But you know something? I credit my youth with that. It made me never want to be anything or anyone other than Southern. Why would you? The food, the language, the sayings, the people, the climate, the attitude, the food, the beer, the landscape, the food, the people, the beer, crawfish, the flowers, seafood, the food, the beer, the people, etc, et al...

Whenever I meet people here and they have something negative to say about Americans, they always clarify it with crediting me as an exception.

I always reply, "It's ok. I'm Southern. We're different."

And I mean that with all my heart. Why would you possibly want to be anything else?

No Rest for the Wicked. Or the Weary.

I know, this posting thing, I'm rubbish. I was reminded of this fact by my close friend this evening. A friend who lives here in Macau and I see... NOT OFTEN ENOUGH. So here's a post for her. AND. For Melissa Miller. Whom I love and adore and speak to NOT OFTEN ENOUGH. Sense a theme here? ... Awkward silence...

Anywho.

Clara Camille is shedding. Rarely have I been prouder. Sean mentioned today that she was bigger and I hadn't really noticed (I mean, I look at her every day...) but turns out she's shedding all over. My little girl is growing up... Isno, on the other hand, is just Isno. Chewing the bars of her cage at night, so she has been banished to the kitchen. I think she likes it there, though...

This weekend brought us Macomians a day at the pool (it was SO QUIET), our first T3 typhoon of the season, a delicious dinner, lots of rain and wind, and for a few of us adventurers, a day in Three Lamps where we stocked up on plants and flowers, among other things. I now have a peace lily, a bamboo, an african violet, an aloe plant, a cactus, a basil plant, a rosemary, and an oregano, along with three other plants in Clara Camille's cage and an unnameable plant. I am quite domesticated, you see.

On the bright side, the typhoon this weekend showed me that not only does one of our living room windows' sealing leak, so does the wall in my bedroom. In two places. I have two wet patches around my window bay and it is clearly coming from the wall, not the window. That won't be a quick fix. And the one in the living room managed to leak probably a liter of water onto the window bench overnight, soaking the power strip for Clara Camille's cage. Ah, Chinese construction.

So Mom and Brother came to visit. It was so nice to have them here. SO. Nice. They met my pets, we did a whirlwind tour of China, including Xi'an to see the Terracotta Army, and Beijing where we saw the Forbidden City, Tiennamen Square, and a silk factory. We also spent two days in Hong Kong. Turns out, the smog in Macoma is bearable considering the abominable pollution elsewhere in the Chinese continent. They said they liked the show and on the last day the fam was here, they got the grand tour of not only the backstage area, BUT ALSO the Chinese Movie Awards. Big stuff here people, Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery important. Not quite the Oscars, not as entertaining as the Tony's. But more tacky and definitely more difficult to understand.

So after the CMA's (not to be confused with the Country Music Awards, which my friend and your's Courtney Cole attended this year looking VERY glamorous), we had a week of dark which means there were no shows and we drained the pool for maintenance. I like the darks, I spent a week in the bottom of the pool working on the lift LEDs, and there was no one around. We get so much done and we're on a somewhat normal schedule. It's quiet and we get evenings off - BONUS.

But all good things must come to an end and now the artists are back looking very tan and god-like after their vacations, the pool is filled again, and Franco's back in a couple of days looking to recreate the show. No rest for the wicked. Or the weary. And we in Macoma are both, these days.

Sick. Again.

For a girl who never got sick at home, I sure do seem to spend a lot of my time here at the doctor's clinic. There is a wicked cold/virus/flu thing going around work right now and it seems to have caught up with me. I feel wretched. I thought it was just the fact that I've started sleeping with the aircon on, but waking up at 6am sneezing and dripping with snot just seems to indicate something else entirely, does it not? A quick visit to the clinic down the block and I now have four meds to take and a day off work to spend catching up on Law and Order SVU, even though I seem to have seen every episode I attempt to watch.

Moving on.

This weekend was lovely. The girls and I ventured to Hong Kong after a super late night and spent much money, had a delightful luncheon of Greek food (which is the one thing you cannot find in Macau), and made our way back to Macau after some much needed retail therapy and laughter. Then yesterday we made our way to the pool and spent our afternoon in the company of sunshine and water. It was delightful. Once we stopped being silly and sweating our tails off in the sun and got in the water, I needed nothing else. There really are some quite delightful people in Macau. Mexican for dinner and we trundled off to dreamland...

Only to be woken at 6am sneezing. Charming, you might imagine.

Next weekend, Mother and Brother come to Macau to experience the culture shock. We'll venture to Hong Kong for a couple days and then move onward to tour China and see the touristy sights like the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Army, etc. I must admit that while I am not so much looking forward to China, it will be nice to see some sights and get that out of the way so that I can focus on taking other exotic vacations.

I decided on a name for my chameleon: Clara Camille. Classically old school. I wanted to name her Audrey Grace, but it seems so...human. So Clara Camille it is. I also just inherited a hamster who goes by Isno from some friends who had to leave quite suddenly and needed a home for it. I guess with my plants and my new pets you might say I am becoming rather domesticated here in the Macoma. How long will it last? Only time will tell.

Must focus on the television now...