Two pairs of chopsticks, and empty tea bottle and fish bones

Hello -

Matt and I are killing some more time at an Internet cafe in Nanjing. Our train doesn't leave until 10:30 tonight. Our time in Nanjing has been great! We got to eat some really good food, spent some quality time with the dumpling master and some even better quality time with a block of cheese - Gouda, very good.

We got to meet all of the new volunteers - they are a fun group and I am glad that I was able to meet them all before conference in the winter. Also, really glad to see a couple of the old vols posted here because Dec./Jan. is a long ways away! I am really happy to meet the vol going to Guyuan, besides the lack of cheese there, I think that he will do smashingly! Hopefully we will be able to work out a visit to the school when Michelle, our Program Director, goes out there. I would love to see my kids again and see how the new vol. is doing there.

Eeew, someone just hocked one up onto the floor.

Anyhow, a man just came in and kicked over the trash can right next to me, it wasn't very full, but now there are 2 pairs of chopsticks, an empty tea bottle and some fish bones next to me. Like right next to me. He didn't even think twice about not picking up the trash can of trash that is now littered on the floor. Like a lot else here, it is someone else's responsibility - probably why the cities are so dirty and scummy - always someone else's responsibility.

Anyhow, I am excited about going to the big city, but feel a little like a country bumpkin. Matt and I find ourselves staring and pointing at the foreigners as much as the locals do. I am extremely embarrassed by how much I did stare at a black guy, but I haven't seen a real life black person in about a year! I am such a dork - going back to the States will be interesting....

The fish bone thing still has a tail :P

I hate fish.

Hopefully teaching university students will go okay. I think I will be irritating to them as I am just coming out of Jr. and Sr. middle school. I am just worried about filling the time as 1.5 hours seems like an awful long time, especially if a lesson is going badly. Oh well, I'm sure it will be fine. Since I am such a huge spaz in class, it is at least entertaining for the students if nothing else.

Anyhow, we got the keys to our next home, so not homeless anymore and we will get to our new home for the next year sometime tomorrow morning.

Goodbye to blue skies and starry nights for the next year!

Later!

PS - I have been having trouble with all of my email accounts. Probably just paranoia, but I seem to have a "bug" and I can't always access either account regularly (took 20 min to open my email last time and them couldn't open any messages). Just so you know, if you don't hear from me right away. My big brother is always looking out for me, right?