...and this little piggy went d@!%, s&!?, f%!?#

Hey, everyone!

First, I want to thank you all for your encouragement over the past weeks during my teaching funk. I can't say that I am out of it yet, but I have the National Day vacation coming up, so at least I will get a break from my oh so heavy workload :) I just don't have the motivation to teach yet. I don't think that is coming through in my teaching, but I am just not enjoying it right now. Things will get better with time, I know, I'm sure they will. But in the meantime, BLAH!

Our apartment is nice enough - a lot smaller than the one on Guyuan, but that one was nicer than most places we have lived in! What we really like about campus is being right next to the cafeteria. The cafeteria is great! It is 4 floors of food (the 4th floor is a restaurant), good for quick food and the taste is pretty good too! Our favorite is the third floor cafeteria. You can get made to order stir-fry as well as small hot pots. It's great! Nice to be able to just walk in, get some decent food quickly and go home.

But, now, my business English class has ended (special short term class). I am happy that I will free up an entire day for me, but I did like that class pretty well. They were all adults from a big steel company located in Shandong. They were very attentive and good sports about the things I wanted them to do in class. But now my teaching schedule will be lighter - I will teach 4 hours on Monday (plus 2.5 hours for transit), nothing on Tuesday, a 2 hour night class on Wednesday, four hours on Thursday and a free Friday. Of course they will probably try to get me to work an extra class in October and I will have volunteer hours at Huiling.

Anyhow, I don't know if I told you that Matt and I joined a health club. They are pretty new in China, so the memberships are a little expensive. But, after a year of basically no exercise, thought that it was a good thing to do. The first day at the gym was a very humbling experience. But on the plus side I am not intimidated at all to use the free weights. Usually, at other gyms that I have joined the weight pits were usually dominated by huge men who could heft a car over their heads. But not here! I was told a couple of times that I should not lift weights because I am a woman and my muscles will get too big and man like. I don't know how many times I have said, "well, I think it is good to be strong." in response. I can't believe how weak I had gotten.

But now, I haven't been back for a while because of klutziness. I hurt my toes. Specifically the two small toes on my left foot. Not just the phalange part, but down into the foot area. And, I have repeatedly hurt them. About everyday since the first injury. How? Because of said klutziness. The initial injury was the worst (kinda got stubbed and tangled with a desk), but the week plus or so of hurt that followed the first injury was not only painful but, eventually extremely funny. I would have the white flash of pain as I re-injured my toes, swear, sometimes collapse to the floor grasping said toes (swearing, of course), and, yes at times, some tears were shed. After about day 5 of repeated injury, it just began to be really funny. Hurt like hell, but funny.

Anyhow, I have a week of vacation coming up, so am looking forward to that - looking to get out of the country for a week (Outer Mongolia or South Korea). It does feel strange to be already planning a vacation after only 2 weeks of work, but for some reason, I really mentally need this one!

So, I hope all of you are doing well! Drop me a line when you get a chance - we have been a little lean on email from the US!