Rabbit rabbit!

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Today was the last day of april. I can easily say this april has been the best i have ever experienced. As the days get warmer, im not sure if it gets better then this. Everyday i am blessed with the realization of the amount of opportunity i have in my life. I want to go left and right, all at the same time. I lie in my bed, sipping tea from wuyi, contemplating my next steps. Im so curious and easily distracted. I want to travel everywhere in the world. I want to learn every language. I want to meet and understand all the different people in the world. I was looking at summer classes online today and saw an intensive 5 week french course, its only 4 credits so i wouldnt get financial aid, and if i take 6 or more i dont qualify for any pell grants. I think thats twisted. If i take 6 i could get a loan but is a french course and possibly a 2 credit ballet class; is that worth it? I have to decide soon, and really think about the importance and impact those courses would make in my life. It would make it harder to work, since i left casa mia and i have the opportunity to come back, i feel like my schedule wont be as flexible. I want to not work my senior year and bang out the year full steam ahead, with all my focus on my studies and next step to graduate school, but it seems lazy, and un practical. I will still stress about money and rent and bills even if i take out a loan for the 3 quarters. Im just exhausted by the end of the work day and my studies suffer. But i have made it this far with working full time and i still make time to do what i love. I can only imagine what i could accomplish with only working once or twice a week. I need to look into other scholarship opportunities before i even think about a loan. I know money is out there, i just have to find it. Anyways, chinese is not offered next year unfortunately. So why not french! Im still decent with my spanish. I didnt realize how much i remembered until i came to china, and as i struggled to find words in chinese, Spanish has been flowing out like a bad case of diarrhea! They wont understand my english let alone Spanish! But my mind cant help it. I have even been busting out sign language on accident in replacement of lack of chinese vocabulary. I told a lady on the train her baby was beautiful in sign language. I didnt even stop to think for a second, it just came out. From what little french i have looked up online, it flows much easier from my tongue then chinese. Im excited to get to switzerland and be exposed to french, swiss, and german! Im not very prepared for the language but i do things best while "winging" them. I know, hello, thank you, goodbye, how are you, and please in french already. Im trying to learn 3 words a day, on top of my chinese studies. I am learning so much chinese just from everyday interactions. I am sure it will be the same once im in europe. Ahh europe, what a lovely surprise adventure to embark on. China has been an eye opener. Im still learning so much about my self and the culture each day. The last two days have been labor day, so all i have done is eat, and sleep. Its weird being "lazy" after going hard for a month straight. The hot and humid climate makes it difficult to get motivated, but luckily i have my bike now 😊 it takes far less time and energy to get places. I want to get an umbrella holder for my bike, for shade and freak rain storms. When it rains, it pours, hard. Reminds me alot of myself. When i break down, which isnt often, i break down hard and good, but the clouds always part and there is always the most beautiful sunset or sunrise after. Things always get better. My patience has been tested, and ive stayed strong. Im trying to not let the bed bug bites all over my knees stop me from getting a good nights rest.. 6 bites and counting. I figure once it gets to 15 or 20 i can ask for a room change. I dont want them thinking i am a wuss. I think its kinda silly im thinking that way, but ive been keeping my thoughts as optimistic as much as possible. And i like my room, its starting to feel roomy and something of my own. One thing that drives me crazy is "heels lady" upstairs above me. She wears her heels around her room from 6:45 to 7:20 am EVERY morning. I have almost gone up there a few times to tell her to knock it off. By the time its annoyed me enough to go up there she leaves. But man oh man, she drives me mad! Who does that? Clunking around in loud ass heels in a dorm with people below you. She does it for an hour each night too, like right now, hence why im bitching about it. It doesnt bother me as much at night then it does in the morning. Headphones seem to help 😊. But my legs do itch.. And i always feel "things" crawling on my legs. Bed bugs might start to become an issue, but for now im staying positive. Tomorrow will be a new fresh day, im looking forward to the 75 degree weather with hopefully low humidity. Ive had bad cramps so im going to ride my bike to the library across campus and do a morning hike up the mountain to get a nice morning view of the lake before everyone in town occupies it for the last day of labor day. Its been packed these last few days. I also booked a hostel for may 15th through the 23rd at tourin backpackers hostel. They are close to the lake, had great reviews, and a weeks stay (with bike parking and free wifi) came out to $30 bucks! I might stay there till the 1st or try out another hostel until i move to shanghai for my last week before i fly out. We will see. I also get to see a movie with joohee and our new monk friend charlie from the monk academy tomorrow. He wants to see iron man 3. Im so curious to know what the movies will be like in china. Me and joohee joked around asking stupid questions like "will they have popcorn?" Haha maybe they will.. Right next to the fried duck feet, i guess we will see. Joohee and i have been talking to charlie on QQ. He is our age and chose to be a monk. He wont ever have a girlfriend, or a family, and will be a vegetarian forever. We have been so curious about his choice of devotion to buddha. I have kinda had a stereotypical view on monks until i have gotten to know them better. There are still so many questions, charlie has been kind enough to answer our questions as best as he can with his little english and translator tool. He is not an orphan, and his family approved his decision to be a monk. He used to pray at a temple in shanghai and last year he decided to attend the monk academy. Its confusing at times, when he is allowed an iphone and outside the academy friendships, but he is not aloud to have a family or even a girl friend. We learned today that he cant have one because with his devotion to the sutra and buddha, they will suffer. Buddha says that you have to pick, and if you choose buddhism and a family, your family will suffer, so in this case he chooses buddha. It makes a little more sense, but im not clear on how a monks life can be completely enlightening without love or loving another person? Maybe love comes in a different form that im not wise enough to understand yet. Its fascinating learning about his beliefs and how different his culture and upbringing has been. He is extremely shy and wants to better his english. After the tea party he told us we inspired him to practice more and to not be afraid to try and make mistakes. its easy to say nothing, but taking the risk and learning through failure is the best way to learn. I think he saw how horrible our chinese was and that being as bad at english himself makes it easier to practice. It will be a win win situation tomorrow, we all can practice and not be afraid to fail. Im looking forward to may, im trying to save some money for a nice tea set to bring home, ive been keeping my eyes peeled for the perfect one. I have fallen in love with the tea culture and history. Im also excited to make tea for all my friends and family when i get home. Well, im pretty exhausted, and im glad i spent the last 2 hours typing this out (with my thumb!!) im sure it will help me sleep better, a clear mind makes for much better sleep. Although, I miss my snuggle buddy. He would always rub my back for me when it hurt, and snuggle me silly till i fell asleep. 36 days till we will be in each others arms again. The distance has caused me to appreciate him more and more, and there is not a day that goes by when im reminded of how grateful and lucky i am to have his support during my travels and adventures here in china. He is so cluckin awesome 😊 if you are reading this sweetie know that i cluck u and miss you! Goodnight!<3
Oh and we just got a QQ from charlie asking to meet for the movies at 8 in the morning, we are trying to ask why so early and he said he has to be back to his academy by 5 oclock, when we asked again, he said.. Well if 830 doesnt work how about 9? Haha his concept of time is funny. Is the movie theatre even open that early? Well i guess we are going at 9 in the morning! Only in china do u go see a movie with a monk at 9 in the morning!

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