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Published: March 1st 2013
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
As Felix points out, this picture says it all.
My face: Heeheeheeee this is awesome!
Peggy's: Ehhhh... how do you... ehhhh...
Sara's: (hand clap) Ok, let's DO THIS!Who has two thumbs and has been snowboarding in China???
This girl has!!!
Let me lead into this effectively… There have been a lot of staff absences at our center this past couple weeks. Naturally, because of the relative flexibility in our schedule, Sara (and really, with it being FTs being gone… just me) and I have been landed with the brunt of the extra hours. On top of that, our schedule was changed drastically leaving us with an alleged 10-6 schedule, rather than everyone else’s 2-9 schedule… but the absences have found us working, essentially, 10-9 on multiple days in a row. This has meant that we have been extremely confused, frustrated and tired, leading to us feeling pretty burnt out in general. Fortunately for me, my friends of Chinese descent are extremely in tune with my feelings and needs, and have been wonderful about reaching out in exactly the ways that I’ve needed.
Last week, two delightful invitations came about. The first was from Zoe who arranged for us to meet up and have a blind massage after one of my busiest days. What a fantastic thing! Most people would probably be appalled at the experience in
Snowboarding!
Sara and Peggy general as it is far from the bamboo-flute-and-fountains massage experience that you typically find at home… but it was exactly what this body needed last week!
Then, my friend Peggy had told me right after the break that she missed out on a chance to learn to ski in Beijing because she had taken ill over the holiday. So, I told her that we should go some time – that if she’d switch to a snowboard instead of skis, I could teach her instead! Early last week, Peggy informed me that she had made 3 reservations at a nearby ski hill, and that we’d go on Wednesday. Love these girls! I can’t think of any better cure for a burn out than a massage and a bit of snow!
So, Wednesday, Sara, Peggy and I made the 2 hour drive (there… may have been a sighting of some random foriegn girl driving in China… this can be neither confirmed nor denied…) up to Daming Mountain where there is a beautiful ski area. Unfortunately, with the weather being what it is, there was only one small run and it was made entirely of man-made snow (which has the consistency
of a snow-cone). However, I couldn’t have cared less about the quality of the snow itself, because the experience was absolutely incredible. See, Peggy and Sara have never so much as touched a ski or a snowboard, let alone attempted to use the things. So, it was an experience in and of itself to teach these girls to board. Now, admittedly, Peggy looked a lot like I did on my first snowboarding adventure. She spent a lot of time on her rear-end and wound up finishing a little early out of complete exhaustion. She continued to be her bubbly self, even after we were done, but I could definitely sympathize with the look on her face during her last run. Sara, on the other hand… good night! The girl tore the hill up! She made the “experienced” boarders around us look like children. She instantly took to the controls, and was fearless as far as picking up speed. It was actually kind of unbelievable. Granted, at one point she was heard to shout, “Jessi! I don’t know how to slow down!” on one high-speed run… but nevertheless, I had to ask her several times if she was being honest with
me that she’d never done anything like this – no skiing, no skateboarding, surfing… anything. Incredible. Look out, boarding world… we have a new addict!
After our snowboarding adventure, there was a belated company New Year’s dinner at good ol’ Grandma’s Kitchen (a very popular restaurant among Westerners and tourists). I found myself, once again, pulled and squeezed into a chair at a table of naught but Chinese ladies. Even I will admit that my ability to understand conversations is getting frighteningly accurate… but this setting is still an exhausting one for me. It was all I could do to not beg them to let me go home when the next pull and squeeze took place: I was going out with them.
Now, I’ve gone out with groups of Chinese people before. Typically, it consists of sitting at a noisy club or bar playing this fantastically simple dice game that requires no verbal communication, but rather a lot of hand gestures. My kind of night in China! Wednesday, however, was a different story.
Wednesday, my friends, I experienced KTV.
KTV is a hot pastime here in China. The Chinese can’t
KTV
Yeah, that happened. get enough of it, and it’s always a big to-do when they go. People go ga-ga over opportunities to go to KTV, and many people drop a lot of money to do it.
KTV, my friends, is Karaoke. But this is not any kind of Karaoke like you or I have experienced. No, this is no local dive bar trying to drive in a few extra drinkers on Tuesday nights for their moment in the spotlight. Nope. This is a high-end, private-room extravaganza. You are ushered to this sound-proof 12x10 lounge (which actually resembles the back of a limo, to help your imagery here), complete with leather couches and a huge flat-screen TV. If you so desire, you can dim the lights and cue the disco ball and lasers…. I mean, why not? Table service is available, or you can BYO-food, beverage… whatever. My group opted for potato chips and cotton candy… I mean, why not? And off we went for 3 hours of self-served entertainment. Much to my own surprise, several English songs were snuck in among the ranks, and I found myself being shoved to my feet, microphone in hand... I mean, why not? I have never
in my life sung as many Taylor Swift songs as I did tonight. But, what can I say… the girls have a thing for a cowgirl accent, I guess.
So that, my friends, is the Chinese Herbal Medicinal Natural Holistic cure for a burnt out employee: good friends, a day on the slopes, and KTV. …I mean… why not?
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grandma
non-member comment
your friends are adorable!.........(well, you are too)...:)......your life is fantastic.....you may find you have found where your soul wants to be for awhile......I\'m so proud and happy for you......Bless you, my precious granddaughter.............grandma