Life in China is evolving into something like Christmas break. I spend all my time watching movies (I've bought 70 DVDs; I counted), drinking coffee, worrying about when I will get my passport back and cleaning the Beijing funk from beneath my nails.
That and reading incessantly and sleeping excessively.
That's right, I'm on my Spring Festival break. And I'm treating it like any other break from school. Except I'm planning all kinds of wonderful places to visit and trying to find comfort from the cold. (I accidentally hit the wrong button on my heater last night and woke up freezing because I had the air conditioner on ALL NIGHT LONG.)
Making new friends, waiting for others to visit, trying to write regularly, thinking about painting, and crocheting lots and lots of different things.
Searching for plane tickets, translating Chinese web sites, trying to avoid getting hungry for fear of venturing into the cold, eating left over candy canes, and looking at all the pictures I've taken in China.
Making lists of things yet to do in Beijing, not washing clothes or dishes, wishing I had my car, hiding money from myself, and planning my classes for next semester.
Talking to my students, friends, family online, arranging my DVDs by actor, rearranging my DVDs by director, tweezing my eyebrows, taking sporadic showers, and charging my cell phone.
Setting my alarm, turning it off when it rings, eating noodles that have been sitting on my stove all night, and lighting candles and incense.
That's what I've been doing with myself.
