Stolen Time

Well, it's August 2 and the next time that I post I will be living at Beida in Beijing.....scary thought huh. The 'i'm going to china' comment is actually becoming a reality whether I am ready for it or not. I have spent the last week shopping (guh), in a feeble attempt to reclaim all that was lost. I realized last night that the missing suitcase had my retainers as well and after I relayed my recollection to my mother....it was decided that early this morning I would have to go in and have new ones made. Bah.

So this morning, this very last morning that I am going to be in America, I had to get up at seven and take myself down to the dentist....again. I swear he must think I have a weird obsession with the dental chairs or something because this morning was my third trip there in five days. They made molds of mouth and I was on my way, with the promise that I would return later this afternoon to have them fitted. No sooner had I been home ten minutes when "USAirways" pops up on caller ID. I'm in shock, maybe I was dreaming. Maybe I was still asleep on my last American morning and the dental chair was only a sick joke. Nope, it was no dream. They had found my bag; it had been here the whole time. Geez. So apparently (as of now I have yet to capture a glimpse of said bag) it's coming this afternoon. So this means, that all the receipts and tags must be placed back with all the items bought this week and returned. Man, so not cool at all. I knew my week in Dallas was going to be busy, but I had wanted to spend quality time with mum and dad (i never get to see him) and adam, and instead I feel like the bag debacle robbed me of every last bit of family time. That's the part that really hurts. I don't mind having to return everything....i like my old stuff way better, but time, time you cannot get back, and right now, at this very moment I feel like my time was stolen. I've only seen my dad for maybe six days since Christmas and instead of hanging out with him (i don't care if we just sit in the same room and read) I had to go out and spend my time shopping for what was apparently lost (and apparently found). So at the end of all this what have I gotten.....nothing really, except a stressful week in Dallas, that is buttressed against what will be a full and stressful month of study in Beijing. Hmmm, Chinese neck massages here I come....maybe acupuncture too, or taichi????

And so on this last day in America, after procuring strange Texas type gifts for my headmaster (to the tune of Armadillo Droppings (pralines) etc.) I find myself with only time for one last run in America, one last dinner, and maybe one last quality tv show (that isn't going to be a bootleg copy purchased on the pedestrian fly-overs in Beijing....quality dvd sellers there no doubt).

It's 100 in Dallas today...it's 90 and raining in Beijing, go figure. I'm excited to be back in Beijing; I've got some friends there now and hopefully on one of my two days off this month I'll be able to meet up with them and catch up on life. I can't wait to see the campus of Beida; I've heard it's breathtakingly beautiful and I have no reason not to believe it, after all it is only minutes from the Yihe yuan (summer palace) and it's really beautiful there (minus the ominous grey sky of course...but that's always there). Hmm, maybe on the 18 hours I've got from San Fran to Beijing I will have to read my new camera manual so I can start taking pictures as soon as I get there.

I've yet to decide whether or not I am going to make the "no eating at American chain restaurants" pact with myself like I did last summer in Beijing. I think in a year I might crave a little bit of home (even if it comes at Christmas as a quater-pounder with cheese). So I'll just say that I am going to attempt to stay away from the American food, after all....Chinese food is rather delectable and I've had visions of street vendor food in China for a whole year.