I know now why I have sleepless nights...

I'm called to...being beckoned...to stop being fake.

My world is being turned upside down, and it hurts but I love it.

It's as if this walk has layers, and you keep going deeper and deeper into it.

This is a big jump though.

The line is being drawn...and a voice saying: "This is the decision...The choice to be hot or cold...this is where all your comfort is stripped from you, and you make the choice to either continue with your luke-warm heart and flowery words...or risk it all for something other than yourself."

I have never really been selfless. Deep down, I have never really cared about anything other than myself. And I am broken over it.


Yet, I hear that sweet voice, beckoning me...Inviting me to change.





Yes.

I just saw a really pretty girl wearing a shirt...........in big letters on the back it said "DAD"

........hmmmm

I have officially ordered something over the phone and had it delivered to my house successfully!

While you may think that this is petty, I beg you to reconsider.

Chinese is just THAT much harder to understand over the phone. :)

FOR THIS HOUR ONLY:

CHINA IS THE BEST PLACE EVVEEEERRRRRR!!!!!

So, I get my handy dictionary out (online) and I look up the words "Albutorol sulfate"
Which is also known as an inhaler. Medicine that I am in particular need of on a consistent basis.

Now in America....You need to be under the care of a doctor, who prescribes said medication in order to get it filled....which I might add is quite expensive.

WELL, In this here country of ZHONG GUO, you simply need to know the name in Chinese, then you just waltz into any given pharmacy and you can buy it without a prescription for $5.58 USD.

Right now, I'm tearing up because.....it's like.....like justice or something. I can breathe without the help of doctor....with my own mouth...speaking Chinese........IT"S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

I'm never leaving.

I had to talk myself through not buying all four boxes right then....you know?

GIVE ME ALL OF THEM.

haha, like they're going to disappear or something...

no, no.

They are here to stay, and I can buy them whenever I like.

It feels much like what it may feel like if you could just waltz into walmart and buy
Vicodin....no questions asked.


Liberating

If you ever lived in China, and get this........it's hilarious.


http://www.sexybeijing.tv/new/video.asp?id=15

A picture of a restroom inside of a restaurant. taste of China!




I just got back from riding on a motorcycle with a Ghanaian....very interesting things happen to you in China.

I took before and after photo's of the apt so you could see how gross it was at first, and what two days of
scrubbing did to it later. It looks so cute and is so comfy now!!

So here are the before:




















And here are the after!!!! :)















It's a nice apt for china, I'm really lucky. :)




The thing that I am NOT lucky about it how quickly I noticed my tan disappearing...Well, it's at a faster pace than normal because there is almost nothing that you can buy here in China that does not have WHITENING agent in it. These people are so weird....


But tell me this....why is it that I can't buy lotion, soap, cleanser, foundation, or any kind of product without whitening agent in it, but can't find whitening toothpaste ANYWHERE!

I'm telling you people, it looks strange when you look like a ghost but have orange teeth.



I miss you!!!

Ooooo, small baozi's!

SO I am here! And I am AWAKE!

Culture shock is definitely worse the second time around people...let me tell you. The first sight I had after walking out of the airport was a man leaning over into the planter and blowing his nose....it was like his nose was puking. All quite acceptable behavior in China.

My apartment is good, it needs a bit of cleaning and some things to make it feel more homey, but it will come together. It is on the sixth floor and there is no elevator, again I am looking on the bright side here, cause that means that I have to do 6 minutes of unavoidable exercise in order to get to the toilet or my bed. :)

Funny story about that too....yesterday I went grocery shopping, and as I was climbing my stairwell decided that I was going to change my attitude about this whole no elevator thing. So I'm talking to myself as I'm climbing, "Crissa, this is exercise you wouldn't have willingly done" I say as I reach the third floor, "you''ll get used to it in a month and it won't be difficult" I panted as I got to the fourth floor, "you are going to look at this cup as half full! I vow to myself as I take a breather at the fifth floor, "hmmm, that door looks different....." and I keep on truckin' right on up to the sixth floor......I stop dead in my tracks as I look at the door in front of me that is not my door at all.

That's right folks, I climbed the wrong building. These buildings all look exactly alike and if you aren't careful you will wind up climbing 12 flights of stairs any given grocery run.
Read your signs people.


Coke zero has arrived in China! That's right!!! I am thoroughly excited about that.


Well, it would seem that facbk is blocked here right now, so this is the best place to come to know what's going on with me. Save it to your favorites!!!

I love and miss you guys to much,

Crissa
Kexin