Crawling out of where?

Talking to my mom this morning on Skype a roach crawled out of my computer! Oh my goodness! If they're laying eggs inside of my computer I'm going to just die! Can you imagine? I think I need to start backing things up today just in case the roaches take over my hard drive. I think I'm going to try and take pictures of these little guys. It may have to be a picture of a dead one because they run so fast! Gotta go...I'm going to RAID them!

Some eatin'

I wanted to share with you what the food is like here in China. Many of these photos are from when my mom was here. I'll try and break them down....This one will be all cold dishes. We have thinly sliced non-cooked potatoes and spicy cucumbers, pickled radishes, spinach, something with three different things (rice noodles, seaweed, carrots), and cucumbers and garlic.

Health Check

Do ya'll remember last year's health examination and the story that went with that one? Well, this one wasn't as dramatic, thank goodness.

Little side note here: I was called on Sunday (by my teacher) to bring in my passport so I could get my new visa. I came on Monday afternoon. I get there and he wants me health certificate from last year as well as four visa photos. What?!?! I don't have these. And I wasn't sure if I had thrown the health certificate away. I was in panic. So I run home and pull out every sheet of paper that I own and start looking for these documents. Low and behold, there they are, and with visa photos! So I hop back on my bike, pedal as fast as I can back to the school and deliver these things. (My visa was going to expire on Wednesday.)

Yesterday my teacher calls again. He wants me to bring my health certificate back up there. (They made a copy on Monday.) So I ride on up there give the certificate and he points out that it has expired. I really should pay attention to these things. So, what did that mean. That meant that yesterday afternoon I had to get new visa photos made and that this morning I had to go get a health examination in Old City.

Hopping in the taxi without my morning coffee was a drudgery in and of itself. I had no idea how much I rely on my coffee each day. Needlesstosay, I was a little slow this morning. I get to the hospital and see my Korean health exam buddy from last year. There he is, waiting for me and the teacher.

So we go through the whole morning of this exam and I found out that I'm so healthy! I'm much healthier than last even! Woo! Hoo! (That's for Amy Kannel!)

Yeah, I've lost 4 kilos in 2 mos. You might think that a lot or too much. But don't forget, I'm training for the marathon. I promise, I'm eating plenty! My pulse is 50 and I had been moving around already! And my blood pressure was 110/62. I was so happy! Of course, the doctor did get onto me about my eyesight. Apparently that is not good (I was scolded) and my night vision isn't good. But I'm not wasting these contacts I have just because they're not the "perfect" prescription. :)

Update on the Rrrroaches: still dying....

Lately

So lately some interesting things have been happening. Where do I even begin? I think I'll start with the Rrrroaches (say it with a roll of the tongue). Yes, I am living in a roach-infested apartment! And it's disgusting. Gives me the shivers. Yuck! So they first came on the scene, let's see, at the end of July. My way of dealing with bugs like that is to ignore them and hope that they just decide to go away. But I am smarter than that. I knew that wouldn't happen, just hoping it would. I returned from Beijing after being there with my mom, to see that hope was crushed and they rrrroaches were everywhere! Oh my gosh! What is a girl to do?

Girls, by definition (my opinion), are not meant to, nor should they have to, kill colonies of rrrroaches! No way! And after not being able to sleep for many nights because of the fear and paranoia of having roaches crawling all over me I called for help! I called an American guy who lives here. I've become friends with his wife. He did a ton of research online as what the problem would be and how to fix it. I bought trashcans with lids, removed EVERYTHING from my kitchen and totally disinfected the place! And yesterday the guy came over for the day while I hung out with his wife. He sprayed my den and kitchen with this highly potent stuff. Flipped my furniture upside down and sprayed it. Moved my fridge and sprayed that. Mopped my floor, and a bunch of other stuff. He found where they were all living and he said there were millions. I'm so glad I didn't find that. I would have died!

We also realized that they started coming into my house from my neighbors who live above me. So he came back that night and caulked my ceiling and all of the cracks in it. The poor guy worked so hard. So these nasty little guys are coming out of the woodwork and dying all over my house. They're dead and laying there. Gross.

Hopefully more will be dying as the days go on...

Look at all the birds

Traditionally in China old men carry around their song birds in these little cages. They take them to parks and other meeting places and meet together to hear the birds sing in harmony. We saw these birds many places as you can see!

Go Where?

So while in Xi'An and Beijing we were well...lost a few times. So we had to ask directions many, many times. Here are those times captured...

Engaged!

Not me! My little sister, Jennifer (affectionately called Jennipoo by me), is engaged! She's marrying a son of friends of the family. I just wanted to share the news! We're all excited!

Beijing Olympics

Our sitings of the Olympic excitement! We have mom there so excited as she stands in front of the "Birds Nest". This is where opening ceremonies was held as well as all track and field events. Part of Team Poland there standing and waiting. A car decorated for the event. (There were many of those; it made them "official".) Mom is standing with what my friends and I affectionately call the "friendlies". Those dolls that are mascots for the Olympics. The countdown board to the Olympics, which has been going on for I don't know how long. More to come...

Still Alive

Ran 13 miles this morning...I'm still alive.

The Squatty-Potty

For some of you this post may not be a "socially acceptable topic". But for the sake of culture, I have to do it. Please bare with me. This is a picture of a squatty-potty as the foreigners affectionately call it. It's called that because that's what you have to do-squat down. This is the preferred "toilet" in Asian culture, not just China. It's also popular in parts of Africa. I first encountered this "toilet" in Cambodia, again in Kenya, in India and now again in China. And usually in these bathrooms there is no toilet paper provided. So you must bring your own or well...there's a problem.

Another interesting story. Don't know if I shared this earlier, but as my parents and I were on the train to Xi'An at the beginning of our trip there was a toddler going to the bathroom in the public hallway of the train. And the mother was watching as it was running down the hall of the train. Then two of my friends were traveling on a train just last week and the woman woke up in the middle of the night to find that the child who was sleeping above her was urinating over the side of the bunk onto the floor. At first it's completely gross, but then you have to laugh at it. I mean, you know, This Is China. Oh and there will be more of these stories I'm sure. There are always more...

We found Wal-Mart!

Mom and I found Wal-Mart while we were in Xi'An. It wasn't like the one at home though. As you can see by the huge containers of rice a fish!

Back in Yinchuan

I have returned to Yinchuan as of late last night. And mom is still on her plane back to NC. We spent our last day in Beijing yesterday walking through the city. We went to the airport early and saw so many of the Olympic teams flying in from all over the world. It was so fascinating and fun! The news stations were everywhere and the Beijing airport was packed with people! I'll post pics later.