I blog here now: whowhatevr.tumblr.com

Over a month ago I started washing my hands of Japan as soon as I set foot in San Francisco. By the time I got to Denver I was done, finito, over it. But I've been having some dreams and reminisces(es?) lately that make it obvious I didn't really wash my hands of that year -- I breathed too much of it in, and it will keep seeping out of my pores until it's finished, I guess. I don't know quite what to make of it, but I do know I need to start writing again.

My last morning in Kashii.
Last shower.
Last tea.
Last trying to will the pigeons off my balcony only by staring.
And lots of frantic last-minute preparations!
Cheery-o.

I've fallen way, way, way behind on communications lately because of my insane schedule at the moment -- so if you've emailed or messaged or carrier-pigeoned me in the past while and haven't heard anything back, don't worry, I don't hate you -- my brain is just a jumble of craziness and busy-ness that I'm having a hard time sorting through and getting organized with. March and April are the busiest months at the school so work is just being PILED on and I've got less than a week to be completely packed and moved out and the next five or six days in particular are just going to SUCK so once again, if you've barely heard from me I don't hate you. I just don't have time to whine AND contact you back, ok?

Just kidding! I ALWAYS have time to whine.

Wait...that doesn't make sense.

God I'm stressed.

I've got this right eye twitch thing that's been happening for the last few weeks and the only time it went away was when I was in China, which makes it clear that communism has magical healing powers. Oh, stereotypes. I'm horrible.

Speaking of China, I know I wrote I'd recount some other China stories, but I'm truly bad at writing about my travels after the fact so even though I had intentions to do so, I just can't. Or won't. Or might. Sometime. I don't know, I'm busy! Quit pressuring me!

Speaking of stereotypes, the #1 question I will be glad never to be asked again once I've left Japan (in two weeks omg omg) is: "do you know how to use chopsticks?" Sigh.

Speaking of me being horrible, after about the tenth time of being asked that question, my response turned from a polite nod and an "mmhmm" to: "do you know how to use a fork?"

I know, I know.

Beijing is huge. China is huge. There are a lot of Chinese people.

All of that seems obvious enough, but sweet motherloving PRC do the bottoms (and sides) of my feet (not to mention my throbbing calves) suggest complete ignorance of the first two. The guidebooks, the Internet, and a handful of students warned me against underestimating the distance of crap in China, but I thought EH, I like walking, and really, it doesn't look THAT far on the maps. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong.

(Also I realize that third statement about there being a lot of Chinese people doesn't really have anything to do with anything except it's incredibly true and seemed to fit with the theme of mis-expectancy.)

Really though, if you saw the state of my feet you probably wouldn't want to associate yourself with me anymore -- and I'd COMPLETELY understand. I mean, they were never the daintiest of extremities, especially with me having been a fledgling runner for a consistent couple years now -- and even being a little proud of the foot and toe deformities that developed out of that. At this moment though -- yeesh. I won't go into the details since you probably don't have the materials for an appropriate response at hand (such as a puke-bucket, or a monocle to exasperatingly drop in your tea).

Basically, the blisters (upon blisters) on the first day (via Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven Park) and the calf-destruction on the second day (via scaling the Great Wall) have got me walking sort of like I'm bowlegged...and on hot coals...with a limp.

But I guess I'm proud of my bowlegged hot coal limp too -- it means I did stuff. And doing stuff is neat. Especially when it's laced with communism!







Obvs. there's much more to tell. I'll recount some anecdotes this week including how I feel about spitting on the street, why I will forever associate Mandarin with the game show Supermarket Sweep, and my Great Wall friend.

But for Mao OOPS I mean NOW HAR HAR HAR here are some photos. I apologize for apparently only being interested in taking pictures of buildings.

It's 1:13 a.m. and I've not packed yet! Shocking.

The first day of March was busy but good. I had a great time in one of my evening classes after they came across vocabulary describing double and single-breasted jackets and it wouldn't be funny to relay all that went down now but drool and drooling had somehow come up earlier in the conversation and then all the new vocabulary got combined and just taken too far and I was practically peeing my pants I was laughing so hard (and that because Saturday is insanely busy and I didn't have time to go to the restroom before class probably helped with that too). Oh man. Hilarity.

And now, to the packingmobile!

Effing China. What the eff.