The scattered thoughts of a Monday

I put myself on a strict budget a little over a week ago. 20Rmb a day. It has been so awesome to see the oil in the container stay at the same level, if you will. Most days, I can actually use less then the full 20 which is helpful because I can put the left over aside for a day that I need more. {Such as coming up I am sure I will need to buy TP, laundry soap,or shampoo so I will use the extra to go towards that.} There are days when I will spend a little more, but get something that will last a bit longer then the one day or one meal. Such as, buying a large loaf of bread one day so that I don't have to buy it the next. Some days its a jar of mayo or a jar of jam, so that I can make sandwiches for the next few days. I gotta say....I am loving it! I think I have eaten better then before because of being more creative! And I have always loved to see what I can do on a shoestring budget! Instead of just running out and getting a plate of something they make at the cafateria downstairs, I will actually go to the store and buy veggies so I can put together some sort of a pasta salad with my instant noodles. Or, one of my favourite options, is to get some tomatoes and cucumbers and make sandwiches with mayo, garlic salt, and Italian dressing mix. Thursday morning, I want to ask if I can be late to work so that I can make apple fritters for my classmates, teachers, and coworkers. So I have been slowly buying the things I need each day so as not to have to do it all at once. {I already have the flour and oil, so I am just buying things like sugar, eggs, and milk each day.} Oh shoot....that reminds me! I forgot to bring cinnamon. Note to self...find out if any of the 外教 have cinnamon I can use.

My little brothers home coming is getting closer and closer, becoming more and more real. As it dawns on me that this is finally going to happen, we are finally going to be a family of multi-colours, another thing has occurred to me!

My parents are going to come to China!

When my best friend, who you may know as my sister Kade, and younger sis Kat came to visit me for the first time, it was awesome and weird at the same time. I had never really expected my two worlds to come together like that. That was coolness in itself, but to have the people who raised me for the very thing I am doing, come here and see the place that has captured my heart, life, love, and attention?! It is both nerve wracking and exciting all at the same time. Never did I imagine getting to actually have them with me here.

I am hoping that they get to fly into the ZZ airport here and let me pick them up, show em around SIAS and all, and then go together to get Little Dude. However, even if they have to go straight to get the smallest Hep, I will move mountains to be there at the airport when they touch down, and I will still get to see them experience China! They have heard me speak Chinese before,so it isn't like that is going to be a shock or much of a thrill, but they have never had me introduce them in Chinese! :) The fact that they have {I am pretty sure at least} agreed to let me be there to introduce them to their new son....well I could just burst into tears right here and now! When I started learning this language, I do not ever remember thinking about the fact that I could some day use it to show my parents the home of their kids! Never really thought they would ever make it here.

If you get my update emails, you already know that I was asked to stay here and earn my bachelors degree. I would be provided with a scholarship that would waive the tuition fee, leaving only my living expenses such as my room, books, insurance, food, etc etc. My knee jerk reaction was “NO!” cause ya'll know I have never made it a secret that I hate school! Yes, I am loving learning this language, I love my teachers, I love that I know how to carry on a conversation now because of the classes I have attended. And I hate school! Lol! I was afraid that it was only my dislike for studying that kept me from accepting it, so I asked to be given some time to think it over and buzz about it. And then I did just that. For a few days, I thought over it, talked about it with my family back in the Mitt,and spent time in buzzing about it too. In the end, I still decided to turn it down. Even though it is what I wanted, I have to admit that it does make me a bit scared,because that is now another thing that won't keep me here. I have done my best not to think about or try to figure out yet what I am doing after this year of school is over. It was a decision I made before getting here, that I would leave that to my second semester. Not wanting to spend much of my time concentrating on that and taking time away from getting use to my life here and work and all, I thought it best to leave it to the second half. Yet I keep getting things thrown at me that mean I HAVE to think about it, at least a bit. And the fact that even with thinking of it, I still don't know what I am going to do after.....I would be lying if I said it didn't bother me even a little. I know now, though, that I will not be staying at SIAS to earn a bachelors degree in Business.....so perhaps I should take that as a comfort. I know something! Knowing what I am not doing can be as important as knowing what I am doing, at this point at least.

It is strange how things change year to year, though! Last time I was in this situation, I wanted nothing more then to be able to say that I was going to go back to the States to pack up and return a month or two later. I wanted to stay here, even if that meant not going back during the summer at all. I did not want to think about having to go back and stay for an extended undetermined amount of time. This time my first year, I was looking all over for something to do that would keep me here in China for good, and not really allow me to return. {Keep in mind, this time last year my brother was not dating his soon to be wife, so I had no idea that I would have a sister to meet, nor had I burst that new disc and needed to return for medical work, and I was still thinking that there would be a chance for me to work as a staff member for BMH here in China. By the time I flew back to the States, it is true that I wanted to spend a bit of time there, to get my back worked at and to meet my new big sis. Though I did spend more time then I expected to I truly am thankful for the time I spent there and all that happened in my stay!} This time though, I am so excited to go back,...again not for long, but I am looking at staying a little bit. Maybe this time will work the same way as before and because I am wanting this to be a bit longer of a trip it will be a short trip {Like how my last one was to be a short one and it was long!} I am looking forward to being part of my little brother getting to know the family. I don't want to just be that face he saw a few times and knows from camp, but doesn't really know as his sister. That has always been a fear of mine with the siblings I have known since birth and still worry from time to time they will feel that way. {Like they don't know me really} and I don't want it for this brother either.

That being said.....I so want to live in China! I want to be part of kids lives! :-D Just in case anyone was thinking my heart had changed at all!!

But, for now, I am going back to not thinking about the future! :D I am going to concentrate once again on what I am doing right now. My school and my work...and some projects I have not had time to get to yet! I have been wanting to work on something for this summer's camp here and have not been able to get the chance to do it yet. HOPEFULLY, I can get myself to not be so lazy this winter break,and kick my own butt if needs be, in order to get it done in time to start helping with camp prep once school starts back up! I again have such a list of things to do during my break. I just hope I don't end up putting it all aside in order to watch movies and sleep!

And that is today's randomness!

Stuff! A compromise.

So people have asked me, what kinds of things I miss while I am here or things that I can not get easily,in order to send me care packages and such. To be very honest, there are very few that I miss and can simple not do without! There are so many things here that are either close enough to what I would use/eat/buy/find etc back in the States, that I really don't need for much. And so many other things that I can't find when I am in the States that I love so much as well! I think it balances itself out! That being said, there are a few things I have found make life here a little bit easier or that help pull me out of a bad mood, etc. But, when people ask what they can send me, I hate to answer! I really don't like to give people lists of stuff to give me. Yet at the same time, I have been told before that if I do not ever provide answer to that question that I am keeping people from being able to be a blsng.

I have decided a compromise is best. Because I have been asked recently, I figured I would post a blog about the things that I find most useful and then people can always find things on here if they wish to. I find it very awkward to go back and say “Hey, remember you asked if I need anything,..yeah, well now I do!”

Here are some things I will NEVER turn down.

Drink powders/additives. Things like MIO or country time lemonade powders go such a long way to help! Even though drinks here are pretty cheap, it saves me a lot of time and money to be able to make things in my room. Even tea,coffee and kool-aid mix are a great thing to have in my cupboard!

Spices. There are still a lot of spices I can get here, that is true. I could go into ZhenZhou and buy things at the baking store or at Metro....but many of those things come in these HUGE bags that I just don't have the space or money for. And things like garlic powder, cinnamon, basil, nutmeg, and such are all so great to add to my meals and baking, helping me spend less on pre-made stuff and actually be more adventurous in what I can make in my room

Dressing Mixes. I don't eat much salad around here. Though I do try to make some now and then, some of the things for it are pretty hard to come by. The long and short of it is that I do not have a fridge to store something like dressing in, so I can't really have it around. But I brought two packets of Italian dressing with me and I have been using it like a seasoning. I don't really make a dressing so much as add it like a spice to my cooking. Works great! And, if I ever have the stuff around to make a salad, and I can always throw together a dressing as well.

Cheese powder from Mac and Cheese. China doesn't do much cheese. I can add this to instant noodles and some milk and voila I have mac and cheese without having to boil noodles!Also in the past, I have used it in my cooking where I wanted a cheese flavour as well! {Broccoli and cheese?! YUMM!!} During camp, someone left microwave Velveeta mac and cheese. The packets inside were not powder but actually a smooth cheese sauce! It was awesome! {Though, the Velveeta itself would be really too heavy and expensive and the microwave ones are also far too pricey just to send me the tiny cheese pouch!} Pretty much anything that has a cheese type of flavour! Haha

Tuna. Can be a can of tuna, a pouch of tuna, or the tuna and cracker things! It is one of my favourite things! And, and helps with some of the vitamins I cant get in other foods due to some of my allergies!

Beef Jerky My family sent this to me in a package once and I kinda laughed at it a bit. While I ate it every now and then in the States, it wasn't anything I ever would have put on a list that I missed. But then I ate it....and realized that it was just the thing I was needing! Its a familiar taste and something I have yet to find around here

Chocolate. Need I say more? I have found some really good substitutes here, to be honest. It is getting better. But there is still nothing that beats a good ol' bag of chocolate chips or MnM's!!

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Anything home made. And I do mean anything. {Ok, within reason!} This could be food or even a fun craft or something. If it is something I can show off that I have a talented friend, I can probably use it as a good object lesson or as a way of showing creativity etc. Or, if you send me something that is handmade that you do not mind if I do not keep, I have a unique gift to give to a friend or teacher that will help brighten up a day! And if it is food...well, who doesn't like something home made,right?!

Cards No, not a deck of playing cards! If I really needed those I could find them in all manner of stores around here! Pretty, thank you, birthday, get well, thinking of you, encouragement, and even blank greeting cards. While there are a few places I can find a select number of some sort of greeting card and such, it is so nice to have a supply of simple and elegant cards. I brought a box with me and am excited that I am able to hand out cards whenever I want....but I can always use more! During camp I used up a nice amount of them.

Ointments. Triple antibiotic, anti fungal, anti bacterial etc etc. Anything that will help heal, sooth, or protect a cut,scrape, or rash.

Cleaning wipes. My sister brought me a tube of Clorox disinfecting wipes. Again, it wasn't anything I had thought about before, but they have come in handy so many times! I use them to clean all sorts of things in my room!

Hand sanitize. It all works! No matter if it is a non scented germ-x kind of a thing, or a pretty smelling Bath and Body works type, I use them all the time!

Stain stick. Now it may just be that I have not looked hard enough, but I have not yet found something here like a Tide wash and go pen or anything.

Non-USPS items: There are also things that are helpful or 'fun' that do not need to be sent through the mail. Honestly, an email, text,or Skype call are some of the most awesome things! I love it when I get those...and I am not just saying that to make me look cool! But then there are things like Skype credits, text+ credits, and amazon cards that go a long way as well. I can use the Skype and text+ credits to make calls to friends and family, and I can use amazon credits for things like books,text+ credit, and apps.

Like I said, I hate telling people what to send me. I feel selfish! I don't like to tell anyone when I need things because I would rather not bother everyone. Also, again, to be very honest, there is so very little that I truly NEED. Living here is not like living in the wilds of any place, and I am so well taken care of and looked out for! So really, these are not things I am telling anyone they have to send! They are just ideas if you already had the notion to do so! :)

Keep on chugging...so that soon I'm not such a chug!! ;)

So here is the latest update on weight loss. These were taken today, Sunday the 16th. 

I was feeling like the photos don't really look any different then before, so I tried a different shirt. Maybe the pink/orange thing is on the big side and doesn't show what I think to be true, that being that I have lost weight. 

Still not sure. I don't have a scale and I'm not even sure I would want one as I would be too sad if it didn't show what I feel! lol! The big upside is that I am feeling better! My back is not hurting as much as it was before and my ability to handle longer periods of everything {walking, standing, sitting, stairs etc} are enough for me! 

I climb 70 stairs everyday at least twice to go to work. When I started that, I felt like I had run a mile by the time I got to the top. Now, though it is still not the best feeling in the world, I can do it without wanting to pass out! 

Thank you to everyone who has been encouraging me and helping to push me! Please keep it up! There is still a long ways to go, I think! :)