It was my birthday!

Its a long one people! 

The room of characters!

I liked testing myself to see how many of them I knew.

Funny, no...pathetic thing was, I posted about it

on wechat and used the wrong word when

saying I was testing myself on it {I used the character 子 when it is really 字}

and I got called on it! To make matters worse,

I didn't even notice when he pointed it out the first time.

It wasn't until a couple more people made mention of the wrong character

that it clicked that it was MY wrong character to which they were referring!

I guess in China, we fight with Elephants!

I think this was a clock!

Sometimes you become part of the museum! 

I have never been one that is stopped all that often to be asked to take

photos. So it is always amusing to me when newbies to China find it so annoying!

I guess it is one of those annoying things I can't understand since it doesn't happen enough to

me to be annoying! When it does happen I kinda think its cool cause I got noticed! 

After the day at the museum and shops, the group had to go to a banquet. 

I walked over with them so I could see the new library again, in the light. 

Still has a ways to go, but you can see its shaping up to be QUITE the place!

And you can't beat the view!

Pretty neat eh?

This is just one section that is competed...and for now it only serves as a waiting area when 

they have banquets and such! lol! This is where everyone stands as they 

wait to be told it is time to go in to eat! tee hee!

I kept thinking 'Kat would love this!' 

Hope there is something going on during summer camp

so I can sneak her in to see the place and all that it could become!

Then, it was my good friends birthday!

I had told her well over a month ago that I would make her deviled 

eggs for her birthday so she could try them. She called me in the

evening and asked if they were ready for her yet, and then when

she showed up she had a cake and two friends with her!

"Can I celebrate my birthday here? Is that ok?"

She said.

So we got to sing to her and have cake!

It was a nummy cake too!

• 
• The next day was the homecoming parade.

Got to spend more time with one of the assistants, which was

fun! My day had a big blemish on it as I was

not feeling so great and so was over emotional
{I also think this is due to not sleeping much, being overwhelmed

and super busy! I love being busy, but I do have a hard and true threshold and 

the tears that were shed that day proved I had reached it!}

I got all worked up over the tiniest things! So thankful that I got to take a nap/rest

in the afternoon!

One of my favourite teachers!

It was off to the colour run later in the afternoon. 

Not knowing that it was not a 'YOU MUST RUN' kind

of race, I had to stay on the sidelines. Thankfully, my comprehensive reading

teacher and my very good friend {the one I have lunch with every Tuesday}

hung out with me on the sidelines the whole time, and talked,

The one time a Chinese girl is not going to mind

'getting some colour' 

while out doors!

{NOTE: Chinese do not like to be tanned by the sun. 

Many girls will do all that they can to become

more pale and white! They stay as much in the shade

as is possible during the summer, and stay under sun umbrella's.}

Happy smiles all around! They went into the fountain after this to wash off!

 I know I have more photos in my cell to help with this story , but I am too lazy to get them, and this already has so much going on, so you will just have to use your imagination for this one! 

Saturday, my friend from Laos {who I use to tutor on Sundays} told me that she needed my help

later in the evening. She had a friend {one she had known since her first semester here, so the same amount of time as the two of us have known each other} who was needing to interview an American and she wanted me to help him. We would meet in the Bridge Cafe at 8:30. When I got there, he told me that he had to ask a foreigner about business and how the culture of their state effected the business laws in their area. 

WHAT?!

I kept thinking "Why would you ask me? I don't know!" 

We sat and talked for awhile, the three of us, with me trying to give him the best answers I could.

Da got up a couple times with phone calls, she is a very popular girl. and the conversation 

continued. They bought me a cup of coffee and after he said he had enough for his paper 

we sat around drinking coffee and chatting..

The friend he had a book to give me as a thank you for helping

with his project and after we talked about it for a little bit, Da got up one

more time for another call. It was getting late and

I was about to say I needed to go when Da came back in a huff. 

She said she had just gotten a call from a friend to say that she had seen Da's boyfriend out with another girl. Da had gone to see if she could find him and see for herself but he had left when she got there. I asked if she believed the friend and she said 

'Of course! She is one of my best friends, she wouldn't lie to me!'

Da's friend and I tried to comfort her, though she was more ticked than anything else

and told her friend that he would need to help her find a good Chinese boyfriend 

since all the Chinese boys she was dating turned out to be duds. 

I told her that I was very sorry for how things were going, but it was now after 10 and I didn't

want to get locked out so I needed to leave to get back to the dorms.
{They changed the lock time from 11 to 10:30. It still is taking me some 

time to get use to so I try to get back way early!} 

Wow,..sorry this is long, I'll try to speed it up!

She asked if I would please go with her to the steps of the new library so that she could break

up with her bf. She didn't want to go alone. I didn't want her alone either, so I agreed, and she

had her friend go along with us 'for protection'. {I am bigger than both of them, and her bf, so 

I really didn't think we needed him, but hey!} 

She moaned the entire time we were on our way over, and was often sending

him voice messages asking where he was and saying she was coming for him.

We had to climb up the insane amount of steps up to the landing of the new library to find him,

with her stopping every now and then to let out a loud wail of a sorrowful

"An Ya Hui, what am I gonna do?!"

or 

"Ya Hui, why would he do this to me?!"

or the like. 

When we got to the top, she yelled out his name and said "Where are you?!"

Honest to goodness, the very first thought that ran through my mind

"What did I miss? Did something happen near by and there is a vigil going on?

Oh shoot...we are about to interrupt some meaningful event for her to go off on her bf, do I know

enough Chinese to calm everyone down, there seems to be more people up here than just

her bf and his new girl" 

My mind was racing and I was trying to figure out what was going on and how to handle it all

when I noticed something.,,,

I knew one of the guys standing up there at the top. And the more I looked, the

more I recognized the people up there near the candles. 

Thats when they had me go stand in a spot designated by a fiery arrow

and they all burst out into yells of HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

That's right...every last second of the past two hours had been a lie!

All of it was a rouse to get me to the library! 

They had a cake for me, made me blow out ALL of the candles you see in that photo up there, 

and they sang to me. 

We then booked it back to the castle {After picking up the hundred of melted tea lights} 

where we found that the door had been locked literally seconds before our arrival!

We banged on the door, yelled, called the front desk, and even got some help 

from some of the American students who were sitting in the lobby, who tried to go track

the front desk girl down to get her to unlock the door! None of it worked.

She said she was ticked that we were 8 minutes late and she was going to 

let us wait it out a bit! 

My friend K and I were talking about how confusing it was that the 

rule had been changed from 'doors are locked at 11' to 

'the doors are locked at 10:30, no later than 11 and after 11 they will not be opened again, if you are out, you're out!' 

It didn't make sense to be so mad, but she wasn't unlocking the door!

K and I 'brainstormed' different ideas for what we could do if she decided to leave us out there till morning. K said she would go sleep in one of the floats left over from that mornings parade. 

I figured we would go to Peter Hall, though I was not about to repeat a few summers ago and get 

eaten alive in the lobby! 

Some of the students who were on the inside of the door tried to get us to have the

store stay open late so that once they convinced her to open the door, they could

go buy beer.

Finally, an hour later, at just after 11:30pm, she stormed down

madder then a wet hen, to finally open the door, I felt so bad and wanted to explain what was

going on, but she was yelling at the students who now wanted to leave to get beer

and I didn't have a chance as the rest of them didn't want to stick around to find out

how angry she was with us!

When we made it to my room, the door was locked and I was yelled at by my roommate 

to not come in. 

After about 15 minutes {I let her know that I was aware of what she was doing, but

that it was ok....we could celebrate early as we were all tired and bitten up after

our one hour outside. Her friend came out and 'took me for a walk' to talk

and pretend like I didn't know what was going on. 

About 10 minutes before midnight, my roommate came down to the first floor, where

her friend had taken me and said that it was ok to come in.

Once in the room, I saw the probably nearly 50 balloons she had blown up by herself

and the cute little cake she had purchased! 

It was super thoughtful of her! And as it turns out...she had asked my friend Da to

get me out of the room for awhile, around 10 or 11 so that she could

prep it, but Da decided to do it a bit early! 

Yup...the entire night had been a set up from the beginning!

Including, I might add...the angry front desk girl!

Da had called ahead to tell her that we were on our way and

she needed to lock us out and 'let us chill' for about an hour

to buy more time. She was also to act angry. 

Girl can act!

Needless to say....I feel pretty special! :) 

She has graduated! So glad that this beauty will be at camp this summer, 

so I will still have some time with her! 

{The necklace I am wearing in this photo is the gift my friend gave me on the library steps} 

FLASH FORWARD TO TODDAY:

I have begun packing! EEEKKK!! 

I will be heading back to the good ol' U.S. of A in less than 2 months time!

Though I have tried to purchase my ticket twice already,

that is still in limbo as I wait for the payment to be verified, BUT

I am confindent that it will and I will be on my way to California and 

an In 'N Out burger....I mean to see my dear friends

B and R for a few days, very shortly! ;) 

#ItsTheSmallThings 

{Like burgers that haunt my dreams that I can not wait to have!} 

Below are two thoughts that have sprung up lately, but have come to a head due to a situation I saw today. There is no dire need for anyone to read it, I just felt like typing it out. If you don't wish to delve into the inner workings of my strange brain {I don't blame you!} then you may click out now! Thanks for reading to here! That's all folks!

1. Why do we write off bad impressions of others as merely gossip and not

to be taken as fact until you have seen it for yourself? I'm not saying

that we need to heed gossip, I know it is wrong. But what bothers me is that

we seem to think that the impression one gives doesn't matter. If I were to say

that I have heard that someone has a reputation of not being a very

kind person, I would be told that its gossip and I can't know anything

about them until I have met them myself and know why they are the way they are.

But if I were to say that I heard someone is super sweet and kind, no one

would bat an eye and I would never have to meet them to confirm it. 

In the first situation, if it got back to the person, that I had heard they had a bad rep,

they would probably tell me I had to meet them and get to know them as well before

I could make that call...yet that wouldn't be the case with the second. 

It just feels like we don't think the impression of others matters, It says 

that by their deeds you may know them, so if they have a rep of not so good deeds

why do I have to meet them to know this? If I find out that I have a rep for being a harsh person when people first meet me, I try and change how I act when I first meet someone. 

I don't even know how to fully explain what is going on in my head with this matter! 

But it is bugging me, 

Does it make a diff on where I will go once I die, what others think of me?

Nope!

Does it matter what others think of me,,,,,I say yes! 

2. Why is the issue of obedience to parents only a two option discussion?

There is one going on right now on the book of faces, one I have not gotten involved if for various reasons. {I can just see it, I am going to get in trouble for posting about it when I am not in the discussion!} It just seems like there are only ever two sides to this issue, and one important one is left out! 

In this particular discussion, the situation regards the disapproval of parents for a 20 somethings boyfriend. She asked if she should listen to them and break up or if it is ok for her to go against them and do what she wants. She is getting a lot of "Listen to what they have to say and then do what you want to...it's your life and your decision" which to me just really reeks of "And every man did what was right in his own mind" but maybe I am taking that too far. Now I want to take a step away from using this situation as my example so I do not get myself into trouble. {There is a lot that has been said and has gone on in that thread and while I of course have my thoughts on all of it, this is not the place to air those!} 

 The other less often given, but still there option is to listen to parents and break up. 

That's it. Those are the choices you have, in most discussions I see now a days. 

What about, saying to your parents
"Out of respect and honour for you, I will take a step back, but I beg for you to continue to

lift this up and think on it." and then you YOURSELF do the same for both the 

situation and your parents. 

If you go ahead and continue to date the guy, which is the option i see most often taken as 

they decide that parents DONT know whats best {Why do we think we were given our

parents in the first place if we are not suppose to heed their warnings and advice? That's always my question with this!} 

It just seems to me that the only two paths to take says that since there is one person

in the right {Which of course there has to be,..I understand that!} that there is only one

way to end up at the proper conclusion. I am not saying your parents are always going to be

right in their thoughts, but you aren't going to be either! 

Why not wait for the ram to come along? 

{The lamb stuck in the bushes, He did what he was told, even though he didn't want to but last minute he was given an out} 

I honestly believe that we are always given an out if we need one in these situations! 

Before you are married, your relationship with your parents is the most important earthly

relationship! Don't mess that up! Protect that and make the new most important one

even better by having come about it the right way! 

Gill, if you are reading this, a bit of advice from a head strong,

strong tempered, too often too independent girl...

don't try to convince me to go against my Dad! 

This is the time when I learn obedience and submission! 

If you undermine that, how much harder is it going to make it 

for me to stick to it with you?! Think of that!

My dad is the example and 'test' for my submission and obedience to you. 

Help me protect that so that we have a better chance it fewer {not 'none' as I know 

that 'an't happenin! Just tellin you now!} problems with me and my submission down the road!

Another question this debate often leaves me with is what do people think it means

when it tells us to honour our parents? Many say that that section is not saying

we have to obey. {The words I read actually say obey in two different 

sections, but then I hear people calling out that we are not children,...to which I always 

want to ask when we stop being children as they lived with their parents much longer into 

their adult lives then in many cases, than we do now. etc etc. And that girls at that

time would NOT have been allowed to 'do what they want cause it's their lives' but that just

gets into a whole other conflict and conversation} 

Ok, so we are to honour our parents but that doesn't mean obey.

What do tell does it mean then?

How is it honouring to say

"Yup, yup, I hear you, I understand what you are saying

I get it, really, I do..but you're wrong. So I'm doing it my way!"

Where is the honour in that? 

And before you ask....yes, I would stop seeing anyone my parents did not approve of!