sorry for going AWOL

Lately I have been: 

1. reveling in the mindlessness that is watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. learning how to crochet
3. making an afghan with the aforementioned skills
4. reading
5. rearranging the room Brynne and I share
6. catching up on sleep

I'll probably post a picture of the afghan when it gets done. That may be a while though. 

no pithy title

I'm sitting in the Little Rock airport using up my computer battery. I know that I'll regret it later, but I really don't wont to read the Terry Brooks book I have, because it's bad enough to actively annoy me, and I don't have another book. Plus, being on my computer lets me people-watch without them knowing that I'm doing so. 

Oh! I read Paper Towns yesterday, and it definitely was the best book I've read this year. (I know that isn't saying much since the year isn't even half over yet, but...) I sat in Barnes and Noble and read the whole thing in about three hours, which I think is the good way to read books. I read sad Margo, whom I think I like slightly better than happy Margo. And the book was so good that I can't think of words to describe how good it is. You'll have to live with my vague 'it was awesome' unless I think of something on the plane. 

culture shock

Culture Shock. I have the beginnings of it, because for the first time in my life since I was five, I'm looking at America with the thought of living here. 

Here is the start of a new label, and probably a new ongoing theme. 

Day 1: 

Things are often too sweet or too salty. It makes me wonder what else is in the food. 

I feel tiny. As someone who is 5'8" and 108 pounds, in China I'm usually one of the tallest people in a group, and somewhere on the medium to thin side, definitely not absolutely miniscule, which is how I feel here. 

(!)

I'm leaving. 

Today. 

And I might not be coming back. 

And it would be so sad if I weren't so excited about going. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go rush around madly. 

bet you didn't know...

It's been a while since I've done one of these, and I think they're fun. 

Name five things laying around your computer. 

A bottle of sugarless mint gum, a roll of tape, a bunch of books, an alarm clock, two pairs of scissors. 

10 places you've lived, in order. 

I'm assuming that whoever wrote this means chronological order. 

Santa Maria de Guia, the Canary Islands, Spain

Madison, Wisconsin, the US of A

Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, USA

Five different houses in Dalian, China

Two houses in Ningbo, China

...and that's it. 

A romantic night would be...

Um...romantic? I've never thought about it. But I suppose it would matter who it was with than anything else. And whoever it's with should have a say in what we do. 

Were you ever rushed to the hospital? What for? 

Yes, I was. For second-degree burns caused by oil splashing all over my neck and face. I was unconscious for most of it, and what I do remember is just...red. Thankfully the only scarring I have is some tiny bumps under my right eye. 

What's the worst that can happen? 

I could live forever. (I'm sure there are worse things out there, I just can't think of them right now.) 

:D

So. I suppose that the time has come for me to make an official announcement about this. 

I'm leaving for the States next Monday and may not be coming back to China in the fall. In fact, I probably won't be. I'll be living (!) with Brynne and her family instead. *much happiness ensues* 

Now I need to go pack. 

Greywalker

...by Kat Richardson

The first half was tolerably good, but the ending was atrocious. The writing, plot, characters and setting weren't bad, some of it was quite good, but the ending of the book just...wasn't in alignment with my view of the universe. It was too dark, too hopeless, too out of balance, and simply didn't have that sense of completion and fulfillment that I look for in the ending of a book. The ending felt more like an angsty middle than a conclusion. 

However, the beginning was good enough to actually make me read the book, which is quite a feat, since I usually don't like mysteries OR paranormal fiction, much less both together. 

turtling along

I, too, am trying to learn how to type using the Dvorak keyboard layout. It's really, really hard right now, especially since I'm not at all used to the thought that the only two letters on my keyboard that are what they say are 'a' and 'm'. Thank goodness the enter key and space bar are in the same place, or else I know I would give up. 

Slowly yours, 

Layli

Xi'an, an ancient Chinese city, true!

I went to Xi'an with a bunch of people I know. It was fun. Here are pics, and I really need to stop reading I can haz cheezburger? because I starting to want to talk and type in LOLspeak. 

The sign was funny. Not as funny as some of the stuff on Engrish Funny (Guess what I've been doing! On second thought, don't.), but the random capitalization ought to more than make up for that. It says: 

BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE DACIEN TEMPLE AND THE DA YAN PAGODA

The dacien temple was built in 648 AD to honour the empress wende by the tang crown prince li zhi.the temple with 13 yards and 1897 magnificent roomw was broad in scale. It occupied an area of more than 24 hectarew who lived in the temple. It was the most famous temple in Chang An city during the tang dynasty. 

A buddhist and pilgrim Xuan Zang who studied buddhism in india was waslcomed to preside over the temple affairs in 653 an Xuan Zang arranged for the building of the Da Yan Pagoda to preserve the hundreds of wolumes of buddhist so riptures which had been brought back from Inida. 

The original pagoda was constructed with five stories in India style.It was rebuilt to seve storeys in 701AD--704AD during the period of empress Wu Ze Tian. 

Today, the Da Yan Pagoda is 64.5m high with seven storeys. The body of the pagoda is a square brick pagoda in the range of chinese national character and the tang style. It is a model place of boddhist architer ture. In 4 march 1961 the state council declede that the Da Yan Pagoda must be protected as one of the most important historical monuments. 

Note: Chang An is the ancient name for Xi'an, and the spelling, punctuation and capitalization have been typed up exactly as they appear. 

There were pretty marble carvings. They looked imposing. I'm not sure they were supposed to. 

There were other pretty things, and a neat, gnarled-looking tree. 

And painted ceilings and eaves galore! 

Have I mentioned how awesome I thought those trees were? I have? And you think I've been talking too much about plants? Sorry, it's a bit of an obsession. 

This was the pagoda. 

These were chickens in the monastery gardens. Are my comments getting a little too obvious? 

The gate to the monastery. It was imposing too. I felt very much imposed upon. 

This was the view from the top of the city wall. I love the guardhouses next to the skyscrapers. 

This was in a mosque near the city center. The whole group spent ages trying to guess what the sign meant without looking at the Chinese. 

There were more pretties. 

And neat roofs. 

This was the bazaar near next to the mosque. I bought lots of stuff there, including two paintings, an antique (and awesome) Chinese lock, a hairstick, a little clay pot, a pair of old, adorable, embroidered, lion-shaped baby shoes, and some Men Zi (some species of pachyrhizus as far as I can tell, stir-fried and then smothered in balsamic vinegar, soy-sauce and spices). 

China is not for squeamish people. Note the cart of garbage above, as well as what comes next. 

Okay, this stuff doesn't look gross, but it doesn't taste as good as the skewered stuff either. 

Dates, we haz them. 

Meat, we have it too. If you have a weak stomach, are vegetarian or might otherwise be disgusted by the sight of lots and lots of meat, please avert your eyes while proceed to the next picture. Thank you for your cooperation. 

And this is a picture that came out funnily, and is only included so that we end on a nicer note than dead animals hanging everywhere. 

P.S. The title of this post is a reference to the BNL song 'Crazy ABC's' from their album Snacktime. 

Hangzhou

I went to Hangzhou a couple of weekends ago, and in Hangzhou, this is what I saw: 

Cool twisty plants. I'm sure some guy has the job title 'Imperial Plant-Twister'. 

There were nice, spring-y trees. 

And flowers. 

All I can think of is that those buildings must have been cold in the winter. Good thing the emperor only used West Lake for his summer vacation spot, or else he would have died from pneumonia at the tender age of seventeen. 

And that sky? I don't have to go to Hangzhou to see it. 

This was our 'Pleasure Boat'. 

This was Gina and me being cold on our 'Pleasure Boat'.