Greetings from the Grassland!

I feel like I should apologize for my lack of posts over the last year... In the last 15 months, I've only posted twice... TWICE!! Of course, I was working hard on my other blog: An Accord of Dreamers which unfortunately has also come to a halt in the hubbub of life.

So Russia did not work out. At. All. Pretty early on, we realized that it just wasn't going to be a right fit for us. It was particularly difficult for me to be so far away from home so close to Jed's passing (I struggled almost every day) and the work load was more than double what we were used to as foreign teachers. It was hard enough being emotionally exhausted each day much less physically tired from working so much. So we decided to do what was right for us and headed back home for Thanksgiving in Minnesota with the Limperts and Christmas in Disney World with the WooGulls.

 

 

Since Russia had been so difficult to try and assimilate into, we decided to return to a place we already knew and loved--China. And many of you asked me if I was going to start this blog back up again once I was back out into the world. And so, without further ado...

 

Hello! Сайн уу! 你好! Greetings from Inner Mongolia!

 

Now when we told people we were  our way to Inner Mongolia, their eyes grew wide as they heard the name Mongolia. Unfortunately, we are not in the country of Mongolia (but it's one of my goals while we're here! I can't be this close and NOT get there!). We are in one of the five autonomous regions in China--Tibet, Xinjiang, Ningxia, Guangxi, and Inner Mongolia.

 

 

 

We are currently living in the city of Bayannur (in Mongolian it looks like: ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠨᠨᠠᠭᠤᠷ ᠬᠣᠲᠠHow cool is that?!?) which is about a four hour train ride away from the region's capitol of Hohhot. Compared to Hangzhou which had a population of 9 million, Bayannur is a very small city with just above 1 million people. Of course, by our standards, that's still huge! Think about it: Buffalo has just over 250,000 people. Because of Bayannur's smaller size, pollution is nowhere near as bad as it would be in Hangzhou some days, and certainly nowhere near as bad as Beijing. We don't have to worry about pollution... but here in Bayannur sand storms are our big problem. The city is nestled in the middle of the Gobi Desert with the grasslands of the Mongolian Steppe surrounding the desert. And of course, it wouldn't be China without on of it's two famous rivers. Here in Bayannur, we have the Yellow River.

 

Bayannur is very different from Hangzhou in more ways than one. For one, Hangzhou is a coastal city so the climate is very hot and very humid. Bayannur is in the middle of the desert so it is much dryer here (my hair does not appreciate that!); it is pretty warm when the sun is out but the temperature drops at night, sometimes to below freezing. Also, the number of foreigners and Western restaurants is vastly different. In Hangzhou there was a nice community of expats and tons of bars, cafés, and restaurants you could visit if you were ever missing America (one time I even saw a Sabres game at one of my favorite restaurants, Vineyard!). Here in Bayannur, Adam and I are literally half of the foreigner population in the city--there is one other teacher from Georgia at our college named John, and a young man from South Africa named David who teaches at a high school on the other side of the city. And since there are hardly any foreigners in the city, clearly there's no need for any western bars or restaurants. There is only one KFC in the entire city--in Hangzhou, there was one on every street corner!

 

This is just how far we are from Hangzhou... if you're curious, it'll take over 400 hours to walk there.

So how did we manage to find our way to a small city in the middle of the Gobi Desert, 1250 miles away from a city we knew and loved? Two full days of travel, of course!

 

We left from Toronto on Tuesday, February 23 (that's right! We've been gone for over a month now... Do you miss us yet?). If anyone is ever looking to fly to Asia--and particularly China--always check flights leaving from Toronto... usually they're much cheaper and you can sometimes get a direct flight! Of course, for us, there was no such thing as a direct flight to Bayannur. We hopped on our plane (after realizing we had arrived five hours too early... oops!) for out 15 hour flight.

 

There's no way around it--flying to China is pretty torturous. If you fly on a Chinese airline, seats are narrower and leg room is even less (and I bet you didn't think that was possible!). There is still no sense of personal space and for some reason, it's always the person behind you that is constantly hocking up loogies and the person in front of you who reclines their seat back all the way the minute you take off. It's about the longest you can fly around the world before you start making your way back home again. But, this was my 7th US-China flight so I guess I could be considered an expert at surviving.

 

We arrived in Shanghai at 7pm the next day... Seriously, flying to and from China is the closest thing we can get to time travel! This part of the trip was particularly painful for us because if we were moving back to Hangzhou, this would be the end of our journey--all we would need to do was hop on a bus for three hours. But sadly, we still had another day to go before we could say we were home. After a two hour layover, we arrived in Beijing (the fact that we couldn't find a direct flight to Beijing--the CAPITOL of the country--still boggles my mind) for our overnight stay. We found some comfy chairs at a Starbucks and settled in for the night.

 

There's Fernando--my travel companion and comfy savior!!

 

Now Bayannur is one of those elusive cities that if you want to fly to it, you have to be at the right place, at the right time, on the right day. There is only one flight that leaves from the Beijing Airport at 7:30 in the morning and they don't fly out every day... so booking these flights was frustrating!! But as we pulled away from the gate and began to fly over the mountains to the north of the city, everything appeared as if it was falling perfectly into place.

 

::Cue ominous music::

 

As we continued to fly, it appeared as if we were leaving civilization behind us. Watching the mountains pass by slowly was relaxing in the beginning, until we started to make our descent into the airport and we still could not see any sign of life except for the few farms dotted among the desert.

 

Behold! The Gobi Desert!

I had been so excited to be in a part of China that I've never seen before... but that excitement slowly began to turn into apprehension as we landed at the airport (with a grand total of two gates) and there was absolutely NOTHING around us. No people. No houses. No city. No campus. There was nothing for as far as the eye could see.

Immediately, Adam and I started to panic. We had felt isolated in Novosibirsk but at least there, we saw signs of life! "What have I done?" Adam muttered to himself, burying his face in his hands, laughing nervously.

Turns out, like most cities, the airport is about a half hour away from the downtown area... But usually there are towns and suburbs and houses surrounding airports to reassure you that you haven't landed in the middle of nowhere. But not in Bayannur!

Despite the long journey and the less than thrilling first impressions, it turns out that we adore the little city of Bayannur. The people are extremely friendly--they don't see too many foreigners in their lives so when we walk by they shout "Hello!" and whisper 老外 (laowai=foreigner). The city is so small--even though we live on the outskirts at the college, we can walk twenty minutes down the road and stand in the downtown area filled with malls, restaurants, and movie theaters. And the Foreign Language Department is so welcoming. In Hangzhou, there was a definite divide between the Chinese English teachers and the foreign English teachers. Here, we work together in classes, we're invited to their homes for dinner, and on my birthday, our boss, Carol, declared that we would all go out to one of the nicest places in town for a birthday dinner.

Tiger Lily, Carol, Dora, Finn, Barbara
Me, Adam, John

And the people living in the town aren't the only ones who are surprised when a foreigner walks by! Our students are just as surprised and awestruck when they see us walking by or standing at the computer in their classrooms. They mutter your name over and over again and shout, "I love you!" as they walk by (I may or may not have taught them that).

At first, it takes you by surprise--what's so special about me? But then you stop and think that you could be the very first non-Chinese person these kids have ever seen and suddenly you're not just a teacher but an ambassador as well! You blow their minds when they learn you do not own a gun, you are not rich, you have never met Taylor Swift, and everyone in America is not completely obsessed with basketball (but you don't dare tell them that you've never even watched a game).

My particular favorite barrier I enjoy breaking down is the stereotype of people with tattoos. In China (and other parts of the world as well), people with tattoos are seen as bad people--gang members, criminals, drug users, etc. As I stand in front of my classes with my tattoos out in the open, the students are seeing that someone like me--goofy, wild, and always smiling--has tattoos and yet, I'm not all that bad! It's fun blowing their minds sometimes.

One of my favorite things to do after my classes is to go to WeChat (China's instant messenger) and see what creeper photos they take of me while I'm trying to teach. Usually they're extremely unflattering photos with a caption like, "The legendary female foreign teacher."

This college is the very definition of why so many young people in America have decided to pack up their lives and move to a foreign country to teach English. We aren't doing it because we love English (on the contrary... if anything I've come to hate it even more than ever before!!), we're doing it because that is the way we can supply our adventure. Instead of working 9-5 for five days a week, I'm currently teaching two Public Speaking classes--one on Tuesday and one on Friday--each for an hour and a half as well as five 45 minute random classes throughout the month. With that I'm making enough to live very comfortably in China as well as save money for when I visit America in the summer (I'm actually making more than I was in Hangzhou) and we have tons of free time to explore the city and surrounding areas, try local food, and get to know the people (This was one of the problems with Russia--we worked so much we never had days off together and we never had time to experience the Russian culture). Top that off with four holidays this semester and the highly prized Spring Festival in the winter and you have possibly one of the nicest countries to live and teach in when you're young, trying to save money, and have an inkling to see the world.

***********

 

It's nice to be back in a culture that we know and understand. But it's even nicer that we're in a place that is so different from what we already know. New adventures are on the horizon. I'm sensing a pilgrimage to Genghis Khan's mausoleum, a horseback ride through the grasslands, and maybe even a camel trip through the Gobi Desert.

 

I'm touched that so many of you asked if this blog would make a revival in this new adventure. I never know if anyone actually reads it... but I'm humbled to find that, in fact, you do and that you enjoy reading about my shenanigans! I hope it finds you well and lights that spark in your chest for a bit of adventure.

 

Until Next Time,

Amanda

 

96 days until chicken wings, BBQs, good beer, peanut butter, and cheese!!!!!



When Worlds Collide: Part 2

A Day in Shanghai

People may disagree with me, I may be shunned, hated, and scorned by all who know me but I think Shanghai is overrated. Don't get me wrong! I think it has the coolest skyline I have ever seen, New York pizza, one of the coolest shopping centers, Diet Coke, and I have wonderful memories there from New Years Eve 2013. However, I don't think it deserves as much hype as it gets. I've been three times now and I've found it to be the same thing every time (of course, I can be proven wrong and I will gladly eat my words but for now I stand by them). I enjoy myself whenever I go but it is always so much more of a hassle than it is worth. However, when Mama Woomer came for a visit, of course it was on our to do list of things to see and places to go. 

March 22nd

Once again, it was an early morning for the gang of three. Two bus rides and a subway later, we were at the old train station with our breakfast wraps (not as good as the ones in Cangqian) and train tickets in hand. The trains from Hangzhou to Shanghai run fairly regularly and it usually takes about an hour to get there. It's a nice introduction to the trains in China (especially since we had a six hour train ride coming up a week later) without being too overwhelming. 

We arrived in Shanghai just in time for lunch and I knew exactly where to go to get our Western food fix (don't you dare judge). Every time (all two of them prior to this) I have come to Shanghai--New Years Eve 2012 with Rachel and Olivia and New Years Eve 2013 with Adam--I have eaten at a restaurant called New York Style Pizza.

Stolen from Adam from our New Years Eve trip

This place is awesome! I am a hardcore pizza lover. Anytime I go down to Long Island (and especially Manhattan) I make sure to get at least one slice of pizza. Usually if you see pizza available in China, you know it'll be wonky Chinese pizza--small, not a lot of cheese, bizarre toppings (who the heck puts corn on pizza?!)--however, New York Style Pizza is as if you have walked right into a shop in the middle of Manhattan and it is glorious. 

Adam may be an advocate for Chicago deep dish pizza, but even he cannot deny the deliciousness that is this pizza. It reminded me of the pizza on Long Island, but the true test was to see what Mama Woomer thought of it. Right away I knew she would like it. How did I know? One word: Forks.

The verdict? The pizza passed the test!! Mama Woomer was impressed and thought it was delicious. The pizza, the beer, and the waffle fries did not last too long. Huge slices, thin crust, cheese, and actual pepperoni... I'm hungry just thinking about it!!

With (very) full tummies, we hopped back onto the subway and headed to the only thing I have ever really done in Shanghai (and honestly, one of the only things I actually know to do): The Bund. 

 It really is very beautiful. There is sort of a cement park (too big to be a sidewalk or path) right along the river and the Bund is seriously the coolest skyline I have ever seen. The Pearl Tower (Shanghai's TV tower) definitely draws your eye but there is also a sphere and the bottle opener building (no clue what their names are--they just look cool). It's the perfect backdrop for some great photos. It was where I rang in the New Year with Adam this year; the sight never gets old for me even though it rarely changes.

To try and mix things up a bit for us, we decided to cross the river and get up close and personal with the Pearl Tower. In the past, I've always just taken the metro over but wanting to be a bit different from every other time we've visited (poor Adam has been to Shanghai WAY more than I have), we decided to take the River Tunnel Thing (too lazy to actually get up and check what the ticket stub says). 

You go underground and travel under the river for 50元. It had such potential. I couldn't help but think back to Disney attractions and maybe that was what they were going for but they fell short... Oh God, did they fall short. You get into a small car (a gondola on wheels?) and follow a track under the river with lights flashing.

Sounds cool right?

WRONG!

Right away a man starts speaking in English with the absolute worst Chinese accent ever. He talks about journeys, shooting stars, hopes and dreams, heaven and hell, and soon there are those creepy blow up people that you see outside of used car shops that shake and dance back and forth as they were playing terrifying clown music. Yeah...

We had made it to the other side in one piece (though I think we might all be slightly traumatized... good thing we didn't buy a round trip ticket through the tunnel!!) and we were standing right at the base of the Pearl Tower. We attempted one of the classic, "Make it look like I'm holding it up!" pose. I don't want to brag, but--DANG!--I am good at taking these photos for other people (but that usually means that the photos where I attempt to pose fails miserably... my struggle is real). I was lying on the nasty Chinese sidewalk where babies pee and old men spit, trying to get the perfect shot for Mama Woomer. Meticulously, she moved her arms and hands to make it look like she was holding the Pearl Tower up just like I told her... She was so close before she dropped her hands and burst out laughing. This was the best I could get:

I had a difficult time forgiving her, but soon we continued on to the epic shopping center under the Science and Technology museum. Seriously, this place is obnoxious. Hats, shirts, jerseys, shoes, handbags, watches, scarves, sunglasses, movies, stuffed animals, tea, ceramics, electronics, artwork, jewelry, and kistchy souvenirs. If you can think of it, you can bet that it's there... and overpriced.

I have learned from the best when it comes to haggling (thank you, Rachel). This is really the only place in China that I have bought anything but any time I've bought souvenirs, I've been able to talk the prices down... sometimes way down. Now I don't pretend to be anywhere near as good as Rachel (but I'm still working at it). Mama Woomer had found something to get a friend of hers at 60元 each... About $10... Not awful but not great. What if we bought two? The man offered us two for 100元. Eh... Still not great. Some haggling and nearly walking away, we managed to talk him down to two for 70元. BOOM. Every place we visited that day, we haggled and got the prices down... I think we all got a sick kick out of it. Rachel, you would have been proud!!

By the time we made our way back to the train station on the other side of the city, it was getting dark and we were exhausted! It had been a long day filled with a lot of walking and haggling. We got back on our train and headed back to Hangzhou, all of us happy to relax our feet. We had gotten up early on our Saturday morning and it had been GO, GO, GO all day... we definitely were going to sleep well tonight!!

She really fell asleep!!

 Mom's first outing outside of Hangzhou was a success! It was back to dirty ol' Cangqian...

Until Next Time,

Amanda

24 Years Young

For anyone who has known me (especially in my painfully awkward teenaged years) you might be familiar with my love of Peter Pan (the book, Disney character, live action movie, ANYTHING). I think a lot of people love the character of Peter Pan and the idea that there is this magical place called Neverland where you never have to face the real world and you can just spend your days going on daring adventures and living your life to the fullest. I admit, like so many other people who love the character and story of Peter Pan, I had a huge fear of growing up. Leaving my childhood behind was a scary thing. Childhood is easy. Childhood is safe. Childhood is being able to do exactly what you want to do (so long as it doesn't require driving anywhere because an eight year old can't drive a car). Even as I got older and left my childhood and adolescence behind me, I still had this desire to cling to my childhood; I wished to always stay young. But over the last year (almost exactly--last year I sought out Peter Pan in the Magic Kingdom on my birthday), I have come to realize that there are a lot more worse things than growing up--not chasing your dreams, just living life from day to day without finding some magic in it, never falling in love, never dancing in the rain, never catching a snowflake on your tongue just not in China (am I right Buffalonians?!? YEAH SNOW!!).

Yes, I am getting older, and yes, despite what the twelve year old me would want to believe, I am growing up. And you know what? It's an even greater adventure than anything the imagination of my childhood could have come up with! I am traveling the world. I am meeting amazing, new friends that I hope to stay connected with for years to come. And I have fallen in love. Life is an awfully big adventure and one that I don't mean to let pass me by. My imagination has not died and my adventures have not vanished. As I've gotten older, I've gone on so many of the adventures that I had dreamed of in my childhood fantasies and I've had so many more that I never thought would come my way.

Our own world might even still be our own Neverland with our Lost Boys wandering around trying to find their way, pirates trying to stop us from reaching our goals, and time always ticking against us. Yes, we have to face the real world, and yes, we do have to grow up, but we can still go on daring adventures and live our lives to the fullest!

It's sad that it took me 24 years to realize this but I have realized it and--you know what?--I'm actually happy about it. I love my life right now and I feel as though I am exactly where I need to be... I wouldn't change anything about my life for the world ♥ I am no longer afraid of "grown up" Amanda... I'm actually beginning to warm up to her and like who she has become.

There have been many birthdays that I have cried myself to sleep. 13: I was now a teenager. 18: I was officially no longer a child. 21: I was an "adult" by so many standards. 23, I spent a lot of the day alone but I was still at Disney World so no one can feel bad for me. But 24 was filled with so many sweet surprises that it will definitely go down as one of my favorites (only after my 9th birthday Luau themed slumber party ^_~).

Adam kept saying over and over again, "It's your birthday week!" This was my first time having more than just a birthDAY, and so, here are the chronicles of Amanda's 24th Birthday Week:

The week before my birthday, Adam surprised me with an early birthday gift--my very own wifi router! Now you might be thinking, "Big deal?!?" BUT for those of you who know WeChat and those of you who know of the obnoxiousness that is the foreigners living in Hangzhou, you will understand why constant contact to the internet might help you avoid finding that you have over 150 messages from over the last hour. I used to lurk outside of Adam's apartment to mooch off of his wifi but he began to catch on so he decided to put an end to the lurking.

Plus it got cold out...

I wasn't expecting much for my birthday. Our town is about a 40 minute bus ride from downtown and the rest of our friends. There were plans to make dinner on the night of my birthday with just me and Adam and I was perfectly content with that. Turns out, Adam is a bit more sneaky than I had given him credit for.

Other Adam arrived in town on Friday (2/28) and we headed down the road to our friend, DH's, apartment. There, I discovered that all three of the boys had conspired against me and sabotaged me with a surprise birthday cake. I was sitting on the couch assuming that they were making coffee (it's an extremely plausible thought) when I hear them just start singing, "Happy birthday" and I look up to see a huge cake with the most obnoxious flower candle thing that spouted out flames like a dragon and sang the "Happy birthday" tune. It was the sweetest thing these guys have ever done for me (and they are pretty basic guys when it comes to mushiness so it meant a lot to me...). Other Adam kept saying, "Don't say we never do anything for you!" And believe me, Mr. Adam, I never will. They were sweet enough to think of this, kind enough to spend the money on it, and sneaky enough to lie to me about it (::cough:: Adam: "I'm sorry you won't have a cake for your birthday." Me: "Oh it's fine. It's not that big of a deal." ::cough::). Along with the cake, Adam got me a pack of banana milk to drink throughout the night (he knows me WAY too well)...

This cake was devoured throughout the night

The Big Four!! These guys are the best ♥

An evening of Settlers (I continued my amazing, six month long losing streak, despite Other Adam's attempt to help me time and time again), cake, banana milk, and great conversation was had by all. It didn't feel as though I was celebrating my birthday thousands of miles from home... I was spending a great evening with some of the finest men I know and the ones I gladly call my friends (and boyfriend ♥). They helped make my homesickness go away. They've all helped me face my fear of growing up (though I bet none of them actually know that). They were there to ring in my 24th birthday at (a little after) midnight.

Spending a less than glamorous night on DH's couch, I woke up to quite the pleasant surprise--BREAKFAST IN COUCH BED!! Adam had gotten up early and cooked up some bread (with real butter on it!!), scrambled eggs with CHEESE, and bacon!! That might not seem like a big deal but I have had hardly any cheese, butter, or bacon in the last 6 months... and I have NEVER had breakfast in bed (except when I was in the hospital after my appendix was removed but I choose to not count that time). I remember while we were waiting for the fireworks on New Year's Eve, Adam and I talked about the things we would like to do for each other and one of the things he said was make me breakfast in bed.

We thought of maybe going out to get some food downtown at one of our favorite Western restaurants. Or ice skating. Or a movie. In the end, I was perfectly happy with just heading back to our apartments on campus and hanging out (I had already gotten so much more than I thought I would!!). We ended up watching the last Harry Potter movie (we had been marathoning through them all the week before) while I continued to drink my banana milk. Adam added to the gift giving by giving me a (once again) beautifully wrapped gift of Lindt chocolates and Bailey's Irish cream!! As if he hadn't done enough....

Then it was on to the main event...

He had asked me where I wanted to eat for my birthday. Papa John's is where we go for our anniversary, we had just gone to Pancho's for Other Adam's birthday, and we had just gone to a really nice (and really $$$) place for Valentine's Day so I decided that I wanted to stay in and cook (yes--ME!!). We came up with the ridiculous menu--mashed potatoes and Buffalo style chicken wings (my two FAVORITE foods).

The potatoes were first on our list. I washed them, Adam peeled them, and I cut them (no blood was shed for the first time ever... HUZZAH!!) and we put our epic upper body strength together (aka: HIS) and we mashed those suckers until they were delicious.

Those bad boys lasted us two days... And we were afraid we hadn't bought enough....

Next up was the chicken wings. I was VERY excited to do this. This was #139 on My Life List so I was pumped... plus wings are my absolute favorite food on the planet and they were the last thing I ate for dinner in America (DUFF'S!!) so it had been 6 months since I had last had real wings.

Adam had gone into town to the big grocery store earlier in the week to buy 25 wings (despite the bird flu scare right now... We still feel fine, so no worries, I suppose). We poured out the peanut oil, set up a box to try and save the wall from the oil splattering everywhere, washed the chicken wings, and faced the bubbling oil.

IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!! After I learned how to properly slide the chicken into the oil without splashing it everywhere, I found myself enjoying myself more than fearing for the skin on my arms. Every so often, one of the wings would go wild and crazy and Adam and I would cower in the corner, trying to dodge the splatter of burning hot oil... It certainly kept things interesting!!

Soon we had a great system down. I would slide the chicken in (I enjoyed that way too much), Adam would cook it, and I would coat the wings in the Frank's (yes, FRANK'S) sauce that we had. I don't want to boast or anything but we could probably open up a Duff's chain over here in Hangzhou and make millions of RMB... All we needed was Loganberry soda and sponge candy to make me feel right back in Buffalo again!!

LET'S DIG IN!!

The wings turned out better than I imagined them to be. Chinese bars and cafes like to offer "spicy chicken wings" that are always gooey, undercooked, and not spicy at all... I just assumed that America has some kind of magic that makes their wings spicy, crunchy, and delicious. Nope, you just have to know what you're doing (and thank goodness Adam knew what he was doing)!! After about two hours of cooking, it was time to sit down to the perfect dinner:

Mashed potatoes, cheese, wings, birthday cake Oreos, and wine... What more do you need?!?

 My actual birthday was simple (nothing like last year) but it was simple and perfect. I spent it with the man I wanted to spend it with. We relaxed together, got to hang out just the two of us and watch one of my favorite movies, we worked together, we laughed, and we enjoyed the meal that we cooked with some success. 

I'm one lucky lady ♥

The gift giving continued through the week onto my day off on Wednesday (3/5) where Adam and I made our way out to the mall near our apartment building. Why you ask? Why, for me to buy myself a bike! It was my birthday gift to me and now I am finally able to skip that 20 minute walk to DH's and the boys don't have to look at me with glaring eyes at the fact that they can't bike anywhere because I am bikeless (just kidding about the glaring... Though DH never did let it go...). Adam had done some scouting the week before so it was pretty easy picking the one I liked the best. 

Watch out world! Amanda is now mobile!!

Adam's choice for me...

...And my choice for me!!

Friday (3/7) was the end to my birthday week and the big bash that everyone was involved in. The two coolest expats in Hangzhou (myself and Nathan) are born on March 1st and March 7th so we had a joint birthday party to celebrate the awkward awesomeness that is us. 

A small group of crazy foreigners--myself, Adam, Nathan, Hannah S, Nate, Steve, and our Chinese friend Mac--went to the reopening of Tiba, a Turkish restaurant downtown. Adam's ears twitched and his excitement reached its peak at the mention of Turkish food (he's still going through withdrawal after his Istanbul holiday) so Tiba was a must go for the start of the birthday bash. 

James, one of the foreigners I've come to get to know out here in China was awesome and made a fabulous, amazing, delicious, moist (sorry... but it was), huge brownie. The food we had ordered took forever to come out of the kitchen so I decided to share my brownie with my starving comrades... it lasted about two minutes.

Personally, I think the food was well worth the wait. Unlike Chinese food, it actually TASTES like something. Adam and I split a shwarma and an amazing chicken sandwich thingy (perks of dating someone... you get to eat their food and they can't stop you... MWUAHAHAHAHA!!!!!). I have a feeling Tiba might become a new haunt for Adam and I... With Mama Woomer coming to town in less than two weeks, I have a feeling we'll be visiting there at least once!!

After we stuffed ourselves with culinary deliciousness, the gang met up with the other Hannah, James, and our other Chinese friend, Michelle, for some KTV. I was stoked for this because I LOVE LOVE LOVE KTV and I have only done it three time since I got to China (and that is just a sin against God and nature in my heathen eyes). Adam is not a huge KTV fan to I took advantage of going and enjoyed dancing to all the songs I knew (which sadly isn't a lot with my pathetic musical knowledge). Some Britney, Miley, the Beatles, and Backstreet Boys though was enough to get me up on the table with Nathan and our microphones and jam out (ignoring the fact that none of us are really singers)!!

 Dance break for the Hannahs and Nathan!!

Adam seems a bit dubious...

All in all I think it was a great end to a fantastic birthday week! I was surrounded by people who love me and I was constantly reminded that, even though I am far from home, I am certainly not alone. From the little things to the big surprises that Adam gave me. The drawing that Hannah made for me. The text messages. The happy birthday wishes. The hugs. The kisses. Each and every one of those things constantly reminded me just how lucky and blessed I am to be living my life right now.

Yes it is scary that I am now 24 years old (it feels like I was 16 only a few years ago!). It's crazy to think about how quickly my life is changing and how big those changes are. Where will I be in a year from now? What plans will I be making? What experiences will I have had by then? It's a scary thought... but it's a good scary... an exciting scary... a scary that I cannot wait to meet head on.

To everyone who was involved in my birthday--whether you sent me a message on Facebook or WeChat, bought me a cake, talked to me on Skype, gave me a gift, ate dinner with me, danced with me, or hugged me--THANK YOU. It is because of you that my life is so colorful and exciting. It is because of you that I love living life. It is because of you that I smile, laugh, dance, sing, clap my hands, and breathe in deeply. Of all the gifts I could have received, my friends, my family, and the opportunity to live the life I could barely even dream of living is the greatest gift I could ever get.

I've been able to get through 24 years without getting into too much trouble... Let's see how I get to 25!!

Until Next Time,

Amanda