Breaking ground

Each new day here feels as though I am always forging into new territory. Whether it be trying to find my way, make sense of a menu, locate a service or manage my way through the elevator, each day brings a new experience and a new challenge. I have been blessed thus far and seem to meet the challenge head on and prevail. I may take a few detours along the way, but in the end my path is set clear, my goal reached, and maybe I have even picked up a few valuable or unexpected pointers along the way.

Today we did not have to be at our final day of school until 2 pm. I found myself quite bored and feeling like I should just go to the school and hang out for a bit. When I arrived (around 10:30 am) the doors to our 20 story building were locked with chains. I walked around to the revolving doors and was met with he same thing. Surrounding the building were about 50 policemen and 15 or so police vehicles. I noticed no other building was locked down.

Standing there wondering what to do I turned and Henry came around the corner. He told me there would be no class and the awards ceremony we were supposed to have at 2 pm would take place at our graduation dinner tonight. He said he 'heard' the power was off. Weird, they never send police to my house when the power goes out...?

I thought I'd make the best of the situation and get a manicure that I desperately needed but had not found the time for the past few weeks. I walked a block or so and found the little shop I go to. The lady welcomed me inside, made me a cup of Chrysanthemum Flower tea and began working on my nails. It was quite nice, it was early and we were the only two in there for quite a while.

I came back to the room, hit the art museum up the street and had a light nap. WOW...good day so far. I noticed various people doing 'their' jobs. There was a man sitting on the curb on a metal box. He had a large wet stone laid in his lap and was sharpening knives for occasional passers by. The cabbie had just woke up from his morning nap, crawled out of his cab, smoothed the seat covers and removed a small towel from under his seat and shined his shoes. The small sidewalk soup stalls were filled with construction workers taking their lunch.

As I approached the soup stalls I once again caught a terrible odor. Perhaps it was more pungent today because the weather was at least 15 degrees warmer. I noticed though just why this one area smells so badly. Not only is there the open public toilet I described several days ago, but directly in front of the bathroom is a tremendous heap of rotting compost. They throw all the "food" peels, trim and waste into this pile on the sidewalk. Next to that, (and the tables where workers were eating) I saw food on the sidewalk. Upon further examination I noticed that there was a grate in the sidewalk. They just throw their left over food into it. Um....the cesspool they call "food alley". Ick. (and no Connie, I do not eat there).

I also made a decision today that I may question several times over the years to come. Sometimes we act without thinking, and this will easily classify as one of those moments. I went to the bakery and picked up the large birthday cake I had ordered and pre-paid to have in class today to celebrate Johan's 21st birthday on Monday. Since class was cancelled Henry said I could bring it to the restaurant tonight. Where I made my itty bitty judgment error was when I ordered a hot Latte and began drinking it as I left the bakery holding the rather large cake in the other arm.

Now, none of this really poses a problem, and I am actually quite good at doing several things at once. What I did not take into account was the fact that with both arms full, trying not to spill a HOT coffee and trying not to tilt a beautiful Tiramisu, I still had to cross the 3rd Ring Road. This is that stretch of freeway I cross every day in 6 of the most treacherous places known to man....
As I stood on the curb with a daunting look on my face I noticed traffic seemed to move at a different pace. I was a bit slower, but drivers seemed a 'little' friendlier. Maybe it was the beautiful Platinum nail polish I had applied today that caught their attention, or the fact that even they thought a foreigner wielding a cake, a coffee, and blonde hair needed their momentary compassion. Whatever it was, it was in my favor.

Rounding the corner of Goumao and Baizaiwan my bicycle repairman saw me and smiled. He looked at the cake box, said something (OMG HE SPOKE TO ME!!!) so I walked over and pulled back the cutout in the top of the box so he could peer inside. (They wrap the box with decorative ribbon and it is so beautiful). He smiled, jabbered, I jabbered and then we gave our customary nod and I began walking to the hotel. It was wonderful and it kept me smiling all the way back.

As I entered the elevator a tall, nicely dressed, quite handsome Japanese man smiled and said, Hello. As he got off the floor before mine he turned around and said, "Have fun." What he couldn't possibly know is that I already had....

******photos are of the really large snails we had last night for dinner, our Peking Duck before being carved, and a beautiful cup of flowering tea....all delicious******