Lidu love

Eva Cassidy on chilly days like this puts me in the mood to write. Her voice, the fog outside, my fuzzy pink blanket, a steaming mug of rose bud tea, and a craving for the ocean that won't go away - it feels right to begin autumn in this way.

In my last entry, I tried in vain to articulate the impression Lidu has made on me, but my toolbox of words makes such an attempt seem pathetic. And yet, that's all I want to write about.

I love the pack of jolly grandmothers who sit on the curbside outside of my apartment with their rolly-polly grandchildren, their bare baby butts exposed through pants slit for easy dumping (you won't find diapers around here!) I love Aunty Huang, the laobanr of the OK Restuarant my sitemate and I frequent almost daily, who slyly and affectionately pats my cheeks. I love the tall young noodlemaker at the Muslim restaurant who, while watching as I slurp down his tomato and egg concoction, tells me about his hometown in the faraway province of Qinghai, even though he knows I don't understand half of what he's saying. I love it when the lady who sells steamed buns will spot me coming up the ally and will get my order ready, nevermind the hungry crowd in front of her shop. I love my curious students, some of whom have shared their lives with me, making me feel like the big sister I've never been to anyone before.

I feel certain that my time here will pass quickly, waver as I might between being extremely busy, and extremely... not busy. I refuse to use the word 'bored'! For example, this past week was hectic - in addition to our classes, we went on a surprise day trip to Chongqing city (where we had what must be the spiciest hotpot in all of China), judged a speech contest, and met with students. Next week, though, I'll be doing absolutely nothing, as of yet, anyway. Next week is the start of the National Holiday. New China will be 60 years old, a celebration worthy of an entire week without classes! :) Because new volunteers aren't allowed to travel for the first three months, I'll be hanging around Lidu, looking for more things to fall in love with. =)