We had a wonderful trip home to Boise for Andy’s grandma’s funeral. Even though most people think of funerals as a sad time, this was actually a nice time to remember Marian’s life. She lived a good life with no regrets and was ready to go, so in reality it was better to celebrate her. Because of this the memorial service was a actually quite enjoyable as Ray and Lewis and others told stories of Marian and her children and grandchildren. It was amazing to learn of all of the people she helped throughout her life as well as her ability to live by her mantra to not judge people regardless of how different they are from you. She was a special lady and she will be missed dearly by so many people, but you can’t help but think that she must be in a better place now.
To keep things calm and predictable for the new players, we used structured betting where the maximum bet was never more than three times the minimum bet which was a defined amount (2 RMB for initial betting and the flop then 4 RMB on the turn and river). Some of the experienced players were itching to play no limit, but we took it easy and I think everyone had a pretty good feel for the game by the end of the night.
After three hours in the salon, I finally emerged with hair not too different from when I went in and paid my hefty bill. I was annoyed but happy that I no longer had roots. I shopped at the Zara for a bit and ended up finding a comfy pair of high heals which I am determined to learn how to walk in this spring once the weather warms up a bit. I have a bad habit of buying things that I aspire to like using but actually don’t enjoy using, thus the high heals and numerous Mandarin books in our apartment. I am still determined in both areas though!
In preparation for the Beijing Olympics, the government has hired a “Miss Manners” who has started a campaign entitled, “it is glorious to be polite.” But even the individual leading the campaign has recognized that it will be difficult because the people who partake in these activities “don’t even know what they don’t know.” So how can you really blame them. This is the very thought that I wrestle with each time I see each act being performed. But then I come back to the question of, seriously, do you really have to clear your throat and spit at the highest decibel level possible? It just all seems a bit overly dramatic.
To quickly avoid any rumors from being circulated, let me start by saying that I am not pregnant. But the topic of being pregnant came up in my Mandarin class this week and so I have learned a lot about the cultural differences between women in the United States who are pregnant and Chinese pregnant [...]
