Happy Birthday, Momma!

Now that all is said and done I can stop being so damn secretive.

My brother and I planned what turned out to be a really amazing surprise birthday party for our mom. We managed to break into her phone, address books, and email accounts to notify friends from near and far, past and present. The Chelsea Hotel is a great venue - surprise or not. It was a terrible secret to keep, but she truly enjoyed it and I don't think we could have given her a better gift.

Being back on the east coast has been such a relaxing experience. It's been so wonderful to see so many familiar faces and know that while I'm far in distance it is clear that I'm never far in heart. It's cliche to boast of how wonderful your family and friends are, but I couldn't ask for a better set, either in the States or abroad. I've been really lucky to build such an incredible "fan" base (as Bill and I like to call it) and I'm happy to know that where ever I go, I'm going home.

That said. I came to see you suckers. Now come see me!

I'm coming home...

I tried to stay awake and reflect on my feelings about going back to the US for the first time in almost two years, but it was simply too hard and I was too sleepy. A four hour nap can't really mess up trying to catch up to the east coast time zone can it? Thankfully there are sleeping aids.

Getting off the plane in Shanghai, or wherever I am, sadly, I'm not even sure, the lines separated Foreigners and Citizens. And it hit me. I'm not, for just a few short weeks, going to be a "foreigner" anymore! The idea of walking through in the States and it being mine (in some grand scheme of things) - gotta admit I got a bit teary. If they don't say welcome home, I'm going to be really disappointed.

A few hours later: It all comes flooding back, you know? Ebbing and flooding like the tide. The reasons you left, the reasons you wish you'd stayed, the various reasons in either case that you may regret in years to come.

I don't think this will be entirely easy. Enjoyable, but not easy. And luckily, I'm not one for regretting.

Happy October!

Well, Jenny's gone and I'm working with my FOURTH English editor since I've been here. At least Jen stuck out the year - otherwise I'd think there was something wrong with me.

Know those flatmates I make reference to all the time? Meet Cat and Chris:

Chris and I are moving down two floors and over three apartments in the same building to a 2br this weekend. Cat's going back to the UK for an indiscriminate amount of time. Meanwhile, I'm slowly working my way to having my very own place for probably the first and only time in my life - not on purpose, I'm just tired of shuffling through different flatmates.

Stay tuned in coming weeks for exciting news! (No, I'm not having any babies, or puppies for that matter. I DID try to get a baby chick, but Dan discouraged it, probably for the best.)

Walk like summer, talk like rain

Lots of fun, crazy, exciting, and sad things to come starting this weekend through the end of October. Here's a photo from last weekend - gearing up for it all.

This is after being caught in an epic rainstorm, chauffeuring Maren and myself on my bike, down to the backpacker area for a little R&R after a long week, sitting in a cafe DRENCHED. Later met up with some other friends for a hop around town - we walked everywhere (it wasn't raining anymore, but I felt damp for the rest of the evening, ugh) and I'm incredibly proud of us. (Sidenotes: A) Check out the yellow nails! B) We are not pinching Dan's ear, Kat is leading me elsewhere. C) Thanks, Glenn, for finding this gem!)

Hope your smiles are as big as that one. Love!

Children

Me: I hate children. (sneeze) They touch things and then give me their germs.

Dan: No you don't.

Me: Fine, I like them like I like dogs, in theory.

My youngest student (I was going to say child, but I wouldn't want any of you to think I'd lost my mind and ventured into parenthood) was coughing and sneezing on me last week; "Andrew, cover your mouth!" never worked very long. So now my eyes are itchy, my nose stuffy, and my throat scratchy. Ugh, (germy) children. Maybe I'll take tomorrow off.

On a much happier, less congested note, Happy, happy 30th birthday to my dearest brother!

I saw one of my facebook friends did 27 random acts of kindness for her 27th birthday - something to consider for my 28th.

Hoi An and learning French

I'm working on this (never-ending) project and happened across a museum site that is only in French - which is weird because their other languages are Luxembourgish and German, but not the point. So, I needed to work out the address, contacts, opening hours, etc and was able to figure it all out without consulting a translator. I did have to ask what a word that turned out to mean "weekly" was, but in the big picture, my French is really coming along. Now, if only I made more time to study and practice.

In other news, I just returned from a three-day weekend in Hoi An. It is easily the most beautiful beach and town I've been to in Vietnam yet. We stayed in a four-star hotel with olympic-sized outdoor pool, just 20 meters from our room and another 20 meters from the beach, a pool bar on one side and a spa on the other. We rented a motorbike to drive in and out of town for the length of our stay and I got three dresses, 2 shorts, and a skirt made. I also got a bathing suit made, but it got left behind because it wasn't the right size and we ran out of time to wait for it to be fixed. Surely I will return. I've caught the tailor-made bug and the only cure is moving somewhere in which tailor-made clothes are unrealistically too expensive.

I took a few photos, but not many. And in the last three hours of the trip I broke my camera: a plastic bottle of Revive (energy drink) was just below the bank on the sand, moments away from being swept away by the tide. I noticed it while I was taking photos and decided to pick it up; walking over, I fell down the bank, dropping my camera in to the sand, so now the lens cover won't open all the way. Disappointment. I got it fixed once before in Nha Trang, so maybe I can again, but what ever is broken this time is different from what was broken before. Maybe if I bang it against enough things, the sand will fall out and all will be saved - surely I know that will only break something else. The good news: I rescued the plastic bottle.

"That's what you get for trying to save the environment." :P

Toughing out the week

To be quite honest this past week was rather un-enjoyable - there are a slew of other words I could use, but I will likely one day use this blog to procure another job and so I will just say it wasn't a wonderful week.

I re-signed yet another six month contract with this company on Tuesday, for which they've promised a full flight "home". I tried to argue that I may not want to go "home" and that maybe I'll find a job in South America or Germany or something, but he was afraid I'd use it to go on an extended holiday. In the end I conceded before he changed his mind altogether. Besides, at that point I will not have been home in two years and even if I do decide to come back and work for another company in Vietnam/Asia, a one way ticket is much cheaper than a RT.

Anyway, with the re-signing came an overwhelming feeling of dread, which I still cannot explain even if the feeling has well passed. I guess I'm really just missing the comforts and familiarity of people back home that I've known for years and years and to whom I don't have to explain why I just need some time apart. I guess life-guarding for ten years really didn't help me spend nine hours a day at work, and then four hours an evening socialising with the same ten people. Though, in all fairness, most people have a work life and social life that never meet.

But here we are at the end of one and beginning of another week. It's my work Saturday, for which I'm convinced whoever invented working on Saturdays not only hated having a life outside of work, I also think they had an incredible amount of money because when you're working you're not spending! On my way in this morning I discovered my first flat tire here. It was a really, honestly all sarcasm aside, beautiful moment sitting on the side of a busy road in the cool morning air while the guy who's set up there every day fixed my flat. I never take time to sit outside in the morning - who does? But maybe I should.

Other than that, nothing too special going on. I'm going to Hoi An next weekend with no one from work. Not only looking forward to the beauty I've only heard of and seen in photos, the thousands of tailors, and the seclusion of beach life, but especially to actually coming to miss the things that were driving me crazy last week.

Hope you're all well and gearing up for Autumn. Oh how terribly I miss boots and scarves. Lots of love, L

Professional blogger, at your service...

I've been blogging for my company since June or so. Big Boss oscillates between wanting the blogs to be controversial, funny, or informative. I've kept it to myself for the most part because, adhering to his request to be controversial, I may upset some friends and family with a few of my remarks. Also, there's actual controversy with the company which is a few years old but keeps us all wondering what will happen when we apply to other (publishing) companies.

In order to retain some of my anonymity, I came up with the great idea to use aliases which we can share with prospective employers or not. Thus far I'm the only one that's stuck with the idea and requested my alias be added to previous posts. I chose Le Lorrain Andrews after 17th century Baroque painter Claude Lorrain. Some are funnier than others, others are more controversial than some, if you come across them, keep in mind that it's done for readership, to stir a little controversy, and to keep people coming back for more. I don't necessarily believe everything I write in there AND I've always enjoyed a rousing round of Devil's Advocate, right mom? ;)

A Few Thoughts from Parkstone International

I bought a bike!

Yesterday I watched someone else drive off with my baby, we were just approaching our one-year anniversary. But, I have a new love now, and she's all mine.

She's not as beautiful as my old one, and we've got to get used to each other, but I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship.

Henry Rollins Strikes Again

Seriously love this guy. He's always got something beautiful/insightful to say.