A COUPLE FIRSTS

Completely blank. That’s what happens to me when I sit down to blog at a reasonable hour with little to no demands on my time. Midnight is when I find my true inspiration – a fact that plagued me with little sleep during my college years. But it’s nine thirty, I just finished my one hour English lecture (supposed to be two) and my one hour interrogation from fifty some curious students, and I have nothing else to do…so I’m blogging.

Well, Meager March has turned into a month of firsts for me (not intentionally, but well executed nonetheless during a month that could easily have proven to be very boring). The first “first” is that I was electrocuted. I’ve never been electrocuted before – even that time when I touched the “electric” fence while at Cullman, Alabama just to see what it was like. Maybe the electricity was off or maybe we were lied to about it to prevent us from crossing the fence that lead to pastureland filled with terrifying and mean-hearted cows. Anyway, a couple weeks ago I had just washed my hands and had only pat-dried them (which means they were still wet). I then noticed the blow drier was still plugged in, a pet peeve of mine – when things are not put up after being used. So I unplugged it; only, the adapter didn’t come out with the plug, and my wet fingers clumsily touched the prongs that were still barely inserted into the adapter. I got quite a jolt. It was exhilarating, but I wouldn’t recommend it. My hand was a bit shaky after that for a few minutes.

The second, more exciting “first” came Monday night at 11:24 pm. I generally fall asleep before eleven, but this night I found myself tirelessly thinking in bed when suddenly it began to shake. Then I noticed the whole room felt like it was moving. It didn’t last long, and I immediately thought that the Germans above me were causing the racket (a justifiable thought because they’re quite loud actually – often jumping up and down and running and moving furniture late into the night). But then I thought it might have been an earthquake. I’ve never been in an earthquake before so I couldn’t really be sure. I fell asleep contemplating the cause of the shaking but was awoken at midnight by a phone call from Michael Scofield (from China not Prison Break) who asked if I’d felt the earthquake and said a lot of students had congregated outside. He was just checking on me, and given the inherited and fake cheery voice I put on for people who wake me up (so as not to let on that they have just interrupted my slumber), I think he felt assured of my peace of mind of having survived this harrowing experience. I mean, how many people live through earthquakes that measure a whopping 4.3 on the Richter scale and occur 30 miles from one’s location?

I’ve decided to go back to the States for a few weeks this summer. I had originally intended to stay in China during the summer and make my annual trip home during the winter break next year. However, I think it’s best I go home for a few weeks, and since I’ve made that decision, I’m increasingly looking forward to spending time with my family and friends.

My oldest brother and his wife are hoping to visit Shanghai for a few days next week, and I’m planning to take a couple days off from work to meet them there. This semester many of the Shiyan foreigners’ families have come for visits, and it’s such a blessing for all of us.

Well, in an effort to quit babbling while the quitting’s good, I’m signing off for now. Love much!