I thought it was funny...

A cause of the homesick blues mixed with a bad case of China complaints had been drifting from person to person (some people, however, keeping it longer than others).  During the past week, I had finally caught the bug, with the combo of a real sickness involving a sore throat and nasal congestion (possibly a side effect from the increased smog of the past weekend).  After looking at pictures from the past month and a half I realized, maybe for the first time, just how much I really did like China.  Still it has its hiccups, the general lack of manners, the dirtiness of it, and what we can only get mad at ourselves for, the lack of communication, at times.  But China has a charm to it that can only be explained as, that's China.  As I was explaining this epiphany to my friend, Diane, on the cab ride to work, mid-sentence, the driver hacked a major loogie.  We just looked at each other and laughed.  Definition China.  

Seven blocks away from the tennis venue, before the cab driver turned, he flung over his seat beat in an attempt to make it look like he was wearing his safety belt in front of the security guard and the police officer.  I guess he trusted his driving enough that he would never get into an accident.

On the ride home from our office, the tennis venue, we were chatting about two guys in our group and their characteristic independence.  Just after that statement, I looked across the street and both of them were standing on the sidewalk with their bikes idle in their hands.  I rolled down the window to say hi. As I was waving, a passing taxi pulled up beside and with a big smile, blew me a kiss.  It was quite funny.  I guess he thought our excitement was for him.  Five seconds later he drove off with an even bigger smile and his parting words, buh bye.  

Immediately once inside my room, I hopped onto my computer to check my email.  Inside my inbox was an email from the photo editor of China Daily.  Judy, the journalism professor who was responsible for our China trip, had told her my photos were great.  The editor kindly told me my photos would make China Daily more interesting.  I knew my photography had improved greatly over the past year, but I was still shocked that one of China's biggest newspapers would be asking for my photo submissions.  The greatest irony of it all was that the day prior, my roommate and I (both journalism majors) had discussed how great it would be to get published by an international publication and that the China Daily, an English daily newspaper, would be the icing on the cake.  

Still in a good mood after Judy's birthday dinner when she told me my writing and photography would be great for a regular blog on the China Daily website, I went for a celebratory run.  I hit a cross roads, and since I was not yet tired, I continued my jog. I ducked under the dimly lit bridge.   Flashing lights approached and I darted over the railing to avoid the oncoming car, as it honked inches from my crumpled body.  I hadn't realized there was a ditch dividing the sidewalk and the road I was on before and in my leap over my foot slipped inside the wet murky water.  My ipod, still playing, sang the words, "I've got my new shoes on and everythings going to be alright."  

I brushed myself off and continued on my run, deciding it was indeed time to return back home, with one mud coated shoe following the other.