Saturday, January 10, 2009

Where we get back on the escalator.

Last night, this time (9:30), I think I had just wound down an hour long one-sided conversation with myself and was working on that thousand-piece puzzle my fiend Leo had given me. It's been going around that these late winter days really are the worst during an exchange year. I have a cold again, which really hasn't made things any better. I've found winter to be my worst season pretty much every year, anyway.
So, I'm putting stuff off, like send the letters I've written (I keep having to update them), find out what kind of scholarships I should apply for (I'll get on it this week, Mom), I've got to get the $700 in for the tour of Taiwan in May, and I should probably finish that bi-monthly report for my Rotary friends back home.

On a lighter, more encouraging note, today was the Final Presentation of the Chinese class I had been attending. I was involved with a dramatic performance, in which I played the ErHu and also did some beatboxing. Later I hosted the awards section of the presentation with my friend Yani. I was pretty tired though, so I didn't really convey a lot of heart in my words. It was all in Chinese, though.
In the end, I was placed first in the class for something involving overall attitude and ability. I was really honored to be given the award, but I know there are still some flaws with the whole program and I don't want the fact that that I recieved this special distinction to suddenly cause me to change my view on that. When the time comes, the right people will know exactly what I think. That's my hope.

All in all, I'm ready to start going to my high-school all day again, although I will think of the other exchange students that I became good friends with. There has been a lot of good and bad thus far, and I expect it will remain as such, but at the end of this I hope I can look back and say, "Yep, a lot of folks were affected by my just being around."

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Congratulations honey. You won't forget the "bad" part that you want to see changed even if you allow yourself to feel great about the recognition you received. Here is today's lesson in "Positive Thinking 101" class: get those thoughts about the "bad" part right out of your head, it's the "room for improvement" part! Make your list of bullet points to use when you have the opportunity for input with people in power, then you can move on.
OK enough '80s psycho babble right!
Thanks for the more-frequent blogs but Daddy told me to get a Facebook for easier communication so I'll see you there soon.

Vince said...

Congrats man! Nigel the Trilingual has a nice ring to it. Keep up the good work.

Li da qi said...

Yee Haa and Ni Hao! I always knew you were good enough! and you have been working harder despite the other class members not cooperating with the Teachers or general apathy. As mom said don't dwell on the imperfection, let it go and it will help your cold to go away also. Keep sitting on the front row! Dad