Another List

Haven't blogged in an extremely LONG time; good time for a list.

Priorities Over Studying (it's my last semester, for crying out loud):

-laundry and dishes; this is an excellent way to still feel productive
-dejunk my closet; I make two piles, one to go to Plato's and one for DI
-dejunk my closet again; I remind myself that even though the pants are super cute, I still don't fit into them, just like I didn't fit into them a year ago when I bought them (then I fold them nicely and place them...hopefully not back in the closet)
-eat
-watch movie trailers on HULU
-go to the gym
-eat
-devise ways of seeking revenge on Sporto
-organize my planner
-read the police beat (oh I love you police beat; may you always be true)
-avoid reflection of the future
-visit the girls: Josephine Sarah and Amelia Rose (Shell's twins)
-remind myself of all my good qualities
-sing songs I first heard on the school bus (Cranberries, Lisa Loeb, Des'ree, etc)
-call Chenko and tell her anecdotes; Chenko loves a good anecdote.
-put on the eyeshadow that has sat in my makeup bag for three years and never been used
-use punctuation in manners entirely new
-have late night chats with Eslade
-miss the Asian Princess
-blog, or think about blogging and then not blog but eat

Taiwan Reincarnated II

Country Visit

Yesterday, I went to Qiao Zhou
To see the country with my own eyes.
My future awaited the past—
Rice paddies, Taiwanese, and Aborigines.
Delivered by the fast-line train,
I pressed my face to the window and watched
Green banana leaves smear by,
“How beautiful!” I thought.
Bananas for ice cream sundaes and hot bread,
Curving yellow smiles of silliness
Tempting me to enjoy
A banana world in Qiao Zhou.
A banana country.
I stared out the window and
Lin Mei stared at me.
“Those aren’t banana trees,”
She said.

Morning Thoughts

For the past several months, I've chosen to walk plugged into the sounds around me rather than my shuffle. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my metallic purple shuffle (compliments of Unicorn and Mary Poppins) but I like to save it for the gym or late-night papers--makes it more like a treat. Here's a list of thoughts (because lists are made of great and it's Friday) that I've had this morning:

-I wish Daniel Day-Lewis would be like he was in the 90's. Oh, I heart you crazy man.
-I will not buy any granola bars from the vending machine today.
-What day is it again?
-I should pray.
-Oh, she's wearing cute shoes.
-Pastry.
-I MUST go to bed earlier.
-Maybe I'll get to work and there will be beds in place of chairs.
-Can't the bell tower mix their tunes up a bit.
-Oh, I hope I already missed the National Anthem.
-Oh, yay, the National Anthem. I really am grateful to be an American.
-I will assume he is Canadian and not judge him for walking during the flag raising.
-Maybe John Krasinski look alike in the ward will ask me out.
-Maybe John Krasinski will ask me out.
-Something good will happen today.

Po-em.

Oh, Bloggy. I've neglected you. But it isn't because I haven't become a pseudo awful normal. I'm still writing, just secretly.

Here's a poem I'm still working on; this is the second draft. I'm suppose to now focus in on one image or idea rather than a vast array.

Barrel Holidays

Dark heads and almond eyes scootered
At the Gong of the Miao’s drum, calling home.
Cylindrical metal barrels waited
The flame of a small match.
Inside the barrel caverns, yellow card-stock money burned
New Year red,
And smoke trails of ash twisted
Into the Long’s envious tail.
Thin sticks of incense pierced
Symmetrical lines of oranges.
Buddha sat on a cheap table top.
Last night’s ginger lingered in
Dancing globe lanterns.
Grandmothers barked at sandaled posterity
Sneaking strawberry chews and crackers.
The almond eyes followed the curious blonde curls, and with
Toothy beetle nut grins spoke,
“To Bai Bai the gods,” they bowed.
To Bai Bai the ancestors.

"This is Tian. How may I help you?"

Yesterday at work I answered the phone to an anxious woman. She was still in the middle of submitting every portion of her application to our program and was "just calling" to give me the heads up that one part wouldn't make it before the deadline. She continued to explain she would move forward with the admittance process and continue as if she had turned everything in even though her application was incomplete.

Oh, that's so nice of her.

Where do people miss out on such social understanding? I mean, I may be accused of beating to my own drum at times, and I often like to violate the social norm but in good measure. But I don't just walk out of the grocery store with my Canada Dry and processed cookies without paying because the line is too long and I don't have time right then to pay.

After I explained that she must have that portion of the application submitted before she could proceed with anything associated with our department, she insisted on telling me her story, again, which had to do with the fact that she moved from New York. The credentials and endorsement she needed had to come from a previous associate in the Big Apple. And,..."I'm just telling you that it won't get to you before the deadline." And,..."people are busy in New York."

You never know what new things you'll learn at work.