Another Notch on the Cross

Well, I'm 25 now. In related news, I ache all over. I do not think I need to explain the correlation between these two occurences.

Thank you to all who sent well wishes. I, myself, am terrible when it comes to remembering birthdays so I am always shocked when people remember my own. If only I had some sort of record-keeping device that could track the days of the year and tell me when important events were scheduled to happen... if only...


Anyways, thank you to my parents and siblings, all my other relatives (Aunt Kaethe has got my sense of humor nailed, see adjoining picture), my friends back home and my friends here in China. Most surprising, many of my students even gave me gifts and cards proving that despite my lack of confidence in my actual teaching ability I do run an excellent cult of personality. You all made this crank's day.

Now, not to brag so much as to share, let me show off some of my gifts.

First up is this cup gifted by the lovely little teaching assistant Sissi. We still can't decide if it should be a drinking vessel or a pencil holder, but that is besides the point. The outside of the cup depicts four different plants; (I think) bamboo, chrysanthemums, orchids and something else. Sissi enlightened me that these plants represent four qualities the Chinese believe will lead to a long life: (again, I think) temperance, stability, patience, and something else. When Sissi told me that she chose this gift because these were qualities she found strong in my own character I could not help but guffaw. Yes, guffaw. "Thank you for the compliment, Sissi, but I don't know if I'll agree with you so easily. But I will look to this cup everytime a student pushes my nerves a bit too far. Then, if they keep pushing, I'll hurl this cup at their head."

Here's a card from one of my pre-teen students:

Thank you Joyce. So do I.

Finally, and I'm hoping this is more due to the fact that these are gifts from 13/14 year old girls and not due to some vibe I was unaware I was setting off...

Not to sound gay or nothin', but I think dolphins are totally kickass.

Now, while I am poking a bit of fun, these gifts actually mean a lot to me. Wendy's, Lucy's, and Clare's sentiments hit home and really made this 25th quite special. Thank you, girls.

Now what will the next year hold for our adventurous hero? Lord only knows. The immediate future likely holds the initial foray into the Moore Bonds, then sweet sweet sleep. I'm getting old, after all.