It was a good day

It's funny how a few little things can change your whole perspective. China's a tough country to move to. The sensory overload alone can be incredible. Almost everything that we take for granted in the West requires extra effort or doesn't exist. Part of the problem is mine. Without the correct words, everything can take longer than it would normally. Sometimes, things just don't exist. I had no idea how much I used an oven until I didn't have one. Without the internet, the last few weeks have left me feeling like I've landed, alone, on the moon. Yesterday, I was unhappy and lonely. And then, a few things happened to change it around.

Internet access arrived and I was able to cursorily catch up on email and read the news. Paris Hilton was caught drunk driving and ipods are so ubiquitous that they are no longer cool! Once again, I am part of the real world.

I've been stressing out about work alot and putting in a lot of overtime. Coupled with the fact that I'm still trying to figure out a) what those funny looking vegetables are good for, and b) how to make a proper meal on only two propane burners, or c) how to order something that doesn't involve meat, I haven't been eating too well. I wonder if that's been contributing to my mood? But, yesterday, the wife of one of the teachers here brought over a wonderful, delicious, nutritious and fully prepared meal for me and we had a really nice chat while I ate it. The kindness of new friends is better than Ativan and Xanax combined.

And. And. To top off a good day, the building manager and the maintenance man, Bill and Richard respectively, dropped by to fix all the little things that are wrong with my apartment. Now, I have it pretty good. I've had a lot less problems than other people. But laundry has been a bit of a challenge in the last few weeks. Washing machines function similarly to those in the West. You put the clothes in, the water goes in, cleans and drains in four cycles. Not too bad. However, there appears to be a fair amount of concrete in the pipes so instead of draining away into the plumbing ether, the water from my machine drains onto the bathroom floor. This means that instead of putting in a load and going about my business, I have been spending my laundry time sitting on the bathroom floor next to a bucket, poised to grab the hose the second I hear the drain cycle begin. When the bucket is almost full, I pause the machine, dump the water into the bathtub, and begin the refilling of the bucket. Each drain cycle, of which there are four, involves four full buckets. And at least once during every laundry day, I manage to miss the beginning of the drain cycle and the hose goes flying out of the bucket, spraying me and flooding the floor.

Since the school is still essentially a construction zone, my house is also very dusty. A wet floor means a very dirty floor. The mop lives in the bathroom, and, since I'm already mopping I may as well do a little extra cleaning. Laundry has become a serious chore. Now, I'm not big on cleaning. I'm not a total slob, but I'll let things slide sometimes in the name of leisure time. I'm beginning to think that the cleaning gods are having a good laugh at my expense; the laundry situation is part of some sort of karmic retribution for my past level of slack.

But, as of last night, I can now do laundry like a normal person. I dump the clothes in and walk away. No more sitting on the floor. No more spontaneous showers. No more mopping. No more cleaning. It was a very good day. I'm sure my emotional state will be a merry-go-round for a good while to come, but at least I'll have clean clothes. And believe me...that goes a long, long way.