Just a good day...

Today was just one of those good days. I received a high compliment from one of my professors this morning. I am in a Trial Advocacy class and did a closing statement today. Everyone in the class had to do one and I was one of the last. My professor caught me in the hall after class and told me that I had a natural talent and that I did the best closing argument in the class. This may not sound like much, but I was terrified and pretty much thought I sucked, so it was really nice to hear.

Also, two perfect strangers asked me for my phone number today. WEIRD! The first was a guy that started chatting with me as we walked from a bus stop to our respective classes. He seemed like a nice, normal guy, so I gave it to him. The second was a bit of a thug, but hey - it's still flattering. He was a ref at my little brother's basketball game. To him, I said I had a boyfriend. Little white lies like that are allowed right?

So today was just an all around confidence booster. It was much needed. It was just a good day.

New approach & Chinese talent show

I've decided that my current day to day life is rather dull. However, I had a rather bizarre childhood and many adult adventures. Kimbo left a comment that she'd love to hear about my travel adventures. This inspired me to take a new turn in my blogging. While I may write about anything interesting that happens in my current life, I think I will start telling stories from my past. They will range anywhere from picking the brains out of a bear's skull to getting arrested in China. Many may be about members of my crazy family. There will probably be no order, chronological or otherwise. I hope this is interesting to those who may read my blog, but even if it isn't, it's time I start putting this stuff down on paper, proverbially speaking, of course.

I'll start with China. I lived in China for 5 months in 2001. It was amazing and I could go on and on about stories from China. I went over to work for a non-profit Chinese company to teach English. I got there in August and man WAS IT HOT! There was no air conditioning, so everyone spent every evening out in the park. There were hundreds of people out...children running around everywhere, ballroom dancing in one section, line dancing to Chinese instruments in another. I was the only foreigner for miles and did not know one word of Chinese. It was my first night in the park and I was wandering around just watching. I was in awe! I approached a large group of people that were gathered in a kind of circle. I hung in the back and found myself a nice brick wall to sit on. I think I had the best view in the park. I realized what was happening was a talent show of sorts. Someone would go to the middle of the group and do a fan dance, sing some Chinese Opera, or play some sort of instrument I wasn't familiar with. I was in the back, enjoying the show, thinking I was invisible, an invisible imposter in this completely unfamiliar world. I was wrong. I guess the only blonde for miles can't be very invisible. Suddenly, the crowd parted and everyone was looking at me. Remember, I spoke NO CHINESE and had no idea what was going on. Why were they all staring at me? A woman with a kind smile approached me, took my hand and gently pulled me off the wall and into the middle of the circle. All eyes were still on me. She said something to me but it was soon obvious that I did not understand. We played a short game of charades until I finally understood that she wanted me to sing. Upon this realization, I politely said no and tried to return to my comfortable wall. Have you ever tried to get through a solid wall of people who have no idea what you are trying to say? Well, I was gently nudged back to the middle of the circle and abandoned there to stare back at the masses surrounding me. Word must have spread about the blonde in the circle because the whole neighborhood seemed to magically appear to watch the upcoming show. What was I to do? Sing, I guess. So I did. The only songs I was certain I would remember all the words to were hymns. When I was done, I received generous applause and returned it with a encore (on demand of course). I'm pretty sure this won me several instant Chinese friends. So there I was, a 22 year old American girl, with no knowlege of the Chinese language, singing about Jesus Christ to a group of about 100 people with no knowlege of the English language who have no idea who Jesus Christ is. After the show, many of my neighbors tried to talk to me...albeit unsuccessfully. We managed though. They acted out words and then said them. That's how I started learning Chinese. That was my second day in China. By the end of the month, I was pretty comfortable getting around with my new found language skills. Not only that, but I became a regular with the line dancing crowd consisting of mostly women over the age of sixty.

Busy Semester

I started my last semester of law school this week. I CANNOT believe it's really almost over. It's very surreal. I have so much to be grateful for! I'm working part time at a law firm right now and I LOVE it! I am interested in the things I do. I get paid well. I feel useful and not like I'm doing busy work. I really feel like I will be prepared to be an attorney in a few months.

I'm moving out of my parent's backyard soon. I know it's time for me to leave, but this small part of me is sad. I don't understand that part. Why wouldn't I want to move? The financial part is part of it - you know...paying rent. I think the other part is that I have to move into a room and share living space with other people. I'm used to living alone and I really like that. I will be living with two sisters too, which may be a little weird. Oh well, it's time for a change.

Oh yeah...I almost forgot. I bought a plane ticket to Italy last week. I fly into Rome on May 15th and fly out of Paris on May 25th. I'm travelling with one friend, which is perfect and we travel well together.

I really do have a lot to be grateful for. Life is good. I just have to find me a man now! Ha! But who really has the time?

Jailbird got sentenced...finally!

Jailbird got sentenced on Friday. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Because of some time served credit and some weird prison time calculation, he should be out of jail in about January 2009. I was the only one at his hearing and his attorney asked me to speak on his behalf. I thought his attorney did a good job and the judge even said that she was persuasive, but in the end, none of it mattered.

I had to call his mom and tell her. That was not a fun conversation.

I know that I have nothing to complain about because I won't be spending the next few years in jail, but I'm a little overwhelmed. Aside from all the "stuff" I have to take care of...like selling his car, figuring out what to do with all of his stuff, etc., I feel a huge burden. He's going to some prison, probably not very close to here. His family all lives out of state and his friends I fear will dwindle. They had such a hard time going to see him in jail when it was fairly easy to get through the process. I really feel like I will be the only one who will stick with him. That's a lot of pressure that if I don't write or visit, no one will. It's so sad. Add the guilt that I feel for even being selfish and feeling that way and I just feel crappy. I feel selfish and uncharitable.

I'm sure once I process all this and things settle down, everything will be okay. Why do people have to make such stupid choices?