here i am!

so.

having my mommy here was awesome... it was interesting how some things hadn't changed at all, and how some things had changed ever so subtley. i now have a well-stocked larder and fridge. and an extra towel.

florida was WARM. i kept expecting to be hit by a blast of cold air everytime i stepped outside only to be pleasantly let down.
it was nice to walk around in a pair of shorts and a sleeveless top, it was nice to feel the humidity, it was nice to see and hear the pouring rain... it was also nice to go shopping. not so nice to see lizards again.
i finished my first book in a while! the curious incident of the dog in the night-time. i highly recommend it.
oh, and a duck swam in the pool with me one morning. i wondered if there was any duck poo in the pool. i didn't see any.

i had my longest birthday ever. haha. i started getting birthday wishes on the afternoon of the ninth from people halfway round the world. that evening i went "bar-hopping" with my mommy. and got carded at our last stop. =P decided not to sleep because it was already past 12 and we had to be up by 3-ish cos our ride was coming at 4 so we'd be at the airport by 5 for our 7am flight. stopped at salt lake city and got to turn my clock back two hours, then landed in eugene and turned my clock back another hour. that night my host parents made the effort to come for fellowship, and after fellowship the house threw a mini-surprise party for me, complete with cake, ice cream, party hats and the blowing thingies. then i hung out with friends til my birthday was over. =)

last week was a blur of doing things that needed to be done, not getting enough sleep, disappointment, and frustration.

on friday night i went to a dance performance with amanda, and i really enjoyed it. it was nice to do something different, especially something i didn't need to do.
on saturday i went had a nap three hours after waking up, just cos i felt like it.
vania and i were supposed to watch a track meet, but we went shopping instead. i bought a very huggable down pillow that feels very much like my pillow back home - a present from anthea. =)
spent the rest of my day pretty much just hanging out... didn't do any school work. at all.
and i got some good news - the first i've gotten in a while.
on sunday afternoon i had a long nap in the afternoon to the sound of hail falling on the roof... which reminded me of the heavy evening rain in malaysia that almost always put me to sleep.
on sunday evening i was reminded again of how everyone has a story to tell and a burden to bear. and how it is sometimes so important for them just to lay it out, and when that happens how important it is just to listen.

and... it's monday again.