Family

When I was learning Chinese, one of the first things I was able to say (after "Hello," "thank you," and "shut up") was "My family (or "house" technically) has 5 people. My dad, mom, little brother, little sister, and me." (Wo jia you wu ge ren. Wo baba, mama, didi, mei mei, he wo.") It was not a great conversation starter, but it came up pretty frequently in oral examinations. On more daring occasions, I would add that I had a dog and a cat. I never did learn how to say "hamster."

The definition of family was pretty straight-forward. The people in my house were my family. I generously expanded this definition to include my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. The end.

Lately, though, my definition of "family" has expanded significantly. "Wo jia" no longer simply has "wu ge ren." Now I consider many more people members of my family. Several of my college friends certainly fall into that category as, of course, do Clover, Neptune, and their parents. Even their extended family has, to a certain extent, become my extended family.

When I graduated from college, I decided to come to Seattle because I wanted to create a "home town" for myself. I've moved around a fair amount, and have never really felt like I'm FROM anywhere. On one hand, this is extremely liberating. I certainly wouldn't change my growing-up years for any amount of money. On the other hand, it would be nice to have roots of some kind. I thought-- silly, naive me-- that developing a home town would consist largely of becoming aware of the regional jokes, gaining the ability to drive around in the city without needing directions, and cultivating a healthy amount of ridicule for the "opposing" city (or maybe just the East Coast in general?). There's an element of truth in this, but I underestimated two things-- 1. The necessity of cute weather proof clothing and 2. How important people are. It's not the city that's "home." It's the people ("awww...").

I'm not building a "home" so much as I am spinning my web. Sure, the geographical area is part of it. I'm gradually learning my way around Seattle, I just bought a waterproof winter coat, and I can use the word "sun break" in a sentence without feeling like a fool. Not to be ignored, though, are the very important people who are all part of this web.

Welcome to my mind.

I'm only sharing these because I like you. They are magic.

To be sung to the tune of "Up on a Rooftop"

Gods of parking, hear my plea
Have the perfect space for me
Make it a space outside my door
I'll love you forever more

Make it a space that is just right
Not too big and not too tight
Make sure it's cozy for a bug
And I'll give you a big hug


---------------------------------

Gods of streetlights, don't be mean
We are waiting, please turn green
We have have many places to be
It would be nice if you would help me

Pros/Cons

The Real World, in a pro and con list:

PRO: I get my very own space, that I can keep as tidy (or untidy) as I choose
CON: I'm expected to pay a large sum of money each month in order to actually stay here

PRO: Instead of depending on the dining hall for every meal, I get to eat what I want. I also get to eat when I want, instead of during the set mealtime hours.
CON: I have to buy and then prepare the food I want.

PRO: Cats
CON: There is no con to this.

PRO: No homework (for me)
CON: I get be the homework manager for two other people.
PRO: Their homework is quick, straightforward, and they are cooperative

Halloween

I love Halloween. It's not one of my favourite holidays, but it certainly is a fun one-- and I will latch onto any excuse to be "festive." Not to be underappreciated is that a nice holiday like Halloween lends some direction to crafting (and, I'm sure, cooking and baking-- though I haven't gone down that route yet). This week, Clover, Neptune, and I decorated gourds.

Yes, gourds.

I give you the results:


(That's Rafael, the bizarre white squash, and what I think of as the magical pumpkin. I decorated these ones...)


Neptune decorated these. I love the blue pumpkin and all of the foam shapes.


And this is all Clover's doing. She was particularly into this craft project (I can't say I blame her). The best one, in my opinion is that small orange and green gourd that looks like a hedgehog. Awesome.

Finding the Car

Really (really, really) I'm a nanny. But sometimes, this job comes with other duties. Yesterday, it was my job to pick up Family B (the morning family) from the airport.

Now, I drive a VW Bug. Annabelle, though a wonderful car, fits approximately 2 adults or 2 adults and 2 children comfortably. There was no. way. I was going to take her to the airport to pick up a family of four. Logically, I decided to take the family's Honda Pilot.

Their car was parked in the Park and Ride in the city where they live, and I set off to find it. It was not until I was IN the parking lot, that it occurred to me: Probably, more than one person in this city ones a Honda Pilot. Probably, more than one is parked in This Very Parking Lot.

And, sure enough, I had to try at least 4 other cars before I finally found the one the key unlocked.

The best part? The remote unlock function on the key was broken, so I had to go around sticking the key into the lock on each of the car doors, trying to open them.

I'm sure I looked like the worst car burglar in the world.

Unfun?!

A woman in the QFC (grocery store) parking lot just came up to me and, seeing sticker on my car, asked if I had gone to Scripps College (see how I'm telling you now, because I'm not there anymore? Sneaky!):

Me: Yeah, I did.
Woman: What did you think of it?
Me: Oh wow, I loved it. Best four years of my life!
Woman: Oh. My daughter and I just visited, and we thought it was really uptight and unfun. It seemed like everyone studied until 1am.
Me: ...

I mean, yes, people DO study hard. It's a school that requires work, and work we do! But that's certainly not the extent of it. We study hard, and play hard.

We DEFINITELY have fun.



After having this conversation with the misguided woman, I immediately called Aslan. She was as flabbergasted as I was, and after a few minutes of discussing this, she said, "You know, I feel kind of offended, like she was questioning whether *I* had fun or not!" Which, once she said it, was definitely how I felt too.

I texted some other folks from Claremont, and this is what they said:

Esquire: Wow. Well, maybe she's a stuipdhead who can't recognise fun if it hit her in the face.

Joanna: Wow really...? Maybe college isn't right for her. She could take up bartending...?

Jill: Boy are they wrong! Oh well. They are missing out.

London: To each her own, I guess!

Polka Dot: That was not my experience. No frats but that doesn't mean no fun.

Zee: Oh boy. Little do they know.

Wednesday: Well, it maybe unfun now, but only because we're not there.


Clearly, CLEARLY even the most polite of people agree with me on this one. Scripps was FUN! So what on earth did these people experience while they were there? Who was their tour guide?! I wish I had asked....

I mean, are these the faces of kids who never had fun?

Mysteries of Life

For a long time, my trousers were all just a LEETLE BIT too tight. Not painfully, muffin-top tight, just slightly uncomfortable.

Now, I am discovering that all my trousers are just a LEETLE BIT too lose. Not falling-off loose, just feeling-like-they-might loose.

When, oh when, was the time that they fit perfectly? And how did I miss it?