Tuesday, May 24, 2011

T minus 42 days

And time keeps flying by.  A lot has happened in the past (approximately) two weeks.

- Continued to wait for my passport
- Survived 'finals week'
- Spent the last few days with college friends
- Made plans to see said college friends again
- Cleaned the apartment and moved out
- Graduated!
- Had a graduation party
- Moved home, decided to sort my life out
- Failed at sorting my life out
- Resolved to try to sort my life out again
- Still waiting for my passport
- Planning for China, getting vaccinations/medications
- Taking aggressive action to get information on where my passport is
- Trying not to worry

It has been a trying few weeks.  I am very agitated about the passport issue, and can't seem to get any information from the government.  Hopefully that will change tomorrow (I've contacted my congressperson), but we'll see.  I also need to get my Visa paperwork in, and that is supposed to possibly take 4 weeks to handle (I leave the first few days of July) so I am getting a bit anxious.

Graduation was amazing, it felt great to walk across that stage and give Father Bob a big hug!  I can't wait for my parents to get my diploma (I don't foresee it arriving while I am in the United States yet).  My parents were awesome on graduation day, taking photos, being proud, and also giving me space to be with my friends when I needed to.  They also threw me an awesome graduation party out at Wilson Park in St. Cloud.  A lot of family and friends were there, and other graduates too like Nathan, Justin, Madeline and Alyssa.  It was a great time, my parents even had a cake with my face on it, haha.

I think I'm still far enough removed from China that I'm not too nervous about it yet.  I am nervous about how I am going to get there and what I am going to bring, though.  The Passport and Visa issue is huge, but so is the plane ticket, and proper shoes, what clothing to bring, medicines, etc.  The plane ticket is the most expensive piece, and only gets more expensive by the day.  But I want to wait to purchase it until I know for sure I will get my passport back in time, because..well, that could possible throw a monkey wrench into everything (flight, contract, hundreds of dollars, the entire trip could be in jeopardy, you see where I'm coming from here).  So, I'm nervous.

I want to have an good record of what I was doing before China, in China, and after China, so I want to keep writing this blog, but I also don't want to bore you all to death, haha.  Hmm..ah.  Photos!  That'll keep you entertained...

Steve, posing next to the RedGage cake at the final RedGage meeting/social hour of the first year of it's existence!

My dad (Albert) and I posing next to Guild Hall, where KJNB Radio is located!

My mother (Mona) and I posing near Frank House, where Father Bob lives.
Two of my roommates (from Left: myself, Nathan, Justin) posing in front of a Br. Jerome Tupa painting in Sexton Commons.
Hugs!

:)

Oh how I love my parents!

I have no idea what I was doing here, but it looks hilarious!

The four roommates!  Now including Andrew!

And now there were seven.  From left: myself, Alyssa, Andrew, Madeline, Nathan, Kimby and Justin.

Jump for Joy!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

T minus 58 days

I had another 'last' yesterday.  I DJed the spring semi-formal dance at the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Morris last night, which I have done twice before.  Over the past three years I've spent a lot of time at the Newman Center; one of my best friends, John, lived there from August 2008-May 2010 when he graduated (he is currently working with NET Ministries, traveling around the United States, though he will be home very soon!).  Another best friend, Nathan, and I used to visit him in Morris often.  We made a lot of good friends there, many of whom have graduated and moved on to bigger and better things.  There are still some people I know there though, and it was good to see them again.  The director of the Newman Center is actually an SJU graduate also, Scott.  It's nice to have that connection also, as he and I can swap stories about SJU even though we didn't know each other before I started hanging out in Morris.  I'll miss all of you!

It's also Mother's Day today!  And on my way back from Morris at around 1:00 last night, I stopped at home which is near Meire Grove.  I knew mom was in the Twin Cities with my brother and sister, but I thought that she might be back late Sunday morning or early Sunday afternoon.  I was wrong, haha!  So, here I am, at home, with no one else here but myself.

But, I'll  be taking off soon.  My cousin, and another of my best friends, Galen, is graduating from Saint Cloud State University today!  We are going out to dinner with a bunch of friends and family tonight around 18:00 in Saint Cloud to celebrate, and who knows where the night will take us.

The number at the top of these posts keeps getting smaller.  I'm glad I'm putting it up there though, it keeps me aware of the time, and how precious it is.

One last thing: be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page and click "Follow", and share the blog with your friends/family too!  Thanks!

Friday, May 6, 2011

T minus 60 days

Whoa.  Alright.  Slow down there...two months left?  You've got to be kidding me!

Well, in preparation, I've been doing some light reading.  I was browsing through the college library and came across two books I've read in digital form, but never had the pleasure of actually cracking in real life.  The Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West, the latter of which I named this blog after.  Bear in mind that the links I posted are not to the versions I am currently reading, as the RoTK book I am reading was published in 1959 and the Journey to the West version I borrowed was published in 1977.  Also, upon further perusal, I realize I have volume 1 of RoTK and volume 2 of JttW.  How disappointing.

Well, one more day down, and they keep rolling.  Man, having a countdown really makes you appreciate how little time there really is.  I wonder how depressing it would be to have a countdown to the day of your death.  On second thought, I don't want to think about that.

Stay classy, readers.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

T minus 61 days

Wow.  Time flies.  Not only has it been three days since I started this blog (and trust me, they'll keep flying by), but I also ran into my old friend Kelly Broughton!  Kelly and I have been friends since...well, since we were very, very small.  We come from the same town, were in the same 4-H club, went to the same high school, and now go to the same college (if only for one more week).  And she is headed to Uganda on May 16th on a preparatory trip for the foundation she started, Alabaster Women's Ministries (Facebook Page for AWM)!  She is going out to do some really outstanding work, and I'm very excited to keep up with her on her blog and Facebook pages which I just linked you to.  Good luck Kelly, you're going to do great things!
With Kelly was another blast from the past, Karen Kudrna.  Karen and I worked together on a 24-hour play festival our first semester of college at CSB/SJU, and I don't know that we've really seen each other since, but we both recognized the other!  It was good to see her again too. :)

Also, I'm still waiting for my passport to arrive so I can straighten out my visa situation.  But, while I wait for news on that, I thought I would show you this video.  It relates to China around that 4:20 mark.  Enjoy!

EDIT
Also, ironically (if you watch the tail end of the video), my Gmail account was hacked from China about a month ago!  No harm done though.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

T minus 63 days - part II

Looks like China is getting ready for my arrival by building a pool for me to swim in in Beijing once I arrive.  Touche.  Now I need to come up with a better gift for them, I guess...

T minus 63 days

And so my education on How to be Chinese begins...Also, I may or may not marry this girl.

I'm going to try to mix it up between long, informational posts and shorter posts with videos, photos, and quick tidbits of stuff that's happening in my life regarding China.  Stay tuned!

Monday, May 2, 2011

T minus 64 days

64 days. July 5, 2011. That is when my contract officially begins with the Chinese Society of Education Training Center (CSETC). It feels like forever from now, but it really isn't very much time. I've got a lot of work to do between now and then, such as: graduating from college, getting my visa and other travel info straightened out (including waiting for my passport to arrive: frustrating!), and saying goodbye to friends and family for a year. I haven't really even had much time to sit down and absorb what has all happened and what I will be experiencing yet; I've been busy with passing classes and finishing up my work with the Saint John's Senate and RedGage, and enjoying my remaining days with my college friends. There are a lot of things happening at once here, but luckily I have friends, family, colleagues, and professors who are willing and able to help me through all the hurdles I face as I race towards 7/5/2011.

One other thing to get used to: writing the date as 2011/07/05. That's how they handle it in China, and on all their legal documents.

I'm going to try to document the days leading up to my arrival in China here, and continue to blog while in China and throughout the entire process, up until and perhaps after my return in August of 2012. I'll try to keep it interesting.


EDIT
I should also note, for posterity, that Osama (or Usama) Bin Laden was killed last night.  And there was much rejoicing across the SJU campus, including many flags, three different rallies, one pick up truck, a flaming dumpster, various fireworks, and a flare gun.  My roommates and I only participated for a short while, we spent most of that time watching the news reports on television.