While missing Thanksgiving dinner...

As I walk around like a zombie trying to figure out and over calculate every move I make now, I find myself making silly mistakes. Sending the wrong resume out, not taking the time difference into account when trying to Skype people for interviews...etc, etc.
Poor choices: Trying to apply for jobs after 2 hours sleep (I've become a crazy person trying to edit, write and organize) 3 to 4 hours of oral English lessons including but not limited to power point presentations and practice (one of my 1 on 1 business English students is a VP for Balluff China. He genuinely loves how interested I am in his company and my ppt ideas for different presentations he's had with his German and American heads and coworkers...ok, you're caught now). After 60+ slides I want to kill myself, but am extremely surprised how much I've learned and how my knowledge from the rail industry has prove somehow useful in automation/machine tools/sensors...blah, blah, blah I won't bore you.

So in order to come home to the good ole US of A without being a complete peasant, I will try and make a few dollars (thats literal...a very few USD) before I return home (i.e. teaching private lessons) Meanwhile buying time for flight prices to go down and visa to expire :)

My day to day activities include staring/reviewing my writings and hating them and being emotional and frustrated and basically thinking too much. I get up today and while showering my electricity suddenly stopped. I went to call my roommate and asked him “Ummm whats up?”. I immediately remembered that he is in Germany or Japan or somewhere NOT IN SHANGHAI. I told Joe and he asked if he David paid the electricity and I told him “I think so”. I realized at this point that I've become, what seems like to me at the moment, some helpless character in this strange story I've been living in for over a year now. Common sense would tell one “check” the circuit and flip the switch” or “get the maintenance guy to check on things”...but no

Joe is looking at old electric bills to calculate the most I (meaning him)would need to take to the company to pay to get everything back on (while quietly cursing my roommate for being incompetent and himself for finding such a roommate.) He stops and realizes that I don't seem the least bit worried about the cold (*sidenote: he's from Africa where 70 degrees warrants dressing like an Alaskan...its not cold, about 50F) temperatures that have hit Shanghai and not having electricity = no heat. He tells me that he's going to talk to the building guy and see what the problem is. 20 minutes later, crazy doorman guy comes up, flips the fuse (just to be fair, I had no idea where the fuse box was located) and everything was fine. Joe looks at me saying, extremely relieved,“thank god it was a quick fix because you would've froze to death”. (death Joe, really?)I told him “I can't wait to see you in a REAL crisis situation”

So that's me, some damsel in distress minus the distress...

Happy Thanksgiving

love

~Anne~

After further review

I'm happy to inform that I've been getting many job offers. Albeit from remote and rural areas of China, but what seems like genuine job offers. For example the above photo with the Enron logo. Its a school 2 hours outside of Shanghai that wanted to give me a 2 month trial to see if "I was any good" then they "might" see about a visa. I would have to find a new place in the middle of no where and hope and pray they liked me in 2 months and get paid. I don't really like gambling. So, no thank you.

I decided that going back to the States would be the best strategy. After much internal fighting and endless headaches, this would be a good idea. I could use the break (a dryer, biscuits, fresh air, seeing friends and family) . Joe's 2 years remaining in China could buy me time to reset things. I need a clear palette. I can't imagine getting married with my head in the clouds right now. So basically Joe and I thought me going home and startng a game plan would be best. He finally got me to discuss future talks with him. Short and long term goals list, etc, etc. What I want to do with my life and how I will get it done.

Step one...stable job with income in the US
Step two...take chinese lessons and get back to yoga/fitness 100%
Step three...start planning how to do business


I'm going to use my visa until the end (it was a pain in the ass to get) I will definitely be here until the end of December. I'm guessing February the latest. We'll see where dallas, LA, Chicago.

Send good thoughts and feelings my way.



Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one.
- Dolly Parton

Failure does not exist. Failure is simply someone else's opinion of how a certain act should have been completed. Once you believe that no act must be performed in any specific other-directed way, then failing becomes impossible.
- Wayne Dyer

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible;
and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
- St. Francis of Assisi

Strange things often do happen to me

Dear Marilla,

Its happened, Joe asked me to marry him. To be exact while watching a football game "would you like to spend the rest of your days with me as husband and wife"...my reply "what...".
He then ask again and says "we have a bumpy road ahead, but I'm willing to do it with you.
Me: Bumpy? Are you trying to talk me out of this before I can even answer or think about it?"
Joe: No, but I DO NOT see you living in Nigeria and you are not ready to go back to the States. By bumpy I mean we will have to figure this part out, because China doesn't want you here (him trying to be funny) and my plans are not living here forever. What do you think about Dubai or Canada?
Me: Dubai? What's in Dubai?
Joe: What was in China when you came...?
Me: Good point. Let me think about this.
Joe: So is that a yes.
Me: You realize I am a broke American with no job in China.
Joe: I like challenges. It makes it more interesting.
Me: Ok then, lets figure this out.

For some reason it seems right.*

*I've consulted our star signs (Aries woman and Sagittarius man)
they tell a funny story.