Ghosts

I'm afraid I may have made a huge mistake. Shortly before leaving I caved to the peer pressure and got on Facebook. I had resisted for a long time on principle. The principle in question? I have no idea. I guess I had just decided that it was cooler to not belong to any of the social networking websites whose popularity was sweeping the nation. Well anyway I'm on now. And it is pretty cool I must say. I was perusing the Allen High Class of '99 section and that was really cool to see all these peeps that I hadn't thought about for years. All these ghosts of my memory banks flying and flittering hither and yon about my headbrain. Names long forgotten, or that I wouldnt have otherwise recognized, put in context of graduating class was like a stroll down Remembery Avenue. So thats the good--wait, also there are word games, that may be the best part. (Though I need lots of practice before I can repspectably compete.) The bad is every time I check my email there are 600 messages from Facebook. Every time someone hits the spacebar Facebook has to send me an email telling me about it. Ridiculous. And Facebook discriminates. I am a middle namer. Meaning, of course, I go by my middle name. I very much enjoy this and believe it to be the superior method. And I, of course, a superior human. It hasn't always been sunshine and lollipops though. It is most definitely a first namer's world. I remember being upset to tears, on multiple occasions, when my elementary school yearbook repeatedly identified me as J.M. You see, paperwork requires a First Name and Middle Initial. I would fill in a First Initial and Middle Name. And those heartless scoundrels at the yearbook company couldn't bend the rules for a sweet little boy?! I'm pretty sure, through my sobs, I heard evil laughter in the distance. And it wasn't my parents' either, their laughter was more mean spirited and mocking. Anyway Facebook asks for a Full Name but then it automatically identifies you by first name only. So I thought, "I know, I'll put parentheses around my first name!" But noooo Facebook won't allow it. So I tried to change it to the authorial sounding "J. Matthew Scott." Nope. Too many periods Facebook told me. There's ONE period! Get with the program Facebook, this is the aughts! I'm putting you on notice!

Some QuickHits on life in China so far...

I live in the suburbs. I'd much rather live in the city, but its all new to me so I don't know the difference like back home. (EDIT: I'm quickly learning the difference and I really want to be in the city.) Also, I live on the sixth floor. Its not fun to walk all the way up and all the way down each time I come and go. I've eaten American food for dinner three times in the first three days. Spoiled. I'm trying real hard to adjust to the time difference. Yesterday I was asleep before 9p and up at 4a. I opened a bank account today. My ATM card has a cartoon cow on it. I'm becoming relatively good with chopsticks. Or I'd like to think so. Yesterday was a good chopstick day at least.

I've been laboring over this post for a few days now feeling guilty for not having lots more about life in China. Well no more. This is all you get this time. Of course lots of stuff is going on, but its kinda like total sensory bombardment right now and so I'm struggling to put it down on paper, or, computer screen as it were. Plus I'm still green with the whole blog bit. Learning how to write and whatnot. Don't fret though, lots of good to come. Just be patient.