Starting Over

This weekend we helped friends to start over in their new city. It reminds me how complicated starting over can be. It seems like so long ago that we sold everything and came here beginning again from nothing. I also see how much progress we have made in our language skills. We both served as translators, Yeah! US! It was strange to have the agents turn to me to explain something or ask a question. I kept thinking, what are they looking at? Oh right, I understood what they said, wait, I UNDERSTOOD WHAT THEY SAID!
The weather has changed drastically here. February evidently is the start of spring here. Some days were even summer-like. It has cooled off just a bit and the wind has arrived. Strong enough to blow you off balance. It hasn't rained in over a month so with the wind comes duststorms that fill our lungs and nostrils with all the good stuff that has dried on the ground. Yum! Our guard had his hat fly off the other day in front of a car. Thankfully, the front tire missed the hat but the wind made sure the back tire didn't. It was a uniform hat like a police cap but now it's more like a beret, flat and floppy with a tread mark. Poor guy. Our mold problem has dried up and blown away in these arid conditions. It is amazing how quickly the climate changed, almost overnight! My friends at home are expecting 2-4 inches of snow and I walk around in shorts and a light wind breaker. Sorry guys! The flower peddlars have arrived in full force with the arrival of spring. Carts and buckets and baskets full of flowers, trees, shrubs and potted plants. They are pulled by horse, bike or carried yoke style on their shoulders. I will try to get a picture of this for you. Yesterday a smiling lady brought her yoke of roses to the restaurant we were eating at and kept trying to get my attention. "Want flowers? Very beautiful". They were, and even though I had nowhere to put them, as I was headed to work, I bought some. 5 Kuai or about .73cents bought 10 red roses. I just had to buy them. Wouldn't you? I also have a peace lily again. I had them at home but it blooms much better here. Mine never had more than one bloom and this one has at least six right now.

Today our friends will negotiate with a landlord on the apartment they liked. We arranged for someone with real chinese skills to serve as translator for that. They are going to need it, as they have to get them to put down a floor, install door frames and doors and put in a kitchen. Somehow, the owners felt the apartment was ready to rent. Only if you want no privacy, prefer concrete grey and never eat! The view sells the place but still, you can't live off the view. Hopefully it will all work out to their liking and starting over will be a breeze.
mandy
"Let's catch the period of flower blooming and spread out our fragrance"
-Notebook Quotes