distant flickering

i think everyone's kind of started to go on autopilot this week because we have next week off for chinese new year so we only have to work til friday. mr. kuo has been asking me all week if i can come to their house for chinese new year's dinner, but i'm going to be in kaoshiung with steve and josh. i'm a little disappointed though, it would be fun.

i went there before class tonight and they were sitting with mr. wang and mr. whatever his name is and then some other friends i had never met. there's always a weird moment when the new people think i'm some weirdo who just wandered in, and then the kuo's start offering me food and talking to me in chinese and it's evident that we're all friends.

mr. kuo was telling me that he would give me some 'lucky money' which is a tradition at new years and i said no, i don't need any. he said the adults always give the kids money. so i asked if they gave amanda, their 20something daughter, lucky money and they said no, she's not a kid. and then he whacked me on the head with a newspaper. it's our thing to whack each other with stuff when we've been outsmarted.

well today we woke up to a misty, dreary day so i did some laundry and folded allll of my clothes. my silly little arabian nights closet has no hanging space.
it makes me a little nervous to see how much stuff i've accumulated. i'm not sure that it'll all fit back into the 2 suit cases it came in when july rolls around. remember how many pairs of shoes i began with?
somehow, it turned into this. i bought 2 pairs here, brought 3 back with me at christmas, and mom sent me 2 while i've been here. most of them are going to stay in taiwan when i leave since they get all banged up on the scooter. (gram, the talbots shoes are the red ones on top).
mom sent a package that arrived today with beans, tomato paste, and a warm sweatshirt and sweatpants that were on sale at victoria's secret. it's so fun to get new clothes but i think i've reached capacity. after this box. ;)
and she sent an article from USA today about people waiting longer to get married which is just what i needed to read. every time i get on facebook, another person from my high school class has gotten engaged. apparently this year the median age of people getting married is the highest it's been since the census began in the 1800s. i think women are at 26 and men are 27 or 28.
it's pathetic but i really don't have anything else to say about today. noe bought me strawberries and whipped cream because i was going to make strawberry shortcake tonight, but i think i'm just going to have it for breakfast.

on a random note, i was going to join this club of sorts in blogland called Daring Bakers where they email out a recipe to everyone in the group and then everyone bakes it and lets everyone else know how it turned out.. but you have to take part in at least 8 of the 12 months in a year or they kick you out, so i'm going to wait until july when i'll be back home.