How I'll miss home...

10/30/10. Saturday, 11:41 AM With the extremely unappetizing aspect of 2 more weeks' worth of Chinese homework (missed 2 weeks due to Monster Concert), it's nice to go outside and do some yard work with my family. :) Sisters are playing leaf-nest and Mom is trimming the bushes. My dad and I rake. I could never hire someone to do yardwork; you miss out on so much! I'm going to miss this when I go to college next year. If we have fall break I'll come home and help out, if not, I'll be back at Thanksgiving. Life goes on. No matter where you are and how much fun you're having, you're missing out on things back home. I learned that when we left China for here. We go back and catch up, but it's not the same. In the end it's the people you miss, and the everyday things you do with them. Raking the leaves, shoveling snow, and eating dinner with your family. Sitting down to a duet (how I'll miss those terrible old pianos at New Trier!) Walks in the park. These little moments make up life, and no matter how much I try to stay the same, college is sure to change me, because those moments will change.

It's funny that last year I couldn't wait to get out of here, but as that moment approaches, I want to leave less and less. This is a year of lasts. Last year of belonging to New Trier: last Lagniappe, and I've gone every year. Last year with my friends at school; we WILL keep in touch. Last autumn here. How is it that only in the last year has this place felt like home? A home that I miss already.

that's my mom and dad in the corner

2:57 PM Stalkers, I'm sure you can see how very tired I am of my Chinese homework. This leaves too much time for thought - it's mostly busywork. However, since we're reading Journey to the West, I looked it up on Wiki and found a pretty English translation of the original text. I downloaded it (of course, all 1024 pages) and read a the first 10 or so. This guy did a pretty good job with the language and grammar, and even some of the culture, but stuff still turns out funny. I wonder if we'd be able to do a better job? Of course, we'd have to be able to read the full Chinese version first, and out of all of us, I think Bibi is the only one who can accomplish that. Anna might be able to, also, but how well would we immigrants be able to understand the history and the culture? It would be an interesting challenge for us. As for me, that will be my goal in Chinese - to be able to read, and understand, all of XiYouJi in the full, though Simplified, version. I challenge you to join me in translating it. A nice, lifelong project, isn't it?