Archive for June, 2011

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Just a Minute (June 2011)

June 30th, 2011 by Manda | 6 Comments | Filed in Life

On the last day of every month, I take Just a Minute to reflect on what I’m currently up to.

Exploring… Xi’an, one of the Four Ancient Capitals of China and one of my favorite places in the Middle Kingdom. The sights are amazing (I love cycling along the City Wall) but what’s even better is the food! Nom nom nom.

Applying… for fall internships. I have a few ideal ones in mind, but I’ll apply for any that I’m interested in; hopefully I can score an interview or two!

Writing… various freelance articles for several websites. It’s good to get back in the writing swing of things.

Preparing… to be reunited with my beloved Beijing in two days!!

Thankful… that my teaching gig for the summer fell through. My two friends that accepted the position absolutely hate it for a myriad of reasons and have told me repeatedly that I’m lucky I backed out when I did.

Reading… classic English literature. I’ve finished Jane Eyre and am going to tackle David Copperfield next.

Feeling… nervous about my impending return to the US. I’ve been gone so long; reverse culture shock is inevitable. Kind of scary when you remember that I didn’t have culture shock when I arrived in China.

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Please Tell Me This Isn’t True

June 28th, 2011 by Manda | 8 Comments | Filed in Relationships

If two past lovers can remain friends, it’s either they were never in love, or they still are.

I found this quote today while surfing the Internet and it was like it stabbed me in the heart. I’m going through a bit of turmoil in terms of my relationship/love life (as if it weren’t obvious), and to come across this quote right now, in the middle of all this upheaval, is… not the most reassuring. I’m not going to get into my situation or anything, but I need to know: is this true? Because I so desperately want it to be false, that it is possible to remain friends after everything, but… I’m not experienced enough with this in my own life to know whether it’s truly possible to remain friends with a past lover.

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I Think I’m Becoming a Cheapskate

June 26th, 2011 by Manda | 3 Comments | Filed in Life

I got a Groupon email today for a deal at a spa in Washington, DC:

Like cars, human beings require occasional corrective bodywork, custom finishing, and fresh coats of wax to avoid being towed away and crushed into a cube. Keep your chassis classy with today’s Groupon: for $61, you get a spa and massage package at The Spa Room (a $123 total value). The package includes the following:

  • A 30-minute massage in the style of your choosing (a $60 value) as well as one of three massage enhancements—the birch back cleanse, garshana silk-glove exfoliation, or the wild-rose facial cleanse (a $15 value).

    • After a year of living in China, that doesn’t sound like a good deal to me. 60USD (approx 390RMB) for a half-hour massage with one enhancement?! Right around the corner from my apartment in Beijing is a massage parlor that offers amazing one-hour full-body pressure point massages for 88RMB and one-hour full body oil massages for 138RMB!

    I’m not going to want to pay for anything when I return to the US. Everything will seem way too expensive!

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