Hello!!!

I will start by apologising for such a long silence, just know that is was in NO WAY intentional on my part!

Indeed, I have had some serious Internet access issues. You know what I mean.

I was therefore incapable of giving any news..!

But the news are GOOD! In fact I have never been so happy here, I'm enjoying it more everyday!

So much has happened since my last post, I will try and resume it. I have lots of little.. Interesting stories and anecdotes to share with you all!

(I have unfortunately lost everything I wrote in the meantime)

Just know that I am back and have found a (inconvenient..but worth the struggle) way to keep publishing!

I hope you are all well and healthy.. Looking forward to your Christmas celebration! Actually I am too! Teenagers in Nanjing make a big big deal of it!

Anyway, keep an eye open, I will catch up. I promise!

J+73

This sunday, It turned out we didn't visit the military base...
Access to foreigners is complicated. I did meet up with my friend; we first went to the bookstore, then had a coffee in XinJieKou (where I live, on the Nanjing equivalent of "times square"), before heading towards the Nanjing "Ming dynasty Palace" -or I should rather say what is left of it-
Indeed, there was in Nanjing a huge palace, dating back to the Ming dynasty. Unfortunately it has been totally destroyed; there are only a few stones left, on display, in the big "park" there is at the same emplacement.
Before, it is said that two men decided to both circle the palace, riding horses. They separated at the same place, and in two opposite directions; they only crossed themselves 1 day later... (So they had only done a half-loop of the palace) many people say it was bigger than the forbidden city in Beijing, but this is only a saying.
However it still is a wonderful place to go walking. Lots of families come and stay a whole day, the parents lie down on the grass, eat, meet their neighbours or make new friends while the children all play together.
Some men practice traditional martial arts, young people meet their lovers, students sit down, peacefully to study ...

Katie, my friend then took me to her home. This was not an easy thing to do...
Her flat is in a group of buildings in which soldiers and military families live ~ the access to foreigners is forbidden.
She assured me everything was ok, her mother was in the flat and giving her instructions regarding 'how to bring me in without the security guard noticing...'
I had to wear a hat, and a big coat with a hood covering my face, I sat down at the back of a motorbike and we hurried, drove pass the guardian very fast, greeting him...
Luckily, it was a very cold day, so I didn't look suspiciously/ inappropriately warmly dressed!

Her home was beautiful. The military people are very well treated...
She played accordion for me, and let me have a try - so difficult !
This felt strangely nostalgic to me, for a instant, I felt like I was in Paris, Montmartre... She started playing "Amelie Poulain", and I also thought of my mother, who plays this same piece with the piano. Yeah.. The "sounds" I made were nothing resembling music, actually it was quite far from it!
This girl is really too generous; she took me to a French bread shop (she has been going on about this shop for a long long time...), called "Paris Baguette". There are a lot of bakeries in Nanjing. Bread is very popular here, and if you add an Eiffel tour logo next to the name of a shop, people go hysterical and buy everything, regardless of the price. (No, in fact, in Chinese's mind, the most expensive, the better)
I have tried a few of these bakeries, without ever, finding a proper baguette. They add sweet cream in everything, of "meat paste"...
But THIS ONE, "Paris baguette" is a keeper! I found a piece of bread, with the exact perfect French texture... I thought it was impossible!
I don't miss French food at all. Everything is so tasty here! I am, in no way, attempting to find bread! But my Chinese friends always take me to see these shops, they try their best to make me feel comfortable.

She took me to a Korean restaurant in the evening, it was delicious. She ordered far too much food~ not surprising!
I took a taxi home, it was late, and very far from downtown.
One of my schoolmates called me asking whether I would like to go to the cinema.. I had finished my homework so, (with my sisters and parents permission) I left, very excited!
We saw "暮光之城III", a horror film. It ended really late so I had to take a taxi home again.

J+70 news...

I shall have a very interesting experience to share with you all!
I have probably found a way of visiting ... A Chinese military base!
As one of my new friends lives just next to it, members of her family have been militaries for generations!
I have seen it, on television (they allowed a film to take place in it), it is a huge place.. With forbidden access!
This would be on Sunday, I HOPE it works out!!!

This Saturday I will go and have my first "hotpot" with two friends from the grade above, so my age.
They have invited me. This dish is particularly famous in the north of china; since the norther you go> the colder it is... But right now, people really really die for it in Nanjing!!!

My sister still has to work harder and harder, there are 3 terms in the year, the difficulty increases at every term. Let's not talk about the pressure shall we?

However, despite her extremely busy school schedule, we still find the time for true quality moments together.
I have so many memories I will never forget!
On her birthday, I have her the t-shirt I have already shown you (I always prefer personal gifts, they are unique and meaningful to my mind); but I also wrote her a poem.
Yes; I sure am no poet... I am totally aware of that, but I have it a try. In English, in fact, to tell the truth, I was fairly satisfied with the result! Hey~ I had some mighty nice rhymes going on!!!
I wanted to give it to her in a special place, (difficult you will tell me... We are at THE VERY CENTER, as downtown as you could possibly get!) but we went for a walk together, I decided to treat her to her first manicure, she was very excited, her nails looked beautiful! And I invited her for a coffee, (it was a cold day), we then continued our promenade in the big fancy shopping center "Deji Plaza", (Gucci Dior Chanel Rolex Armani Burberry and so on...)
We were both attracted by the sound of a piano; in this very beautiful, massive and empty marble hall. We went up, found the piano, and a beautiful woman, playing. We both sat down, I thought this place was ideal so I read her my poem.
I read it very slowly, insisting on each word, because I meant every single one from the bottom of my heart. My sister cried. She was extremely moved.
We spend these wonderful moments together, when we go shopping, or our for a drink, and almost every night, I come to her bedroom (or she comes to mine), I sit on her bed for our evening chat. This is probably the most precious moment of my day! We share everything, I tell her my secrets, what happened in my day, the gossip I have heard... And she does the same!
This is why at school, we only look at each other and we laugh.. Private jokes... We have our own coded language! We know ourselves so well!

I really care about her, strangely, I have really taken the "big sister" role. I carry the valuables when we go out, I'm the one our parents phone. After school, if I stay longer, with my friend and go out for dinner, I shall find someone I judge worthy of trust to take her home safely!

The other night, on Tuesday, I came back home later, because I stayed with my friend. (It often isn't interesting for me to go home and have lunch at 6:15pm, having to eat very fast, since I haven't got anything close to the colossal amount if homework she has...)
So instead, I went to play basket ball, and accompanied my friend to his private lesson.
When I came back home, I was freezing. I can be a little stubborn.. And insisted on not taking an extra jumper... How silly of me. I learn form my mistakes and therefore it won't happen again!
I was in a very bad mood, my travel by bus had really irritated me (people here in the bus have absolutely no respect whatsoever for others; they consider they are alone, and shout on the phone, are very noisy, kick others, push, try by every possible way to make sure THEY have the optimal comfort level... Ohhh I have no tolerance for this kind of selfishness... But I am working hard, trying not to notice it; because everywhere here, in public places; it's the same.
So; I entered the flat, aquite annoyed, I didn't want to speak to anyone, took my shoes off in a rather ~energetic~ way, put my bag down (..maybe a little brutally..), said "hi" to her, and went strait to the shower.
I really thought it was better to calm down, she didn't deserve this behavior, she had nothing to do with it!
When I had finished, I found a letter on my bed. With this inscription "sister, I have never, in my entire life, written a letter before. You deserve to be my first"
My heart bounced, I felt very excited, opened it... I was really touched. My dear sister feels as lucky as me, to have each other!
She always surprises me this way at the right moment, if I don't feel so well, she will cheer me up, without me saying anything! She has a sixth sense, she's amazing!
I will try and take a picture of my poem, and post it.


I also want to say, thank you so much for the letters I receive. I keep them in my bag every day, and read them, again, again....
It makes me so happy when the guardian calls me, and hands me a letter! I run, very fast, and sometimes, drop happy tears!

J+72 hotpot

Today I had hotpot with some school mates, it was really delicious!


And... Earlier this morning.. I made a small "bêtise"..
Yes, no one told me that my bedroom door would lock itself if I lifted the handle, and above that, no one told me we didn't have any key for it!
SO: what happened? I came out, dressed, had breakfast.. Left my bag in the bedroom. There was a draft of air in the flat, so the door kept opening and banging...
My aunt was still asleep so I thought it might wake her up. After closing it "gently" twice, I got slightly impatient and... Insisted a little > mistake!
I was locked out, and late late late! I missed my bus; my parents both woke up and tried to open the door, nothing to do.
So we called a man, waited half an hour to repair my silly mistake.

J+69

First of all I am sorry for such a long silence!
Believe or not, it is due to an upload problem! I simply couldn't post anything > problem solved!

This week-end, I was part of the few students invited to attend the "school anniversary ceremony", in the great hall; an old theatre.
The main teachers choose the best students, about 7 students in every class. It was nice of my teacher giving me a chance to see it; although.. When you have been to one "official Chinese celebration ceremony", they all seem strangely familiar!
However this was a very big event. On the 28th of October, my school, Nanjing N3 middle school was 110 years old!
We all sat down in the hall, and were assigned seats numbers, to watch the teachers performances ~ really impressive! Teachers dancing, singing, acting!
There was a big screen in the bak ground on which a slide show of photos and videos kept on the whole time; to my surprise, my face suddenly appeared ! Once, twice, and then a video of me... !

My school life is progressively settling down just fine. I had a long talk with my main teacher, who kindly insisted on ways to "improve my comfort" (yeah yeah yeah... I definitely AM the luckiest student in the whole school!!)
She proposed to let me out of schools when I think the afternoon lessons are too heavy for me; she also offered me ... A bed! To rest, in the school clinic when I feel like taking a nap...

The lessons are getting more interesting. I now understand all the "link words", and basic vocabulary.
My headache has almost disappeared, thanks to traditional Chinese drinks; with flowers and plants!
And.. Miracle! I am getting more sleep!
It is getting clod in Nanjing nowadays; in the morning, I can't go out without a scarf, and after class, when we come out of school, it is very dark and cold.
One of my friends brings me a hot bottle of water to warm up my hands; every day!

It was also my sisters birthday on Saturday! I got her a hand made cartoon t-shirt of us both !
The picture you see is our uniform...

J+64: Sleeping issues

Recently I have had some trouble sleeping at night. I think I slept no more than 20minutes this night.
This has been going on for a week, and the teachers started noticing how weak I look!
So today, when I arrived for my Friday Chinese lesson, my teacher prepared a bed for me in the library and made me sleep two hours...
She then told me "to me, you are just like a daughter, I want to take good care of you" ; she had bought me my favorite food, and then called my main teacher to discuss about a way of making me go home when I don't feel good enough to stay all afternoon.
It was really nice of her, but I insisted, said I was all right and could stay at school.
I will probably consult a doctor next week, this can not go on.