Today is May 14th. Today marks the 2 months to go mark of being here in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China.

On July 14th, Nina the Pug, Ned and I will be flying back to the good ol' USA.

The whole process of finished off the last 6 weeks of teaching Chinese and Mongolian students oral English, grading, saying goodbyes, giving away/packing stuff, taking the train with Nina to Beijing, boarding her for 1 week (as required) most possibly flying to Mongolia (the real Mongolia) to travel for our last week, then meeting Nina back in Beijing at the International airport, and successfully transporting a dog on the 11 hour flight from Beijing to San Francisco (without Ned...he's on the next flight 4 hours later. It's the only flight he could get free with his air miles) ALL this makes me so nervous.

I've been giving away one thing a day. Old clothing, stuffed animals, gifts from students...things I don't intent to fly with me all the way across the Pacific ocean. I feel like this will minimize the grief of giving away and letting go of my life here. I put these items under trees, carefully in garbage bins, on the side of roads, in trees...wherever the muse directs me. I know that my offerings will not be left as trash. Somebody, most likely the old ladies sweepers who comb the North Campus where we live will find them, and redirect my old pants, gloves, stuffed animal duck and piggy bank gift to somebody who will use and enjoy it. My little offerings may be treasure to someone else, but most importantly, it's good for me to give them away.

I've tried to teach myself not to get attached to material items. My constant state of moving around in the last few years has taught me not to get too attached to anything that doesn't comfortably fit in a suitcase, and more importantly, has a reason to be carried along.

It's hard though. I have this old green sweater I keep telling myself to give away. I have another purple glimmery shirt that I love but has holes in it, and it's faded, but I love it. I also have these heavy, leather Doc Martin shoes that are warm and stylish, but they don't fit my feet that well, (the front's too tight, and the back's too loose) and they are heavy for me to clomp around in. I must give all these things away, but I haven't been able to do it yet. I think about all the memories of have of wearing them, and people have old, green sweater for years, and don't throw them away. This is a matter of suitcase space, and a lesson in impermanence for me.

It's all a learning process.

Last night we started the process of getting Nina ready for her bright red traveling carrier. We put her in, and she turned around a couple of times, and then madly starting digging and scratching at the bottom. If she keeps that up for the 11 hour flight, she'll bust through the thin material and I'll have to carry her like a baby onto the airplane for ABQ. We've vowed to put her in the carrier everyday to get her well adjusted.

Teaching is still going great. It's a consistent source of joy and exhaustion. This afternoon I'm playing Pictionary with my Mongolian freshman class. For my other classes, we're writing and/or memorizing famous speeches. The favorites are "The Gettysburg Address," by Abe Lincoln, Obama's "Victory Night Speech," and "I have a Dream" by MLKj. I've been spending extra time teaching them common English phrases, and public speaking skills. They love it when I imitate their poor public speaking. I look down at my paper, imitate their nervous voices, talk too fast, or too softly. They laugh and giggle because they know that's exactly how they speak. Then I say, "If you talk like this, (I point to the door) I will say goodbye! If you talk like this, it is a waste of my time, and a waste of the whole classes' time."

This way they know I'm serious. We'll have presentations in a couple of weeks, and until then I'm trying to fish up some good English learning games because it seems like I've been doing too much talking/lecturing, and I need a break.

Ned and I are going to Jiaozi (steamed pork dumplings) and Malatang, my favorite spicy, bok choy, cilantro, tofu, veggie yummy soup for lunch.

Other than that, a submission to print out for Sy Safransky at the Sun, for a Reader's Write. Then class this afternoon with the Mongols. Yeah.