in which i write random thoughts

thoughts about guitar and cello

• i taught myself some guitar chords during my vacation and tried to figure out how the notes on the guitar work and why the chords make sense.  it was interesting and i was kind of shocked to find that guitar string notes are not at regular intervals.  my mathematical mind is kind of appalled by this, and it made it much harder for me to figure out where various notes were and to find a pattern in that.  i think i would have to play the guitar for quite a bit longer before i could hold whatever the pattern is in my mind.  someone told me the reason for this non-symmetrical-ness is because otherwise all or most of the chords would have to be bar chords.  and that is a valid reason.  but why???  i want to know why.  this also makes me appreciate the cello (which i have been playing for almost a year now!), because i understand very clearly where the notes on the cello are and why and it made sense to me from the very beginning because there is a clear pattern.  it makes me happy.

thoughts about japan and china

• in japan, toilet seats are always warm
• i didn't smell the smoke of anyone smoking once (even though it is allowed in restaurants there)
• ramen is really really good, in japan
• there was snow, and it made me happy
• people are so polite in japan, and things in general are clean and orderly
• when i came back to china, i felt culture shocked at the acceptable noisiness and disregard for other people in general
• also, no one stared at me in japan
• and i can remember a lot of japanese!  even if i can't remember how to say things, i can understand them.  it's pretty awesome.  it feels a little like a superpower.  some knowledge i somehow had from a long time ago resurfacing at the proper time.
• i love japanese trains very very much
• everything in japan is expensive.  i only think in yen while i'm there and never convert to dollars and definitely absolutely never convert to chinese yuan because my esophagus might constrict or something

other random thoughts

• i realized how important a RAFT (reconciliation, affirmation, farewell, think destination) is even for only 2 week trips.  if you have heard of this before, maybe you will know what i mean
• i am excited to see my students and spend time with people here and build some better relationships that i have been neglecting, so this is really good
• i'm excited to keep playing the cello again!
• i am going to cook corn chowder tonight!  i'm excited to cook for myself again, though this feeling might last about 1 week once i am actually working again.

 that is all, and hopefully i will be writing on a blog more regularly again now that computer-ish things are "fixed."  yay!!