Merry Christmas (Eve!)! / Happy Hanukkah / Happy Life!
It needs to be said that Robyn = LJ Lazy. There. Got that out in the open.
Here is what's been going on: I'm doing what I set out in the world to do--namely: write a book... any book. As it turns out, that book is a YA mystery/sci fi/fantasy/adventure (series). Whoda thunk?
In case you've forgotten the details of my life abroad, the plan was to not return to the western world until I'd *published* something. At that time, that 'something' meant some nebulous literary short story or novel. Well, the plans have slightly changed, but they changed for the more realistic.
As I just now told my father, I'm planning to stay there as long as it takes to finish the *rough draft* of this book. It's a complex, involved, long, research-needing project of a novel, and I'm loving every second of writing it. I no longer stress about writing badly or ruining something, because you *have* to write badly to get the words down on the screen. If you're waiting to write well the first time, then you'll be waiting till you die. Why it took moving to another country for me to learn that, I don't know. Better late than never.
The obvious question is, 'Since you know how to get moving now, can't you just come back to the USA in three months, when your conract's up, and do it here?' Wellllllllll....I don't think so. For one, I haven't seen enough of Xiao Shan and Hangzhou. Leaving now would be truly just sad, something I'd regret, because one year apparently isn't enough time for me to get to know a place well.
For another, my life there is set up in such a way that there is not a single thing to distract me from writing. Not a damnnnnnn thing. A long work day for me is five hours, and that's only four days out of the month. Mondays and Wednesdays I teach for four hours. Tuesdays and Thursdays I teach for two hours. Because we get a new class every two weeks, once you've planned your lessons a few times, you've planned them for good. The prep work for me now involves opening my drawer and pulling out the worksheets I've made, activities I've planned, etc. It's never boring, though, because each group of students is different.
When I'm done teaching for the day, I walk literally 39 small steps (I counted) to my apartment building that faces the school, go to the 9th floor, and kick back in my spacey apartment. I spend most of my time in my little office, which is the ULTIMATE office for book writing once I get a damned lightbulb that works for my little desk lamp. The atmosphere is perfect.
I live in a kind of amusement park/hotel compound. We're pleasantly isolated.
There's a small convenience store right downstairs connected to a little 'eatery'. There are three women who run it, and one of them teaches me my Chinese numbers whenever I pay.
If we want 'out', there are buses into Hangzhou, taxis a ten minute walk from the school (near the hotels), and the school even has our own taxi van that our director bought to combat the isolation.
For working out, there's a tiny exercise room in one of the four star hotels--ten minute walk. I'm probably going to join the 'Turbo Gym' in town with another teacher, though. If I don't feel like going out to exercise, I have plenty of space to do weights or aerobics or whatever in my apartment. That in itself is a miracle in China--enough living room space to work out!
In short, this is the perfect place to write a book. The situation is actually begging, 'Please write a book here!' I've never before seen a life like that. There are no social distractions--yet I'm not lonely. Work is not a distraction--yet I enjoy my job and work hard. I get paid on time, I don't even spent 60 US Dollars per week, and yet I'm insanely comfortable.
Writing this is going to be hard work, but I think (and hope) I can get the gist of it down on screen within another year. The only thing about Xiao Shan that isn't exactly conducive to writing the kind of book I'm writing is that I have no access to libraries, bookstores, uncensored internet, or quick info in general. But I'll work through it.
Because if I don't write this, I'm not coming back to the land of long hours and plentiful distractions.
Merry Christmas!
Anyway, I can't get these pictures to just show up like I used to be able to do, so I put links. If they don't work, no big deal. If you're really just dying to see, just go to the main link, la la la, etc etc internet internet. :-D
http://picasaweb.google.com/Robynblocker/MessingAbout/photo#5105239313885606658
Living room with space!
http://picasaweb.google.com/Robynblocker/MessingAbout/photo#5105239601648415570 39 steps from my front door
http://picasaweb.google.com/Robynblocker/MessingAbout/photo#5105239580173579042 My absolutely glorious office. Look at that atmosphere!
I'm an atmosphere sucker.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Robynblocker/ZhuhaiHangzhou2007/photo#5117821175556676386 The view from another teacher's apartment. See the ferris wheel?
http://picasaweb.google.com/Robynblocker/ZhuhaiHangzhou2007/photo#5117821416074844994
http://picasaweb.google.com/Robynblocker/ZhuhaiHangzhou2007/photo#5117821055297592082
When someone dies, they have a fire where they can throw in 'Hell Money,' so the person can pay their way through in the afterlife, a la River Styx, from what I gather. And they were pounding on a gong for literally twelve hours straight for two days. Muy interesante.
Here is what's been going on: I'm doing what I set out in the world to do--namely: write a book... any book. As it turns out, that book is a YA mystery/sci fi/fantasy/adventure (series). Whoda thunk?
In case you've forgotten the details of my life abroad, the plan was to not return to the western world until I'd *published* something. At that time, that 'something' meant some nebulous literary short story or novel. Well, the plans have slightly changed, but they changed for the more realistic.
As I just now told my father, I'm planning to stay there as long as it takes to finish the *rough draft* of this book. It's a complex, involved, long, research-needing project of a novel, and I'm loving every second of writing it. I no longer stress about writing badly or ruining something, because you *have* to write badly to get the words down on the screen. If you're waiting to write well the first time, then you'll be waiting till you die. Why it took moving to another country for me to learn that, I don't know. Better late than never.
The obvious question is, 'Since you know how to get moving now, can't you just come back to the USA in three months, when your conract's up, and do it here?' Wellllllllll....I don't think so. For one, I haven't seen enough of Xiao Shan and Hangzhou. Leaving now would be truly just sad, something I'd regret, because one year apparently isn't enough time for me to get to know a place well.
For another, my life there is set up in such a way that there is not a single thing to distract me from writing. Not a damnnnnnn thing. A long work day for me is five hours, and that's only four days out of the month. Mondays and Wednesdays I teach for four hours. Tuesdays and Thursdays I teach for two hours. Because we get a new class every two weeks, once you've planned your lessons a few times, you've planned them for good. The prep work for me now involves opening my drawer and pulling out the worksheets I've made, activities I've planned, etc. It's never boring, though, because each group of students is different.
When I'm done teaching for the day, I walk literally 39 small steps (I counted) to my apartment building that faces the school, go to the 9th floor, and kick back in my spacey apartment. I spend most of my time in my little office, which is the ULTIMATE office for book writing once I get a damned lightbulb that works for my little desk lamp. The atmosphere is perfect.
I live in a kind of amusement park/hotel compound. We're pleasantly isolated.
There's a small convenience store right downstairs connected to a little 'eatery'. There are three women who run it, and one of them teaches me my Chinese numbers whenever I pay.
If we want 'out', there are buses into Hangzhou, taxis a ten minute walk from the school (near the hotels), and the school even has our own taxi van that our director bought to combat the isolation.
For working out, there's a tiny exercise room in one of the four star hotels--ten minute walk. I'm probably going to join the 'Turbo Gym' in town with another teacher, though. If I don't feel like going out to exercise, I have plenty of space to do weights or aerobics or whatever in my apartment. That in itself is a miracle in China--enough living room space to work out!
In short, this is the perfect place to write a book. The situation is actually begging, 'Please write a book here!' I've never before seen a life like that. There are no social distractions--yet I'm not lonely. Work is not a distraction--yet I enjoy my job and work hard. I get paid on time, I don't even spent 60 US Dollars per week, and yet I'm insanely comfortable.
Writing this is going to be hard work, but I think (and hope) I can get the gist of it down on screen within another year. The only thing about Xiao Shan that isn't exactly conducive to writing the kind of book I'm writing is that I have no access to libraries, bookstores, uncensored internet, or quick info in general. But I'll work through it.
Because if I don't write this, I'm not coming back to the land of long hours and plentiful distractions.
Merry Christmas!
Anyway, I can't get these pictures to just show up like I used to be able to do, so I put links. If they don't work, no big deal. If you're really just dying to see, just go to the main link, la la la, etc etc internet internet. :-D
http://picasaweb.google.com/Robynblocker/MessingAbout/photo#5105239313885606658
Living room with space!
http://picasaweb.google.com/Robynblocker/MessingAbout/photo#5105239601648415570 39 steps from my front door
http://picasaweb.google.com/Robynblocker/MessingAbout/photo#5105239580173579042 My absolutely glorious office. Look at that atmosphere!
I'm an atmosphere sucker.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Robynblocker/ZhuhaiHangzhou2007/photo#5117821175556676386 The view from another teacher's apartment. See the ferris wheel?
http://picasaweb.google.com/Robynblocker/ZhuhaiHangzhou2007/photo#5117821416074844994
http://picasaweb.google.com/Robynblocker/ZhuhaiHangzhou2007/photo#5117821055297592082
When someone dies, they have a fire where they can throw in 'Hell Money,' so the person can pay their way through in the afterlife, a la River Styx, from what I gather. And they were pounding on a gong for literally twelve hours straight for two days. Muy interesante.