Take off

Monday, May 21^st

Grandma tells me “take off. Go run.” Jessie, our tour guide, says “left is Korea, right is Russia. Left is hard. Right is harder.” I listen to both of the women who have guided me to China, and run towards Russia.

I am finally on the Great Wall of China! The reason people travel to China. One of the 7 World Wonders. The trip 11 days in China has been physically and emotionally draining, but I have had no chance to go get my daily exercise that I am used to. I take advantage of being one of the first people on the wall in the early morning and run as far as I can go, only stopping for photographs. I run until I reach a sign that says “no visitors”. Below the sign is the continuation of the wall which has not been renovated. It is falling apart still. So, I casually turn around and head back to the center.

The great wall was originally unified by the First Emperor Qin. Before that China was 7 different countries who had all built their own walls. Emperor Qin combined all these walls and almost every emperor after him as added on to the wall trying to keep out the Barbaric Minorities. The wall was originally built with sticky rice and dirt as cement and spans about 4,000 miles. The last dynasty in the 1700s was the last dynasty to build upon the wall and repair the wall. The piece of wall that I ran on today was reconstructed in the 1700s. It was steep the entire way up and required long legs to take strides on the stairs.  I stood where many historians, slave laborers, military men, present day international leaders and past day emperors had stood before me. 270 degrees of the view must look like it did over 2000 years ago, but that 90 degrees had changed into a commercialized world. Vendors, tourist stops, hotels, and even a subway sandwich stop covered that 90 degree view.

After the Great Wall, we went to a jade display show where I bought jade earrings. Jade in China is more valuable than diamonds. It is a stone that you buy and pass down to your children for a family heirloom. It protects you from evil spirits and it brings prosperity and longevity. This factory that had jade on display were the same factory that put the jade discs in the center of the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Olympic Medals. As much as I would have liked to purchase a 1,000 US dollar jade pendant, I settled for lower quality jade in $40 dollar earrings, my first real purchase in China.

China or SF?

May 12, 2012

China was myth.  A foreign land that manufactured many of the goods I use, who populate quite a bit of the earth, and have much political and economic control in the global market. Not a real, tangible place! Even flying over the country, about to land in Shanghai, I couldn’t believe it was real. I landed, saw the water, the foggy/smoggy air, and Chinese Characters and still assumed that I was not in China. It’s just too far! It’s just too foreign! I Must have just in landed in SFO. 

Yesterday (or was it two days ago?) I flew from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport to Burbank, where Grandma Jane picked me up for the night. We spent all night packing and looking over her old photo album of her trip to China in 1988. I slept for 3 hours and woke up to LAX. LAX to Vancouver (2.5 hours) and Vancouver to Shanghai (12.5 hours). With minimal amount of sleep and a day lost due to the international date line, we arrived in Shanghai and I was ready to explore!!! We are staying in the Shangri-La Hotel in Pudong area of Shanghai. Our hotel room oversees the Huongpu River and the oriental pearl.

We walked for 2 hours in the Bund, and I could have walked all day, but my body simply wouldn’t let me. I need sleep.  I am delirious. I still think China may be a myth. I am pretty sure I am just in San Francisco. Despite the 16 hours of air time it took for me to get here, yup, I am pretty sure I am in San Francisco. Maybe tomorrow I will learn better.

What a great evening. What a great good bye.

Today I helped organize the end of the year celebration for all the staff members who were involved with the after school programming with University Service Learning. We played volleyball, tug-a-war and corn hole. We ate food, drank beer, and enjoyed each others company.

Man, I will miss them so much. I love their energy. I love their potential. They showed so much love and respect for me and the work that I do, and I hope I reciprocated with love and appreciation I have of them. We all work so hard for one of another, not for the pay or the glory but for the team and service we provide for a community. This has set the standard for my next place of business and work.

Are You Kidding Me!?

Today is the last day operating after-school tutoring. After today, the kids carry on for the summer and the rest of their lives without me. And what do you guess happens to me? I am sick.

I am lying in bed right now dealing with the repercussions of bad sushi last night. I must lie here and let my body fight off my symptoms before 2pm when I need to get preparing for our end of the year party where at least 50 guests will arrive looking at decorations, children's accomplishments, bbq food, and wanting conversation with me. I want to be there. I need to be there. This is the last day for goodness sakes! And because of that, I will be there sick or not.

I know the staff could handle the operations just fine without me. I know they could improvise on the sections that I promised I would take responsibility for. I know that they will prepare the food, put up the decorations, and welcome the parents. But I want to be there. I need to say good bye.

Back Pack

Oh backpack. You know, I didn't want to buy you. You were too expensive and not at all cute. I would much rather get a fun purple bag with designs and pockets. But I needed you. I was on my way to Spain to travel  beyond the US for my first time and I needed you to be plain and full of utility, not pretty. 

But now, that I carry you on my back 5 years later, I have learned to love you. You are not just a back pack any more; you are my pillow on the bus, my dirty clothes bag at the gym, my blanket in the tent, and my friend on the lonely road. 

I am sorry when that mouse in Costa Rica chewed a to hole get to my trail mix. I am sorry when I kicked you across Heathrow airport because I had no hands to put you on. I am sorry when I stuffed you under my bed for 6 months because I forgot how useful you truly were. I am sorry that you smell like mildew because I left my wet clothes from Cancun in you. And most of all, I am sorry that it is time to put you to rest. 

I am leaving school you see, and dirty, holey, and smelly backpacks are not good for my new professional reputation. I need sleek and appropriate bags that say "Wow! She is well put together". So good bye back pack, memories will remain, but for now I need to let go.

I lost it

The complete team for University Service Learning, meets biweekly to discuss issues and upcoming deadlines. This past Friday was our very last meeting of the semester.  I have been very sentimental in leaving my internship that I have been at for 2 years. This Friday morning meeting was just another "last" for me to feel sad about.

At the end of the meeting, one of the individuals that I manage got up and started singing a Justin Bieber song with changed lyrics that revolve around me. Others joined her and danced in front of everyone giving me my very own flash mob. Then they delivered to me a scrap book with all the children that I work with. Each child had written me a note.

I lost it. I cried and cried and cried. It is so wonderful to be appreciated, and hard to leave a job that I love.

I was holding out

I was holding out. I didn't want to leave my job at ASU. I wanted to be promoted within forever until I replace President Michael Crow. I fought every step of the way. I love my job at ASU. I love the diversity the position offers me. I manage people and projects, I liaison between the community, I work with charitable, outstanding people, I provide leadership. But it was time.

I have been offered a position as Program Manager with Junior Achievement of Arizona. I will continue to manage people and projects, be a liaison in the community, work with kind, charitable, and outstanding people, and provide leadership just in a different arena. I bet, along the way, I will learn even more than my last position could offer me. I needed a new challenge, a new venue, a new set of colleagues. I only resisted because I was scared. But now that I have made my decision and closed all the doors of potential opportunity so that I can open the one door that does provide opportunity, I am ready.