you’re always tease tease tease

Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2001
From: Ceels
Subject: you’re always tease tease tease.

The weather is just superb. The air has been clear for two days, the humidity has dropped and the sky is just too blue for words.

They are moving right along with the construction. Today the trench in front of the supermarket had changed into a pit, guarded by a snarling toothful beast. The flames roared and little men with shining eyes brandished weapons of destruction. All looked grim in my quest for Snickers. I studied the situation. Sauntered past, attempting an air of disinterest. With swinging across out of the question and the bridge gone, the situation seemed bleak. Suddenly I noticed one of the beast's foul minions precariously balanced on a trail half a mile off. I ducked behind some passing natives and managed to gain the trail unobserved. Stones slid from beneath my sandals and my dry breath caught in my throat. With gazelle like agility I leapt to the other side as the path swept out from beneath my feet in a mini avalanche.
Quietly, calmly, casually I slipped behind the fierce warriors guarding the entrance to their lair, and into the underground cool of the supermarket.
And met with disappointment.
Alas.
Someone had beaten me to the snickers and there were none to be had.

Did you know that no one in Tibet has a surname? I have a Tibetan name now. The first part is the name of a Tibetan goddess and the second part is 'moon'. I feel like I don't really have my own name in China. I will answer to my name, my Chinese name, lao shi, teacher. One of the reporters at the paper has my name wrong and calls me 'xixi'. I get called 'Katrina' once or twice a week and I have even been called 'James'. (And here I thought only my mother called me that). In the street people expect me to answer to 'hello'. And I have learnt the negative word for 'foreigner' and the word for 'big nose' through repetition. No one here calls me ceels. Apart from anything else it is too hard to say.

with all my love
who ever I am