Ah yes, I miss my very good friend. Back home here in the States I'm reduced to drinking high-quality German lager or local micro-brews (at hideously expensive prices).

I'm working up at the local Uni doing web development, newsletter "publishing", database creation and management, and general office support duties. I don't hate it exactly. I spend over 90% of the day in front of the computer. But I do interact with other people and have the opportunity for limited self-expression and creativity. And I have health insurance. Soon I will even have sick days and eventually paid holidays.

One of the reasons I decided to go to China was to find out if I would really enjoy teaching or not. I suspected I wouldn't but I do. I enjoy and am good at teaching. I prefer adults but can teach children also. It is a very demanding vocation; therefore perfect for me ;p. I miss teaching. I miss that connection (strange as it is) that I get with "my" students. I think it must be similar to people who do concerts. That ephemeral yet concrete audience link..

Today on the radio they had a piece on Emily Dickinson. I love Emily Dickinson. They covered one of her best known poems, which I also happen to love. "I would not stop for death-so he kindly stopped for me". I know one of the reasons I am so attracted to Emily Dickinson poems is the amazing way they read out loud. That and her brilliance with words.

Etymological tidbit: the word "quark" was originally coined by James Joyce in Finnegan's Wake.