Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Tai Mang

Tomorrow is the Flame Youth festival. What is the Flame Youth festival? Well, the name comes from a very much "Chinglish" phrase wherein the Ministry of Study Affairs (MSA) of Hebei College of Finance attempts to capitalize on the burning embers of the period between childhood and adulthood, those facinating moments when the young find hope in a dream far beyond their capabilities and the old are revitalized enough to dream again.

This is the vision behind "The Flame Youth" festival. My part is to jump around stage as "Puck" for our remodeled version of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and to fall in love with a Spelling Bee contestant during my hosting efforts.

Along with classes, recovering from English Week last week, and beginning the process of "diengagement" from Hebei College of Finance, it's honestly just been tough to think straight and let the days be 24-hours only.

My favorite part of the days:
Talking with a little Chinese girl of approximately 3 years for about 30 minutes in the copy store. She doesn't know much English, but I taught her to count to five and she taught me how to play patty-cake in Chinese. Her English level was rudimentary, but I kept pretending to know everything she was saying. She was also enjoying a fabulous feast of bi tsi fan (my own "Engnese" version of saying "she ate her own boogers every few minutes").

I was inspired this morning by ps. 38, which hit me in the face with a dose of reality by claiming the simplicity of knowing that The Father "will answer." It was as simple as claiming that truth. Done and done.

*special shout-out to my brother, Robert Ramsey, for his wedding to Sarah Ramsey last weekend...Alta Mons never fails!