Gratuitous cheesy photo for the family from Chinese New Year.

I got roped into being a host for this year's Chinese New Year celebration. I had to wear the dress, the heels, lipstick and straighten (and create a poof...yikes) my hair. This ceramics major felt super gussied up. And my legs were sore that night from wearing heels all day. The sad fact is that ceramics majors have no reason to ever wear high heels so I don't even though I think they're pretty.

I also was so wound up from being a nervous, anxious wreck for a week and a half because I had to speak in public in front of a big audience (well, big to me) that I still haven't quite gotten back into a normal eating schedule. I wake up each morning and my heart is beating kind of fast and my breathing is shallow. Big tip off that I'm anxious. Being a worrier is no fun and it's not good for you either. My roommate's boyfriend was really ill the week of Chinese New Year and I begged my roommate to bring me his toothbrush or a cup that he'd drank from so I could catch his illness and get out of hosting. She wouldn't go along with me though and insisted that being sick was worse than public speaking. Fortunately it's over and I don't ever have to do it again (I think). I also had to do a song and dance with my class which was actually pretty fun. We felt really silly, but sometimes being silly with all your classmates is a real team-building exercise. I'm glad I got to do something with them. I really like them.

I'll be honest these past three weeks of school have been quite crazy and full of strange incidents and situations and it has really shaken my confidence and made me really self-conscious and insecure in some ways. Last semester I had some times where I was really unsure of myself and of what I was doing, but I also had times where I was SO happy. For no apparent reason. I couldn't believe that this was my life and how much I loved it. I'm trying to get back to that point again. Thankful. Content. Joyful. I'm taking lots of vitamins and minerals and trying to cook healthy to give myself a boost on feeling well. Prayers would be appreciated.

So let's see...anything else going on lately that I haven't written about? I made a porcelain using a recipe from Val Cushing and I like it hen mucho! (Yes, I did just mix chinese and spanish!) I had to use the new New Zealand kaolin in place of EPK since we are out and it is super white. It's pretty cool. I want to make some slip out of my china clay reclaim to have a slightly different white slip to trail or paint and put glaze over for a subtle difference in line work.

I had to call my Chinese teacher tonight and speak to her in Chinese. It was part of my homework assignment. It's much harder to understand them on the phone because I can't see them speaking. Plus they seem much quieter. I had to say "shen me( 什么? or "what?")?" a lot. We have a test on Friday. 星期五我要考中文。I should probably be nervous, but I'm pretty sure my adrenal glands are shot after the Chinese New Year and other things. So I'm not nervous about it. I figure as long as I study I'll be fine.

Also, I'm pretty sure I met my soul mate on the elevator last Monday. In the time it took us to get from the ground floor to the 5th floor I found out that we had both lived in 3 of the same states. He had moved 27 times, had been a marine and his Dad was a pastor. But I didn't learn his name. Plus I don't remember what he looks like. But he was really nice. Too bad I'll never see him again. Ha ha.

I'm finally getting caught up on my homework from last week. I had 2 critiques plus all these extra meetings for the Chinese New Year with the other 3 hosts and 2 of our teacher so I got behind on housework and some homework. I've missed swing dancing 2 times so far. Maybe I'll get to go back next week. I loaded and fired a bisque kiln tonight and Nick and I are going to fire a salt kiln on Saturday. Should be fun. Seeing fired pots is always exciting. Well, usually anyway. I've had quite a few really bad kiln firings. Let's hope that these turn out well. :)

Now it's off to bed. Another very busy day tomorrow but it will end with a Bible study with the same group as last year and I'm very much looking forward to it. :)