I guess I’ve been a little skimp in the posting department for the last few days, but it’s not for lack of things to say, just really no idea how to say them.
The most interesting things (Dalian Beer Festival, finally finding a beach with sand, phone calls from Cory and Cass, eating great Sichuan food two nights in a row) all take backseat to the crappiest thing… the situation with Mandy.
Please don’t misread this as me saying that she’s crappy in anyway, but rather just as a general statement towards any sort of long distance relationship. I’ve always been very against them, but just sort of let this one happen (as that’s the easiest thing to do isn’t it), and now I’m not sure about any of it.
The thing is, I just don’t like what long-distance relationships bring out. I don’t know if it’s true for everyone, but in any example I’ve been given (and certainly with me and mine) it brings out the worst. Confusion, insecurity, jealousy.. continually wondering what the other person is doing. Are they having more fun than you? Should you be having more fun to show you can? Etc. ad nauseam.
Couple this with a few other things and basically I’m on the line of bailing on the whole sitch. I long ago gave up in believing I actually have a say in anything to do with me and my heart – it’s going to do what it wants and it’s willing to inforce that. So, as such, I don’t have any “real” idea what the result of this will be, but right now, after just finishing a bit of a chat with Mandy, I’m not feeling confident about it.
Other than that load of blog-filler, life in Jinzhou has remarkably improved with the addition of Freddy – not least of all because he’s just a blast and always up for a good time, which reminded me that I can be too. It’s funny how the bitterness of being in a rather rough environment can make you forget the important things. We hit the Dalian International Beer Festival last Thursday and inspite of falling and hurting my foot a bit (c’mon, it IS a beer festival), it was a rockin’ event.
Sadly, I (as has been common lately) forgot my camera so didn’t capture any of it aside from in my rather unreliable memory. Basically, my expectations of a “beer festival” were low, especially when we were informed it cost 20 RMB to get in and that didn’t give you any free beer. However, upon getting into the thick of it I realized it was well worth it. Basically it is set in the centre of Dalian’s biggest square, Xinghai Sq., and contains 20-some-odd stages that blast music, singers, dancers and games at the better portion of the Chinese population (and a load of foreigners) until the wee hours of the morning. The highlight was Freddy, Kaiko (possibly the coolest Chinese girl I’ve met) and myself being invited to go dance on stage (to which I declined, refusing to be any more of a spectacle for the Chinese audience). They busted their move and when it came off the stage I joined in the fun. It was great and I hope to get down there again before it shuts down on the 8th.
Friday was another first. Freddy, Kaiko and myself hopped in a cab and headed to a beach just up the coast a bit from Jinzhou. I was pleased right away when I saw it had real sand. I’ve been searching for a beach that wasn’t littered with annoying rocky-pebbles for the better part of a month. We sat down there and played some guitar until well after sunset, and were treated to a small fireworks display to sweeten the deal.
It looks like this Thursday the Future School 5 crew are heading down to the beach to celebrate the foreign teachers’ approaching departure. I’m pretty certain the majority of the staff cannot swim, so we’ll see how it comes off.
