Who Am I?

I'm the crazy girl who wears short sleeves when everyone else is wearing sixty-seven coats.  

I'm the girl singing on the street.  

I'm the girl who is terrified of getting vocal nodes. 

I'm the girl who names Chinese children "Diego" and "Carlos."  (Carlos is a very sweet boy, by the way).

I'm the girl who arm wrestles and has staring contests with her students. 

I'm the girl who encourages crazyness in the classroom.  

I'm the girl who once could remember names better than anyone but now has a thousand names (literally) to remember.  

I'm the girl who radiates in China.  

I'm the girl who gets excited about public transportation and fast trains.

I'm the girl who comes closest to falling in the river or getting stuck in the head of a giant golden lady.  

I'm the girl who craves spontaneity. 

I'm the girl who tap dances in the rain next to the lake in the middle of Nanjing because she can and because she loves it there.

I'm the girl who will not have her independence stifled.

I'm the girl who protests waiting in line to pee.

I'm the girl who won't use an umbrella in this country.

I'm the girl who rehearses phrases in Chinese so that she can say them to people.  For example, "This is my favorite bakery" and "I like your pants."  

I'm the girl who finds that she doesn't hate things in China as much as she hates them in America such as pop culture and shopping.  

I'm the girl who plays with all the children at KFC and makes faces at all children everywhere.

I'm the girl who has issues when people say "flue" instead of "chimney," "penfriend" instead of "penpal," or "canteen" instead of "cafeteria."

I'm the girl who has three new pen pals that are 7th grade students named Simon, Henry, and Kingsley.

I'm the girl who has replaced Facebook with QQ.

I'm the girl who came to China and learned that she loves maps!  

I'm the girl who is always starving by dinner time.

I'm the girl who is determined to like chicken feet to some degree.

I'm the girl who has the hardest time dealing with beggars because of her tender heart.

I'm the girl who stinks at bartering.

I'm the girl who reciprocates her students' openness.

I'm the girl who sings to herself to comfort her soul.

I'm the girl whose heart can't bear the idea that people would want to take advantage of others...especially for a few kuai.

I'm the girl who sings everyone to sleep at sleepovers. 

I'm the girl at whom everyone stares because she's smiling and she's not from around here (plus she's usually dancing).

I'm the girl at whom everyone stares even more blatantly because she runs without a jacket on.  

I'm the girl who has a fan club of old people who dance at the park every day.

I'm the girl who is falling in love with China!