Tomorrow, Lily will be eight years old. I have spent a whole year in this new book that is our life now, so I hope that I have learned some lessons. I had this dream last night where I was trying to get home in China with a wallet full of Canadian currency (useless) and only 2 kuai (about 35 cents). The only thing I could do was take the bus, but I couldn't ask anyone which one to get on because I didn't learn Chinese last year. I think the dream makes an honest dig at my situation.

I am not going to pout about the climate this year, and I am not going to be scared of manholes. I'm not going to feel guilty about having a housekeeper and I will learn to barter. I will speak the language and eat meat off a stick in the street. Maybe we will all even take a train somewhere. I will learn what "blue guy", "chicken lady" and "Nazareth" 's real names are. I will have fun with all of this...