今天我学校要举办首届留学生汉语才艺大赛，有些学生要唱歌，有些要演短剧，我跟两个同学是主持人，还要参加比赛。 我跟两个日本同学要演一个短剧，构思是我想出来的，本子是我和我的中国朋友一起编的，故事挺逗的。你自己看看吧。。(There’s a singing and acting competion tonight for foreign students. Just one rule, only Chinese. Two other students and I are the host of the show. I’m also going to act in a play with two Japanese classmates. It should be fun. I came up with the idea for the story and my friend and I wrote it together. It’s pretty funny. I can’t promise a translation anytime soon though.)

一位潇洒的隐者，走在乡间的路上，碰见了两位漂亮的姑娘，他们之间会发生什么有趣的故事呢？

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道具：馒头，饭盒，脸盆，布鞋，草帽，大襟，唐装，斗笠，竹竿，包袱

第一幕
(隐者从台口走向台中心;姑娘1在台偏左耕地)
隐者：鞋儿破，帽儿破，身上的袈裟破；你笑我，他笑我，一把扇儿破, 南无阿弥陀佛，南无阿弥陀佛，南无阿弥陀佛，南无阿弥陀佛，哎嘿 哎嘿。(隐者抬头看一下周围，脸上迷茫)
隐者：(自言自语)唉，我应该怎么走呢？(在周围寻找人，回头发现姑娘1)
隐者：(向姑娘1招手)嗨！
姑娘1：(微笑看着隐者，礼貌地挥挥手，然后继续耕田)
隐者：(思考的动作，又继续挥手)嗨。。。嗨！(招手示意姑娘1过来)
姑娘1：(明白了，放下工具，跑步到隐者面前)
隐者：姑娘，请问一下，鸡公山怎么去？
姑娘1：(疑惑HUO4看着隐者)
隐者：请问一下，鸡公山怎么去？
姑娘1：(用方言说)先生，请问你有什么事？
隐者：(挠挠头)哎，她说什么呢？
姑娘1：请问你有什么事？
隐者：哦，你会说普通话吗？
姑娘1：你到底说什么呢？
隐者：(低下头叹气)哦，我的神啊。我怎么跟她说啊。
(姑娘1转身要走，隐者拍姑娘1的肩膀把她叫住)
隐者： 我想去鸡。。。公。。。山。。。
姑娘1： (很不耐烦地说)对不起先生，我还有事，我先走了。(转身走了)
隐者： (拉住姑娘1的手)等等等。(拍着自己的胸口)我是个旅行者，(摆动手指表示走路)我想去鸡公山，鸡公你知道吗？(扮演一只鸡，手舞足蹈)
姑娘1：哦，原来你走了一天了，肚子很饿，是不是？但是我没有鸡，只有两个馒头。(跑回田里，拿出两个馒头，跑到隐者面前，伸手把馒头给隐者)
隐者：不不不。我说的是鸡公山(比划一个山)。
姑娘1：哦，你想去鸡公山啊。(拖住隐者手，手指指向鸡公山的方向)沿这条路直走，路口左转，再路口右转，下个路口再右转。。。
隐者： 好好好好，谢谢谢谢。
姑娘1：咦YI2，怎么那么快就明白了。(很开心地回去耕地)
隐者：(摇头，继续走)

第二幕
(隐者心情很低落慢慢地走半圈，姑娘2上台跟隐者迎面走来，隐者看到姑娘2很兴奋，准备上去问路，但是突然想到姑娘2可能不会说汉语，叹气自言自语说“唉，可能她也不会说普通话”，他继续走路。)
姑娘2：(看隐者似乎有事，用方言说) 先生，需要帮忙吗？
隐者： (听不明白，摇摇头) 反正妳听不明白我说什么。(就走了)
姑娘2：(用普通话说)我明白，我明白！
隐者： (转身) 真的？太好了！
姑娘2：你有什么需要帮忙的吗？
隐者： 妳知道鸡公山这个地方吗？
姑娘2: 知道，知道。
隐者： (这时候隐者非常开心)哈哈哈，太棒了！那妳知道怎么去吗？
姑娘2：(摇摇头)不知道。
隐者： (心情又低落了，低着头叹口气)为什么会这样?
姑娘2：你还需要其他帮忙吗？
隐者： (摇头说)不用了，不用了。
(姑娘和隐者分开走了)

第三幕
(隐者更加低落地走5，6步，猛然抬起来头开始想，对着观众说)
隐者：对了！这个姑娘会说普通话，但是不知道怎么去。那个姑娘知道怎么去，但是不会说普通话，如果我。。。。。(转身跑回去找姑娘2)
(姑娘2正在洗脸，隐者找到她，兴奋地对她说)
隐者：那个姑娘不会说，但知道在哪里，妳会说但不知道在怎么去，所以我想。。。
姑娘2：停！ 别着急，你到底想说什么。
隐者： 请妳帮我一个忙。妳跟我来，跟我来。(隐者拉着姑娘2的手往姑娘1跑过去)
(到台中站定，找一找姑娘1，发现姑娘1，隐者招手)
隐者: 喂！
(姑娘1跑步过来)
隐者：(隐者对姑娘2说)我想请你做翻译。帮我问她，鸡公山怎么去。
(姑娘2跟姑娘1商量，姑娘2点头说“哦，哦，明白了”。姑娘2转身对着隐者说)
姑娘2：(边说边动作)沿这条路直走，路口右转，再路口右转，下个路口再右转直走就到了。
隐者： 哦，知道了。太感谢妳们了。我先走了。
姑娘1+2：一路平安！
(隐者转身又很潇洒地走了)
姑娘2：(用方言说)说这么多他记得住吗？沿这条路直走，路口右转，再路口右转。。。
姑娘1：什么！你一开始跟他说是右转吗？！可是我跟妳说的是左转。
姑娘2：是吗！那我们赶快去追他！
(姑娘1+2跑步下台，边跑边喊”等一等，等一等！”)

福 / Happiness . My Balcony Door

I saw a sweatshirt hanging to dry in the laundry room, it said “Life is Good.” When you can agree to that then you can probably find happiness in life.

I have a lot of friends to write. I’m a holla at you..

可遇而不可求..

You can happen upon something but can’t ask for it, or seek for it.

Did you ever think you could have fate with a book? In old times in China it was believed to come across a good book, horse or dog one had to destined to meet with it. The first books I looked at when I was in the school library for the first time were comic books. I came across a series of Peanuts comic books. They are so awesome, a collection of Peanuts comics throughout the years, laid out day by day and have both English and Chinese. When I was travelling throughout China over the summer, I brought one book with me, a Peanuts comic book. So, when I found these books in the library, I thought it was fate. Now, I’m taking my time to read the books, now on number three of ten. It’s a great way to get my head out of my textbooks to relax and study at the same time. I never knew how funny Peanuts was.
—> Read more comics, it’s good for you.

三個月前我來到中國的北方，要在北京最西邊的市區上一年的中文課。我的想法是在一個較安靜的地方好好學習，有空騎自行車去爬山或者在公園裏練功，可能在這個新環境外國人比較少，可以多跟當地人交流。It was a Monday when I arrived in Shijingshan (石景山). It was afternoon and yet the place didn’t seem that busy. I walked from the metro to my new school. Not knowing exactly how to get there but knew it couldn’t have been that far. An hour later I found it, I walked a bit out of the way to get there but I wanted to see my new surroundings.

I enjoyed walking around campus for the first time. I didn’t know what to expect of the place. There was a bunch of construction going on here and there but overall my first impressions of the campus were good. Everything went smoothly the first day and after 21 days of traveling solo around China I was glad to be able to rest.

Classes didn’t start for two weeks but I was busy everyday buying things for my room and trying to get used to my new surroundings. It was tiring because going to a big supermarket like Wal-mart or Carefour I have to go into the city which takes about an hour. There’s plenty of public transportation in Beijing but there’s so many people using it that sometimes it’s a nightmare to do so.

Once classes started that was it, mad busy. Listening, conversation, writing, newspaper reading and comprehension, five classes of Chinese and 100’s of new vocabulary words a week. It’s plenty intensive. For the first month I thought it was a real challenge. I can easily say I was studying harder than I ever did before. Now I used to the pace and curriculum. I know how to relax a bit. I had a few too many notes in my book the first two weeks.

You see my hand, see the blister from writing. Also, see how dry my hands are. This place’s climate is opposite of what I’m used to, warm and wet. The first month and a half I woke up everyday and my throat hurt. 因水土不服，尤其是這兒的乾燥氣候，我身體經常覺得不舒服，影響了我的心情，覺得北京不好玩兒。但是，過了兩月以侯就習慣了，開始越來越喜歡我新的環境。It was a hard two months but one I got used to my surroundings I felt good.

Now, I’m having a blast. I’ve made a lot of friends on campus. I ride my bicycle 15 minutes to the mountains and have friends there too. They work at one of the sites in the park, a 1,000 year old temple (証果寺) and I get to go into the courtyard and strike the old bell. I joined the Wushu Club and have taiji class two times a week. I’m an officer of the Cantonese club (粵語社團), Foreign Relations Consultant (外聯部顧問), and we have class every Wednesday night. Also, I joined the Chess Club and they play Chinese chess, go and 五子棋 every Thusday night. I’m studying things I have interest in and am enjoying being a student again. I have this great opportunity, I gotta make the best of it.

When fate provides you with a rare chance, a special opportunity in your life, you have to make it happen. I’m doing it, in more ways than one. I’m thankful. I’m glad.

I got so much to write…