Family Time

OR WHY I MISS MY FAMILY AND YET HAVE KIN ALL ABOUT...IF I WAIT LONG ENOUGH

Hi Folks,

I am very jetlagged right now, so this update will have to be short. I have just had so many precious moments in the recent days that I wanted to share them with y'all.

Being in a new city without many local contacts is challenging. I forgot how hard London was before London became the hip, happening, creative mecca I found it to be in the end. London is also wet, dreary, cold in so many ways, lonely, isolating. In turn, Berkeley started as a hard place. Now, being back from holiday, having friends to call, having too much to do and see, this is just all so new.

Fourth of July was the first important holiday I've ever had without family or friends, which made me homesick indeed. In the past few days, I have been surrounded by 3 families (none of my blood kin though) and it has been so nice to be cared for and taken care of so lovingly.

This past long weekend I visited two lovely friends of mine from Oberlin in Massachusetts at their beach house. I got to eat vegetarian food every meal! I woke up late. I didn't have any homework! More surprisingly, I had free time. I found myself sitting on the deck, peacefully staring at the ocean or catching up on Eddie Izzard comedy shows I hadn't yet seen. These two wonderful folks took grumpy me in, gave me a huge bed to sleep in, free laundry, and a personal bathroom within 8 steps of my bed (all luxuries when you live in a big dorm) and let me detox from language class and life jitters. I even received an adorable bear to make sure I had enough cuddles in room back at Berkeley. Though the holiday was too short, I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to visit.

Back in Berkeley again, trying to get over jet lag and get into studying daily, I receive a lovely email from Anya, former Shansi fellow to Himachal Pradesh, India (Jagori site) asking if I would like to meet up and chat about Shansi. This turned into sharing a meal with her family in tucked-away Ethiopian restaurant, saving me from another dining hall, anti-vegetarian meal. It was so nice to be taken in as simply another child who needed to be fed and who had some interesting stories to tell in return.

I also have had the chance to contra dance this week. I have contra-ed once before in Berkeley. Going this second time I actually recognized a bunch of people, and made friends with some friendly folks. We even had some friends in common, whom I had met in my wanderings of San Francisco. (That made me feel so cool.)

Anyway, I hope you all have some nice family around to nurture and be nurtured back. If not, never fear! Maybe some will be waiting on the end of your next email or plane flight.


I can't wait for the Chinese family to come!