If I was a superstar of song and stage, I would headline
this stateside trip as above. Granted, while in China I am a bit of a
superstar, but China is not America... as I've to condition myself to each time
I return. Therefore, this title indicates the general theme of this year's
whirlwind visit.
It has been more than just a little while ago that I've
taken to the keyboard. In the flurry of stateside visits I did not wish you a
happy Lunar New Year, or even welcome you to the Year of the Horse. Doesn't
mean you weren't on my mind and it certainly does not indicate that I had no
way to blog, seeing as my conspirators have gifted me this wonderful new
machine I currently and talking to you on.
Truth is, I've been spoiled rotten. Everywhere I went I was
welcomed with open arms... nothing new there. However, it seems this year
everyone had it in for me, gift-wise.
Of course, you know Jenn treated me to a trip to the Magic
Kingdom (see Goin' Disney entry, posted October 2013). She also surprised me
with a flannel sheet set – won't they be toasty in the winter? And the most
whimsical of gifts: a pair of zebra-striped footie pajamas, complete with faces on the feet. I love them!!!
My Jenn is simply beautiful. She has lost a substantial
amount of weight since last year and has given me my pick of everything that
does not fit her anymore. I balked. Remember my minimalist plan? Living with
only what I absolutely need? Of course, I need clothes, but not a new outfit for every day, and not
excessively dressy clothes. Besides, I only have 1 suitcase, and its weight
limit is fifty pounds (22 kilos). And, because I still had a lot of visiting to
do, I would have to carry those clothes with me on every plane and lug them
around at every stop. However, she pooched her lower lip out when I declined to
take some of the clothes. They simply weren't my style or a color I like to
wear. Her pouting goaded me to pack everything, leaving shoes and other things
behind for her to mail to me.
At the airport in Tampa, in spite of having used compression
bags for all those clothes my suitcase was still more than 3 pounds overweight.
Picture the mad scramble to lighten my load by 3.5 pounds and finding a place
to stuff that excess. My backpack and the laptop case, given me by my
conspirators was already full to bursting.
The one thing I was not about to throw away was my Barry
Manilow concert ticket stub. I've been a Manilow fan since my tender years,
when he was just starting out. He has more than 40 years in the business and I
have to reason: how many more concerts will he give? And how likely will it be
that I will be able to attend? An evening with Barry was another 'spoilage',
but it was I that treated Jenn.
Tampa brought Disney, Barry and the Superbowl. Jenn and I
are not football fans so we hung out in her room, watching The Shining and
snacking on finger foods like pizza rolls and potato chips. That was the only
day that we did not leave the house.
Another thing Tampa brought was the Color Run. For so long
Jenn had not been in any kind of shape to take part in anything physical. Her
weight loss has given her the strength, ability and desire to take part in The
Color Run, a 5K race whose theme is FUN! While savoring amusement by the
handfuls, I spilled tears of joy at watching her run. Until recently, I
reasoned she would be severely incapacitated within a few years, if not
devastatingly ill due to that weight. Way to go, Jenn!!!
Memphis brought a reunion with Lisa and Bonnie, a pedicure,
and a massage. Lots of hugs, a peaceful feeling of belonging, conviviality,
food, chocolate, more chocolate and even more chocolate. Dove, dark and mint;
chocolate Chex Mix with caramel corn. Such a chocolate overload that even now,
back home, I resist chocolate. I'm betting that won't last long.
So spoiled rotten was I that I did not have room in my
suitcase for everything. Darrell, in California - my last stop before winging back offered up a second suitcase.
Sure, it would have been easy to take him up on it. Maybe I wouldn't have had
to leave my house shoes behind, and I could have packed the health/beauty aids
that I bought to see me through my trip.
Jenn promised to send a package containing all the stuff I
had to leave behind: my new shoes, clothing
I left in the laundry, gifts for my Chinese friends. If that package had
arrived while I was still visiting, I would have been forced to take Darrell up
on his offer of a second bag. Was I spared because it did not come?
I have something to look forward to: Darrell will forward
that parcel, after including some things I forgot, or that he thinks I might
like (read: junk food). I'm all ready to be surprised. Jenn said she also
packed a few things she thought I might like.
One surprise I did not know about: the truck. When I opened
my computer case at TSA security at LAX, I had to laugh out loud. SOMEhow, one
of Ben's trucks found its way into my satchel, and I suspect, not by accident.
Apparently it dove in after I packed my laptop, because the case was filled
nearly to bursting after I secured the computer. Somehow, my mysterious truck
benefactor found room for it.
What I didn't find till I got home: the cherry pie. I knew
there was a cherry pie lurking about Darrell's apartment, because that became
one of his and my rituals: going to McDonald's for a midafternoon cup of
coffee, while Ben napped (Sammie was home to watch him; we did not leave him
there alone). That first afternoon, he observed that McDonald's apparently no
longer serves cherry pie. At the cost of fifty cents, I made a liar out of him.
From that day on, cherry pie and coffee became the staple.
So how did this one, errant cherry pie make it into my bag?
Even now I laugh. He must have gone to McDonald's on the sly, snuck it into the
house and then into my bag. No other explanation.
Yes, this was indeed a 'spoiled rotten' tour. Back in China,
in my unheated apartment, under Sam's watchful and eager eye (he got spoiled
rotten, too), I raked over my wealth: a bottle of perfume I would never have
bought for myself. Flannel sheets and footie jammies, wicking socks and extra
thick ski socks, clothes and more clothes, books, top of the line computer with
case... and let's not forget my cast iron skillet, I reflect how rich I am. Not
in materials… while nice, 'things' matter very little in the end, don't you
know. Rich in love, in friends, in happiness, experience and memories. More
than the sheets, the jammies and the socks, that is what keeps me warm.
If you think I was the only one spoiled rotten this year,
you are wrong.
I started accumulating gifts for my loved ones as early as
March. Come time to pack and head stateside, I was in a tizzy: I had more gifts
than I had suitcase to pack them in! With no time to buy a second suitcase, I
improvised. Having received a package in a sturdy, triple corrugate box, I
reasoned I could use that box as a makeshift suitcase. (Probably) no one would
frown on it, seeing as last year, when I performed in the Teacher Talent
Showcase for our school, I used a box as a prop and was asked repeatedly if I
was returning to America. Over here, boxes, with a handle fashioned out of tape
or string is considered luggage.
Except for the nouveau riche Chinese. They wish to display
their wealth by any means possible. Air travel is one way to do so, and shiny
new luggage is another. So here I am, this foreigner with a box and a duffel
bag for luggage, among Chinese towing their rollaround, hardshell suitcases.
You could say I was displaying my Chinese-ness while they were
showing their wealth.
I only took 3 sets of clothes with me, and hardly any
health/beauty aids. What filled my suitcase?
Gifts. Small, large, extravagant and handmade gifts. From
me, from Sam, from Gary. Gifts filled my suitcase. My measly 3 sets of clothing
went into the cardboard box.
See? I wasn't the only one spoiled rotten, this tour!
No comments:
Post a Comment