Lush lashes, laughter & my many China friends

Stimulated by a photo of me taken the only other time in my life when I've worn falsh eyelashes, friends and I had a going away party called Lush Lashes and Laughter. I hired a makeup artist and she was busy all evening. By the end we were in a glorious mood and singing "You're Going to Miss Me When I'm Gone" with gusto. I wished the words were changed to "I'm Going to Miss You When I'm Gone!", but we made do!! Frankly the end product of my lashes look was so horribly garish that I'm not posting it full face. Let's just say that Liza Minelli had nothing on me!!

Then I've included photos of so many other friends - which in no way represents the hundreds of people with whom I shared smiles and laughter in incidental ways - like the subway conversation focused on why, with white hair and therefore old, I was wearing sandals/socks in december. They didn't at all understand the concept of hot feet, but we all got a huge laugh out of it!

believe it or not, this was 50 years ago!

Rosie, Deanna, Jaime, Grainne, Noelle, Janice, Elisa, Aki, Megan, me, Mandy, Hannah, Ingrid, Madeline, Caroline - Coryn and Wes, Alice, Jere, Joy, Robert, ... had already left

getting glamorous - which was the wrong way to go - modest would have been more appropriate!

Mandy He - the center of the MSB universe and my friend and traveling companion to Xian - where we got all involved in a very interesting conversation about the interlude between parent-child and child-parent when there might be room for friend-friend to grow.

Nisha - who recently married in all the many ways you marry in China and educated me into the intricacies & an unadorned Rosie

a VERY ADORNED Rosie! Not at all like a librarian! So much fun to be with. So many good conversations!

 

Grainne of Children's House fame - although they call in Kindergarten here. She was quiet and knew EVERYTHING - could that hold a clue?

Hannah - my most wonderful officemate and the power behind the throne

Noelle - with whom I shared a smile, a laugh and a hug almost every day

Alice - the head of the Chinese Dept. and a delightful person - we dreamed of going to Greece or Rome next summer - who knows

Megan - always with a good word and supportive gesture

Janice - who got this party, and many other parties, going! Many adventures and meals together. Madeline - who grew more beautiful every day as she got more confident in her work.

A little dancing and singing and carrying on - so much fun!

Caroline - with whom I had numerous experiences - all over the map!

Elisa - who shared a common career history - from nurse to Montessori teacher - and who so generously shared her house with me for the first month I was in Beijing. WE had such free-ranging conversations.

Aki and Megan at all-school day

the really nice man/guide who walked very slowly with me all the way along the Great Wall to our campsite - the Wall we walked is in the background

Corrine - fabulous light on this Earth. I hope we meet again in Dubai. We camped at the Wall together. Such fun!

The guard with whom I shared a huge smile and big "Good Morning" every morning. I shed a tear when I moved away. His eagerness and joy really touched me.

My very first "friends". They lived in the same development I did and we greeted each other with smiles and joy. No words. Someone translated for us and we discovered we are all ~70. What different lives we've lived.

I LOVED my trip to Xinjiang and Ganzu with this group of really interesting and fun people. I learned a lot from each and only wish these intense and tenuous travel connections could continue.

Wes, Madeline, Rosie, Coryn, Hannah, Aki and me - the EAL teaching team - we worked very hard

And last but not forgotten, Michelle, a young, new-grad translator who intorduced herself to me at the morning bus stop. We looked forward to each morning's 5 minute exchange before her bus would come, and after a month or so, she moved away. I sent her a text saying that the sparkle was gone from the day. She wrote back, "I am so sorry for that. Honey make a new friend. I trust you. Yes, you can. We move on always. M" It makes me laugh just re-reading it!

 

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