Rain, rain, remind me of the days...

On this rainy day in Hainan, I am reminded of other happy rainy days spent in bright lights, bright city- my New York. Like the day I helped Erin Shannon set up her first Unseenamerica show in Kingston. I remember us attaching red balloons to lead gallery hoppers to the building. I remember being pleased with how I managed to light the photographs with some lamps borrowed from the offices. I remember eating yummy burritos and taco pie.

It has now been raining for more than 12 hours. And it is raining hard. We are in a mini-typhoon, one of many to come in the autumn months as the weather begins to get cooler. As the wind picks up, it howls outside and bangs on the front door.

Pineapple and chocolate museli cereal with milk is like the best thing in my world right now. Its comforting in the midst of this stormy night.

Highlights of my past two weeks are opening ceremonies at the college, National Day in China celebrating 59 years as the People's Republic and my vacation in Sanya. All of which were incredible. The government of Hainan hosted many foreign dignitaries at the five star Sheraton in Haikou, the capital of Hainan. We were wined and dined. They did not have a show like the one put on by the students at Hainan Foreign Lanugages Vocational College however. It was unlike any kind of interpretive dancing I've ever seen.

Termites have invaded my desk. If its not mold which grows easily in this humid climate, then its bugs. C'est la vie en Hainan.

I can't be out to my friends here. I don't want them to judge me or worse, try to change me. I have no idea how the other foreign teachers feel about homosexuality. The topic hasn't come up yet, not exactly anyway. But when I've talked about my dating history, I always refer to my partners in third pronoun and I wonder, do they suspect?

A Chinese teacher invited me to her boyfriend's for dinner with a volunteer from Finland and a former teacher from Guangdong who was visiting. We had been out cycling at dawn to the beach and back. The Cantonese teacher brought up how homosexuality was not ostracized much at the school she went to, in fact, both parents and teachers were usually fully aware of the relationship but just didn't discuss the nature. Then the Finn said that she didn't understand why all over the world, it was such as issue, who people choosed to love. For the first time, I really felt I was tuly among friends. I joked to Sam's boyfriend, how he would feel if a woman who was more successful and good looking than him came along to sweep Sam off her feet, would he give Sam away to her? He said, yes. He was a little drunk and had been talking about how he would step aside if a better man came for Sam. The Finn said, now that's true love! Now the Finn has gone back to Finland. God bless you Selena!