Eileen St. Louis

Guitar Hero on New Year's Day My Aunt Christina and my cousins from left to right: Joel, Jessica, Charmaine and Celeste. Merlion by Marine Bay At the famous Lau Po Sat Market

"You have good character, Nobuyo said the last day I saw her, no matter what happened in the past, whatever bad things- people can see what a good person you are and that is what is most important." I have learned that the friends I keep are friends that can last a thousand life times and are a measure of the colorful life I have lead in China.

Jan 10th my nephew who is four years my senior gets hitched at the family hearth. When I arrive at Yan Dun, there is a contruction catepillar blocking most of the path and trees newly cut to make way for a better road. I guess this marks progress on the bumpy dirt roads and the ease in which the outside can get into more rural areas. There's at least twenty people outside the houses cooking in large pots, bsmboo trays and giant bowls. The wedding feast will commence at 2pm when the groom returns with the bride from her home . It is now only 9:30am. More to come...

My first mountain trip on Hainan: We start early in the morning for me when classes are not in session: I got up sround 7, showered and put some food on to heat for breakfast. I was sweeping my spare room which had just been de-moldfied and reorganized by the cleaning ladies Joanne and I hired to do a once and for all thorough job since only euro-bachelors had been living here, when the girls arrived. They are Mary, Charlene, Stephanie, Lucy and one other freshman who is really quiet. They are students of mine from various classes. We had planned this trip at the last "English Chat" a conversation group that meets in my livingroom, together with two older students Allison and Stacy. They invite their friend Robbie who is a local Wenchang girl and knows the way better than anyone else. Unfortunately, she also gets really carsick. The mountain is called, TongGuLing, near Crescent Moon Beach about an hour outside Wenchang City. First we go shopping for the picnic we'll hav...

Highlights from the Christmas Party 2008 at Hainan FLV College.

No Plastic Trees PLEASE. a collection of Christmas paraphernalia from Hainan.

I grew up across the street from a synagogue. Every Saturday the street was crowded with station wagons. Sometimes, my parents couldn't even get out of the drive way. They cursed these Jews who thought they owned the street. But they cursed a lot of people in Brooklyn who thought they owned the street. The Italians. Then the Russians. The Cops. I grew to be tolerant of a lot of religions. Some of them felt less religious than others. Especially the one where girls in uniform hiked up their green plaid skirts higher and unbuttoned their white shirts a notch or two after school. There was no detection of religion in my home. Unless you counted Dad's reverence for playing mahjong and smoking with his friends. My mother thought it was all nonsense. I searched for benevolent gods. I wished on stars like Pinocchio taught me. When I grew up, I found wisdom and kindness in the people I met. That is where my spirituality lies.