Beating the Summer Heat

Happy Fourth of July to my fellow Americans. Happy day between July third and fifth to the rest of you. I justified all the walking around I did today in the 95 degree weather by reasoning that I'd have been walking around outside all day in Maine, too, if I was there (only there'd have been more fried dough).

I was walking around because I had to swing by the fabric market (for the last time, I swear) and pick up the last thing I had made. Isn't it pretty?

not that it's cool enough to wear it at the moment

On the way back, I was quite warm and thirsty, so I swung by 7-11 for a wanglaoji. A whatsit? I head you saying. A wanglaoji.

although this one is actually 'jiadoubao'

Wanglaoji is the most famous brand of herbal tea in southern China. It's been around since the nineteenth century. It comes in a green carton and a distinctive red-and-yellow can, and a nearly identical red-and-yellow can made by another company, and if you're really interested in Chinese trademark law, you should read up on the history of why there are three kinds of wanglaoji.

this one actually says 'wang lao ji'

Herbal tea is extremely popular here in the south, as it is believed to counteract and cool excess internal fire. Or, in other words, it cools you down when it's hot, or when you've done something to unbalance your inner humors, like eating a lot of spicy or fried food. It can also soothe sore throats and combat winter dryness.

and here it is in the green carton

Ok, so is it a miracle cure for what ails you, or is it just sweet herbal iced tea? I don't know, but it's pretty tasty.

Also tasty was the Indian food that my friend made last night. We had a going-away get together last night at her apartment, where we ate Indian food and apple pie (my contribution) and had some arts-and-crafts fun.

Or perhaps we were doing "lines of colorful coke off
a glass table?" Your guess is as good as mine.

We made beaded rings, which is just as hilariously difficult as it sounds. I got lost somewhere around step three, and gave up and made my own designed based on the last beaded-jewelry project I did (which, for the record, was a beaded bracelet, made at an afternoon activity session at Gould Academy summer camp). My coworker ended up liking mine so much that we traded. Of course, we'd used our own fingers are size guides, so she ended up with a thumb ring and I have a sweet pinky ring.

I also have nails painted what I call Ruby Slipper Red.
They sparkle (and there's no place like home).

Going away parties really bring home the fact that I'll be going away soon. This is my last weekend of work, and then I have a little less than two weeks of completely unplanned vacation time. I have a few last in-city day trips in mind, and I'm hoping to get in one last trip, probably to Nanjing. The future is uncertain, but that's half the fun, right?