C.R.E.A.M.

China rules everything around me.

An amazing view of the Du.

I'm back offically it's been about three weeks or so, maybe, I'm not sure. I'm falling back into a rhythm. 

It's my second week back at work. I'm surprised at how easy it's been. I'm at the same school with the same kids and teachers. I have a lesson plan writing system down. I'm feeling pretty condfident.

Chengdu and I would assume most of the expat community in China, is a strange blend of maturity and outrageousness.  Most of us are adult enough to have our own careers, projects and creative outlets while maintaining a totally carefree attitude. It's almost like nothing really matters here so you might as well try to make it great.  I think that's the type of personality it takes to live in e place like this, equal parts nihilist and hustler. I love it. I feel free here. I don't have to fight for a job, I have free time to pursue things I love, like reading writing and rugby while creating amazing memories and having one of a kind experiences. 

Home is Where the Heart Is

I couldn't find my outlet adapter for my laptop charger. None of the stores near my apartment carried them so blah blah. It's all sorted now. Sorry about the huge gap between post. Hopefully it won't be an issue now. I'm going to try to average two posts a week, Mondays and Thursdays, depending on how interesting my life is. kthanksbye

I left Tennessee for Baltimore. I spent a few more days with me mah. It was good. We went to the farmers market in PA and gawked at some Amish people. I'm going to miss her. I wish I could afford to see her for the holidays. 

While in the area I met up with my buddy Eric. He's working in DC so we met at the Sticky Rice near his work for some mexican beers. I missed the crap outta this dude. It was nice how we could just jump back into our old rhythm even though it's been well over a year.  His comedy is taking off. Which makes sense because he's funny as heck. Take note of Eric Koucheravy, you'll see his name in lights one day, I'm so proud. 

Then I went home home, Springfield, Virginia. Like the worst place. Mostly an highway exit and a commuter stop for the metro. Miles of subdivisions and gas stations. So glad to not call that place home anymore. Some of my friends still do, or have left and come back.

Those were the people I went to see, litterally the only people in the Spliff I care about seeing.  I still had a great time with these folks. Good people and alcohol make any situation alright. Had some of those hard sparkling water thingys. Jesus Christ are the dangerous. Considering how much I love sparkling water, I have a problem. With soda water or alcohol...you decide. 

To continue my boozy adventure I made a stop in Pittsburgh, PA to visit my friend from China. I dragged her to the goth night portion of Skull Fest 2017. My friend Aaron's band was playing the night I got into the city. We got too drunk, started at like 1:30, Jessie bailed around 1030. I managed to chug a mountain dew and got back in the game. Started talking to an old friend, Brandon, and ended up watching the sun come up after an after party. WTF they put in Mountian Dew is serious and probably shouldn't be consumed by anyone. 

The next day Jessie and I went white water rafting. Total blast for me, trying not to throw up while waiting in the hot sun for our raft. No one wanted to be in our group so we got paired with one of the guides. Which ruled because he just told us what to do the whole time, so no thinking/drowning. Also he was chill and we taked and talked trash about the other rafters :)

Saw the eclipse after we saw a guy lose his pants in the bar, 230 pm. That night I was back on a bus heading for Newark and ultimately Chengdu.

The Back 40

On the Sunday after my weekend in Nashville, Maria's parents picked me up in front of the Hostel on their way home from church.  They took me on the senic route back to their house in Chapmansboro, about 40 minutes outside the city. 

The owner of the grain silo was painted on the side. The Nations, Nashville

Jay taking a break from being a plant dad to admire the sunset. 

It was nice being out in the country. Peacefull and pretty. 

Maria had some business to take care of at Vanderbilt, in Nashville so I got to suggest White Castle. I had never been there before. Travis told me that they had vegan sliders. We had talked about going on a road trip to but it never manifested. One day.

Mostly I just chilled. Maria and Jay and Maria's parents were super chill and welcoming. I got to eat great food and listen to dad jokes it was a rare experience for me.  I felt like I should have been doing something, like yard work or cleaning but I managed to shuck those urges and get a bunch of pool time in. 

And peach time. 

Best part is I got to spend a week with my best friend, smoking, talking and making/eating snacks. Jay pointed out that we were able to pick up our friendship like nothing had happened. Before the wedding, it had been over a year since we had seen each other, briefly in Richmond. It had to have been two years since we actually hung out like we used to, before he moved to St. Louis. He was pretty much the only friend I had that kept in touch with me daily while I was, via wechat. That kept us close and saved my sanity on more than one occasion. I am so lucky to have a friend like Jay. 

Country Music Television

The weekend I spent in Nashville! yeee haw!

But for real Nashville is crazy. Left Richmond at 1:30 am Thursday and I got into the air bnb Friday night around 9. The plan was to spend the night in Nashville with Jay and Maria. They now live with Maria's parents somewhere out in the county, well outside of cab range. But, they had a windshield issue and I ended up beating them to Tennessee, so I had to fend for myself this weekend. I had a plan.

This really cool chick back in Richmond told me to go to The End, once I got to Nashville. Said it was live rock and roll club, heavy stuff. I wasted no time after getting in, took a whore bath changed my underwear and called a cab (my Chinese phone won't run the apps) to pick me up. I didn't even look up who was playing, I just went. I figured Friday night it's gotta be something good. Get there, hear what sounds like a sound check. Pay my ten dollars to get in aaaand it's a mother fucking dubstep show.  I'm such and asshole, should have checked. 

I gtfo. I took the 30 min walk to Broadway and 5th Ave. Not super scenic, besides seeing my first White Castle. But I got to walk down the hill into all the crazy that is Broadway, Nashville, Tennessee on a Friday night. Well, I heard it before I saw it. I imagine I felt similar to how the union must have felt walking into the rebel yell, confident while still being nervous and unsure of what lies ahead, probably certain death.

I was greeted by bright lights, overwhelming swarms of people and country music spewing from every opening.  I stumbled down the road letting the flow of the crowd direct me. I found myself at a bar that had "Hillbilly Music" written on the side of the building. "Alright, this could work'" I thought also there was no line, unlike many of the bars on the strip. I walked inside this place, Layla's, and saw exactly what I was looking for. Tatted grown men playing "American Music".  

I go up to the bar and ordered a shot of bourbon and a pbr. I love being home. I made my way down to the dance floor where the band, Hillbilly Casino, was playing Johnny B. Good. The band leader was wearing a Ramones shirt and I picked out one other rock-and-roller in the crowd. We started chanting "hey ho, lets go" and they played blitzkrieg bop. Which was tight. I thought I was going to be stuck with country renditions of "Love yourself" Journey covers and probably a lot of Skinnard. So hearing the Ramones was a huge relief. I got so into it, I didn't know that places like this were real. It was a caricature of everything I hoped Nashville would be. I could not stop laughing and dancing. I ended up talking to the rock-and-roller, Mookie, he invited to come with him and his buddies to another bar. Totes a safe decision ;)

Mookie wanted to go sing karaoke somewhere not on Broadway, still close by. I am always down for karaoke. On the walk I learned Mookie and his friends, were a band from old steel country Pennsylvania. They were in Nashville, from what I gathered, because Mookie wanted to live there at some point in the future. We also talked about traveling and music and nerdy stuff. We got the bar and his plan to get in without paying the five dollar cover backfired, I think he was trying to appeal to my bad kid sensibilities. We drank pbr, I sang Carrie Underwood, "Next Time He Cheats", and genuinly enjoyed myself. When we left he put the last one into my backpack, man after my own heart. We're supposed to hang when I get to Pittsburgh, looking forward to it.  

And that was night one in Nashville. 

Saturday morning, I woke up in my airbnb. I wasn't able to book it for another night, so I got bed in a hostel downtown, which I should have done from the beginning. I checked out at 11, and walked down to the bus stop with my hiking backpack, my regular backpack and my uke. 

My bus doesn't come for another 40 minutes, so I got prepared to chill. I'm standing there for two minutes with this guy lumbers up with arms full of groceries. Drops them on the ground with much relief. He then asked if I would watch his stuff while he ran into the store. I agreed and he gave me a big bottle of cold water for my trouble. He sees my backpack and other things and asks, "you're train hoppin ain't cha?" I told him no, that I was just a regular traveler. Apparently Tazz, the man later explained who he was by showing me his tattoo of the looney toons character, hopped trains all over the country back in his day. Now that his kids were all grown and gone he was free to make some money. First by selling Denver pot for Tennessee prices, then turning his Colorado warehouse into a smoke shop/restaurant. I told him I'd look it up in a few years and despite my protests he gave me three dollars for a bus pass. Best of luck to you Tazz. 

Made it to downtown Nashville, despite my protests Tazz gave me 3 bucks for a bus pass, with an hour to spare before check-in at the hostel. So I found a nice spot to play a little music. I put my bag down and ended up making 5 dollars and a poptart. I had a pretty nice time trying to match the right song to the people who were walking by. I got way more smiles than dollars but I'm ok with that, considering I was busking for play money not food money.  Aw jeez it's hard coming to terms with your own privilege. 

My hostel room has a first name. 

So using my debit card, I checked into my room at the hostel. Dropped my stuff off, I was on the top bunk, and went to find a place where I could plug my phone and also be on it, yeah I have a problem. I sat down at this table in the middle of the common room at the hostel, a few seats over from a guy on a laptop. Right after I plug my phone in one of the staff members made a grand loop of the room, weaving between couches, on one of those hover board things.  Me and my table neighbor make eye contact and the same shrugy face. He, Nik, says, "I didn't think that was necessary, but ok". "I was thinking the same thing" I laughed. Turned out this guy was a journalist from South African writing some heavy article about race and all that. He seemed sweet, if not unnaturally tall. We shared some beers, or he gave me beer while he worked so he felt better about drinking by himself.  We made plans to link up later that night. 

Credit: PLA Media

I left the common room with a charged phone, got cleaned up and set to wondering the streets. Again music was everywhere. Not just coming from the bars, every few paces there was a different street performer.

The bouncers from the night before recognized me as I walked by Layla's, nope not again. I crossed the street and entered Nudie's, "The Longest Bar in Nashville". The bar was long if not largely unoccupied. Making up for it, the band playing there had the most beautiful front woman I had ever seen. Well, maybe not the most beautiful but in that moment, as she was singing Enter Sandman into her pink microphone, wearing her cowboy hat and boots and her American Flag bandanna, I fell in love, at least until I finished my beer. 

Moving on, I met up with that guy from the common room. He was with a young guy who had interned with his network in SA or something. Super nice kid, made me feel old af. We wondered together looking for a place with the right vibe. As we walked, we saw so many mother fucking bachelorette parties, like at least 20. Apparently Nashville is like number two in the country as a bachlorette party destination.  As the night wore on the kid had to take off and me and Nik make a plan to smoke and go check out Coyote Ugly.

For real, that place was everything I wanted it to be. It had the purest concentration of bachelorette parties as well a perverts, as to be expected. We could not stop laughing the entire time. There were bartenders were  dumping water all over themselves and their body shot victims, dancing on the bar to "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and a lot of awkward boners. Priceless. 

Twin Oaks

So, I'm an idiot and left my laptop in Richmond and I lost my draft for this post sooo it's been a while. I am currently at Maria's parent's house in TN on Jay's laptop. Best friends for the win.

I wanted to write a little about the freakin awesome time I had visiting my sister at Twin Oaks Community in Louisa, VA. TO is one of the oldest intentional communities in the country and is part of a large network of other egalitarian communities. For a year I lived in a community that was part of that network and now my sister lives at Twin Oaks. 

I swear I helped.

Emily has been at Twin Oaks for nine months. She's a full member. Which is pretty sweet. I had been to TO before but I had never stayed. And I really liked my week there. It was like going to summer camp. I did some gardening, swam naked in a pond, did some repair work. They even had a party one night, complete with a DJ and the good kind of party favors. I danced for at least two hours straight. Also had some rad conversations with some rad people. I could really see myself living in a place like that. Welcoming and free but also industrious and respectful. 

photo credit: twin oaks community, veganworldwide.com

The greatest part of all was probably the food. TO makes Tofu. Like the greatest tofu and tofu accessories I've ever had and I live in fucking China. So naturally, there are some awesome vegan meals. Most of the food was at least veg, I think it represents the "from the earth" mentality that this community has. They grow a ton of food just to be consumed by the community. They also grow animals, which always makes me feel strange. 

Awesome party cat from the TO rave. I loved them so much.

One of the first things that surprised me when I initially came to community was the lack of vegans. I had always associated the "hippie" with vegetarianism. Likewise, I had always associated the radical with animal rights. I guess part of growing up is understanding that not everyone comes from the same perspective as you. Activism led me to veganism. For me, it's the easiest form of anti-consumer protest. I also know that they way I manifest my reality is my own. And I will continue to manifest, all in ya face. 

Half Way Home

I'm in Tachi at Twin Oaks. I've been back in the US for over a month now. I knew it would go by this fast. I'm looking at the calendar and making plans and it looks like I won't have the time to do all the things I wanted to. 

So far I've made it to NYC, Baltimore, West Virginia, Richmond and Louisa/Twin Oaks. I still need to go to Nashville, Baltimore again and Pittsburg. I was hoping to squeeze in Atlanta and Philadelphia. I have 29 days left. I want to have a full week in Nashville at least. That's where Jay and Maria are. I want to do some camping/drinking/smoking/whatever with them for a good chunk of time. I won't see those cutes for at least another year :(

It makes me feel a way knowing that every time I say good bye to someone on this trip, someone I've known for years and I love and they love me, I'll have know idea when I'll see them next. It happens all the time in everyone regular life too. Friends don't realize it's the last time they are seeing friends. Then they notice that years have flowed and the facebook messages come in less frequent. But I know. I have plans that may or may not include seeing some of my friends again. Maybe its better knowing that it was a choice rather than letting life leach at the connections we've made. Super dark I know but shit, life is dark. I've chosen to make some sacrifices, for my own sanity sure, but I've lost contact with people I care about. Distance has made me feel closer to some people. The people that bothered to send me a message, or in Jay's case a text just about everyday. Buddies who offered up their houses without even a second thought. Even the failed skype dates I had with Rachel reassured me of our flakey friendship. I love that girl and she loves me and we at least want to talk for hours with each other and for long distance that's enough.  I feel satisfied in a way. I think I'm ready to keep adventuring.

"We have to sit here for a while because I have never before seen a single 12oz for sale"-Travis

My Best Friends Wedding

Jayington Jay got married on Saturday. I don't think I've smiled that much in one day in freakin years. It seems Jay is always around on my smiliest days. I of course wasn't as happy as he was. Maria looked so beautiful and I cried so hard and drank too much wine. Or just the right amount. I got to see so many people I missed and there were so many CUTES I got to see. I had so many awesome converstations with the best people probably on the planet. I hope I get to see all of those people again!!!

photo credit: Tyler Keegan Grigsby

I also got to spend time in the magical wonderland that is West Virginia. I got caught in the rain and even saw a bear! I'm planning my next camping trip as we speak. I just need to buy a tent

Cooking With Jilli!

Happy to be at home with full access to any and all ingredients I want. Today I made Pizza. I used store bought crust and sauce because I was lazy. I'm totally capable of making bomb ass pizzzza sauce btw.  I did make my own cheese doe. Cashews and tapioca starch for the win. Best recipe for really nice, stretchy, stringy cheese. I also used marinated carrots for the pepperoni, a tried and true recipe. 

It was glorious. Probably some of the best vegan pizza I've ever had. If I can toot my own mother fucking horn. My mom even said it was good. She was "impressed" by my sick chef skills. I love cooking and I'm happy to have an oven again (not big on ovens in China).  I can't wait to make more stuff!

New York's Alright

Soooo, I always talked shit about New York City. I thought it was full. Of people and bullshit. Maybe because I came from a fuller city that lacked in diversity. I freakin loved New York this time around. I got used to China. Everyone staring at you because you're obviously not from there. I'm not the "good" kind of foreigner either haha. I loved the people watching. There are a million different cultures in NYC, including Chinese, which does have a place in my heart despite any shit talking. 

I was stoked to have like all of the vegan food as well. Champs in Brooklyn, holy fuck, I would build one in every city if I could. All people deserve that place. It could change the mf-ing world. 

I might even move there eventually. Or a least now I won't shit on it completely. I definitely will be back. 

Chic'n Parm From Champs Brooklyn

USA: Week one

I've been back in the States for seven days now.  I'm here in Baltimore with my mom.  She is showing her age a little more which has been a strange. It's hard to see your super hero get older. However, she's all there and is only fahionibly gray. I know I'll still be looking good four decades from now. 

I got out and walked around Fell's point a little. I saw some historical shit. It's pretty cool to think that Fredrick Douglas walked around this same dock. 

I love my mom and I'm having fun relaxing and exploring Baltimore, but for real, I'm ready to head to RVA and do some bad kid stuff with my friends. I have some bai jiu and I need some people to drink it with. Psyke! that shit is rough. 

Coming to America

I am currently in my office at my desk. I work in a Chinese public school as an oral English teacher. We are in our last week of oral exams. Next week I will leave the place that has been my home for the past ten months. I am excited. Let me count the ways. l’m actually going to do some traveling around my home country. I have been broke since I left home for university eight years ago.  Second, I can’t wait to get all of the mother fucking vegan junk food that the good ol’ USofA has to offer. I have plans and I have money and I don’t have to f-ing work.

I’m worried that I’ll hate it. I’m worried that I’ll love it. If I love it and don’t come back the PRC, I’ll lose money, I’ll be going back on a contract, a plane ticket and some random bullshit I’m leaving here. If I hate it, whatever, I’ve got a return ticket and I never have to go back. There was a point living here when all I wanted to do was go home. But, that passed. There isn’t anything for me there. Save for a space in my mom’s apartment or a job at costco. I see my friends and I don’t want their lives. I know facebook is bullshit, but I’m the kind to go. Not to stay.