thegreatromance

ESL-isms

Cheryl — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 12:29:11 +0000

I’ve decided to share some of the things that my students write in their journals. Some of them are really cute and funny. Those little rascals really make me smile sometimes. It’s amazing how insightful they can be when you figure out what they are trying to say. Sometimes I wish we could just communicate on the same level because I could understand them so much better. Then again, if we could communicate on the same level, I guess they wouldn’t need a teacher. These entries will be posted exactly as they are written. They won’t make much sense, but give them a break – they’re Chinese.

Question: Is it ever okay to steal? In what situation would be alright to steal from someone?

“Not really. If you steal other’s things, like money, diamond…, is not okay. If you steal other’s heart, I think that is okay, because it is good for each other, maybe. So, the things you steal is others, the things belong to others, not you, and the things is other hardworking to get, you cannot steal others fruits. Heart is not, you can steal it, but you can only steal one, you can not steal more, because if you steal more, it is a hurt to the heart formerly.”

Heartbreak

Cheryl — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 16:09:28 +0000

I’m sorry that I haven’t been blogging. To be very honest, a lot has happened in my life in the past year and a half, and I don’t even know where to begin.

I think I’m blogging tonight because I don’t know where else to go. It’s 11:30 PM in China, and I am supposed to get up and work tomorrow morning. If you are reading this, you are about to hear some very candid details about my life. For this, I apologize.

I don’t really understand what it is about a broken heart that makes it so hard to mend. I guess it’s not like I can really stick a band-aid on it and keep the wound clean. Let’s be real – when it’s a broken heart, the wound can almost never be clean. In fact, half the time you are just involuntarily rubbing salt on it. Arbitrary things can bring up equally arbitrary memories. I can’t believe how far fetched it gets sometimes. One minute, I’m walking down the street in the freezing cold, and the next I’m sitting there wondering how my train of thought lead me to that time when we sat on a park bench frantically licking melted ice cream under the hot, beating sun. For fuck’s sake, just get me off this damn nostalgia train.

I try to think about why I feel so heartbroken, but I wonder after a while if that’s counterproductive. Is it better to think about it and deal with it, or not think about it at all and hope that it goes away? Why am I even hurt? Emotions are so irrational. Sometimes you just get hung up over the things that aren’t good for you. I long knew that I deserved someone better. By better, I didn’t mean anyone taller, or smarter, or cuter.. or any of those quantifiable traits.. all I want is someone who loves me, and someone who makes me feel like I’m worth something. I’m just like every other girl. Instead, I was in a relationship for almost a year with someone who explicitly told me that he did not love me. It’s embarrassing and sad. Whether I keep that fact to myself or share it with the world is totally irrelevant, I feel like shit about it regardless. Why did I not end it? In fact, I even fought to stay together when we broke up. I honestly wish I could explain this to you, but I have enough difficulty explaining it to myself.

I know this is a real over-share of a pity party and at this point I must be sounding pretty pathetic. No, I’m not intoxicated or on any drugs. Quite frankly, I’m really disappointed in myself for not being the woman that I thought I was. I never thought that I would see myself like this again, let alone over a man who didn’t even have anything emotionally invested. I feel like I’ve been through worse, and I can’t believe that I didn’t learn anything from those experiences. Here am I again. I’m positive that I have compromised my integrity. I’ve just always had trouble letting go.

When I left him, I cried. And by left, I mean physically, not emotionally. Emotionally speaking, he was gone long before I ever got on that plane. I wonder sometimes if he was ever even there. The last time that I saw him, I already knew that he had changed. He wasn’t the same. I still tried all that I could to pretend. Fake it till you make it, right? Wrong. That just left me crying alone on long commutes so I wouldn’t have to face him with tears in my eyes. I didn’t want him to know. “Of course I’m fine.” Wrong again. I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t look at me anymore, or touch me the way that he used to. That was the part that hurt me the most. The whole time I just felt cheap. I really just wanted it to be the way it was, because I knew that I would probably never see him again after I left. Yet during those last weeks together, I came to realize that I was already looking at someone else, someone who didn’t want to me anymore.

If he’s moved on, why can’t I? Why am I stuck here?

I’ve been gone for two weeks now, but it still hurts.

ZEDONK!

Cheryl — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:17:49 +0000

OMG! I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these before! For some reason, this excites me a lot more than it should.

Photo taken from thestar.com AP Photo/Tom Reed

Yummy

Cheryl — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:27:59 +0000

The original is good:

But this.. this is just heaven:

Haha! Thanks Justin!

I think I just wet myself

Cheryl — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:33:13 +0000

Good grief. How did they manage to fit so many hotties into a film that actually seems meaningful? Don’t they know that Taylor Kitsch and Ryan Phillipe in combination could kill a girl?

You are truly delectable. Please be my valentine.

I don't mind that you cheated on Reese, honey. I will still take you.

Second Go

Cheryl — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:57:22 +0000

Everytime I watch this video, I think about how fun it must have been to make. Let’s be real – everyone dreams of rolling around in and splattering paint all over white walls at some point in their lives. The song’s not too bad either. I wonder how they made the video. Her lips match up with the words, but the motions look sped up. Maybe she lip synced to a slow version? One of the mysteries of life, I suppose!

Love The Way You Lie

Cheryl — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:11:16 +0000

I really like this video! I think the people involved did a great job. I’ve always been a big fan of Dominic Monaghan, but who would want “Cindy” when MEGAN FOX is waiting at home? Then again, he’s shacking up with Evangeline Lilly, so I guess he’s not doing too bad for himself .

Sadly Honestly, this is probably the best work that I have seen from Megan Fox.. looking sultry and pissed off seems to be her strong suit I have never seen her do much else. She does her best work when she doesn’t move or speak. I still laugh about her quote from Entertainment Weekly when they questioned her about her looks: “Well, I’m clearly not ugly.” No you AIN’T, Megan.. no you ain’t.

Things to pack

Cheryl — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:22:37 +0000

Thing to pack:

Loved ones
Miscellaneous stuff
Life
Resources

How do I fit all of that into one suitcase?

The Script – Breakeven

Cheryl — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:21:48 +0000

This is a song that I have been meaning to post for a while. Gosh, I love it! But it’s so depressing.

A Summer Update

Cheryl — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:00:10 +0000

Sorry, readers (however many of you there are left). I have been a bad, bad girl. I’m referring to my lack of blog updates, of course. This summer has been a little wild and busy, and the next year will be no better. If I haven’t mentioned it already – I will be teaching in China! After Joanna came back and told me horror stories about the public bathrooms there, I’m not feeling too excited. Just kidding, I’m pretty excited – and anxious.. can’t forget the anxiety. But on a more serious note, those public bathrooms sound pretty horrifying. I will definitely be updating regularly when I get there (as I feel that I will have nothing better to do, although I suppose I’ll be really busy with work!). I will also try to update now with some tidbits every so often. Btw, did you know that you can’t get on facebook in China?! That is some serious censorship that I am not looking forward too (plus, how will I get my daily fb fix?!?!?)

This is where I will be!

Nanjing: a.k.a. one of China’s three furnaces. Did I mention that I have an aversion to hot weather?