Outta Here...

It's time to let everyone know that my plans to get out of Texas have been finalized. Most of you know that I have been working towards this for about two years, deciding what to do, and where to go.

As it turns out there is a good opportunity for me in Wuxi, China. Very flat and verdant, much like the Texas Gulf Coast. I think it's a pretty town, and an exciting place to be. I'll be working at the Wuxi South Ocean College in the School of International Cooperation. We serve about 400 students who are preparing to continue their studies in English-speaking countries and we have relationships with schools in the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK.

Of course you are naturally more concerned for little Rowan than you are for me, and that is totally understandable. He will stay right where he is, at his Mama Rita's house. He has a dog door which exits onto a large back yard. He digs holes, runs, and barks more than the neighbors would like. But, I'll tell you what, there are no squirrels in Rowan's area. I have been acclimating Rowan to his new home for over a year now and I have every confidence that he will be happy and continue to receive the level of care that you know I demand for him. This was never something I was willing to compromise on, and I assure you that if I hadn't been able to make adequate arrangements for Rowan, I wouldn't be leaving.

I am probably leaving someone off this email, I'm sorry for that. I will, however post to the blog and you may feel free to share this information should you find anyone who is interested.

Here's some photos of Wuxi I snagged off Google Images.



You can see that there's lots of water. Wuxi is on Lake Tai Hu which is gigantic. Lots to see there.
Buddha seems fairly popular. A temple on every corner...







The city is crossed by ancient canals, still in use. Very cool, I think.





You can see that it's a city of contrasts: New and old, Modern and traditional, a small village of five million!














I leave on Saturday. Wish me luck.

Not yet...

So, I went to the salon yesterday to get myself made even more beautiful. I know, I know, it's hard to imagine. Anyway, my manicurist was watching some sporting event on television. It was the one where men run across a field with an oblong shaped ball and pretty girls dance at half-time. And, for no other reason than to be nice, I asked whether or not her team was winning. "Not yet," she said. And I thought that was a wonderfully optimistic way to look at it. So, from now on, instead of viewing things in terms of winning and loosing, one way or the other, maybe we could look at in terms of not having happened yet. Has justice rolled down like water? Not yet. Do we have a church with no outcasts? Not yet. Is the game over? Not yet...