as content as manatees

i was sitting on my bed with my laptop (appropriately) on my lap, writing the essays for my study abroad application, when it occurred to me how nice it would be to sit in a coffee shop w/my laptop and just write, for a living. i think an ideal job would be working as a writer for a travel magazine or the travel section of the ny times. the coffee shop could be anywhere in the country or in the world, and it wouldn't have to be a coffee shop either--maybe it's on a beach or a balcony above winding cobblestone streets or a terrace overlooking sprawling vineyards. okay, so it's romanticized... but it sounds so good, doesn't it?

this morning, yj & i were sitting by the fountains in front of the art museum in forest park, talking. many people were in the park walking their dogs, so i asked her if she wanted a dog, or a cat, or a pet of some sort. she shook her head no to all furry pets and responded, "but i like manatees."

[she's from florida. maybe it's a florida thing.]

look how cute we'd be together if we were both manatees:

my host in shanghai has found me an apartment! she will send photos soon. ^-^

the bad news: i have confirmed that blogger (the hosting site for this blog) is blocked in china, so i will unfortunately need to switch hosting sites for the summer. what a bummer. any suggestions?

i'm listening to fergie's the dutchess album. it's quite good.

i must do finance homework now~one more class left tomorrow! sweet dreams.