Day 223: I'm Currently Making a Pie

...or so my mother thinks, who is in the shower.

I am not particularly domestic, so I actually feel it's quite responsible of me to wait until she can supervise me.

I have just made myself yet another cup of tea. I am addicted to coffee despite my claims that "oh, I don't have an addictive personality!" which I'm sure are quite entertaining for Claire to remember when I'm bitchy about the lack of decent Nescafe in some random hotel in East Nowhere, Africa. However, my grandfather has just moved in with my parents to their New Hampshire retirement farm, and one of the many many adjustments abounding here is the switch to water disguised as coffee that is made at 1/4 the usual household (read: industrial) strength. Even though I have extremely low standards in the food department (my brother gives me the fruit he is about to throw away to munch on), even I have switched to a cup of English Breakfast.

But I digress. Becuase really the ability to make organic tea and to make it exactly how I like it is unbelievable to me. This type of luxury is a major perk of a household kitchen.

So I am sitting here (read: rushing around preparing pie-type things) thinking of how very many things are wonderful at home. There are many many many of them, and I am not only grateful becuase it is thanksgiving. I am grateful because home and the U.S. are truly wonderful places, though I like to leave them a lot.

And, becuase home is a wonderful place, it has fast wi-fi, allowing me to give you videos such as you have not seen in a long long time. These videos highlight two of the things that don't happen nearly as much at home: horrific horrible smog in Beijing, and getting lost. The latter still happens, but at least I can ask directions. Sort of.