I was at a birthday party last night where I met some really nice and inquisitive people for the first time. It was a neat experience and came away from it so refreshed. (side note, I want to be more inquisitive and ask questions in social situations, it's very nice to be asked questions because it feels like the person cares to get to know you.) If it wasn't for the fact that I had a baby to go home to feed, I would have stayed as late as it was socially acceptable. I came away chuckling that my life story once again has intrigued people... I may actually one day like to write it all down. I was peppered with questions as I left. Here's a sample of where the conversation went.

Because I have family in China, I often get the question of, "so when did you come to Canada?" The line that always rolls off my tongue is, "I was born in Canada but went to China when I was six years old and speant six years in China off and on." "Oh, that makes sense cuz you don't have an accent." But somehow I mentioned that I had lost all my command of English after we went to China when I was in grade three. My dad showed me a picture of a chicken and asked me how to say it in English and I said, "I don't know." Well, I didn't say, "I don't know" but I didn't have a clue. So off on a plane to Canada I went and I was dropped off at my relatives' house to live for the year. The story took a funny turn when it also seemed acceptable to mention that my extended family later told my husband that they were not notified of the arrangement for me to stay with them for that year. And somehow I ended up also talking about the illegal aspect of my second time back in Canada living with extended family: I was twelve years-old and under the care of a minor--my cousin who was taking only seventeen years-old--not to mention her parents had just been through divorce and her mom was travelling the globe most of the year. I was rattling off all these details while also trying to leave the party. I had a hard time leaving because it's a neat experience seeing people so interested in my life. And being able to tell these new found friends of mine with great humour experiences that were once difficult. It's a good feeling of healing to be able to laugh about the past. (side note, sometimes people are a bit uncomfortable with these details). What was most encouraging was hearing from people who I've never met saying, "wow, well, you seem perfectly adjusted!" Don't we all like to hear words affirming that we're not odd, that we're actually normal? It was a strange but affirming feeling. I felt like responding, "looks like I've done a good job hiding my extra eye behind my head." Or doing some sort of funny twitch just to thow things off. By then, Graham was waving his hands beckoning me to go since it was way past feed time for baby. It seemed a bit awkward running off leaving people hanging like that. Yet it was probably enough information for a first meeting. And the echo in my ear was Graham hollering, "it was nice to meet everyone!" It was indeed, we shall meet again.