Living takes place

I’ve moved into a big house, and I share it with a family (friends from China) that lives upstairs. There is the woman, Fern, Fern’s daughter, and then Fern’s mother. Three generations of women in one big house. Oh, and I cannot forget to mention Fern’s newborn – the baby was born on July 5, two days after I arrived. I witnessed the childbirth and spent my birthday in the hospital. What a most unorthodox first few days in Northern Virginia.

Most of the house is not used, and the parts that are used are used in ways I see as ridiculous and absurd. For example, there are empty showcases in the master bedrooms and throughout the house, an unused swimming pool in this July heat, and a bed made of doors on the living room floor that is slept on by Fern, Fern’s daughter, and Fern’s mother. The newborn’s crib is just beside this bed. I think they will move upstairs and all sleep in the upstairs Master bedroom when the baby is a few months old. And then there is me in the basement, for I am American and the only one in this house that speaks fluent English. I have set up the basement to my American liking. Another detail -- the milk spoils regularly in this house, I surmise, and the jugs are not rinsed out.

The newborn will grow up speaking just as I do, but the woman’s daughter, Shae, only moved here last August. She will be in 2^nd grade when the new school year beings. The grandmother may know nothing beyond “hello”, of that I am almost certain. "Sorry", "no", and "okay" are met with blank stares. I've never tested  her on hello, but I do like to give people credit. Fern speaks a bit of English, but not enough to let the lawnmowers know that they broke a pipe in the front yard and that the pipe must be replaced (I had to do that this morning). They were very happy with my ability to communicate this to the lawnmower. I didn’t see the exchange between me and the goggled man as much at all.

“Hey! Hey!” ::arms flailing, on the front yard, in PJs::

“Yes, miss?” ::fast paces toward me, donning a whistling weedwacker::

“Look at this pipe. The cap is missing and the pieces are shattered.”

“Oh, no problem. Let me cover it with an orange cone and then we will come back next Thursday and fix it.”

“Okay, thank you!”

::praise me, praise me, high five, good job::

Northern Virginia Impressions

New to the area and a new life with a new car and a new apartment. I love it here, and even though I am not much of an asset to society as of yet, I do have purpose. I also have menial wages but with room to grow and a newfound gusto that did not so much as exist in Bristol. I feel like I am on my own, and things are going to turn out okay.

I live in Great Falls, Virginia and with a very well-to-do family I'm friends with, but Great Falls is, in fact the wealthiest county in the state of Virginia. Not many people in Great Falls rent houses and the houses are owned by families in Northern Virginia who want to tuck themselves away from the urban madness that is Northern Virginia. I have not heard wonderful things about Northern Virginia, or the entire DC metropolitan area, for that matter. People come here for work and for the money, and after having lived abroad for many years, I have alas been spoiled by public transportation. As a whole, if you are coming back to the states from having lived abroad and want more of the same vibe that you had while abroad, I would not recommend Northern Virginia. For my wandering sentiment, I would choose remote countryside and teleworking or else going from neat city to neat city for year to year. But, if you are in need of a job and income, then Northern Virginia can be your place. Getting around and making friends is nearly impossible though.

我已经在北弗吉尼亚有了不长的时间，但是我已经觉得我生活进入了一个新的一段。 的确我是没有真正的工作但是我有点收入也有点有意义的是我在干。 我能工作，但是需要时间， 需要提高我自己的能力和修改一些东西。然后一切就会放松一些。 我已经感觉到比在我在Bristol 的时间好的超级多。 说实话，我比较开心。

Ich bin neue hier in Nord Virginia aber mit neues Auto und neues Wohnung. Ich liebe es heir, und obwohl ich habe keine wirkliche Arbeit, ich habe etwas zu tun und ein bisschen Einkommen. Ich fühle mich wohl und das ist viel besser as früher in Bristol. Alles werde okay sein.