Wait, I'm allowed to speak?
I'm in Beijing again. First day of training went great. Excited for what we are working on and who we are working with. Annoyed that china still blocks Facebook, now blockes google plus and free public wifi now requires a Chinese phone number. We are debating whether that is the government trying to record who is speaking so they can come by their home if they say the wrong thing. I want to meet Ai Weiwei and I have a longs it connection.
My train wreck alcoholic roommate will not be my roommate by the time I get back and that is a very, very good thing. Over the last two months he has burned every bridge with every other housemate and we all hate him at this point. He was even overheard saying that he is trying to get me to attack him so he can sue. Sue me for what I'd like to know, but whatever. It he wasn't so pathetically transparent it might have worked but I have been worked by much smarter people the same way and kept my cool so this is where I pat myself on the head. It amuses me how often people who fancy themselves victims are actually manipulative bullies. I Think being able to sit back and observe people is the greatest anger management tool ever.
In the same stream I have somehow been forced to room with the douche this trip. I flipped a little bit when I realized my predicament. Then I thought about why I get so angry having to interact with the douche. He tries to tear everyone down to build himself up, weak and strong alike. But he isn't powerful in any real way. Everyone just bites their tongues because frank has pointed out that he is a paying student and (sigh) a martial brother. So I have felt bound to eat the poo and hold my words. So I released myself from that duty. If the douche behaves as he normally does I will not hesitate to tell him he is a douche and why he is a douche and if he can't hear that I'll just turn up the volume by letting him know that no one, and I mean no one at the academy likes him. Basically I will start behaving as his older (martial)brother, which is what I am. The decision to take back my right to speak seems to be all I needed to do to get out from under the anger. He hasn't acted up yet but I'm not grinding my testy in anticipation now.
I'm feel kind of good about everything right now. Woot!
My train wreck alcoholic roommate will not be my roommate by the time I get back and that is a very, very good thing. Over the last two months he has burned every bridge with every other housemate and we all hate him at this point. He was even overheard saying that he is trying to get me to attack him so he can sue. Sue me for what I'd like to know, but whatever. It he wasn't so pathetically transparent it might have worked but I have been worked by much smarter people the same way and kept my cool so this is where I pat myself on the head. It amuses me how often people who fancy themselves victims are actually manipulative bullies. I Think being able to sit back and observe people is the greatest anger management tool ever.
In the same stream I have somehow been forced to room with the douche this trip. I flipped a little bit when I realized my predicament. Then I thought about why I get so angry having to interact with the douche. He tries to tear everyone down to build himself up, weak and strong alike. But he isn't powerful in any real way. Everyone just bites their tongues because frank has pointed out that he is a paying student and (sigh) a martial brother. So I have felt bound to eat the poo and hold my words. So I released myself from that duty. If the douche behaves as he normally does I will not hesitate to tell him he is a douche and why he is a douche and if he can't hear that I'll just turn up the volume by letting him know that no one, and I mean no one at the academy likes him. Basically I will start behaving as his older (martial)brother, which is what I am. The decision to take back my right to speak seems to be all I needed to do to get out from under the anger. He hasn't acted up yet but I'm not grinding my testy in anticipation now.
I'm feel kind of good about everything right now. Woot!