1/2 way done!!

So the halfway point for my time in China is approaching, and I can't say that it's passed by quickly; it's definitely passed by in it's own timing.  There have been some ups and downs, but I think I'm where I want to be in the grand scheme of things :)

My co-workers Song Fan and Xuefeng Li (L to R)

I've been working on a paper with one of the graduate students in the office, and it is pretty near completion.  Hopefully we'll be submitting it soon for publication--fingers crossed!  I'm also starting to work on a project of my own which is nice for a change.  The dataset is from a cohort study on a population of intravenous drug users (IDUs), and I'll be looking at risk factors that are associated with the prevalence rates of HBV and HCV (Hepatitis B and C).  

I was also able to visit a site for a different project, and participate in it for a day which was very exciting!  This was part of an HPV study in a men who have sex with men (MSM) population in Beijing.  Going back to a hospital environment was strangely familiar and comforting :)  And lastly, English Corner has now turned into a time when the grad students can present their research to me via powerpoint.  It's actually quite efficient this way; they get to practice presenting their papers, and meanwhile, I get to learn about what they're working on. 

Snowboarding is also picking up--I've got 75% of an "S" down, and I've learned that I'm "goofy" which just means I go down the mountain on my right side while most people go down on their left.  I've finally got the heel to toe edge change, but the "back to heel edge" so far brings me to a complete stop or a wipeout/"stacking" as my Aussie friends call it.  (For more interesting snowboarding lingo.) The first few times they said it, I was like, "No, it was nothing like that"  I mean I thought that meant a pileup--wouldn't you?  Anyway, I'd attach a video for you guys, but I'll spare myself the embarrassment since the only video I have so far is the one from two weekends ago with my friend narrating in the background, "There's Esther.  This is real-time--not in slow-motion."  But don't you worry!  I promise, there will be a video of me completing an "S" once I get there.  I don't even care if you want to see it or not because I'll be way too proud of myself to care.  ;)

What else has been going on?  There was a Christmas Banquet two weekends ago which was a lot of fun.  It was a formal event held at the Mariott and was a bit pricey, but there was lots of yummy Western food, so I can't complain :)  (I'm glad I brought some dresses to China!)  Our table of friends were from Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Taiwan, and the US. 

E-Shyh, Kristen, and I

Our table: Ernest, Joy, E-Shyh, Kristen, me, Luci, Isaac, Dan, King, Pat, Thom

Liting and Wangxia (two of my co-workers), Sarah, Adam, Allison

 Oh, and last Friday, Ben Wang (the Doris Duke scholar here) finally took his USMLE Step 2, so we threw him a party right after he took that 8 (or was it 9?) hour grueling test!  Congratulations Ben!  The party was full of burgers, fries, kebabs, you name it!  It was also a mix of locals and expats which just made our go-to game of "Time's Up" that much more entertaining!  (This is a game that involves 3 rounds with the same cards.  There are two teams who play against each other.  The first round is like "Catchphrase" or "Taboo" without the list of words you can't say.  In the second round, you can only use one word + gestures to get your teammates to guess what your card says.  In the third round, you can only use gestures.  The words on the card range from Britney Spears to Americo Vespucci.) 

There's Ben in the middle!

Well, I think that's a wrap for me.  I am off to Taiwan this Saturday for Christmas and the New Year!  I'll try to post once while I'm there, but no guarantees since gram and gramps don't have internet!  Happy holidays everyone!  

Mer Merr Merr Merry Christmas!  It's like a "Merry Christmas" window sign with a stutter!