ok,ok, I know I've been slacking, but it isn't my fault. The Chinese government blocks Xanga and Youtube and all those American freethinking sites.

I guess I should start with first things first. China was great, I want to type more but I am on the library computer and the keyboard is extreamly loud to type on. I can practically see steam coming out of the neighbors ears. I went everywhere and got a new great uncle... actually I think he was drunk... I meat the leader of Jiangxu, I guess they don't get many foreigners there and wanted to meet me and celebrate. Umm... Tian and I hung out...well duh, I lived in her house. I tried cigerettes for the first time with Nancy. I don't think I like them. I bought a pack for home, just because I had to go to this blackmarket stuff and buy them, so I bought cigs off the blackmarket. Yeah, tons of other stuff too, I'll update when I can...

Went to Maine after I came back. Beena came too. But the weather was so crappy and horrible that we came back after four day. We're planning another trip with beena in August. So then Today I went to work and it was alright, its nice and sunny here so that makes me smile.

I am going to the beach with Beena and her family this friday. Then I might take a big road trip to Megans house for her birthday on Saturday and Sunday. Next friday the 17 is my birthday, I turn 17! wooo. Umm its gonna be me, alli, beena, steph and jess that are going to 6 flags. But everyone has a problem with alli, they all say she is so fake, but I already invited her 6 months ago, back when everyone liked her.

I am able to drive other people on the 27, so I'm pretty pumped!!!!

ohh and for my graduation present my grandparents are taking Beena and me to disney!!!

I'm at school right now. Trying to figure out my new flight. Yeah, my flight from Toronto to Shanghai got canceled. Now I don't know what to do, but we are trying to get another flight. Either the same one as Tian or one that leaves a day later and arrives a day later then Tian.

I don't know what to do, I'm really really sad. I could get a flight that would make me leave a day earlier and have a hotel in Toronto and leave that morning from Vancouver to Shanghai. Whatever, at least the girls get to sleep in a few hours later.

Internet at home still isnt working, hopefully I'll post something soon. Dylan is graduating this year. He is going to FU for college. So yeahhh.... I don't know what else.

I'm taking a break from studying, but instead of writing about my life, I want to write about someone else's.

So there is a lot of talk going around Xanga about same sex marriage and homosexuality. I just want to put my two-cents in.

I work at my mom's school sometimes and I see a lot of things happen there. It is a small school, less then 80 kids in all. I worked in the outer office, my mother is the principal there. There were two kids there, one boy and one girl and they were talking. The boy piped up and said, "I have two mothers."

The girl gasped and said, "That's so cool! Your so lucky!" She saw me looking at them. "I wished I had two moms."

The boy smiled so happily, it was like he did not care that he did not have a father. I walked into my moms office as she was shuffling through a bunch of special ed papers and reading through them at sonic speed and dropped off the mail that was just delivered. "Does the boy out there have homosexual mothers?" I asked her.

It looked like it pained her to stop what she was doing to lean backwards and glance at the kids out in the room. "Yup." She stated plainly as she went back to her reading. I began to exit to continue doing my shredding job. "Can you send him in? He got into a fight with another kid who was making fun of his parents." She said, not looking at me.

I nodded, but then turned around. "Don't you get a lot of pressure and back talk for having a kid with parents like that in this school?"

My mom looked up and sighed, I almost expected her to put on a pair of glasses and take them off just so she could glare at me. She shut the door and looked at me. "I do. A lot. But I'm not going to give in. I want this boy to have the same chance as everyone else. I would never do that to one boy just because he has different parents."

I nodded and looked at my feet feeling bad. My mom continued, "I am behind this boy one hundred percent, and the good thing is the teachers are behind me."

"Aren't you ever afraid?" I said.

"Why would I be? I have made my decision, and I shall stick with it. We may have parents and students who do not agree, but its life. The world is changing and we need to somehow stay up with it." My mom smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Remember when we made that joke that day when you were really young and did not understand?"

"Yeah." I muttered, I knew she was talking about when I was 7 and my dad and I went bicycling quite regularly. When he asked where I wanted to go I said, 'To the dykes.' Refereing to the dams that were made if ever there was a flood. My mom piped in, 'If that is the way you go, then we will support you no matter what.' I was confused and lost, not knowing the meaning of a dyke. But now I know, and it feels great to have parents behind me that support me whatever my choice is.

"Well, I meant that. And that boy out there needs support from someone. And I doesn't seem like having two mothers is hurting him." My mom took her hand off my shoulder and shoved the tests in a folder and threw it on her desk. "Now get back to work, those community service hours are just waiting for you."

She followed behind me as I exited and called for the boy. When he saw her a scared look came over his face. I knew that her evil eye was a killer. I started to shred and the girl fidgeted around until she came over to me.

"Do you have two moms?" She asked, obviously they continued the conversation once I left.

"No, I'm boring, I have a dad and a mom. The principal's my mom." I said, looking up at her as I shoved more paper into the machine.

The girl grew bored and went to sit back down just as a woman walked into the room. She came up to me. "Hi, I'm looking for my son, Jason*"

"Sorry, he's in with the principal now." I said, over the shredding noise. My mom came out and I waved to her and she smiled at me, and made a quick phone call over to another classroom. Then my mom beckoned Jason's mother into the office.

I sat there bored out of my mind as another boy entered the office and sat down in Jason's old seat. And shortly another woman came into the office and sat next to the boy. They talked in hushed tones and soon were silent staring at the blank white wall with some educational posters on it. Then Jason and his mother exited the office and my mom looked around the room and called, "Kyle* come on in, please." They stood up and the tension was so thick I thought I was going to be suffocated with it. The parents and kids passed each other as stiff as a board, Kyle's mother scoffed as Jason's mom's arm grazed lightly against hers. I could see in the reflection of the glass, Jason's mother's face's expression of hurt.

My mom and I have never talked about that day since.

((* Names have been changed.))