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Weren't feeling particularly culinarily adventurous?

My cousin asking me to accompany him on one of his trips to visit his manufacturing facilities in China, and I'd love to visit - I'm a big fan of learning about anthropology, etc. - but I have a 4-year-old and a job, and can't really take off for 6 - 8 weeks at a time.

I never am...

I love trying new types of food - especially since most American food, even Americanized versions of "foreign" foods, are so bland and I so love stupidly spicy food.

Ex.: In college, I frequented an establishment that became a local chain, known as "Cluck U. Chicken." They specialized in buffalo wings, and at the time offered 5 levels - mild, atomic, nuclear, thermonuclear, and global thermonuclear holocaust. I was on the wall of fame for a time for the record in most global thermonuclear holocaust-flavor in 5 minutes; IIRC, it was a titch over three dozen.

And you probebly STILL take the tums to prove it

Less so, now, but I used to have an iron stomach.

By the way, I FINALLY broke down and got home internet service............so starting next week, you guys'll likely see me on a bit more on the weekends. Today I just got bored and walked up to an internet cafe.

wow, I didn't know you didn't have home internet...heck if it weren't for that I probably wouldn't be here!

Until recently, I didn't need it. But I've accepted a volunteer position with Narcotics Anonymous that requires me to do some stuff from home with people from the outer islands.

Recently there has been a lot of concern over my education, as we are nearing the stage where i will be taking my GCSE's this year. And so, some.....less than good things about my school, Bridgemary, are coming out.

Put it this way. Bridgemary has basically NO money left. As i understand it, the Government gives the schools funding based on their GCSE pass results. We had the best passes ever last academic year, but they are still well below the average of the nation. So the school gets alot less money. Here's my problem. My maths teacher is off with a relatively serious spinal disability (one of his spinal columns is disintegrating at an alarming rate). Now i am doing my Core subject GCSE's early, including maths. I'm doing my course right now. And yet...i have no teacher. So i am working on revision from a text book. Thats not learning anything, or even helping, because its not GCSE grade work. its level 5 work, where as i should be doing level 7/8 work (KS3 level system). The problem being, we have NO more maths teachers to spare. And NO maths cover teachers. We have none. So i am having my entire maths education blown because Mr. Armstrong isnt in. The other issue with Bridgemary is that the staff teaching isnt that good anyway. the level isnt that poor. Now when i was told that i had got bridgemary as my school, Dad was livid. Not happy AT ALL. Mum said to just let it work out. For 2 years, Bridgemary worked. Now it isnt.

So the alternative? There is only one school in the area that is better. Crofton. The problem? Crofton is relatively filled, so its gonna be hard to get me in. I'm hoping that my grades (well above national average for my age) are going to "sell me" so to speak. All i know is that Bridgemary is stifling my education at the time i need it most, and i need a change. fast.

Good luck with that.

As for me, I've just spent the past ten minutes Christmas-ing up my avatar.

Ehehehe I ned to do that actually...although there is alot more humour in a christmas tank

I suppose Deeps happy his Avatar is now in the correct season.

He'll probably get rid of it now that it's December.

Ahh....but thats what we expect him to do

I just took my saved Christmas avatar from last Christmas and put it back in. It's a benefit of having never changed my avatar.