Hello from the land of computers, coffee and winter raiiinnnn

Hellloooo
What a fantastic idea!
I was just lamenting on how sad I was that I'm not coming home for Christmas this year, but THIS! This could possibly help me feel just a bit more connected. So thanks guys.
I've been living in Seattle for about a year and a half, and am super pumped that others are moving westernly.
I live in a cozy house with a friend from college in North Seattle.
I'm working as a program assistant/everyone's bitch at a cancer research center focusing on ovarian and breast cancer. And the coolest/sickest part of the job is I get to draw people's blood. Is it weird that I enjoy doing that so much? I dunno
I'm also learning how to be a reproductive health/HIV educator cause I think AIDS is lame, and that empowered birth control users will change the world!!! :)
This Christmas I'll be heading to Guinea, West Africa for a 3 week dance and drum camp. I'm going with 7 other dancers from Seattle, and will be taught how to shake some booty from some beautiful Guinean men (and women)
Apparently there is this amazing tailor who can make amazing clothes for anyone anywhere, so if any of you feel the need for a tailor made outfit for like $20 give me your measurements and I'll bring you home something.
I may try to make it home to the good ole G-Rap in the spring...
but I vote for a West Coast visit!
Hey Portland/Ty and Liz (I'm sorry I forgot where you guys ended up) people, wanna hang out sometime soon?
I'll be gone till January, but would be up for a trip down there or have a futon to share if you'd fancy a visit to Seattle!

Signing off

-Tricia

motivational posters

where are they now? - i feel like a famous G-RAP celebrity!

Hey all!!!


Fabulous idea...quite smashing, indeed!

And, actually, this is my first blog ;) Don't make fun of me if i suck at it.

I just finished eating a spectacular Thanksgiving potluck with my funky coworkers. I'm a bit hungover due to 6 dudes from Grand Rapidy arriving via automobile last night around 10pm. Abbe and I prepared a bunch of stellar Greek food for our T-Day feast last night as well...great greek smells, drinks, and smoke...an excellent time for sure. Those of you who were unable to make it this year, you will be missed and we will think of you during our wheel barrel (sp?) races later tonight.

Our animal family members are as witty and full of personality as ever - Dingo (frisbee master extraordinaire), Wicket (dog-like mischievous master with crazy extra thumbs), and Seasame/Little Black Kitten (secret kung-fu ninja, who likes a beating).

I love my job - I run the Organic and Natural Experience tour - free samples and education of some of the industry's leading organic and natural product companies. We run the tour from our small office in Minneap - I attend about 3 of the 22 events during the tour (we have a traveling tour manager that executes the other events).

www.OrganicandNaturalExperience.com

It is cold in Minnesota, but i do love this state. I am really excited to snowboard this season and hope to make it up to Duluth to check out Lutsen Mountain. I hear it is wicked.

Love you all!!!
Constance the Badger (thank bill byl/ty doornbos for that nickname)

ps: was my first blog okay?

Love You Long Time

First of all, let me just say that I think this is a most righteous idea. Of all the blog reading I do, it never occurred to me they could be used as a means to keep in touch and exchange stories. A mutli-authored blog among friends that have moved to different corners of the country/world? Genius. Straight up.

I already blog here, but mostly about Chinese language stuff and no one from back home reads it anyway.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you people.

While I'm at it I may as well say a little about what I've been up to lately.

I'm in Nanjing where I've been for a little over a year now. I've taught at a few different places over my time, including a small town where I taught babies, but I've been settled into teaching adults downtown at a center for about 9 months now and I love it. It hasn't alwasy been easy, but I do find myself fitting the role of teacher quite nicely and I enjoy it thoroughly. 

My Chinese is coming along very nicely but I have no intention to stopping now. Lately though, I've gotten to a point where I don't/can't improve by simply living here and for that reason I'll be getting a teacher and starting a few hours of 'formal' classes a week pretty soon. I'm looking forward to it. Level up. 

I've also been on the radio twice and in the local newspaper speaking Chinese which is pretty rad.

I'll probably move back to Shanghai sometime early next year where I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. There's more money to made there and in addition to students loans I need to pay off, I want to start saving more for travel. I'm thinking of riding a bike cross country and then going up into Tibet. (Sound a bit crazy? Yes, yes it is. It will, however, be a hell of a lot of fun.)

The only long-term ideas I have are for a possible masters in U.S.-China Relations, but I have no idea where or when I'd do that just yet. 

Anyway, that's all for now. I look forward to hearing from you guys on here!

Ty, Liz, Chris, Jay, Aaron and Kat made it out here this summer and it was a hell of a time. I've got more pictures from the trip on picasa here and Tyler does on flickr here. I can't wait to see any of you people out here again sometime. If anyone wants to make a trip to China, just say the word. I'll be waiting for you at the airport. : )

Q: What Proof Is This Drink?

A: Water Proof!!!!



ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Welcome to the G-Rap All Stars Blog!

To all of you who have been invited to this blog,

You better feel frickin' GD special. I, Megan Streng (Koeze) in conjunction with Daniel Vandermolen (Vogg) - my fellow Portlander have decided that enough is enough. The group that is so effectionately known as "The G-Rap All Stars" (Present company most indubidubly included) has for too long been subject to the facsist regimes known as facebook and myspace in order to keep in touch. Well, our time has come, and it is time to BLOG!

Our intention is to use this venue as an outlet to communicate most effectively with our good friends who started out in the "Good, Great, Grand?" world of West Michigan, and have since found home in a new city. From Detoit to Portland, many of us have moved on to bigger and better things. Oh yeah, those still in G-Rap can post as well:)

You have been given the invitation, now all you have to do is accept. Start posting the exciting and not-so exciting events going on in your lives. And please, send me email addresses that I do now have, so that this blog can include everyone who loves and hates Grand Rapids!