So, now that I have the look, I need the act to be totally convincing with my new found ethnic identity. I know, I know - I'm western, I know that I am, but I need to be MORE western to make it more convincing. There is no room for error here.
So let's see here....
Ahem, ahem -
"I said I wanted a double no whip, half caf, soy milk, mochalatta with 1 2/3 shots of mint!"
"Hey! Check out this running man!" (see "Evolution" of dance)
"What!? White rice? I'm sorry, I can't, I have to watch my carbs."
"...that thing on NASCAR?"
I dunno, just doesn't seem to fit very well. So, I guess I will just stay the same, the same old Korean-American me - unremarkable and unimpressive. I have a feeling the whole "white" look will just irritate me after awhile. Takes too long.
Anyhow, even with the improved skin color, we still had to work out what to do with the eyes....
Thanks, for all of you who commented and emailed me about the disappointing stance they decided to take. I appreciate it.
Anyhow, no more! As of now, I will be fully resuming my Twinkie lifestyle (y'know, yellow on the outside, yada yada yada). And my official stance on the whole issue is, um, well, "Sit and Spin!"
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Only Whites Need Apply
I must admit that I am a little upset as I write this. As you all know, or will know after this post, Matt and I have both really enjoyed our time here in Guyuan but will be moving to Beijing for the next term. I will miss all of my kids dearly and my time with them will always be important to me. I am already getting all choked up whenever I think about having to say goodbye to them. I am very close to some of my kids and I know what kind of impact I have had on them because they have had such a profound impact on me.However, being a good teacher (err, English cheerleader) or making a difference in the lives of the students isn't what it is all about for the schools. It's how you look. I look Asian. I'm proud of my ancestry and I generally like the way I look. I am not what they want.
At first, it was just a suspicion (a confirmed suspicion, but still a suspicion) that my appearance was not what they were hoping for and that was why Matt was always getting whisked away and introduced to people, getting shown off while I was kinda brushed aside. I gladly accepted my status as the "other foreign teacher". No name, not white. I can't say that I exactly minded getting less attention as I know that I would not have liked getting the attention that Matt received both inside and outside of the school walls. I know why he is teaching at the key middle school and why I am teaching at the Junior School. It is no mystery.
So, most recently, we got a little e-snippet about the school's preference for future volunteers (we can read your mail too, China):
"the most important thing is that because we live in a remote area and we are the first school to invite foreign teachers in Gu Yuan, the school leaders want the two teachers to be typical Westerners in appearance, which will give the local people an impressive and remarkable effect."
It is just different when you see it in writing. I don't know who should be more offended, Matt or myself. So, looks are the most important. It doesn't matter what we do in the classroom, yeh gotta be white, because we all know that IS what the typical Westerner looks like. I know the theory behind this, but what does the typical American look like? Is Matt more of an American because he is more fair? Am I less of one because I am a naturalized citizen? It's like saying all of the Chinese have the same stereotypical look - yellow skin, slanty eyes, straight, black hair, short and a little buck-toothed. But being here, well, there is no one way a Chinese person should look - and thank God for that. All of my kids are beautiful and different. Granted they don't have blonde hair and blue eyes, and generally all have dark hair and dark eyes, but, I really don't think that one could say that they all look the same.
One of the beautiful things about America (and yes, there are quite a few) is its diversity. Granted all things are not equal in the states, but there is a wonderful diversity of people. Is a black person a typical westerner/American? Someone like my cousins - half Mexican, half European? Is there such a thing as a typical American?
I dunno. I'm disappointed.
It brings back a memory of when I was a little girl. My dad works in advertising and he had me and my brother pose for a photoshoot depicting an American family going camping. Well, in my mind (and I don't know if this is exactly accurate, but this was just my impression) everything was good, parents, son, clothing, but not the little chinky looking girl coming out of the tent. Because American families aren't mixed like that - well, at least none that you would want in print media.
I have always felt accepted in my family and out, until an outside force brings it to my attention that I am different. It is the same here. The day to day stuff I know that I am different - in that I am a visitor here and can't speak the language, etc. I look similar, but that is just on the surface, I act and conduct myself very much like a Westerner because, duh, I am a westerner. I am not made to feel unwelcome or like a disappointment (no matter how surface) on the day to day. The kids make me feel loved for who I am, not for how I look. But then, it is only at the meet and greets, the public "face" stuff, and that email when it is brought to my attention that I am not exactly what they want. They want the stereotype. Not me.
Okay, I'm rambling on a little, I am just really disappointed. I do try to understand from the school's perspective that a white face is different and could give the school a higher status, but it just feels so, well, shallow. Racial profiling. That this characteristic + that characteristic = Something better.
This in no way will change my desire to stay in contact with the people who have made such a difference in my life here, but doesn't improve my stance on the administration. The kids. The kids are what's important, at least to me.
So, as one of the first foreign teachers at a middle school in Guyuan, who apparently does not have the "typical Western" appearance, I may not have been able to "give the local people an impressive and remarkable effect" on behalf of the school or boost the status of the school by my appearance, but I am fairly certain that I have been able to make an "impressive and remarkable effect" on the beautiful children I get to work with everyday which is remarkably more important to me than any shallow concerns the administration may have.
World Record? Uhhh...Go, Yeah!?
My college pal, Jerry just sent me this article about what has been goin' on at my Alma Mater. I guess, go Beloit, go? Right?
SAT., APR 8, 2006 - 9:09 PM
Beloit College students go for Ultimate Frisbee record
GENA KITNER gkittner@madison.com
BELOIT -- About 30 Beloit College students have played Ultimate Frisbee through rain, hail, cold and even a bit of sun since Thursday ? and they plan to continue until 7 tonight in an effort to break the world record for the longest continuous Ultimate Frisbee game.
"We've seen all four seasons," said Alex Tillett-Saks, a Beloit College junior and one of the event organizers.
But despite the conditions, "everyone' remaining in really good spirits," he said Saturday as the group entered its 42nd hour.
The current Guinness world record is 70 hours and 14 seconds and the students' plan is to make it to 72 straight hours of Ultimate Frisbee.
The object in Ultimate Frisbee is to score by catching a Frisbee pass in the opponent's end zone. A player must stop running while in possession of the disc but can pivot and pass to any of the other receivers on the field.
The players are divided into two teams and play in shifts, said Nick Wolf, a Beloit College junior who also helped organize the event. The teams have a detailed record of every point to verify the statistics for the record book, he said.
The students are playing at Karris Field, which because of the rain resembled more of a mud pit than a field. As of Saturday afternoon, the group had played about 25 games, some better than others.
"You can't really run in the mud," Tillett-Saks said.
Amy Buechler, a sophomore at Beloit College, said she had never played Ultimate Frisbee until this weekend.
Why get involved now?
"Glory," she said.
Buechler was on the field Saturday after playing for 13 straight hours Friday.
"It's fun when everybody's really tired," she said. Although she got a break to sleep, she said it's hard to relax.
"When you're falling asleep you're thinking about Frisbee."
According to the Ultimate Player's Association Web site, about 100,000 people play Ultimate Frisbee in the United States.
Gabe Stader-Brown, a Beloit College junior, is an experienced Ultimate Frisbee player who tries to get involved in any Frisbee event he can.
To prepare for the nonstop Frisbee action, he ate healthier and drank more water in the weeks leading up to the event. But nothing could prepare him for the rain, hail and freezing temperatures early on.
"It seems like the weather is out to get us," he said.
As part of the event, organizers hoped to raise money for the Merrill Community Center, a nonprofit agency in Beloit's inner city.
Although no money had been raised as of Saturday afternoon, organizers hope the event raises awareness for the community center.
"We think it's great," said Princess Snyder, program director at the Merrill Community Center. "I know that they think about us when they do community service."
SAT., APR 8, 2006 - 9:09 PM
Beloit College students go for Ultimate Frisbee record
GENA KITNER gkittner@madison.com
BELOIT -- About 30 Beloit College students have played Ultimate Frisbee through rain, hail, cold and even a bit of sun since Thursday ? and they plan to continue until 7 tonight in an effort to break the world record for the longest continuous Ultimate Frisbee game.
"We've seen all four seasons," said Alex Tillett-Saks, a Beloit College junior and one of the event organizers.
But despite the conditions, "everyone' remaining in really good spirits," he said Saturday as the group entered its 42nd hour.
The current Guinness world record is 70 hours and 14 seconds and the students' plan is to make it to 72 straight hours of Ultimate Frisbee.
The object in Ultimate Frisbee is to score by catching a Frisbee pass in the opponent's end zone. A player must stop running while in possession of the disc but can pivot and pass to any of the other receivers on the field.
The players are divided into two teams and play in shifts, said Nick Wolf, a Beloit College junior who also helped organize the event. The teams have a detailed record of every point to verify the statistics for the record book, he said.
The students are playing at Karris Field, which because of the rain resembled more of a mud pit than a field. As of Saturday afternoon, the group had played about 25 games, some better than others.
"You can't really run in the mud," Tillett-Saks said.
Amy Buechler, a sophomore at Beloit College, said she had never played Ultimate Frisbee until this weekend.
Why get involved now?
"Glory," she said.
Buechler was on the field Saturday after playing for 13 straight hours Friday.
"It's fun when everybody's really tired," she said. Although she got a break to sleep, she said it's hard to relax.
"When you're falling asleep you're thinking about Frisbee."
According to the Ultimate Player's Association Web site, about 100,000 people play Ultimate Frisbee in the United States.
Gabe Stader-Brown, a Beloit College junior, is an experienced Ultimate Frisbee player who tries to get involved in any Frisbee event he can.
To prepare for the nonstop Frisbee action, he ate healthier and drank more water in the weeks leading up to the event. But nothing could prepare him for the rain, hail and freezing temperatures early on.
"It seems like the weather is out to get us," he said.
As part of the event, organizers hoped to raise money for the Merrill Community Center, a nonprofit agency in Beloit's inner city.
Although no money had been raised as of Saturday afternoon, organizers hope the event raises awareness for the community center.
"We think it's great," said Princess Snyder, program director at the Merrill Community Center. "I know that they think about us when they do community service."
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Judson Laipply is dancing - The Evolution of Dance
If a man dancing around in blue jeans and an Orange Crush t-shirt doesn't do it fer ya, well, there is no hope for you.
If the above doesn't work, please click here: Judson Laipply is dancing
Seriously funny and non-political for those loyal "W" fans.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Spanky, Spanky
I just had to post this brand new hall game!
The game:
STEP 1: A pair of boys link arms
STEP 2: They start to run around in a circle.
STEP 3: While they spin, they madly try to spank each other.
STEP 4: Hilarity!
I gotta bring my camera more often to catch these gems.
Classes were good today. I broke up a nasty little fight in the hall - one kid got a bloody nose from a big wallop to the face. Had to put them both in timeout for the rest of the morning break.
What else...Oh, we were talking about different kinds of meat and what animal it comes from. I asked, "What other meat do you like to eat?" Someone (I'll let you guess who) yelled out, "Horse tiger! Horse Tiger!" I looked at him and asked "you want to eat Ma Hu?" - who is a boy in the class (Ma(3)= Horse Hu(3)= Tiger). Everyone started laughing and pointing at Horse Tiger and called out "Just So-So, Just So-So". The class decided to name Ma Hu "Just So-So" because he doesn't like to study, so in school he only does "just so-so".
Boy oh boy! I will miss these kids so much when we leave!
The game:
STEP 1: A pair of boys link arms
STEP 2: They start to run around in a circle.
STEP 3: While they spin, they madly try to spank each other.
STEP 4: Hilarity!
I gotta bring my camera more often to catch these gems.
Classes were good today. I broke up a nasty little fight in the hall - one kid got a bloody nose from a big wallop to the face. Had to put them both in timeout for the rest of the morning break.
What else...Oh, we were talking about different kinds of meat and what animal it comes from. I asked, "What other meat do you like to eat?" Someone (I'll let you guess who) yelled out, "Horse tiger! Horse Tiger!" I looked at him and asked "you want to eat Ma Hu?" - who is a boy in the class (Ma(3)= Horse Hu(3)= Tiger). Everyone started laughing and pointing at Horse Tiger and called out "Just So-So, Just So-So". The class decided to name Ma Hu "Just So-So" because he doesn't like to study, so in school he only does "just so-so".
Boy oh boy! I will miss these kids so much when we leave!
Monday, May 15, 2006
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Why hammer when it's daylight when you can do it at 12:23 AM?
*Sigh*
For all of you who were concerned about my aches and pains, I'm all good now. Yes, in Zhongwei while listening to Gasman next door, I was stretching my stiff legs and CRRRRACK! When the pain subsided, and I regained consciousness (just kidding, I think...) I had full, pain-free use of my knee.
The saddle sore problem? Well, that worked itself out too (stinkin' metal saddle). I just couldn't sit real well for a few days.
Lip? Deflated.
All of my aches and pains did seem to amuse my children though, especially my bloated lip. Ah yes - nothing like laughing at other people. Stinkin' kinds :-)
Anyhow, went out with our awesome Waiban yesterday. She took us to a good restaurant and new American chocolate shop. So, Candinas (great shop in Verona, WI) it is not, but good to try. The chocolate mice were delightful. Also, we had some more "coincidental" conversations. Oh China PSB, you sly dogs, you!
Hammering done. Me bed.
*Sigh*
For all of you who were concerned about my aches and pains, I'm all good now. Yes, in Zhongwei while listening to Gasman next door, I was stretching my stiff legs and CRRRRACK! When the pain subsided, and I regained consciousness (just kidding, I think...) I had full, pain-free use of my knee.
The saddle sore problem? Well, that worked itself out too (stinkin' metal saddle). I just couldn't sit real well for a few days.
Lip? Deflated.
All of my aches and pains did seem to amuse my children though, especially my bloated lip. Ah yes - nothing like laughing at other people. Stinkin' kinds :-)
Anyhow, went out with our awesome Waiban yesterday. She took us to a good restaurant and new American chocolate shop. So, Candinas (great shop in Verona, WI) it is not, but good to try. The chocolate mice were delightful. Also, we had some more "coincidental" conversations. Oh China PSB, you sly dogs, you!
Hammering done. Me bed.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Multi-Tasking
Hello again! I am 2 classes away from ending my week. Today my morning classes went a lot better than classes yesterday. The most complicated thing today will be assigning roles for the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet.
Anyhow, I was thinking about going back to the 8 AM - 5 PM world last night and my diminishing work ethic. Man, I never, ever thought that I would be complaining about working 10 1/2 hours a week and how my re-adjustment period will be a bigger shock than any culture shock I may have experienced in China.
When I got back from Indonesia it was strange to come back after only a short amount of time - everyone spoke so fast, I could drink the water from the faucet and, well, toilet paper! I just wonder what it will be like now. I mean, going to Beijing will help ease me back into a faster pace, but, well, my English is bad! I don't really use contractions when speaking anymore and I find myself speaking in the wrong tense a lot of the time because the majority of my kids have not learned anything about past or future yet.
Man, I am going to be annoying when I get back! Can you imagine me at an interview speaking China slow, over explaining everything, not using any contractions, using the simplest English possible and only using the present tense? God, I'm annoying myself just thinking about it.
But not all work skills have been lost. I was quite capable at multi-tasking in my working career. That, I can still do. I can explain lyrics to an English song, while proof reading a paper, while telling a kid not to steal my coffee, while holding paper things my kids made for me in a way so they know I treasure them, while giving a certain look to a group so they know that I am watching what they are doing, while using the blackboard to write/draw English definitions to Chinese words, while acknowledging every "teacher, me" I hear and giving adequate praise/expression/whatever, while breaking up the occasional fight, while eating the cookie that is being shoved in my face. So, not quite the same as working on several computer documents, answering the ever ringing phone, chipping away at all of the paperwork on my desk, reviewing slides, running into that meeting on time, researching whatever and arranging a last minute lunch/dinner. But close, right?
I guess there is some hope for me when I get back to the States.
Boo-ya.
Anyhow, I was thinking about going back to the 8 AM - 5 PM world last night and my diminishing work ethic. Man, I never, ever thought that I would be complaining about working 10 1/2 hours a week and how my re-adjustment period will be a bigger shock than any culture shock I may have experienced in China.
When I got back from Indonesia it was strange to come back after only a short amount of time - everyone spoke so fast, I could drink the water from the faucet and, well, toilet paper! I just wonder what it will be like now. I mean, going to Beijing will help ease me back into a faster pace, but, well, my English is bad! I don't really use contractions when speaking anymore and I find myself speaking in the wrong tense a lot of the time because the majority of my kids have not learned anything about past or future yet.
Man, I am going to be annoying when I get back! Can you imagine me at an interview speaking China slow, over explaining everything, not using any contractions, using the simplest English possible and only using the present tense? God, I'm annoying myself just thinking about it.
But not all work skills have been lost. I was quite capable at multi-tasking in my working career. That, I can still do. I can explain lyrics to an English song, while proof reading a paper, while telling a kid not to steal my coffee, while holding paper things my kids made for me in a way so they know I treasure them, while giving a certain look to a group so they know that I am watching what they are doing, while using the blackboard to write/draw English definitions to Chinese words, while acknowledging every "teacher, me" I hear and giving adequate praise/expression/whatever, while breaking up the occasional fight, while eating the cookie that is being shoved in my face. So, not quite the same as working on several computer documents, answering the ever ringing phone, chipping away at all of the paperwork on my desk, reviewing slides, running into that meeting on time, researching whatever and arranging a last minute lunch/dinner. But close, right?
I guess there is some hope for me when I get back to the States.
Boo-ya.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
The Weary Teacher
wea·ry [weeree]
adj (comparative wea·ri·er, superlative wea·ri·est)
1. tired: tired, especially in having run out of strength, patience, or endurance
2. tiring: tiring or exhausting
3. showing tiredness: showing or characterized by tiredness
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
So, this is my first week back teaching and I am exhausted! All in all I have worked a whopping 7.5 hours this week and have another 3 whole hours tomorrow. God help me when I get back to the real world. I just haven't been in the teachin' spirit this week. It has been good to see the chillins again, but both parties' heads are just not into school.
I think that I am just really disappointed with my class 1. They have always been one of my favorite classes to teach. The kids are great and fun, but today, I just had it. Done. I could only get about 9 kids out of 60 to focus on class and willingly participate (of course it doesn't help that before my class they have gym and free time and my class is the last class of the day). Yes, only my reliable 8 boys who always want to talk were going to concentrate on class today (mostly I think they felt bad that everyone else wasn't). The rest of them, let's see...I confiscated: 4 cartoon books, 2 math notebooks, 1 guitar music book, 1 MP3 player, 7 paper airplanes, and 1 paper boat floating in the mop bucket which was in and of itself distracting about 9 people. Also, I had to relocate 5 people who were just too distracting to each other to be near, sent 2 out into the hall (only 2 - I wanted to send about 50 out there) and broke up a fight. Done. Tired. My good 8 were really concerned about class afterward and caught up with me to apologize when I briskly left at the bell.
But, it's not just that class, it's more of an overall disappointment that includes all of my classes, this class was just the straw. I know that my class is not serious, hell, my grades don't even count and I don't think that they ever see how I mark them. So, actual class performance means absolutely jack shit. The ones who never say anything and do math every class period get the same mark as the ones who participate at every opportunity. Really, there is no incentive to participate in my class.
I don't have any great delusions about being able to teach them great things about English - I know what my class is and isn't and I know what my role here is (English Cheerleader) and I accept that gladly, but when I can't even get a class to shut the hell up for 10 seconds or to at least be quiet while I am talking, well...I'm done.
I know it will get better, eventually. Just incredibly frustrated and tired. At least on the way home today I ran into little Sam and he was really happy to see me and ran off to get the rest of the posse to walk home together. They all looked at me at once and said, concerned, "Are you sad, Teacher?" I almost started to cry that they were able to look at me feigning happiness and just seemed to know what I was feeling and they cared about how I was feeling. I told them that I had a difficult day, and that some classes did not go very well, but was much happier now that I was walking home with them. They all smiled, Sam did a little dance, and my sweet little Jack spoke up and said to me, "Teacher, you make all of us feel very, very, very happy everyday we see you. Now, smile." Of course, I already was.
adj (comparative wea·ri·er, superlative wea·ri·est)
1. tired: tired, especially in having run out of strength, patience, or endurance
2. tiring: tiring or exhausting
3. showing tiredness: showing or characterized by tiredness
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
So, this is my first week back teaching and I am exhausted! All in all I have worked a whopping 7.5 hours this week and have another 3 whole hours tomorrow. God help me when I get back to the real world. I just haven't been in the teachin' spirit this week. It has been good to see the chillins again, but both parties' heads are just not into school.
I think that I am just really disappointed with my class 1. They have always been one of my favorite classes to teach. The kids are great and fun, but today, I just had it. Done. I could only get about 9 kids out of 60 to focus on class and willingly participate (of course it doesn't help that before my class they have gym and free time and my class is the last class of the day). Yes, only my reliable 8 boys who always want to talk were going to concentrate on class today (mostly I think they felt bad that everyone else wasn't). The rest of them, let's see...I confiscated: 4 cartoon books, 2 math notebooks, 1 guitar music book, 1 MP3 player, 7 paper airplanes, and 1 paper boat floating in the mop bucket which was in and of itself distracting about 9 people. Also, I had to relocate 5 people who were just too distracting to each other to be near, sent 2 out into the hall (only 2 - I wanted to send about 50 out there) and broke up a fight. Done. Tired. My good 8 were really concerned about class afterward and caught up with me to apologize when I briskly left at the bell.
But, it's not just that class, it's more of an overall disappointment that includes all of my classes, this class was just the straw. I know that my class is not serious, hell, my grades don't even count and I don't think that they ever see how I mark them. So, actual class performance means absolutely jack shit. The ones who never say anything and do math every class period get the same mark as the ones who participate at every opportunity. Really, there is no incentive to participate in my class.
I don't have any great delusions about being able to teach them great things about English - I know what my class is and isn't and I know what my role here is (English Cheerleader) and I accept that gladly, but when I can't even get a class to shut the hell up for 10 seconds or to at least be quiet while I am talking, well...I'm done.
I know it will get better, eventually. Just incredibly frustrated and tired. At least on the way home today I ran into little Sam and he was really happy to see me and ran off to get the rest of the posse to walk home together. They all looked at me at once and said, concerned, "Are you sad, Teacher?" I almost started to cry that they were able to look at me feigning happiness and just seemed to know what I was feeling and they cared about how I was feeling. I told them that I had a difficult day, and that some classes did not go very well, but was much happier now that I was walking home with them. They all smiled, Sam did a little dance, and my sweet little Jack spoke up and said to me, "Teacher, you make all of us feel very, very, very happy everyday we see you. Now, smile." Of course, I already was.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
The Best 24 Minutes on C-SPAN
Hey -
Check out Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert at The White House Correspondents Dinner. Pure gold!
If this doesn't work for you (or loads too slowly) go to: http://www.c-span.org/, scroll down to the "Video/Audio" section and click on "Comedian Stephen Colbert at White House Correspondents' Dinner (4/29/2006)"
Here's a few gems from his speech:
On Iraq: "I believe the government that governs best is the government that governs least. And by these standards, we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq."
On Cheney's hunting incident: "To sit here at the same table with my hero, George W. Bush...I feel like I'm dreaming. Somebody pinch me. You now what, I'm a pretty sound sleeper, that may not be enough...Somebody shoot me in the face."
On the press response to the White House shake-up and the metaphor of "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic": "This administration is soaring, not sinking...If anything, they are re-arranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg."
On Bush's response to disasters: "I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers, and rubble, and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message, that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world."
On Bush's response to global warming: "[Talking to Jesse Jackson] is like boxing a glacier...Enjoy that metaphor, by the way, because your grandchildren will have no idea what a glacier is."
Check it out!
Check out Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert at The White House Correspondents Dinner. Pure gold!
If this doesn't work for you (or loads too slowly) go to: http://www.c-span.org/, scroll down to the "Video/Audio" section and click on "Comedian Stephen Colbert at White House Correspondents' Dinner (4/29/2006)"
Here's a few gems from his speech:
On Iraq: "I believe the government that governs best is the government that governs least. And by these standards, we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq."
On Cheney's hunting incident: "To sit here at the same table with my hero, George W. Bush...I feel like I'm dreaming. Somebody pinch me. You now what, I'm a pretty sound sleeper, that may not be enough...Somebody shoot me in the face."
On the press response to the White House shake-up and the metaphor of "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic": "This administration is soaring, not sinking...If anything, they are re-arranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg."
On Bush's response to disasters: "I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers, and rubble, and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message, that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world."
On Bush's response to global warming: "[Talking to Jesse Jackson] is like boxing a glacier...Enjoy that metaphor, by the way, because your grandchildren will have no idea what a glacier is."
Check it out!
Friday, May 05, 2006
Guyuan Guanxi
That 10 bucks burning a hole in your pocket? Wanna spend it in China?
Matt and I are starting up a little pet project called "Guyuan Guanxi". We want to find a small way to give back to the student community that we have grown to love. So yes, I am fishing for donations. No formal appeals, no asks for great dollar amounts, no pictures or videos on me by a garbage filled ravine ala Sally Struthers, no tax deductions (at least not yet), just that warm fuzzy feeling you get from helping out. In this case helping out a kid who is working very hard to have a future out of this poverty stricken area.
The first project is called "Home for the Holidays". Many of the kids that we teach come from poor families who are making significant sacrifices in order for their children to have a chance at getting an education in the hopes of going to a university and, hopefully, making a better life for themselves. To accomplish this, middle school students are usually boarded at the school and are in school from approximately 7:30 AM to Noon, 2:20 PM to 5:40 PM and 7 PM to 10 PM, six days a week. With additional classes on Sunday nights.
During the holidays, some students cannot afford to see their families because all of their money are going towards education. In Ningxia, you can take the bus from one end of the province to the other for no more than 70 or 80 kuai (about $9 or $10 USD) Most of our students need considerably less for a one-way ticket.
We will be working to set up a students' fund for travel where interested students may compete for travel by submitting English essays explaining why they should receive funds to go home. This is just in the beginning stages of development, so we cannot yet tell you when or how the funds will be disbursed. First, we are trying to raise a fund to disburse so we know how many students we can help. If you are interested in donating some money to this effort, please simply click this link to Matt's webpage: http://www.freewebs.com/forty4two2/guyuanguanxi.htm and you can make a donation via Paypal. Or, if you have questions or concerns, you can contact us at: guyuanguanxi@gmail.com. A website is under construction at: http://www.freewebs.com/guyuanguanxi/index.htm please excuse our dust. We will be adding to and editing this site a lot over the next year.
So, in closing, last term we had our students write about where they would go if they could go anywhere in the world. Both Matt and I got quite a few responses like the one below and were quite touched by how open they were, sharing their feelings with us when answering a simple question for their semester final.
"If I could go anywhere in the world, I would like to go to my hometown. It is very poor and some people do not think it is very pretty, but the water is very clean and I think the mountains are very beautiful. I would like to see my mother and father and brother. I have not seen them for two years and I miss them very much." Writing Assignment Excerpt From a Guyuan Yi Zhong Senior 1 Student
Matt and I are starting up a little pet project called "Guyuan Guanxi". We want to find a small way to give back to the student community that we have grown to love. So yes, I am fishing for donations. No formal appeals, no asks for great dollar amounts, no pictures or videos on me by a garbage filled ravine ala Sally Struthers, no tax deductions (at least not yet), just that warm fuzzy feeling you get from helping out. In this case helping out a kid who is working very hard to have a future out of this poverty stricken area.
The first project is called "Home for the Holidays". Many of the kids that we teach come from poor families who are making significant sacrifices in order for their children to have a chance at getting an education in the hopes of going to a university and, hopefully, making a better life for themselves. To accomplish this, middle school students are usually boarded at the school and are in school from approximately 7:30 AM to Noon, 2:20 PM to 5:40 PM and 7 PM to 10 PM, six days a week. With additional classes on Sunday nights.
During the holidays, some students cannot afford to see their families because all of their money are going towards education. In Ningxia, you can take the bus from one end of the province to the other for no more than 70 or 80 kuai (about $9 or $10 USD) Most of our students need considerably less for a one-way ticket.
We will be working to set up a students' fund for travel where interested students may compete for travel by submitting English essays explaining why they should receive funds to go home. This is just in the beginning stages of development, so we cannot yet tell you when or how the funds will be disbursed. First, we are trying to raise a fund to disburse so we know how many students we can help. If you are interested in donating some money to this effort, please simply click this link to Matt's webpage: http://www.freewebs.com/forty4two2/guyuanguanxi.htm and you can make a donation via Paypal. Or, if you have questions or concerns, you can contact us at: guyuanguanxi@gmail.com. A website is under construction at: http://www.freewebs.com/guyuanguanxi/index.htm please excuse our dust. We will be adding to and editing this site a lot over the next year.
So, in closing, last term we had our students write about where they would go if they could go anywhere in the world. Both Matt and I got quite a few responses like the one below and were quite touched by how open they were, sharing their feelings with us when answering a simple question for their semester final.
"If I could go anywhere in the world, I would like to go to my hometown. It is very poor and some people do not think it is very pretty, but the water is very clean and I think the mountains are very beautiful. I would like to see my mother and father and brother. I have not seen them for two years and I miss them very much." Writing Assignment Excerpt From a Guyuan Yi Zhong Senior 1 Student
Our Very Last Trip to Yinchuan, I Swear!
Well, at least for this year.
After our Sha Hu stop over (see previous post), we wanted to take refuge in the lovely Yinchuan. Such a great city!
We got in before noon and checked in to the good ol' Gulou Hotel. Then we head down to Napoli's for the pizza buffet. I don't think that the restaurant was ready for the crowds. It was around 11 AM and they were out of everything! The soda machine wasn't working and the pizza was not coming out fast enough. So, we were a little disappointed with our lunch.
Since this is our last time here, we think that we should try to see some more of the sights just outside of the city. We hire a cab to take us out there First stop, Zhenbeibu - Zhang Yimou's set for the movie, "Red Sorghum". It was cheesy, but a lot of fun. We have some good pictures of us goofing off on the set, which I hope to get loaded up onto my flickr site soon (see sidebar - Unsinkable Photos). Our cab driver was awesome! We worked out a deal with him so we could make sure to get home (the studio was farther out of the city than we had expected). After, we met him out by one of the exit gates and we asked him to take us out to see the Baisikou Shuang Ta - a pair of pagodas. They were cool! He stopped alongside the road so we could get some good pictures and grab a couple of Helan Shan rocks. Then we went up to the pagodas and looked around the area. One of the reasons we wanted to see these pagodas was because our PD, Michelle, went here and was told by a couple of local men that they had spotted a UFO hovering in the sky between the two structures. No aliens today, well, besides Matt and me.
I do have to say, that we have always been very happy with the sites we have seen in Ningxia. Not so much with the resorts, but the sites have been really worth seeing. Not a lot of the regular tourist stuff, souvenirs, concession stands, women chasing you around the park with postcards. Just the site. Not a lot of alteration, some signage, at times in English. Peaceful. You can just take it all in and enjoy it.
After, back to the hotel, we went out for dinner at the new International Hotel - Mr. David's Restaurant, very pleasing western menu and excellent pizza (tomato sauce and all). Then, DVD shopping and back to the room to be lulled to sleep and woken up to the sound of people yelling, screaming and singing in the hall.
The next day was all about cheese. The new underground grocery store there carries processed cheese singles. Then, a KFC mashed potato and gravy lunch, more DVD shopping and back home.
Ahhhh...Yinchuan! What a great escape!
After our Sha Hu stop over (see previous post), we wanted to take refuge in the lovely Yinchuan. Such a great city!
We got in before noon and checked in to the good ol' Gulou Hotel. Then we head down to Napoli's for the pizza buffet. I don't think that the restaurant was ready for the crowds. It was around 11 AM and they were out of everything! The soda machine wasn't working and the pizza was not coming out fast enough. So, we were a little disappointed with our lunch.
Since this is our last time here, we think that we should try to see some more of the sights just outside of the city. We hire a cab to take us out there First stop, Zhenbeibu - Zhang Yimou's set for the movie, "Red Sorghum". It was cheesy, but a lot of fun. We have some good pictures of us goofing off on the set, which I hope to get loaded up onto my flickr site soon (see sidebar - Unsinkable Photos). Our cab driver was awesome! We worked out a deal with him so we could make sure to get home (the studio was farther out of the city than we had expected). After, we met him out by one of the exit gates and we asked him to take us out to see the Baisikou Shuang Ta - a pair of pagodas. They were cool! He stopped alongside the road so we could get some good pictures and grab a couple of Helan Shan rocks. Then we went up to the pagodas and looked around the area. One of the reasons we wanted to see these pagodas was because our PD, Michelle, went here and was told by a couple of local men that they had spotted a UFO hovering in the sky between the two structures. No aliens today, well, besides Matt and me.
I do have to say, that we have always been very happy with the sites we have seen in Ningxia. Not so much with the resorts, but the sites have been really worth seeing. Not a lot of the regular tourist stuff, souvenirs, concession stands, women chasing you around the park with postcards. Just the site. Not a lot of alteration, some signage, at times in English. Peaceful. You can just take it all in and enjoy it.
After, back to the hotel, we went out for dinner at the new International Hotel - Mr. David's Restaurant, very pleasing western menu and excellent pizza (tomato sauce and all). Then, DVD shopping and back to the room to be lulled to sleep and woken up to the sound of people yelling, screaming and singing in the hall.
The next day was all about cheese. The new underground grocery store there carries processed cheese singles. Then, a KFC mashed potato and gravy lunch, more DVD shopping and back home.
Ahhhh...Yinchuan! What a great escape!
5 Cities, 5 Days
Whew! Back in Guyuan and IN our apartment with no trouble this time! So, here is the travel log you all have been waiting for (yeah, right):
So, half awake we stumbled out of our apartment to get out to the train station to catch our train. We had to wake up the caretakers at our apartment complex to unlock the gate so we could try to hail a cab at this time of morning/night. We got to the station, handed over our tickets and boarded our train to Zhongwei at 5:43 AM Saturday morning.
We're ready to continue our night's sleep when we realize that our tickets are standing room only, no seat. So, we try to find a semi-empty spot at the end of one of the cars. This time we pack light so we don't wake everyone up on our little walk down the aisle with a harsh slap to the face with a pack strap. So, like the lucky cats we are, we find a nice spot - IN THE SMOKING CAR! Bleck! Nothing like sleeping standing up while getting ash flicked on you, burned by careless smokers trying to snub out a cigarette (missing the ash tray because they are too busy staring at the big white guy) and people blowing smoke directly in your face because they want to stare at you up close. At least we have a little nook, and were sharing it with a little old man with a facial deformity. He was probably the only one who didn't really stare at Matt - I guess he was relieved that people found someone else to stare out.
After about an hour another man and child came and decided to wake up the old man, shove me out of the way and completely take over the entire space in the nook. The nerve of this guy! Now I can't even really stand comfortably without stepping on him or his daughter, who are now down, splayed out (as much as one can be) on the floor of the nook. Then, to make the situation even more comfortable the man keeps on moving around and kicking my feet when my STANDING got in his way. Then he kept on leaving and coming back, to let me know he wanted me to let him out or back in he would just shove me. Not the push, push that I have become accustomed to, but a shove. Apparently, like father like daughter. I was in a half snooze when she gave my leg a good shove and my knee buckled.
After a little while, Matt and I tried to see if the conditions might be better in the aisle of the car. I decide to hang out near an empty seat near the front of the car. In the group of seats I was standing next to was a group of Chinese business men and one of them offered the empty seat to me. I was so thankful! We tried to chat, they, in whatever English they knew and I in my (less than a) smattering of Chinese. The guy who paid for the seat I was in happily sat on the edge of another seat, next to one of his co-workers. They were delighted that I was Korean and that Matt was American and we were teachers in Guyuan. Later on, a different man who was listening in on our clumsy conversation piped up in broken English, "Hello! You come sit here!" He packed up all of his things and gave me his seat. He went to go stand at the end of the car. I thought that he was getting off at the next stop, only to find out that he was getting off when we were - 2 hours away! Matt was able to share an edge of a seat for a little bit, but he decided to go stand in the end because of his damn long legs (he had to get up every time someone wanted to get by, so like, every 10 seconds). So, even though my trip started with quite a bit of discomfort and annoyance, it ended quite pleasantly. When we arrived at our stop, all of the businessmen stood up and said goodbye when I passed by, I thanked the man who gave me his seat and he said that he was happy to, and the man with the facial deformity gave me a big smile and waved as we got off the train.
Next, Zhongwei. We weren't prepared for the temperature here or for what the city looked like. It was hot and not at all like Guyuan! When something is described in the guide book as a "small country town" we picture something like Guyuan or possibly a little less than what we have here. But this city had big buildings, many traffic lights AND a separate lane for bikes. Made us think that we really must be a little more remote than we thought we were if this is a small country town and fuelled our suspicion that none of the writers of the books had actually visited these places.
So anyway, we found a hotel and quickly ditched our extra clothing and went out to explore a little bit. The big site here is an interesting temple, Gao Miao. Why is it interesting, you may ask? Let's say you are a Buddhist and don't know where to go, no problem, Gao Miao. Confucian? Gao Miao. Taoist? Gao Miao. Even, Christian? Yup, Gao Miao. It was an interesting place to look around and offered great views of the city. After, we grabbed a bite to eat at Dico's and headed back to the hotel.
Okay. If you ever had any doubt, bowling alleys in hotels are not a good idea. Especially if the bowling alley is located one floor above or below the floors where guests want to sleep and there is no sound proofing. Yeah, I was lulled to sleep with the low rumble of a bowling ball rolling down a lane punctuated by the sound of the pins getting knocked down. Also, a miscalculation on our part, getting a hotel next to the train station has its benefits like location, but also its drawbacks, i.e. said location - the blasting train whistles as the train rolls in and out of town. Not the little pleasant "choo-choo" whistle I remember staying up for when I slept over at my grandma's house. But the loudest, most obnoxious air horn ever created by mankind. I admit, I exaggerate, a little, but it was LOUD and l o n g. They laid on the horn. Ohmygod. So between the bowling alley and the train, my hopes of a good night's rest were fading fast. During one of the pauses of the night time sounds, I hear through the wall, some, um, "noises". For the next 4 hours I had the pleasure of listening to our neighbor manage his gases. Yup. Gases. Loud bodily emissions, followed up with the Chinese equivalent of "OOOOOOH, YEAH!" So, me no sleepy.
Next day, off to the bus station to Shapotou. To be honest, I didn't have very high expectations of this resort area - described as a playground for the Chinese. I was sort of picturing the Wisconsin Dells in the desert. So, it turned out to be a little better than what I was picturing. We got a pleasant room that had that "cabin smell" and headed out right away to check out the activities. Dune slide - Check, Camel ride - Check, adequately ripped off - check. We paid to go out for a 2 hour camel ride in the desert - hopefully to see the remains of the Great Wall in this area.
So, well, about 45 minutes later, some of which was spent with us just walking on the pavement sans camel. We were heading back at the base. No Wall. The foreigners thoroughly disappointed. Matt bargains with one of the camel ladies. We pay a little more to take some horses out to see the remains of The Wall. Part way through the journey we both get a feeling that this "trip" was not a resort sanctioned activity - the tip off? Leaving the resort area completely, the complete lack of tourist pomp, and having to be cleared for entrance at a PLA check point. Hmmmm...any how, we were glad that we were able to get out the see the big earthen wall (the Great Wall was earthen - ahem, dirt - in these parts).
On the way back, Matt decided to walk (the stirrups were not long enough for him) so he got some color (that color would be bright red). Eventually, a scooter came and picked him up and brought him back. I was still on horseback, all of a sudden one of the women motions for me to grab the horn of the saddle, she took my horses reigns and we took off galloping. Remember that scene from Hildago during the sandstorm when he was being chased down by the approaching sand? Well, it was nothing like that. But I was riding horseback at full gallop racing down the streets of this small town, retreating from The Great Wall. It was quite a rush - must be my Mongolian/Korean blood. Genghis Khan launched several campaigns against the Western Xia (kingdom from these parts) all of which failed. It was an exhilarating experience, but I am still suffering from the consequences - saddle sore. The saddle was metal with a blanket over the top and the stirrups not well fitted. So, well, sitting it still not too comfortable.
After, we got a great dinner (some of the best Chinese food I have tasted here) and got to fall asleep in one of the softest beds we have had here in China. Unfortunately, the bar was right outside of our window and the bad music and even worse karaoke was blastin' until the wee hours.
Oh, and I got spit on by three different species of animals! You guess which ones!
Next, on to Sha Hu! We had been really lucky with transportation throughout this trip so far, especially as so much is done on the day of travel. We had to go back up to Zhongwei and catch a minibus to Sha Hu - another Chinese resort. We found the bus without much difficulty. After a long time, they tell us that there aren't enough people to go, so to try again tomorrow. The other couple on the bus then arranged for all of us to share a cab up to the resort. We didn't have high expectations for this place either and rightly so. Not that great. You have to pay to enter the park to see the lake OR as we discovered we could just take a walk around the side of the hotel and see it for free. A lot more organized fun. Both Matt and I were feeling like we had an ample supply of Chinese fun and decided to pass on the activities. So, we basically chilled out and tried to recover from the sun (Matt) and the horse (Me). Again, sleep wasn't easy to come by. People as late as 2 AM were yelling in the hallways and also, right in front of our door. Not talking loudly, but, rather, yelling, screaming and singing.
Early the next morning I woke up to a buzzing sound and a strange sensation. The resident pair of mosquitoes in our room went to town on my upper lip. It was super swollen and numb. I try to get back to sleep only to have them hit it a couple more times as well as my eye and forehead. In the morning I get a proper look of my lip - the right side is at least double the normal size. Looks like a collagen accident.
Yeesh!
Alright, so the three of us (my lip, in my opinion, qualified as another entity) decide to head to Yinchuan for a little R & R from our travels.
To be continued....
So, half awake we stumbled out of our apartment to get out to the train station to catch our train. We had to wake up the caretakers at our apartment complex to unlock the gate so we could try to hail a cab at this time of morning/night. We got to the station, handed over our tickets and boarded our train to Zhongwei at 5:43 AM Saturday morning.
We're ready to continue our night's sleep when we realize that our tickets are standing room only, no seat. So, we try to find a semi-empty spot at the end of one of the cars. This time we pack light so we don't wake everyone up on our little walk down the aisle with a harsh slap to the face with a pack strap. So, like the lucky cats we are, we find a nice spot - IN THE SMOKING CAR! Bleck! Nothing like sleeping standing up while getting ash flicked on you, burned by careless smokers trying to snub out a cigarette (missing the ash tray because they are too busy staring at the big white guy) and people blowing smoke directly in your face because they want to stare at you up close. At least we have a little nook, and were sharing it with a little old man with a facial deformity. He was probably the only one who didn't really stare at Matt - I guess he was relieved that people found someone else to stare out.
After about an hour another man and child came and decided to wake up the old man, shove me out of the way and completely take over the entire space in the nook. The nerve of this guy! Now I can't even really stand comfortably without stepping on him or his daughter, who are now down, splayed out (as much as one can be) on the floor of the nook. Then, to make the situation even more comfortable the man keeps on moving around and kicking my feet when my STANDING got in his way. Then he kept on leaving and coming back, to let me know he wanted me to let him out or back in he would just shove me. Not the push, push that I have become accustomed to, but a shove. Apparently, like father like daughter. I was in a half snooze when she gave my leg a good shove and my knee buckled.
After a little while, Matt and I tried to see if the conditions might be better in the aisle of the car. I decide to hang out near an empty seat near the front of the car. In the group of seats I was standing next to was a group of Chinese business men and one of them offered the empty seat to me. I was so thankful! We tried to chat, they, in whatever English they knew and I in my (less than a) smattering of Chinese. The guy who paid for the seat I was in happily sat on the edge of another seat, next to one of his co-workers. They were delighted that I was Korean and that Matt was American and we were teachers in Guyuan. Later on, a different man who was listening in on our clumsy conversation piped up in broken English, "Hello! You come sit here!" He packed up all of his things and gave me his seat. He went to go stand at the end of the car. I thought that he was getting off at the next stop, only to find out that he was getting off when we were - 2 hours away! Matt was able to share an edge of a seat for a little bit, but he decided to go stand in the end because of his damn long legs (he had to get up every time someone wanted to get by, so like, every 10 seconds). So, even though my trip started with quite a bit of discomfort and annoyance, it ended quite pleasantly. When we arrived at our stop, all of the businessmen stood up and said goodbye when I passed by, I thanked the man who gave me his seat and he said that he was happy to, and the man with the facial deformity gave me a big smile and waved as we got off the train.
Next, Zhongwei. We weren't prepared for the temperature here or for what the city looked like. It was hot and not at all like Guyuan! When something is described in the guide book as a "small country town" we picture something like Guyuan or possibly a little less than what we have here. But this city had big buildings, many traffic lights AND a separate lane for bikes. Made us think that we really must be a little more remote than we thought we were if this is a small country town and fuelled our suspicion that none of the writers of the books had actually visited these places.
So anyway, we found a hotel and quickly ditched our extra clothing and went out to explore a little bit. The big site here is an interesting temple, Gao Miao. Why is it interesting, you may ask? Let's say you are a Buddhist and don't know where to go, no problem, Gao Miao. Confucian? Gao Miao. Taoist? Gao Miao. Even, Christian? Yup, Gao Miao. It was an interesting place to look around and offered great views of the city. After, we grabbed a bite to eat at Dico's and headed back to the hotel.
Okay. If you ever had any doubt, bowling alleys in hotels are not a good idea. Especially if the bowling alley is located one floor above or below the floors where guests want to sleep and there is no sound proofing. Yeah, I was lulled to sleep with the low rumble of a bowling ball rolling down a lane punctuated by the sound of the pins getting knocked down. Also, a miscalculation on our part, getting a hotel next to the train station has its benefits like location, but also its drawbacks, i.e. said location - the blasting train whistles as the train rolls in and out of town. Not the little pleasant "choo-choo" whistle I remember staying up for when I slept over at my grandma's house. But the loudest, most obnoxious air horn ever created by mankind. I admit, I exaggerate, a little, but it was LOUD and l o n g. They laid on the horn. Ohmygod. So between the bowling alley and the train, my hopes of a good night's rest were fading fast. During one of the pauses of the night time sounds, I hear through the wall, some, um, "noises". For the next 4 hours I had the pleasure of listening to our neighbor manage his gases. Yup. Gases. Loud bodily emissions, followed up with the Chinese equivalent of "OOOOOOH, YEAH!" So, me no sleepy.
Next day, off to the bus station to Shapotou. To be honest, I didn't have very high expectations of this resort area - described as a playground for the Chinese. I was sort of picturing the Wisconsin Dells in the desert. So, it turned out to be a little better than what I was picturing. We got a pleasant room that had that "cabin smell" and headed out right away to check out the activities. Dune slide - Check, Camel ride - Check, adequately ripped off - check. We paid to go out for a 2 hour camel ride in the desert - hopefully to see the remains of the Great Wall in this area.
So, well, about 45 minutes later, some of which was spent with us just walking on the pavement sans camel. We were heading back at the base. No Wall. The foreigners thoroughly disappointed. Matt bargains with one of the camel ladies. We pay a little more to take some horses out to see the remains of The Wall. Part way through the journey we both get a feeling that this "trip" was not a resort sanctioned activity - the tip off? Leaving the resort area completely, the complete lack of tourist pomp, and having to be cleared for entrance at a PLA check point. Hmmmm...any how, we were glad that we were able to get out the see the big earthen wall (the Great Wall was earthen - ahem, dirt - in these parts).
On the way back, Matt decided to walk (the stirrups were not long enough for him) so he got some color (that color would be bright red). Eventually, a scooter came and picked him up and brought him back. I was still on horseback, all of a sudden one of the women motions for me to grab the horn of the saddle, she took my horses reigns and we took off galloping. Remember that scene from Hildago during the sandstorm when he was being chased down by the approaching sand? Well, it was nothing like that. But I was riding horseback at full gallop racing down the streets of this small town, retreating from The Great Wall. It was quite a rush - must be my Mongolian/Korean blood. Genghis Khan launched several campaigns against the Western Xia (kingdom from these parts) all of which failed. It was an exhilarating experience, but I am still suffering from the consequences - saddle sore. The saddle was metal with a blanket over the top and the stirrups not well fitted. So, well, sitting it still not too comfortable.
After, we got a great dinner (some of the best Chinese food I have tasted here) and got to fall asleep in one of the softest beds we have had here in China. Unfortunately, the bar was right outside of our window and the bad music and even worse karaoke was blastin' until the wee hours.
Oh, and I got spit on by three different species of animals! You guess which ones!
Next, on to Sha Hu! We had been really lucky with transportation throughout this trip so far, especially as so much is done on the day of travel. We had to go back up to Zhongwei and catch a minibus to Sha Hu - another Chinese resort. We found the bus without much difficulty. After a long time, they tell us that there aren't enough people to go, so to try again tomorrow. The other couple on the bus then arranged for all of us to share a cab up to the resort. We didn't have high expectations for this place either and rightly so. Not that great. You have to pay to enter the park to see the lake OR as we discovered we could just take a walk around the side of the hotel and see it for free. A lot more organized fun. Both Matt and I were feeling like we had an ample supply of Chinese fun and decided to pass on the activities. So, we basically chilled out and tried to recover from the sun (Matt) and the horse (Me). Again, sleep wasn't easy to come by. People as late as 2 AM were yelling in the hallways and also, right in front of our door. Not talking loudly, but, rather, yelling, screaming and singing.
Early the next morning I woke up to a buzzing sound and a strange sensation. The resident pair of mosquitoes in our room went to town on my upper lip. It was super swollen and numb. I try to get back to sleep only to have them hit it a couple more times as well as my eye and forehead. In the morning I get a proper look of my lip - the right side is at least double the normal size. Looks like a collagen accident.
Yeesh!
Alright, so the three of us (my lip, in my opinion, qualified as another entity) decide to head to Yinchuan for a little R & R from our travels.
To be continued....
Friday, April 28, 2006
Dune Slides and Camel Rides
...Hopefully.
So, we are about to hit the road again - hard seat on the train, but only 4 hours this time. We are going to go out to the Tenggar Desert and see what's out there besides sand. Hopefully we will be able to get to some of the surrounding towns to see a little more of this area before we pack up and move out to Beijing.
So, I guess that is all for now, will post some more when I get back and I'm sure that I will have some more pictures to put up on Flickr too.
So, we are about to hit the road again - hard seat on the train, but only 4 hours this time. We are going to go out to the Tenggar Desert and see what's out there besides sand. Hopefully we will be able to get to some of the surrounding towns to see a little more of this area before we pack up and move out to Beijing.
So, I guess that is all for now, will post some more when I get back and I'm sure that I will have some more pictures to put up on Flickr too.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Goofin' Off in the Hall - Junior 2, Class 1
One of my favorite things to do between classes, is to visit my other classes and hang with the kids. This is one of my favorite classes at the Junior School. The kids are so friendly and fun to be with. Also, for the camera at least, they are little show-offs. So, I'm still trying to get a clip of the kicking/clapping game, but in the meantime, here are some of my kids goofing off in the hall.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Whoo-Hoo - Congratulations!
I just want to say congratulations to Brian and Debz! For the readers who don't know who these two wonderful people are, they are two of my friends from college who I don't get to see as often as I would like. I just can't even begin to tell about all of the good memories I have of these crazy cats.
Check out the proposal: www.briandearth.com
So, 6 years, 8 months...
Who won the pool?
Congratulations! Whip out the hikin' boots, it's time fer a weddin'!
Check out the proposal: www.briandearth.com
So, 6 years, 8 months...
Who won the pool?
Congratulations! Whip out the hikin' boots, it's time fer a weddin'!
My First Video Post!
Panda Brawl!
Watch the video
Okay, we haven't been able to stop laughing at these pandas since I shot the clip! They were definitely the most active captive animals we have ever seen.
Let me know if this works! If so, I have some other clips to put up - Enjoy!
Monday, April 24, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
And the Winner Is....
Matt's Team Haircut - Yinchuan! Whoo-hoo!Okay, so my little Flickr counter says that my photostream has been viewed about 6000 times. But the number one photo is Matt's team haircut! This one picture has been viewed 64 times. What makes this a little more creepy is that the top 5 pictures are all of Matt getting his haircut. One of them has even been marked as someone's favorite.
Matt is creeped out by this.
Weirdos.
Disgusted with YOU!
Okay all of you -
I am thoroughly disappointed with all of you. Shame shame SHAME! I give you a simple request and how many of you even bother with the assignment? Three. Only three!
Okay, so I guess we have to try this again, won't we?
Usually, my kids are all looking at the floor uncomfortably at this point. But this is not for my kids this time.
Need more slang words people!
I have used: Tight, Shortie, Boo and Shady. So far the best reaction has been to shortie and boo. They seem to like to rat out who has a boyfriend and who so and so thinks is cute, etc. The slang is a great way to lighten the mood in the classroom.
Lay in on me, baby!
I am thoroughly disappointed with all of you. Shame shame SHAME! I give you a simple request and how many of you even bother with the assignment? Three. Only three!
Okay, so I guess we have to try this again, won't we?
Usually, my kids are all looking at the floor uncomfortably at this point. But this is not for my kids this time.
Need more slang words people!
I have used: Tight, Shortie, Boo and Shady. So far the best reaction has been to shortie and boo. They seem to like to rat out who has a boyfriend and who so and so thinks is cute, etc. The slang is a great way to lighten the mood in the classroom.
Lay in on me, baby!
Chicken Ramen
So, I haven't really been too good about posting this week. I just didn't have it in me. So, these are some of the highlights from this past week...
I am still limping around like a gimp. My kids have been increasingly worried about my leg. I am surprised that they haven't hauled me off to the hospital yet. Now, for some odd reason I have a pain in my knee. Thank goodness for Icy Hot - Icy to dull the pain, hot to relax it away.
Last weekend they had the first round of the English contest - we didn't have to judge for the first round, but may be called into action for a future round. I am so proud of all of my kids. All of the students that I helped except for one, made it through the first round! Yea kids! Hopefully I will be able to see them in action in a future round.
But with the contest success came quite an unfortunate incident. Yup, a dinner. Worse yet, it was a dinner with the dreaded math teacher. I feel like I was rather tricked into it. I was invited to a sit with this man months ago and I refused, but I guess the desire wasn't dropped. So, I was duped by confused English and the students' success with the contest. From what I could tell initially, was that the students were really happy that they did so well and really wanted to take me out to dinner, but what it turned out to be was the head teachers from two of the classes that I helped, one of which was math dude. Man, I have a bad feeling about this.... I can see the complications I was having when I first started just looming on the horizon. Luckily, this time, I am saved by the upcoming vacation.
Now, on a more pleasant note, my kids! So, next week I only teach on Monday because of mid-terms at the Junior School. So, I tried to spend some time with my chillins this past week. So, my lovely class 6.
Class was going pretty well, I was monitoring the group work discussions. I pass by a group of girls and hear a faint peeping noise. I investigate. I find that one of the girls has brought a little baby chicken to school. Stored conveniently in a little 4" x 4" ramen bag! The poor little thing couldn't even move. I told her that she should probably leave it at home at the lunch break. Hmmm...that was something that I wasn't quite prepared for.
These kids are a riot! In the hall one of my little boys, Bob, was showing me that he learned a new English word, "kiss". He demonstrated by kissing one of his little friends on the cheek several times. Then he grabbed one of my little buddies, Jack, and told me that he was his little sister because he was "beautiful like a girl" and then kissed him.
Later, they start this clapping/kicking game. I really don't know how to describe it, and I want to try to get some video on it because it is quite funny. A line of boys start to clap and walk/hop up to another line of boys and then they all start to kick each other to the rhythm of the clapping. It is a little bizarre.
Then on the walk home, we all were having fun, one of the boys said something to my overly enthusiastic and parasitical fan which made her sprint away. When I questioned him about it, he just shrugged his shoulders and pretended not to understand what I was saying (even though I know that he did). Right after the girl left, we were immediately joined by the other members of my lunch posse who have taken up the habit of meeting us at the corner where she turns off. So, we all shared some ice cream and craisins for the rest of the way home. Sam did something and sort of kicked someone off of a bike. I saw his leg up in the air one moment, and a little boy on the ground the next. Oh that Sam!
Later in the afternoon, I met up with them before classes began. They frantically motioned for me to come over, so I did. They all pointed at a hole and were shouting "TEACHER, MOUSE! MOUSE!" Then they filled up some water bottles and poured them down the hole to flush it out. Suddenly a gopher came flying out and about 9 boys went chasing it around the playground trying to catch it. I do feel rather honored that they want to share these special moments with me.
Hmmmm...what else...We have been swapping papercuts in the English office. I was really nervous about sharing mine because some of the people here have a certain way of giving a compliment that really isn't one - like "You look so much fatter in your picture!" and the like. I had told them that I was interested in papercutting and that I have been doing it for about 20 years. So, one of the teachers brought in some patterns for me to try - all pretty simple. It was really sweet of her to do so, but I don't think that they were that confident in my abilities. It was really interesting though because she told me about some of the symbolism. Anyhow, so I did bring in some of my cuttings to give them and, well, I rock as it turns out. They loved them! The teacher in charge of my schedule at the school has been bringing is around with her and showing it to everyone she can - "the Korean American made this!" So, now they want me to teach them about my technique for cutting as I can get a lot more detail than they are used to. I will have to try to jerry rig up some knives for them as we can't get them here.
Anyhow, I will part this post with my latest escalator story. I went to the underground grocery store and was all finished with the shopping and was heading up. I was watching a little toddler on the down side. He was so adorable! He was so excited to be on the escalator that he was jumping up and down, waving his fists in the air and squealing and shrieking with joy. When he saw me he started to wave, laugh and jump up and down more excitedly. As soon as I passed him and his mother he had a startling look down at the monster. The joyful squeals turned to terror filled screams as he neared the silver teeth of the greedy escalator monster. He tried to flee by scampering back up, but he just couldn't climb fast enough. Soon, he burst out in a terrified and frantic cry. His mother quickly scooped him up and jumped off of the beast. The little boy, once on solid ground, collapsed on the floor and starting bawling to the point of hyperventilation. The great moving silver beast grumbled as it just missed its snack.
I am still limping around like a gimp. My kids have been increasingly worried about my leg. I am surprised that they haven't hauled me off to the hospital yet. Now, for some odd reason I have a pain in my knee. Thank goodness for Icy Hot - Icy to dull the pain, hot to relax it away.
Last weekend they had the first round of the English contest - we didn't have to judge for the first round, but may be called into action for a future round. I am so proud of all of my kids. All of the students that I helped except for one, made it through the first round! Yea kids! Hopefully I will be able to see them in action in a future round.
But with the contest success came quite an unfortunate incident. Yup, a dinner. Worse yet, it was a dinner with the dreaded math teacher. I feel like I was rather tricked into it. I was invited to a sit with this man months ago and I refused, but I guess the desire wasn't dropped. So, I was duped by confused English and the students' success with the contest. From what I could tell initially, was that the students were really happy that they did so well and really wanted to take me out to dinner, but what it turned out to be was the head teachers from two of the classes that I helped, one of which was math dude. Man, I have a bad feeling about this.... I can see the complications I was having when I first started just looming on the horizon. Luckily, this time, I am saved by the upcoming vacation.
Now, on a more pleasant note, my kids! So, next week I only teach on Monday because of mid-terms at the Junior School. So, I tried to spend some time with my chillins this past week. So, my lovely class 6.
Class was going pretty well, I was monitoring the group work discussions. I pass by a group of girls and hear a faint peeping noise. I investigate. I find that one of the girls has brought a little baby chicken to school. Stored conveniently in a little 4" x 4" ramen bag! The poor little thing couldn't even move. I told her that she should probably leave it at home at the lunch break. Hmmm...that was something that I wasn't quite prepared for.
These kids are a riot! In the hall one of my little boys, Bob, was showing me that he learned a new English word, "kiss". He demonstrated by kissing one of his little friends on the cheek several times. Then he grabbed one of my little buddies, Jack, and told me that he was his little sister because he was "beautiful like a girl" and then kissed him.
Later, they start this clapping/kicking game. I really don't know how to describe it, and I want to try to get some video on it because it is quite funny. A line of boys start to clap and walk/hop up to another line of boys and then they all start to kick each other to the rhythm of the clapping. It is a little bizarre.
Then on the walk home, we all were having fun, one of the boys said something to my overly enthusiastic and parasitical fan which made her sprint away. When I questioned him about it, he just shrugged his shoulders and pretended not to understand what I was saying (even though I know that he did). Right after the girl left, we were immediately joined by the other members of my lunch posse who have taken up the habit of meeting us at the corner where she turns off. So, we all shared some ice cream and craisins for the rest of the way home. Sam did something and sort of kicked someone off of a bike. I saw his leg up in the air one moment, and a little boy on the ground the next. Oh that Sam!
Later in the afternoon, I met up with them before classes began. They frantically motioned for me to come over, so I did. They all pointed at a hole and were shouting "TEACHER, MOUSE! MOUSE!" Then they filled up some water bottles and poured them down the hole to flush it out. Suddenly a gopher came flying out and about 9 boys went chasing it around the playground trying to catch it. I do feel rather honored that they want to share these special moments with me.
Hmmmm...what else...We have been swapping papercuts in the English office. I was really nervous about sharing mine because some of the people here have a certain way of giving a compliment that really isn't one - like "You look so much fatter in your picture!" and the like. I had told them that I was interested in papercutting and that I have been doing it for about 20 years. So, one of the teachers brought in some patterns for me to try - all pretty simple. It was really sweet of her to do so, but I don't think that they were that confident in my abilities. It was really interesting though because she told me about some of the symbolism. Anyhow, so I did bring in some of my cuttings to give them and, well, I rock as it turns out. They loved them! The teacher in charge of my schedule at the school has been bringing is around with her and showing it to everyone she can - "the Korean American made this!" So, now they want me to teach them about my technique for cutting as I can get a lot more detail than they are used to. I will have to try to jerry rig up some knives for them as we can't get them here.
Anyhow, I will part this post with my latest escalator story. I went to the underground grocery store and was all finished with the shopping and was heading up. I was watching a little toddler on the down side. He was so adorable! He was so excited to be on the escalator that he was jumping up and down, waving his fists in the air and squealing and shrieking with joy. When he saw me he started to wave, laugh and jump up and down more excitedly. As soon as I passed him and his mother he had a startling look down at the monster. The joyful squeals turned to terror filled screams as he neared the silver teeth of the greedy escalator monster. He tried to flee by scampering back up, but he just couldn't climb fast enough. Soon, he burst out in a terrified and frantic cry. His mother quickly scooped him up and jumped off of the beast. The little boy, once on solid ground, collapsed on the floor and starting bawling to the point of hyperventilation. The great moving silver beast grumbled as it just missed its snack.
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