WTF is this Facebook?

Dear Facebook,

Stop advertising for yellow fever. This makes me sick.

Ewww. Look what a creep that guy is and the expression on that woman's face. "Well, I've made my bed, now I've got to sleep with it."

Seriously. I'm disgusted.

Kunming Wedding!

I'd love to post pictures from the wedding of my favorite thesis teacher from my study abroad session in Bejing 2007, Yang huiling, BUT, my camera was stolen in Dali, and since then, I've been using other people's cameras. Unfortunately, in this instance, I used Ryan Judd's camera, who I haven't emailed yet, so NO photos can be posted. I am going to email him now.

I did learn several things, which I can share with you, but are just not as exciting without pictures. First of all, Chinese weddings can be huge and are essentially huge dinners of feasting. Yang laoshi stood outside the venue in her white dress and make up and greeted me before I walked into this huge banquet hall. Inside, she and her husband thanked her parents and his parents before she changed into a tight red fishtail dress and went to cheers every table that attended her wedding. Meanwhile, I proceeded to celebrate my first giant meal in a legitimate Chinese city by stuffing my face. Noms. At the end of the wedding, Yang laoshi's close friends, including me!, went upstairs to a suite where KTV had to happen! Yes, I sang Bad Romance with an emphasis on BAAAD.

Pictures to come! It was such an exciting opportunity to be able to see Yang laoshi 4 years after I studied abroad in China and participate in the beautiful celebration of her nuptials!

The End of the Affair

Not really sure if you understand the reference, because in this case, it's not really apt. As I recall, the End of the Affair is a Graham Greene novel where the rare instance occurs and the cheater actually wins.

In my story, cheaters don't win... and by cheaters, I mean my students.

Yes, these kids.

It's winter break, my students have six weeks off and soooooo doooooo  I! The end of the semester was particularly stressful, I had finished covering all 12 units early to allow for review with my students - only to realize that my students don't understand what review is and didn't really care enough to pay attention to most of it. The thunders of my voice and the lightening of my temper shocked them into absorbing some of it as I tried to carry out a twelve unit review in three weeks time. I wanted to reward them on their hard work, but to my chagrin, most of them were hardly working. These children are in seventh grade, but they're anywhere from 12 to 16 years old. They chatted, they chattered. It's been very cold! Review sheets, extra study sessions, paired with loss of electricity and several, several come to Jesus talks later.... they took the final.

AAAAAAHHHHHH! How did it go, you wonder? So do I. I hope they won, but I don't think they beat the system this time. Perhaps next semester!

These are the things that I've come to learn about my kids and me this past semester:

• Most of them don't like learning, but they love school.
• They're interesting to talk to, eager to do so - but my conflict always comes when I've not been able to spread my time fairly among all of my kids.
• THEY ARE CHEATERS. They cheat because they don't feel like they have a solid grasp of the material, which is my fault, but they don't try to put forth the effort to learn that material - they're fault. We're mutually faulty. 
• Students think that they can outsmart teacher. Never, never happening. I know when they cheat, when they spit, and when they're talking. All 54 of them. Brattipups. 
• I've tried to teach them cheats, or in this case, simplified ways to remember fast facts about English. I think that's the only thing that they respond to! - my frantic teaching at the end. I want them to do well and they know that but they... only sometimes want to impress me.
• They think I'm too nice and they wish that I would be more strict with them. 
• NO more prizes next semester. It wastes too much time and they've already promised to work hard regardless. 

I'm optimistic about next semester. I'm worried that they'll have forgotten everything from this semester, but they're smart kids. We'll see.

The End of the Semester... and other matters

I haven't blogged in quite some time, and it's strange because I think for much of the past two years, I've been conscientious to keeping my blog constantly updated on interesting things and fun events. Now, looking back, it's been close to a month! Yikes! Catch up is going to be arduous, and fun.

A lot has happened:

I finished my first semester as a teacher in rural China.
I went to my first Chinese wedding in Kunming.
I attended the International Flora Expo in Taipei.
I aaaaaalmost went to the Google HQ in Tokyo.
I traveled from a mountain in China to the suburbs of Atlanta and I've never been happier.

you know you're not in Kansas anymore when you can get these at the grocery store!

As many of you are at work, I'll be updating a little bit before continuing on my adventures here in America. I never really intended for this blog to be anything more than interesting tidbits, but I think that a lot of my experiences lately have been entertaining in more than in bit form!

Back in America!

I'm BACK.

From Tokyo

WHY TOKYO IS AMAZING: two words. Kitty Land.

I'm watching Canada's Next Top Model, Cycle 3

RIGHT NOW. Why? Because I'm in Taipei and it's the home of trashy TV. Yes. What other place could I admit to have watched Australia, Armageddon and Zombie Strippers all in 3 days? A through Z of trasssshay!

It's been a tough transition into civilization that I never thought I would have. So much stimulation. I love it. That doesn't mean I don't love my mountain village - but it's nice to accidentally spend all your money on shoes again :)

Updating more. Soon. Now?

in 10 days!

I'll be leaving Shaojie and visiting you! Here's a tentative calendar of possible destinations that I'll be visiting!



I've already sent a few of you an invitation to edit the calendar, feel free to add any lunch dates or events that you want!

I can't wait to see you. I miss home so much!