Kellogg's Honey Nut O's + FWB = Tuesday night

Dear Nut O's,

When I saw you at Wal-mart this weekend, I knew you were a strange, non-imported Chinese version of Honey Nut Cheerios - you delivered just as I thought you were. You are delicious. (I am eating them right now!)

Honey Nut Cheerios imported to China = 70 RMB.
Honey Nut O's = 27 RMB.

I WIN.

These combined with probably the tenth time that I'm watching the Justin Timberlake headlined Friends with Benefits movie - obviously, I Timber-like this movie waaay too much.

HO HO HO. I love puns. Blogging quota - FILLED.

Tell me why I should keep reading 1Q84

I'm 7% in on my Kindle. Other than social relevancy, I have a hard time continuing to read this book. It's dark, it's strange, it's making me feel dirty - it's compelling and intricately interesting but.... my heart isn't engaged in this tome. HELP.

My 5th graders wish you a happy holiday season!

 My 5th grade angels are gifted, musical, artistic and really remind me every time I see them how wonderful teaching can be. This is their rendition of Jingle Bells made for your viewing pleasure! Let me know if you have any other songs that you think would be fun to teach them.

PS. Wham's Last Christmas bombed last year, this year I'm still looking for a challenge!

A Dali-ghtful Thanksgiving

As per the traditions that were created last year, I returned to Dali for a taste of the holidays with friends last weekend. The leaves had changed, the cold was crisp but comfortable and I was with a handful of the friends that I've just begun to make this year.

CAUGHT: This boy was kicking the tree to make the golden leaves fall faster. 

Dali's pretty small and there's really nothing to do if you've done the bike rides and the deaf massages, Laura and I did a lot of random shopping and food eating. We found this:

How lovely.

We ate this:

It was so dark at the time that sadly, this is clearest picture of the food that I ate and I'm seeing it for the first time- 3 days later. Is it sad that since coming to China that I don't mind eating mystery foods in the dark as long as the promise of delicious rings true?

I think there might be as many pictures in this post as words. In short, Thanksgiving was necessary and I give thanks that I could take an excursion and spent the holidays with friends and loved ones. I can't wait until Christmas!

I haven't used my camera in so long...

that I imagine it must have mold on it - just like everything else in my room.

Seriously, for once, I have no idea where my camera is. I'm horrified and also incredibly lazy because I have one of those breakfast-in-bed things trapping my legs in place and I don't want to move. I will put it on my to do list for tomorrow morning. "Find camera." Why don't I let you get a peek of the things on my to do for tomorrow?

1. Drink delicious coffee. Eat Nature Valley bar.
2. Find camera.
3. Watch entire new season of the League while sending out a billion emails. (That's right. A BILLION.)
4. Lesson plan.
5. Make mac 'n cheese for lunch.
6. Lesson plan some more because I have to lesson plan for four hours today and three hours tomorrow. WHAT up. That will be so much fun.
7. Pack for tomorrow.
8. Remember to buy scarves for students in Dali (it has been very cold here. VERY cold - the only part of my body that is exposed right now is freezing - that would be my nose and my hands :( boo)
9. Class - class - class - class. (Bring camera to class - see it all makes sense)
10. Dinner????
11. Number crunching and email searching and finishing emails.
12. SLEEP. 7:20 wake up in the freezing cold :( for Thursday = Thanksgiving.

Shenanigans - a weeks back. Camera, come back!

A little bit of CUTE for a happy Friday!

I found this on my laptop - Tom Hoffecker created this in the middle of a meeting we were supposed to be paying attention in  -

I think the nose makes it cuter. The lightening bolts from his hands give him the potential to be a super hero!

B-b-b-b-b-beautiful blue butterfly!

He wandered into Megan's apartment last Tuesday. He's gorgeous and if he were mine, I'd name him Karl.

How do I know if this butterfly is he? I don't. Rural China brought Karl to me. Thanks, rural China. In this instant, I remembered how beautiful you could be.

Halloween Kitty gets in trouble!

Oh, Halloween. Halloween is always a fun holiday to start off the holiday season. A holiday for parties - you certainly start off celebrating Halloween with your parents, but as soon as it becomes unacceptable to start taking candy from strangers, Halloween becomes a holiday where you start drinking candy flavored drinks :)

Monica + Laura + Christine = hilarious. Click to enlarrrrge.

It pleases me to say that this year, even though I am still in rural China, was hilarious and no different.  I was Hello Kitty, a lifelong dream of mine - which might be sad, but if you know anything about me you know that I love HK. I wore my bow huge and proud as inspired by the big bow Hello Kitty:

Rawr. Hello Kitty you are cute! Here are some more highlights from the night:

MEOW. we are cats. and on the same team. Yay Phoebe and Christine at Shaojie.

LAURA, WHY ARE ALL YOUR FRIENDS ASIANS?

Chen yuan, you make me laugh laugh laugh

Oh, mummy!

ONLY CHILDREN.

Lucas and I on repeat. Click to enlarge!

Karman as Downey - who is my teammate and next door neighbor

A-BRO-ham Lincoln disapproves of Bangmai Barbie's outrageous ways. 

In character, BMBB is sooo glamorous. How can A-bro-ham disapprove while playing beer pong?

Hello Kitty loves rainbows!!

As you may or may not be able to tell, sometimes I lost my yellow nose, good thing I brought a whole slew of stickies and replaced my nose about 5 times. Later, it became unsafe for me to use scissors. 

Happy Birthday, Hello Kitty!

LOVE,
Christine (as Hello Kitty for Halloween!)