Adventures with Sarah

Zi Jian

2008-07-25T10:46:00.003+08:00

Zi ji what?!? you may be asking... Zi Jian is the word for "good bye" in Chinese. After two years, well, just two weeks shy of two years, it has come time to say good bye to China. Almost everyone who comes to China knows that this time will approach at some point, it is just a matter of when. Just over two years ago I was living a normal life in San Diego till I found that some friends from college were coming to China. Wanting to get out of the monotony of my office life, I jumped on the opportunity to live, teach, and travel in China (and Asia Pacific). Little did I know that I would end up switching to working at a British International School and staying for two years. Looking back at how nervous and anxious I was just 24 hours before I stepped on the plane two years, I realize that the anxiousness was a waste. Sure, two years ago I had no idea what life in China would be like, what opportunities would open up, the friends I would make, the amazing experiences I would have, the sights I would see, the amazing memories that would be created... and so now I feel foolish for having been nervous and anxious about coming to China for what might be the best two years of my life.

I am not going to deny that living in China has had its challenges and frustrations, but it is through these times of trials that I have grown to really appreciate China and my life here. There is plenty in China that I will NOT miss, but at the same time, it is also these things that I may grow to miss when I resume living back in San Diego. China is a crazy place and they are undergoing a lot of huge, positive changes, and I feel blessed to have been able to live here these past two years. I have drawn up lists before about things I like and things that drive me absolutely nuts about China, but this, seeing as I fly out in less than 48 hours, will be the last list.

Spitting... The truth is, the Chinese love to do it. They spit on the street, in elevators, subways, and anywhere and everywhere. I have seen kids do it as well as old ladies without any shame. Probably not gonna miss it, but it is definitely one of those things that constantly reminds me that yes, I am still in China.

Splitty pants... These are absolutely hilarious, till the parent/grandparent allows the child to pee on the street. But, what is funnier than having lots of little bottoms sticking out of kid's pants?

Meat on a stick (as well as street noodles)... Definitely going to miss the plethora of street food that abounds at all hours of the night. Thankfully I have not gotten sick from it, which is probably why I will miss it. Nothing beats ordering an unidentifiable meat cooked on the back of someone's bike at 2 am (is it lamb? beef? cat? dog?). I do have my two regular spots for getting the street food and I will honestly miss both of them.

Crazy street traffic and taxis and running... Sure the crazy drivers and over populated streets make running a bit difficult, but it also makes it fun at the same time. Running in the streets proposes many difficulties as drivers and bikers go down the wrong side of the road, construction sites are everywhere with road hazards at just about every step, but once again, makes life a bit more interesting and keeps me on my toes. I also will always be amazed at how drivers can sense when a car will pull out in front of them and cut them off, avoiding accidents.

Pollution... Not a fan, but really allows one to appreciate the days when the blue sky pokes it head through the usual brownish haze.

Holidays... The BEST part of living here. Teaching in China means lots of time off. Lots of time off means lots of time to travel. Nothing beats getting out of Shanghai to explore the country or other areas of Asia Pacific. Places I have been: Beijing, Xi'An, Yangshou, Hong Kong, all over Yunnan Province, Huang Shan, Hangzhou, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam...

Hashes... What?!? you may ask? The Hash is a running group that takes runs in the Shanghai countryside. Yes, there is a Hash in San Diego, but I love running in rural China through villages and farm land. It is interesting to see the contrast of the ever-growing Shanghai to the rural countryside.

Hmmm... what else? There really are lots of things I will miss about China and the list can go on and on, but I do feel that I have spent enough time here and that I am ready to go back home. Here are questions I have had...

Will I return to China? I have no idea. I really had no idea that I would spend two years here, so I cannot answer that questions. Who knows what life will deal me.

Will I get bored with life in the States? Once again, I have no idea. I have had a blast living abroad, but I also know that my roots are in San Diego and it is where I will always call home, no matter where I am. Sure, I am more open to what other parts of the world has to offer and open to living abroad again, but the reality is I miss San Diego and my friends and family and the beach and the normalcy of life there. Will I live there forever? I have no idea, but I do know it is where I am to be this next year.

Will I miss China? Parts yes, parts no. Will I regret having come here? Definitely not.

And so, in less that 48 hours I will step on the plane and saying "Zi jian Zhonguo" (Goodbye China). One thing is certain, it's been a great two years!

Sunsets...

2008-07-24T15:55:00.002+08:00

I love sunsets. Sunsets are always a beautiful site. My favorite are over the ocean, but here is one in a village somewhere in Xishaungbanna. I am not sue the exact location as it was the second night of our trek and probably about 20 km from the Myanmar border.

Trekking in Xishuangbanna

2008-07-21T22:44:00.003+08:00

Ryan, my cousin, and I took a three day trek to Xishuangbanna, which is at the border of China and Myanmar. We averaged just over 20 km a day in some pretty rural terrain. At night we slept in two villages. You can read more about the trek below, but here are some pictures.

One of the villages we walked through

We stopped at a monastery. Here are some of the monk boys.

These were our guide's nieces. We stayed at their house.

Inside the first place we stayed.

How would you carry chickens?

2008-07-21T22:36:00.003+08:00

If you had to carry chickens from Point A to Point B, how would you do it?

Hmmm... do you have an answer yet? Think a bit more about it if you need to...

The answer is simple, in a toothpaste box of course, oh, and on a bus. Not only would you do it this way, but so would the woman next to me on the bus.

Ahhh.... the joys of China travel

2008-07-17T23:19:00.003+08:00

The past two days have been super mellow. Actually, both Ryan and I are needing to do something active because we have done nothing the past few days. Anyways, not what I am menat to be writing about...

Since our trip is coming to an end (sad) we have to make it donw to Kunming for our flight. Our original plan was to take a four hour bus from Shangrila to Lijiang, stay the night, and then take another bus the next moring (about 3 hours) to Dali to break up the trip; however, plans changed. Since we are not the biggest fans of Lijiang, we decided it would be better just to take the long bus all the way to Dali, and so we did.

The trip was about 7 1/2 hours on a small bus. Neither Ryan nor I could fit our legs in the amounted leg room without having at least one leg in the aisle. I thought that we would never get out of Shangrila as our bus driver drove for about 30 min trying to pick up people to make sure every seat was filled. It was so frudtrating as I thought we got tickets for the Express Bus (meaning it would go faster). Also, sitting behing us was a girld who, for about an hour, slurped louder than anyone I have ever heard on some drink or soup thing while the other passengers talked excessively loud on their phones. This, cobined with our driver going extremely slow, made me almost want to some hoe switch buses, but that would just leave me stranded somewhere on the side of the road in China, which I though would be a bad idea.

So the first half the driver moved at a snails pace, then, out of no where, he picked up speed. Of course the section he decided to drive fast was on a windy mountain road with blind turns and a cliff on one side. I am convinced that the bus drivers have some special power to let them know when it is ok to pass someone on a blind turn. Oh well, this just makes travelling interesting I guess.

Anyways, the good news is we survived the bus ride and are now in Dali. We have two full days which will be spent biking and maybe hiking, then on the third day we are off to Kunming before having to fly back to Shanghai. When we return I will be sure to post man many many pictures. Some pictures are (just to leave you in suspense)

The toothpaste box full of chickens on the bus
A double rainbow with a monastary
Fileds of Yaks
The villages we stayed in

The Three Day Trek

2008-07-15T15:59:00.003+08:00

Our trek through Xishuangbanna started in a town called Xiding and ended 4 km from the Myanmar border in Dalou. We averaged about 20 km a day and it definitely was a hard trek. Our guide's name was Ainipa and he is Bulang, which is one of the minority groups that live in the area.

The first night we stayed at his parents' house. The houses and lifestyles of the people are very primitive and they our basically self-sustaining. They grow all their own food and raise their own animals for meat. Cruising around their village were pigs, water buffaloes, chickens, ducks, etc. The chickens would even come into the house. The house was a wood structure that basically was one giant room. In the middle of the house was a fire area that they cooked their food at. There was a section that was blocked off by sheets for the sleeping area. In their house was his parents, his brother and sister in law, and their two kids. It was eye opening to see the simple lifestyle that they lived, but they seemed very happy and content with everything. The worse part was at night. The beds were mattresses put on the ground and the entire night you could here mice and rats scurrying around everywhere. I must say, I was not a fan.

The next day we trekked about 22 km to another village that we stayed in. That night was one of the most amazing sunsets I have seen in China. Once again, this village was very primitive in that each family grows its own food and the houses are a big one room layout blocked off by sheets for sleeping.

The third day was the longest. We trekked down to a rain forest area, but in total trekked probably 25-28 km of serious up and down hills. Having trekked already for two days I was ready to be done. My knees was hurting, the sights were all the same, and I was dirty and just wanted to be done. The last hour of the trek the heavens opened up and completely poured on us. Hiking downhill, in the mud, knee hurting was not my idea of fun, but we survived.

While I was so happy to be done with the trek, it was an amazing experience. The views of the tea covered hillsides and rain forest were breathtaking and to see the minority people's everyday lifestyle was eye-opening. The simplicity of it all was great and will definitely be a memory I will not forget. However, despite the simplicity of their lives it is apparent that their lifestyles are improving. Many houses had running water and some had solar heaters. The water is not drinkable, but then again you cannot drink the water in Shanghai either. Each of the houses we stayed in had electricity and TV's and even a phone. It was interesting though to see these modern conveniences but at the same time they still have to grow all their own crops and raise their own animals. While the older generation spoke only Bulang, the younger generation is learning Mandarin and are slowly being able to move out of the village life and into the cities to learn English. It was also apparent that there was an abundance of food, which twenty years ago in China was not always the case. So, while I looked at the lifestyle as being postmodern (to say the least) there were still huge positive changes happening within the the villages.

Biking in the Tropics

2008-07-15T15:10:00.002+08:00

I never thought that I would say that I would be biking in the tropics in the rain forest in China, but there I was on a mountain bike in the tropics in China. Ryan, my cousin, and I spent a week in Xishuangbanna. For those of you who are not familiar with Chinese geography, Xishuangbanna is the most southwest region in China that borders Myanmar and Laos. For two days we rented bikes and explored the surrounding areas around Jinghong (the main city). The coolest day was when we found a dirt trail that took us through villages, rubber tree plantations, and tea plantations. For about four hours we cruised around the towns and finally up a dirt hill. To be surrounded by such beautiful scenery was so amazing and to see some of the local minority villages is indescribable. Coming from Shanghai, one of the biggest and fastest growing cities in the world to being in villages where the farming is done by hand and the grains are set out to dry on the roads and basketball courts is such a huge change. What I like most about China is how diverse it is. I have been so many places around China these past two years, but Jinghong felt different from any place that I have been. Since it borders Myanmar and Laos, it has more of an Asian Pacific feel compared to the typical China feel.

When we got back to Jinghong it was super mellow. We found a cafe called Mekong Cafe that served a great drink called the Mekong Bang Bang. Basically it was fresh pineapple juice and their moonshine (bai Jiao) and they only cost 10 RMB each (about $1.40). I also love Yunnan Province because they have good coffee, which beats the heck out of instant coffee. There was also a lot of good fresh fruit juices and shakes. I probably could have stayed longer but we booked a three day trek and so we were limited to only two days of biking.

Crazy Chinese Motorcyclists

2008-07-06T07:43:00.000+08:00

Shanghai really can be beautiful (despite the smog and rain)

2008-06-30T08:29:00.003+08:00

The Joy of Teaching

2008-06-28T15:47:00.003+08:00

When people find out I teach 4 and 5 year olds they wonder how I do it. For starters, they have the attention span equivalent to a goldfish, there is the constant need to tell on others and whine when they are not first in line, some still don't have the capability to hold pencils, scissors, or go to the bathroom before having an accident, and they appear to always have energy, except for those rare moments when they are tired and then they just become grumpy. However, the reality is that teaching the little ones is a blast. Never in my life would I have thought I would enjoy it, but I do. Their constant energy and excitement over the little things is contagious. They really do say the most random things and the most inappropriate moments, but it is at these times when you can't help but laugh. No matter how mad you get, they always forgive and nothing is better than a hug from a five year old to brighten your day. One of the best things though of teaching this age group is the amount they learn in a short period of time. When they started my class most could barely write their name and they had not even started writing, but now my students can read short books and write sentences (spelling may not be perfect though) among many other things. Being that this was the last week of school, I got presents and cards from many of my students. The best came from a letter written by one of the parents in my class, and this one letter made all the hard work and struggles from this year worth while. Knowing that I made a difference in their child's life is what makes teaching so rewarding. How many other jobs give you this satisfaction? Anyways, here is what was written:

"Dear Sarah:
We don't know how many kids you have teach. We don't know how many kids you are going to teach. But we know you will be the special on in Sabrina's memory. Because of you can she be able to read. Because of you can she make her stories."

It's reminders like these that make going to work worthwhile and rewarding. Getting summers off too is also a plus, but who's counting? Oh, and the kids are cute too (just look at the pictures!)

No More Pencils, No More Books, No More Teacher's Dirty Looks

2008-06-28T12:15:00.003+08:00

School's out for summer! School's out forever! Maybe you caught onto the song by Alice Cooper, but it is true, school is out for summer. Yesterday was the last day and it truthfully has not sunk in. I did not cry, but I was sad to say goodbye to a couple of my little ones. I was truly blessed by a great group of students and parents, and I feel lucky to have had a good year. I was also blessed by having so many fun friends to teach with. Being the extrovert that I am, it would not ave been as good of a year had I not been surrounded by my friends while teaching. They helped to keep me sane both in and out of school and have given me many fun memories of random stuff that we did throughout the year. To all my friends at BISS, thanks for making this year so great.

The time has come...

2008-06-22T11:35:00.002+08:00

The last week of school is now approaching and I am not sure if I should be happy or sad. The halls of BISS are filled with teachers who have looks of exhaustion written all over them and the students either have the same look or are completely stir crazy and wound up. However, I am happy that I still have energy, although my lesson plans are pretty much nonexistent at this point. One thing is for certain, I have loved teaching this year. Despite the craziness of some of the events that have occurred in my classroom, I can honestly say that I have really enjoyed this past year. My students are awesome and keep me laughing and on my toes. Never in my life plans did I ever think that I would be teaching 4 and 5 year olds, but here I am. Their innocence and joy for life is truly contagious and has taught me so much.

As my last week of school approached so does my last month of living in China. Once again, I am not sure if I should be happy or sad. The reality is that I have really enjoyed the experience of living in China. Sure I have had those "I hate China" moments where the spitting and peeing in streets and cutting in line and everything else becomes overwhelming and I just want to get the heck out of here, but soon those moments fade and I really like it again. One thing is for certain, I have had an amazing two years and words cannot give justice to all that I have experienced and learned. Never would I have thought that two of my years would be spent living in China, but I am glad that they have. I think that everyone should live abroad, at least for awhile. The people that I have met and the things I have experienced have broaden my perspective on the world.

Living in the States made me a bit sheltered to the world around me and I never realized how much event in America affect everyone else. Sure I had heard it before and people talk about how much of an influence the US has, but until these past two years I never really believed it. It has been interesting to see how much Europeans care about the 2008 Election and how many people who are not American know so much about Obama, Clinton, and McCain. Seeing how much they care about the Election really has made me want to know more too.

It has also been a very interesting and exciting time to be living in China. This past year so many events have occurred (the Free Tibet movement, the Olympics, the Sichuan Earthquake...) and having to view these events within China has been eye-opening. I am curious to see how the rest of the world is viewing China right and how the news portrays these events. I am also starting to see many positive changes in China that are making more optimistic about its future. China has just started a policy in which at the grocery stores you have to buy your own plastic bags in order to encourage people to recycle them and/or buy reusable bags. This will create a huge positive change and reduce the amount of plastic waste in China. There are also small changes that are occurring in the people; at crosswalks cars are now starting to stop for pedestrians, people are not pushing as much in lines, there are more "common courtesy" signs up to encourage people not to spit and throw trash. While these are all small steps, they are a start to a bettering of China.

On July 27th I will be leaving Shanghai. I do not know if it will be for good or if I will return, but I will not be in China for the Olympics. Beijing has undergone a lot of preparation for the Olympics and I just hope that all their work will pay off. Part of me is not sure the world is quite ready for China, but all will be determined during the Olympics. Sure Beijing is not like the rest of "Real China" (and Shanghai is not either) but it is a glimpse into what China can be like. I know that it will be cool to watch it all from TV and know the places they are talking about and to see how things are viewed from abroad.

And so I embark on the last month of my time in China. Half of it will be spent here in Shanghai and the other half will be spent exploring Yunnan with my cousin. I do know for certain that I will miss China and that I can honestly say that I am glad I came.

When I grow up...

2008-06-09T16:36:00.005+08:00

Today I decided what I want to be when I grow up... a writer. However, I realize my inability to write well, and so I am left having to copy another person's work. Today I started to read a book called China Road. It is a book written by a British gentleman who records his travels from Shanghai to Kazakhstan in hopes to learn more about China's future from regular people. Anyways, the first part is about four days he spent in Shanghai. I really enjoyed this part of the book and the descriptions he had about Shanghai and life within Shanghai. For someone who has never been to Shanghai, or rather has only been to Shanghai (and nowhere else in China), he might be blinded by the amazing fast pace of life and sky scrapers and bright lights, but there actually is a lot of history in Shanghai. And so here are some cool descriptions of Shanghai that I am stealing from Rob Gifford:

There is an intangible feel in Shanghai, an urgency, a hope and optimism that hangs in the air all around you from the minute you arrive. People are pushing forward, with their feet and in their heads, building a future, building a country, moving towards some distant, unseen goal.

New York City makes a good comparison. Beijing is Washington, DC, a capital city, too obsessed with politics to be at the forefront of commerce. Shanghai is Manhattan, although in many ways it is Manhattan in about 1910- a boomtown with immigrants flooding in. There are roughly 13 million people in Shanghai (New York in 1910 had about 5 million). As in New York a hundred years ago, many of these people have just arrived from somewhere else.
There is no Statue of Liberty to welcome them here, but as I stand looking out across the corrugated river to the Elysian Fields of Pudong, it seems to me there should be. Or at least a Statue of Opportunity...
One shiny new office tower on the other side of the river has become a huge TV screen, with advertisements and government propaganda alternately lighting up the entire side of the building, one message replaces five seconds later by another.
Welcome to Shanghai. Tomorrow will be even more beautiful.
1,746 more days until the Shanghai World Expo.
Sexual equality is a basic policy of our country.
Eat Dove chocolate.

First of all, yes, there is a consumer boom, but the majority of people have no access to it. If in the US you need money to get power, in China you need power to get money. China's prosperity today is just a patina of wealth, accessible mainly to the corrupt and the very fortunate at the top, which disguises a seething mass of urban social problems, such as unemployment, crime and outdated housing. And don't even mention the countryside. Just go a mile from the neon on the Bund and Nanjing Road and you will find thousands of people living on $40 per month, severance pay from their former factory jobs at now-defunct factories. They have no health insurance, and if they become really sick, all they can do is go home and die.
Sections of the big department store are permanently empty, as are many of the new office blocks and shopping malls, built as a result of corrupt deals, giving a veneer affluence that makes the city look more prosperous than it is. For every member of the emergent middle class who drives her family to Pizza Hut in her new Volkswagen, there are perhaps a hundred who can barely afford a bicycle.

Everything I have just written, from both points of view, is true. It just depends on how you look at it. Is the glass half empty or is it half full? How foreigners see China often has as much to do with their own characters and their own prejudices (or the character and prejudices of the reporter who writes the article or book they read) as it has to do with the reality on the ground. For every fact that is true about China, the opposite is almost always true as well, somewhere in the country...
What do I think? It depends on which day you ask me. China messes with my head on a daily basis. One day I think that it really is going to take over the world, and that the Chinese government is doing the most extraordinary thing the planet has ever witnessed. The World Bank says China has lifted 400 million people out of poverty since 1978. That's more than the entire population of South America.
The next day it will all seem built on sand and I expect it all to come tumbling down around us. I'll be disgusted at the way the Communist Party treats its people, and shocked at the sheer cost it all, the human cost, which seems acceptable to the government in everything it does.

Just thought I should post something

2008-06-08T13:15:00.002+08:00

So it has been two weeks or so since I have posted anything, mainly because life here seems like it has been a bit crazy. Not so much crazy in a bad way, but just busy. I remember when I was in school teachers always seemed a bit all over the place at the end of the year, and that is how I feel. The good news is that things are coming to a very nice end. I am having a good time both socially and at work, so it makes life fun. I have been able to play more soccer and volleyball and have been loving it. I just finished my last credential course (minus my student teaching) and my reports and being checked as I type.

Last weekend my class had a class BBQ at one of the family's house and it was good fun. I realize how much I like the students and parents in my class and that I have been lucky to have such a good group. Surprisingly it was good to be able to talk to parents outside of a work setting. I am going to miss my little kids and I think I might try to make the conversion to teach Primary School when I get back. The little ones have grown on me.

Hmmm... what other updates are there? I guess here is the breakdown of my time in China:

3 weeks left of school (13 1/2 days to be exact)
4 weeks till my cousin Ryan comes to visit. We may go to Sichuan province, but not sure b/c of the earthquake.
49 days till I am back in San Diego

I guess that is it for now. Life is good, China is good, weather is not too hot (yet), and just enjoying the day to day craziness of life and China.

A Great Day...

2008-05-25T19:29:00.002+08:00

Today was a great day. I went with a group of about 16 other people to a town outside of Shanghai to play soccer. I do realize that I play soccer just about every weekend or so, but that soccer is 7 aside on a turf field. While it is fun, it does not compare with playing 11 aside on a grass field. It has been almost two years since I have played 11 aside and I forgot how much I love it. We played a Chinese team and it was loads of fun. For once in my life I did not have to play goalie, and I honestly think I prefer field now. The best part was that I scored a diving header goal! After the game we went swimming (which I have not done in awhile), then went to lunch, followed by a foot massage. I now want to play soccer so much more. I cannot wait to get back to San Diego to play again. All in all a very fun day!

Getting ready for the Olympics

2008-05-20T20:09:00.005+08:00

Beijing Baby!

2008-05-20T19:54:00.003+08:00

Just your usual dancing in the park. Apparently Sundays are when people bring out their best dance moves and vocals.

What better way to spend a Sunday than a nap?

Just hanging out... Check out the Chinglish on the sign.

Looking down a Hutong.
If teaching does not work out then I can always become a rickshaw driver.

After the 1/2 Marathon we had a day to explore Beijing. While I have been there before, I went to places that I had not yet explored. My friend Sarah and I spent the day exploring a park and the hutongs. It was nice just to be able to walk around, and the sky was actually blue in Beijing!

The Great Wall 1/2 Marathon

2008-05-20T19:33:00.003+08:00

I know I originally planned to do the full marathon, but after only having three weeks to train I decided it would be smarter to do the half. In honesty I do not think I could have done the full, and if I could have I probably would not have been able to walk very well after the race. It really was a very cool race and I had a lot of fun.

Let the countdown begin

2008-05-14T06:31:00.002+08:00

I have learned this year that teachers countdown the days till summer and other holidays more than students. It is kind of fun and reminds me of back when I used to countdown the days; however, instead of starting the countdown at smaller numbers like 10 or 15, teachers start as soon as one holiday ends. As of now, I have 32 1/2 days of teaching. To be honest, it is a bit bittersweet as I am really happy with my job and will miss the little ones when I leave. Now, for the big countdown... drum roll please... 73 days till I am I am in San Diego! This too is a bit bittersweet as well. Don't get me wrong, I am convinced that my time here will be done, but right now I am having a blast. It is good to leave on a high though and I think (well know) I will be ready. I cannot wait for the beach! This will be the longest stint in the twenty-five years of my existence. I will have gone for 7 months without seeing the beach and 11 1/2 months without steeping foot in the ocean! Craziness! Ah, to be able to swim in the waves and tan in the sun... I know I will be ready when I leave. So here is the official breakdown of my time here:

6 1/2 weeks of teaching
7 weeks till my cousin comes to Shanghai
3 weeks of traveling around with him
4 days till I get on the plane for good ols Cal-i-forn-i-a

A sweet walk home

2008-05-12T21:53:00.003+08:00

Of the things I will miss most in China, I know I will miss my walk home from the bus each evening. It is so awesome to walk home surrounded by the tall skyscrapers that light up the sky. Even to this day I still am stunned by the view of the buildings. Since I do not have a tripod nor a quality camera nor a steady hand, the night pictures tend to get a bit blurry when I take them, but here are a few pics. Well, most of them are of the same building as it changes colors.

A night out...

2008-05-12T21:40:00.003+08:00

Shanghai is definitely a fun place to go out... Last weekend I had a couple fun nights out. Here are some pictures from the nights of fun.

Bittersweet

2008-05-06T21:01:00.002+08:00

This period of my life can only be described as bittersweet. For one, I feel a bit bipolar right now (although, since I am a Psychology major, I do know that I am not). Last week I was not liking living in China and could want nothing more than to be home, but as I look to book my flight home I honestly admit I am a bit sad. I don't really know if I should be happy knowing that I will be back in San Diego or a bit saddened knowing that this adventure is soon over. As much as I get frustrated with some of the common occurrences that happen everyday here, I know that part of me will miss them. Part of me will miss the dodging of cars and motorcycles when I am crossing on greens and the incessant honking and the street spitting and babies with splitty pants and pushing in line and the miscommunication in taxis... So as I approach my last three months in China I realize I will hit lots of highs and lows of being torn between really wanting to be in San Diego but I also know that I need to appreciate the random chaoticness of living in China because I have to admit, I will miss it.

A day in my life

2008-05-01T11:25:00.005+08:00

I have to admit that there are moments when I just want to get out of China and not have to deal with the day to day hassles. Every now and then it seems like the little things of China just start to annoy the heck out of me. Some of these things are: people spitting everywhere, motorcycles driving down sidewalks, people everywhere I turn, lack of lines and the need to always push... However, these annoyances do pass and then I start to like living here, but now is a time where the hassles of China are wearing on me. To deal with this, I decided to take my camera and take pictures of my normal life to remind me that things aren't that bad and that in three months when I leave these are the things I will miss. While I will love being back in San Diego, there will be things that cannot be replicated there from China.

One of my cross streets...

And my other cross street.

This is the outside of my apartment building. In case you were wondering what Jack Hut is, Jack Hut is pretty much the most awesome hole in the wall drink place ever. It is here that I can get iced coffee or boba tea or a mango smoothie for about 60 cents. And it is convenient because it is across the street from my building. My new favorite thing is to get the mango smoothie after a long run. Basically the mango smoothie is my Slurpee replacement.

An empty Jack Hut cup where iced coffee once was.

This is the bakery I buy my wheat bread from. For whatever reason the Chinese love their white bread and wheat bread is not the easiest thing to find. While it is not multigrain bread, it is not bad. I just have to make sure I get there early enough to buy it before it sells out.

Now the Lianhua is no Ralphs or Vons but it is as close to a grocery store as I can get. OK, that is a lie, but it is the only one within walking distance to my apartment. It does not have everything, but I can find just about all the essentials here to get me by.

The vegetable produce store.

And where I buy my fruit.

Just your normal street repair.

Taking a break to read the paper... who needs a coffee shop?

View from the top...

2008-05-01T09:13:00.003+08:00

The Lupu Bridge is just one of the many bridges in Shanghai. This is the bridge that I go over every day to get to work. What is cool about this bridge is that you can take an elevator to the top and walk across the arch to get a cool view of Shanghai. As you can see, Shanghai is full of construction and cranes. I think I read somewhere that China has more cranes than any other country, and I believe it. In one of the pictures you can see that they are getting ready to build more. I am not sure what will be put in in the cleared area but I can only imagine that next year it will look completely different. The area around the Lupu Bridge that has been cleared out did have factories and other buildings, but in just the past few months they have all been taken down to get ready for something bigger and better I guess. While it was overcast when we went, the smog was not too bad so there actually was a good view. It is kind of hard to find a perfect day to go because of the smog, so my friends and I just decided to compromise and go on an overcast yet somewhat smogless day.

Looking down from the arch to the road below... this is where I drive everyday.

The two building sticking up are the Jin Mao and what I like to call "The Big Ugly". The Big Ugly is actually going to be the International Finance Center and is the World's Tallest Building. It will be the tallest till the one in Dubai gets finished.

This is the area that has been cleared out... China is always clearing out and building new things.

Some of the cranes and a view looking down the river.

I miss the beach

2008-04-26T17:50:00.002+08:00

I am officially having beach withdrawals. The weather in San Diego is now approaching beach perfection (except for the water being cold) and I want to be there. I am ok in China, but I am reminded how much I love San Diego. Ahhh... to be basking in the warm sun or running on the boardwalk at sunset or playing beach volleyball followed by fish tacos and margaritas , now that is perfection. Only three months to go!

Good idea or bad idea

2008-04-26T17:40:00.002+08:00

I am not sure if it is a good idea or a bad idea, but this week I decided to do the Great Wall Marathon the weekend of May 17th. A group of friends are going to do it and someone dropped out so I am taking her spot. The smart thing would be to do the 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) but since most my friends are going the full my pride is sort of pushing me to do the full. I have already done four 1/2 marathons and doing a full has always been something I want to do, so why not start with one of the hardest? The terrain will be a bit rough (the understatement on the century) with it being on the wall, but how amazing it will be to do it. The whole race is not on the wall, but I will hit the wall twice. When not on the wall, I will be running through villages and rice fields among other things. While I think (well, know) that I will be hurting when I finish, I also know that this may be one of the coolest things I have ever done. I have the next week off of school and decided before doing the marathon not to travel, so now my holiday will be spent trying to run and do stairs. Today I started my training with an hour and twenty minute run followed by going up and down the twenty flights of stairs in my apartment building. If anything, I will be an expert stair climber by the end of this. I will update how I do after the race and give a report of how my body survived it. One thing I know for sure, if I did not go for it I would regret it when I leave China, so I have to do it.

My Dali Story

2008-04-04T16:46:00.003+08:00

I went to Dali. It was fun. I rode my bike and hiked and chilled out. I also took some pictures that are cool. I think they are good pictures, my mom would probably agree but my brother may beg to differ. You should go to Dali because it is a good place. The end.

Today was awesome!

2008-03-29T15:51:00.002+08:00

Today I went for another bike ride (my third one of the trip). Pretty much it was amazing. The sun was shining, the skies were blue, and I was happy. It is so cool to be able to ride around and see the local farmers and villagers. My friend and I explored a village that had a market going on. While it was mostly crap that was being sold, it was still cool. I really do love exploring random places and I enjoyed going down random dirt paths and getting lost in the different towns. Pictures will soon be posted. But, and this is sad, yesterday I managed to delete all my pictures from the trip. It was a sad moment on the trip, but I still have pictures from yesterday afternoon and today. I guess somethings you all will have to see with your own eyes (or through other people's pictures).

Yaks, yaks, and more yaks

2008-03-29T15:43:00.003+08:00

I remember when my friend went to Russia and I saw her pictures of yaks and how jealous I became. How cool was it that she got to see a real yak (and not at teh SD Zoo). Well, travelling in Yunnan province (southwest China) I have not seen yaks, but yak is a common product on the menu. I apologize in advance for any vegetarians that are reading this or people who are anti-yak eating. Anyways, moving on, the first day my friend and I were in Lijinag we say "Yak on a Stick" and had to order it. I must admit, it was not that bad. Then for Easter, while the rest of the world is searching for eggs and eating ham or lamb, we we dining on all sorts of yak products. A guy who worked at the guesthouse we were staying at took us to a local restaurant and ordered for us. What apeared before us was a smogesborg (know I spelled that wrong) of yak products. We had fried yak meat, a yak butter-chesse type dip (think of blue cheese made from yak milk), yak milk tea, and to top it off (and Idid not realize this was what it was and truthfully did not eat much of it) a glutonous rice thing with yak blood (apparently the Brits call it Black Pudding but don't make theirs from yak blood). The food was not horrible, but my favorite dish was the local vegetables. This will defintitely be an Easter meal I will not forget.

Travelling in the Southwest

2008-03-28T17:51:00.005+08:00

The past week I have been travelling in the southwest region of China (Yunnan Province to be exact). It has honestly been super mellow with not too much excitement, but good fun. The Yunnan Province is absolutely gorgeous with a balance of mountains and farmland. It has been wonderful getting out of the cement block of Shanghai and being able to just be in open land. I have spent three days hiking and two days biking, seeing amazing sights (I will post pictures when I return to Shanghai). Right now I am in a town called Dali. Of all the days, today has been the best. To start, it was warm. I was able to wear shorts and a shirt all day and sandels. How my feet have missed the sunshine. My friend, Claire, and I rented bikes and biked down to the is lake and all around these coutryside villages. It was amazing to get lost in the alleys of these villages and see the locals' daily rountines. There is a lot of farming aroung here and everything is done by hand, no machines. We were able to bike through the peoples' fields as they picked potatoes, green onions, and other vegetables. As I was on my bike looking at the farm fields with a snowy mountain backdrop I could not think of a cooler place to be. Never in my life did I ever think I would be biking through the countryside of China, but here I was. To top it off, I was able to wear my Rainbows! How I miss wearing sandels. I am convinced that moments like today will be among some of my top memories of China. While I love Shanghai (I cannot think of a better Chinese city to live) I also love getting out to explore.

With April about to start, I realize I only have four months of China left. Who knows, maybe I will return when I finish my Credential, but for now I just have to experience what I can while I am here. This summer I am going to do a bit more China travelling. I am debating between the Sichuan Province and Inner Mongolia. I know that both these regions have areas that, like today, have been untouched by the Western World's influence, and would be cool t check out.

Tomorrow is the last day of my holiday and I will either bike again or check out a minority village (not sure which). Pictures of my travels will be posted soon.

This is where I run...

2008-03-21T21:23:00.003+08:00

Pretty crazy that this is where I run. Never thought my runs would consist of Chinese villages, but then again never thought I would be living in China for two years teaching at a British International School. I guess life is kind of funny like that, which also makes it kind of cool.

A brief update

2008-03-16T13:40:00.002+08:00

I realize I have not posted in a bit, but life has been crazy over here and unfortunately I have not being doing anything too exciting or worthy of putting on my log. However, I have decided that I will have to resort to putting some not too exciting stuff on my blog just so that I can put a post up.

The past three weeks have not been the most fun of my life (I will admit) but have been getting better. Three weeks ago I had an incident with one of my students in which he went into a fit hitting and kicking teachers and throwing the tables and chairs in our play room for an hour and a half (it took that long to calm him down). Let's just say it was a very emotional and stressful day that made the week stressful too. Then the following week (two weeks ago) had to do follow up with the students and family and I was sick too. It was not a good combination. However, with the drama from that student being taken care of, despite being sick, it was a better week. Then last week,I got a terrible tooth ache and had to get a root canal and had two nights of parents' consultation. Despite these two things, my week was the best in the past few weeks. Who would have thought a a root canal and Parents' Nights could make for a good week? Yesterday I went on another Hash run to some mountains outside of Shanghai, and it was good fun. I am convinced that this week is going to be great. Oh, and after this week I get a week off and will be traveling around China (woo hoo!).

So I guess that is what has been happening. Despite it all, life is still good. Been running and playing soccer more, which is great! Meeting fun people and having a good time with my friends. Enjoying the fact that it is becoming warmer and the sun is shining more than it has been in the past. Sunshine is always a good thing.

My students are good and are a lot of fun. It is fun to see how much they are learning and have learned and they make me laugh. The last funny thing they did was we were reviewing the sounds "b" and "f". I had them share items beginning with these sounds, and then in their books they had to write three sentences saying "It is a ____" and fill in the blank with a "f" or "b" word and draw three pictures. One of my very cheeky students wrote (and had his table follow his lead) "It is a botim" and drew a picture of a butt and even colored it peach. So their whole table all had pictures of "botims" in their books. I really didn't know what to say because "Botim" does start with "b".

My Saturday Run

2008-02-17T12:17:00.003+08:00

Here are pictures from the area I went for a run this weekend. We ran out in Pudong where the ocean and the Yangtze River meet. The pictures of the water are of the Yangtze River. The other pictures are of the village area we ran through. I must admit, the scenery is pretty cool. While I do miss being able to run at Mission Beach and Bay, I cannot complain about running through areas like this, definitely a cool experience.

Taikang Lu

2008-02-17T12:06:00.003+08:00

In an attempt to make the most out of my time left in China I am trying to go out and explore the streets of Shanghai. Last weekend I spent a few hours walking around, with my final destination an area called Taikang Lu.

Hangzhou... always a good time

2008-02-08T12:59:00.000+08:00

I have decided that one of my favorite places in China is Hangzhou. Hangzhou is a town just outside of Shanghai and has a lake, called West Lake. It is nice because It is super chill and you can just walk around the lake and hang out with friends. Every time I go I spend too much time in Starbucks, but Starbucks has just become part of the Hangzhou experience. Three of my friends and I went for Chinese New Year for three days. The first day it was snowing a bunch. It was fun walking in the snow, but got cold after awhile, so we went and played cards in Starbucks till we got kicked out because you are not allowed to play cards in Starbucks (who knew?). That night we stayed up to 4 am in the hostel playing cards and drinking and just laughing harder than i have in awhile. It is amazing how much entertainment can come from a deck of cards. The next day we slept in and walked around the lake again. This day it was not snowing and it was so peaceful and fun walking and talking and laughing. That night we went out to a Chinese restaurant and then to a Mexican bar for Karaoke and margaritas. It was fun because outside there were a bunch of guys being guys playing with fireworks and firecrackers (since it was New Year's). We just laughed as they acted crazy. I was impressed that no hands were lost. The next day we just spent it in Starbucks (again) and walked a bit more, oh, and we went to a silk museum. Even though we did not do much it was a great time and I have not laughed so much in three days as I did in Hangzhou. Here are pictures of the lake and us (mainly me) being stupid.

Just being happy

2008-02-08T12:46:00.000+08:00

I love the moments when I just feel happy. I am not talking about when you should feel happy (i.e. Christmas, going home to San Diego, my birthday, traveling to a cool country...) but the moments when I am not doing anything special and I am just happy. This past week I have just been happy. Maybe it is because I have the week off of work, but really I think it is more than that. Last year I spent every moment of not working traveling and this is the first time I am not doing anything for the holiday. OK, kind of a lie, as I went to Hangzhou for 3 days, but Hangzhou is only an hour away by train so it is not that far. Anyways, while in Hangzhou I was in the best mood. I do love Hangzhou and just walking around the lake, but I think it is also that I realize how lucky I am to be in China. Sure China has its moments (the understatement of the year) when people are spitting everywhere and won't wait in line and my apartment won't heat up among other things, but there are times when I just stop and think, "wow, I live in China and this is cool." It is cool because I get to experience so many cool things that so many people do not. Half the time I forget I am in China because life has become normal, but now that I will be leaving in the next half year I am realizing that I need to experience as much of China as I can and appreciate it for what it is. I have decided to start exploring more, meaning I just want to get lost in the streets with my camera to take pictures of everyday life. I want to travel to places within China that I have not seen instead of always looking to escape to another country on my holiday. I want to go back to Hangzhou and rent bikes and ride around the city and I want to get a bike (or borrow one) to ride around the streets of Shanghai. While there are lots of things that frustrate me about China, I have truly been blessed by my experience here and this past week I realized this (although this is not the first time I have realized this). I also have been blessed by my friends here. Both my jobs have put me in the company of really good people, and that helps. As you well know I am the definition of an extrovert and without people I go insane. On the other hand, I have also learned to be happy being by myself. Living alone had forced me to do this, and I love it too... the best of both worlds. I know that I will get frustrated again with things here (probably starting with me going back to work next week... ugh) but for now I will just be happy.

Around town

2008-01-28T21:46:00.000+08:00

I have decided to post pictures of around town. I am not traveling much right now so I figured I would show you the streets around where I live. These are all taken with a few blocks of my apartment.

Umbrellas are everywhere!

2008-01-28T21:30:00.001+08:00

A love for umbrellas

2008-01-26T16:59:00.000+08:00

Having lived in China for a year and a half now I have picked up on some odd things that the Chinese love. I guess they are odd for me (and other foreigners) but to the Chinese these things are probably not odd. For example, a food called cho dofu (translated smelly tofu). If you wonder how it got its name, the name explains it all. Literally you walk by where they are cooking it and you are bombarded with a stench. Another thing they (mainly the girls) are mixed match patterns and glittery clothes. Anything article of clothing is almost guaranteed to have glitter on it or have been bedazzled. However, they have a deep and devoted love to umbrellas. Considering it does rain quite a bit I would expect there to be umbrellas out and about quite often, but even when it does not rain they manage to emerge and make themselves present in the street. This wouldn't be so annoying, except that dodging umbrellas has become a regular routine that I am not too keen on. Today it was cold enough to snow. I will admit that I like it better when it snows over the rain because I don't get all wet and the streets are not as muddy, but I found it very peculiar that even in the snow the Chinese have umbrellas out. I am convinced that their deep devotion to them enables them to justify using them 365 days a year. I realize that there is a justification for using the umbrella so the snow does not fall on your head, but never in my life have I been out on a snowy day with hundreds (that really is not an exaggeration, maybe only a slight one) of umbrellas all around me. Oh well, such is life. Even after a year and a half of living here I have not picked up this daily commitment of umbrella usage, but then again I enjoy the sunshine on my face and collection of snow flakes on my head and jacket.

Freaking freezing

2008-01-26T12:20:00.000+08:00

Right now China is freaking freezing. Now, I love the snow (as can be seen in my earlier posts) but the problem with Shanghai is that inside apartments are cold. You may be saying in your head "Sarah, turn your heater on, stop being so cheap" but my heater is on and it is still cold. It is set for 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) but it is still cold. I am sitting here with my pj pants, socks, and a fleece and my feet are numb. I attribute this to the fact that there is not central heating (only one unit per room that don't work super well) not to mention the zero insulated walls, and the fake hard wood floors (that are cold). Man, it is not fun. Oh well, such is life.

Right now it is snowing outside. The snow is melting when it hits the ground, but it is snowing. Someone said this is the coldest it has been in 10 years, and I believe it. I am bummed because I have a week off the week after next and I decided not to go to Thailand based on how much tickets were, now I am wishing I could be on a beach with the sun and warmth. Such is life and I know that I will get through it. I can now say that I have lived abroad and in a place where it snows. I am just going to have to think warm thoughts for now and drink warm beverages, but considering I love coffee that is not such a bad thing.

Little things

2008-01-13T12:03:00.000+08:00

One reason I love Shanghai is because of the little things that make me happy. While I have access to a lot of "western" items, the options are still limited. While it can be annoying to not have a Trader Joe's or huge super market, it makes getting certain items really exciting. Earlier this week a mom in my class told me that she was going to HongQiao (an area in Shanghai) to the City Shop (a western market chain). Well, there are City Shops even closer, but she was going to this one because they have Flavored Coffee Mate creamer. Now you may be thinking, "so what?" but, this is the first time I have heard of it being in China as I have not seen it in any of the shops I go to. To make things even better, she said that she would pick me up some. So, on Friday, her son brought me a bottle of Vanilla Coffee Mate. I was so excited to be able to make coffee at break that day and use (and share) the creamer. Mmmmm, it was so good, ah, the little things. Then, yesterday (Saturday)I went to the Post Office to pick up a Christmas package from a friend. Getting packages is so fun and I was happy to get Christmas jelly beans among other Christmas goodies. If I were home these things would not excite me as much, but I am realizing more and more that it is the little things that make me happy.

When I was home (in San Diego) little things that made me happy were:

Watching the sun set over the ocean (always a good thing)
Being able to get in my car and drive. Did not have to be anywhere special, but just being able to drive.
Being able to run and not be bombarded by tons of people, pollution, and crazy drivers
Going to the grocery store knowing that they would have what I wanted
Mexican food... nothing beats carne asada
Good beer on tap
Of course, friends and family, but seeing people is not a "little thing" in my eyes since I have to travel across the world, but nothing beats being able to call someone, make plans, and actually get to hang with them. I do miss being able to just go out for coffee to catch up and talk and catch up. That is something I do miss. While it is nice to have a phone and my blog to catch up, doing it face-to-face is always best.

Back to life, back to reality

2008-01-10T21:01:00.000+08:00

After three weeks off of school and being back in California for the holidays, I am now back in Shanghai. While I cannot complain about having the time off, it does make it that much more difficult to get back into the swing of life. For now it is getting used to waking up at 6 am five days a week, lesson planning, being with kids all day, dealing with crazy taxi drivers and people who spit everywhere and the craziness of China. Oh well, all good things have to come to an end and so it is back to the daily grind for me once again.

Winter Wonderland

2008-01-10T20:32:00.000+08:00

Over New Year's I went to Lake Tahoe to snow board and to just hang out. It was an amazing time with new and old friends. Over the past year and a half I must admit that I have done some amazing traveling and have seen some amazing sights, but it is good to know that places as beautiful as Tahoe exist so close to home.

Class Xmas Party

2007-12-13T17:34:00.000+08:00

Today was our Christmas Party. I must say, it was a ton of fun. The class moms were excellent and took care of everything. One of the highlights of the party were the pinatas. Each class (3 in total) had one pinata. My class got to go first to break their pinata. Each child took turns swinging 3 times. After all had gone, not a dent was made in the pinata, so... Round Two of pinata whacking went on and still no damage done. Knowing that we had to break the freaking thing open, I decided to give it a go. On my second swing the stick cracked in two, causing one end to fly at my students, nailing one if them in the arm. I felt horrible, but what could I do. I looked over, and to my luck, one of my parents had video taped me hitting the pinata, breaking the stick, and hitting my student. Just my luck. I had to think fast so I just gave him th stick and told him to take a turn. Thank God all was forgotten after he got a couple swings in. I learned a valuable lesson: make sure you face away from students when hitting a pinata. Despite this event, the party was a ton of fun (even the parents had a blast). Tomorrow is a half day and then we get three weeks off!!! I am so excited. Christmas in San Diego and New Year's in Tahoe... life is good!

Funny kidz stuff

2007-12-02T08:57:00.000+08:00

I realize that people wonder how the heck I can work with 4-5 year olds all day long and stay sane. At times I wonder this myself as I ave been known to not be the most patient person on the planet, but somehow I manage. I think what keep me going is how cute and innocent the kids are. They are so sweet and are always good for a laugh. While I know my story-telling abilities are usually shite, bare with me as I tell some of my favorite stories so far.

"The Elephant with Four Eyes"
One of my assignments I had my students do was identify and color their favorite animal. Basically it was an easy task of choosing a coloring sheet, coloring it, and then cutting it out and gluing into their Topic Book for "Favorite Animal". There was no creating the animal, or gluing anything to the animal, just pick it put, color it, and cut it out. This assignment was done during one of my free periods, so another teacher was supervising my class. When I returned to the class students were shouting to me "Miss Fudge, look, I like cats!" "See my tiger!" "Miss Fudge, I like dogs" and so on. As I walked around the classroom I went up to a boy John who said, "Look, Miss Fudge, I like elephants." As I looked at his elephant, he had strategically drawn on a piece of paper a line with to dots to each side (looking very similar to a penis) and had glued it (even though nothing was told to get glued to the picture) where the genitals would be. A bit shocked and puzzled as to why he had done this, I pointed to the line and two dots and asked, "John, what are these?" "Eyes. My elephant has four eyes." I wasn't quite sure how to respond but I also did not want to explain to him that those were not eyes, so now John's elephant has four eyes.

"F,f,f.... fish!"
Part of our curriculum is teaching phonics and words that begin with all the letter sounds. For example: c,c,c, cat and d,d,d dog. One day (of course when a parent was helping out) I was teaching the sound 'f'. I asked the kids to shout out words that begin with this sound. So began the shouting of words "f,f,f, four!" "f,f,f, five" "f,f,f, fox" "f,f,f, Miss Fudge" "f,f,f, F*#@!". As I heard the word come out of little Andy's mouth I could only look up to the mother looking at me wondering how I would handle this.. "No, Andy, give me a new one." "Ok, f,f,f, fish" he replied. "Great job," I responded, as I tried to move on as if nothing had happened, praying that none of the other kids would pick up on this 'f' word.

Love at the Age of Four
My friend Sheridan and I team teach a lot, so our kids all know each other very well and they know both Sheridan and I well. What this has resulted in is students wanting to go into each other's classrooms to share with both the other students and with Sheridan and I. This also has resulted in some very close friendships between the two classes as well. What four year olds do not know is the crushes begin at this age and they are very apparent. One of these crushes that has formed is between one of my girls, Cynthia, and one of Sheridan's boys, Jason. One afternoon Cynthia came up to me, "Miss Fudge, can I go to Miss Potter's class?" "Why?" I asked. "To give Jason a high five," she responded. "Why do you want to give him a high five?" I continued to questioned. "Because we're in love." Ain't four year old love cute?

Thanksgiving!!!

2007-12-02T08:37:00.000+08:00

Being in a British school has left me outnumbered. Out of about 85 staff there are only 2 Americans (including myself). As a result, there are many American things that people just don't understand. So as November rolled around and Thanksgiving came up of course other people hadn't given two thoughts about what they would be doing on the fourth Thursday of November. However, seeing that I have yet to miss a Thanksgiving, asked Colter (the other American) if he would want to do anything. What started out as four of us going to dinner turned into a group of about 15 of us. The was a buffet dinner at a restaurant called City Diner, so we all went there. It was fun because for some it was their very first Thanksgiving dinner. Now, I will admit it was not as good as a home-cooked Thanksgiving and there were no mashed potatoes (I know?!?) but over all it was a good time had by all. It ended like any other traditional Thanksgiving dinner with people eating and drinking just a bit too much, we just didn't have any leftovers the next day. I have come to enjoy Thanksgiving because it is a time t bring people together to eat and drink a bit too much, but just have a good time. The best part of having it at a restaurant was no one had to cook or clean up.

Britsh lingo

2007-11-23T19:45:00.000+08:00

I never thought I would change my vocabulary, but working at a British School now has me changing the way I talk. I do not have a British accent at all (actually, many think I have the strongest accent in the school) but it does have me picking up words and phrases. Some of these are:

Take the piss- Make fun of
Football- Soccer
Jumper- Sweater
Trousers- Pants
Biscuits- Cookies
Bloody hell- What the heck?
Tidy up- Clean up
Rubbish- Trash
P.E. Kit- P.E. uniform
Mum- Mom

These are just some of them. I know there are more that I have picked up but I cannot think of them off the top of my head. I will add to the list as I start to adapt more British words and phrases.

My first soccer team

2007-11-23T19:36:00.000+08:00

I have now been in China for one year and three months and one of the things I have missed most was having a soccer team to play on. Coming from San Diego I was on three teams so it was difficult to be on none for over a year. However, I am now on a team. The league is 7 aside and my team's name is The Penguins (it was meant to be a joke name, but it stuck). It is a co-ed league but only because I make it co-ed. I thought being the only girl would be weird, but it is fun and the guys on my team are great. We have only had one game, but we won! Here is a link to check out th team photo: www.asas.com.cn/super7/teams_tps.asp. I just have to say that I love soccer. Oh, and working at a British School now has me calling soccer football.

Yea for Halloween...

2007-10-31T20:40:00.000+08:00

Running and running and running...

2007-10-27T13:58:00.000+08:00

This morning I was going to be late for my pilates class so I thought, "I will just go for a run." My friend asked if I wanted to do brunch and I told him sure, but I need to go running first so I will be back in like 45 minutes. I set out with my Ipod in hand for my run. There is a loop I had done before and started down that way but wanted to go just a bit further. Well as I kept running and running and running I realized I had no idea where I was. I thought I was in the right direction so I kept running. After about over an hour I decided to ask a Hotel where I was. They showed me a map and I realized I was completely in the wrong direction. I was told that I could run down this one road and I would be close to where I needed to be in about 1/2 hour. So I took off feeling optimistic till I realized nothing was looking familiar. I had no phone or money to catch a cab or subway so I was not sure what to do. I found a VW dealership and figured someone would speak English and point me in the right direction. Well, I found out that I had somehow ran to the other side of Shanghai and was no where near my home. Anyways, the guy who was helping me told me he could drive me to a subway station. We got in his car and he realized that he didn't have his wallet, which meant no money for me to catch the subway, so he volunteered to drive me home. As we drove we talked and listened to 50 Cent and I was completely embarrassed about how far off track I had run and really had not idea that I was that far away. Just to let you know how far I had run, it took us about 15 minutes to drive to my apartment. We laughed at the situation and I got out of the car. Needless to say, I did not make brunch.

I have learned a valuable lesson about running, I need to bring the 3 M's: money, map, and mobile phone. The good thing about this is that there is a 1/2 Marathon coming up and I thought I could not run that far, but today I accidentally proved myself wrong and I ran for quite awhile; however, I still am not sure if I will do the 1/2 marathon. These things happen to the best of us, right? At least I can laugh at myself.

Fun times, fun times...

2007-10-27T13:42:00.001+08:00

Last weekend was a girls' night on the town. I must say it was a night of crazy fun, quotable quotes, and stories we will laugh about for awhile. Ah, it's good to be young. Here is a glimpse of the night.

What can I say, we're quite posh.

Sabrina and I at the bank.

The girls... Sheridan, Anne Marie, Alfreda, Me, Abi, and Sabrina.

The bag of stuff we collected for Anne Marie's "Bachelorette" party

Funny faces = Good times

Back home...

2007-10-26T06:22:00.000+08:00

As much as I feel at home in Shanghai right now, San Diego will always be called, "home." Earlier this week I received a call from my brother stating that my mom was being evacuated because of the fires. Seeing that I am in China, I did not know about the fires so I admit I dismissed them for not being too big, until the next morning when I woke up to look up what was happening. Reading about everything and how big the fires are shocked me. Being able to see a list of all the homes that were lost in the neighborhood I grew up in has made me speechless. While my family is alright some of my friends have not been so lucky. It is hard to know what to say and do when people you know and love have lost so much. I want so badly to be back to help out, but what would I be able to do? I remember when my dad died and how people in the communities of Rancho Bernardo and Poway helped to step up and provide for my family during our loss, and this is what I want so badly to do but realize I cannot be there to do anything. But I do know that San Diego is doing a great job with support and that many people are volunteering at shelters and evacuation centers to help to make the best of a bad situation. For all of you who are reading this and have experienced a loss or have been effected by the fire know that my thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family, for all of you are giving your time know that your time is appreciated by many people in San Diego. I cannot imagine what it must be like being in San Diego and I know I will be in a bit of shock when I return over Christmas and see the damage.

What would you do?

2007-10-17T21:39:00.000+08:00

One of the top things I like about my apartment is location. As the saying goes, "Location is everything." Basically I am in the middle of the city... right smack in the middle. It is nice because I am close to the subway station and many of the big sights of Shanghai. However, with every good thing there is always a twist, something that makes it not so good. So here is mine: since it is in the middle of everything there are tons of people all the time. I am convinced I have to cross the busiest corner in the world everyday to get to my apartment. There is always people and lots of people in big cities brings pick pocketers. I had been warned about a month ago to "be careful of my belongings" on my street. I will admit that I did catch some guys trying to pick pocket me but I heard my backpack get unzipped and turned around. Anyways, they left. I was a bit pissed because there were people watching this whole thing go down and no on said anything. I was relieved that I caught them. I have learned my lesson and now I tie my zippers on my backpack.

Anyways, today as I was coming home I saw a guy opening a lady's bag as I walked by so I touched her on the shoulder so she would turn around and see them. Well, she did. She at first gave me a look which said, "Why the heck did you just hit my shoulder?" until she realized that a guy was trying to get into her backpack. Well, the guy (and his friends I didn't see) then looked at me and I was like ,"Shit, this might not be good." I kind of gave them an innocent look and said, "Sorry" (in Chinese and English) and just prayed and thought good thoughts that they wouldn't do anything. They pretty much all split and just gave me a mean look. I was told previously (when I got the warning) what the pick pocketers look like (they come from a certain part of China) and they totally fit the description I was forewarned about and I swear one of the guys was one of the guys who tried to get in my backpack.

Basically nothing happened. The girl said thank you from afar and I just kept walking and knew I did the right thing. It was one of those situations that I just couldn't watch someone get pick pocketed, but then again what do you in that situation especially because I thought it was just one guy, not a group of like 6?

So what would you do? Would you try to stop it and say something or tap the person's shoulder or would you keep walking?

Moral of the story: when walking on Fuzhou Lu in Shanghai watch your bag and if you have a backpack make sure the zippers aren't able to get opened easily.

A brief update

2007-10-16T20:34:00.000+08:00

I must admit I was going to write some witty story last weekend about how a went with a running group to a town called Hangzhou and how we ran through tea fields and a village, but I am too tired to write a coherent story. The tiredness is good and good things are happening here but things are busy. Yesterday as I walked to the bus stop I just was filled with contentment. I am happy with the way things are going here and I am happy with life. Even though I leave my house at 6:45 am and don't get home till usually around 7:30 at the earliest (that does include a trip to the gym) I am happy. I like my job. I like my friends. I am meeting new people. I have found a group to play soccer with on Sundays, volleyball on Thursdays and Saturdays, and running on the weekends. I am feeling a bit challenged in my job but not enough to make me go insane or have to be a workaholic. I found a Mexican restaurant that has burritos along. I have found a store that has cute jeans that are even too long for me. My kids are cute and still listen to me. Overall my parents are happy and I only have one that is causing problems. So basically life is good and really no complaints. While it is not San Diego I am honestly can say that I am enjoying things here.

Hancun

2007-10-06T22:39:00.000+08:00

Along with HuangShan, we visited a nearby village called Hancun. It was gorgeous but very touristy because it was the village that Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was filmed. Enjoy the pictures.

Huang Shan

2007-10-06T22:27:00.000+08:00

This past week is what is known as the Golden Week in China. I am not sure why we get it off, but needless to say, I will not complain or question any one week vacation. Anyways, for my holiday I went to HuangShan, which is Yellow Mountain in English. As you can see, it is GORGEOUS.

Women's World Cup Finals

2007-10-06T22:16:00.000+08:00

I must admit it, I was super excited to go to the Women's World Cup Finals. Never would I have thought that I would go to the finals, but since it was in Shanghai there was no way I could miss is. For those of you that didn't follow the World Cup, USA lost in the semis to Brazil (it was a horrible game and has caused a lot of controversy for the Women's National team for many reasons) so they did not advance to the finals. I did get to see them play Norway in the game for third place where they won 4-1. Anyways, the finals was Brazil vs Germany. I cheered for Brazil, but Germany came out ahead 2-0. It was a lot of fun and the soccer was really good.

The wedding

2007-09-30T08:01:00.000+08:00

As I have mentioned before, one of the hardest things about being in China is being so far away from everyone and everything back home. The internet and the phone makes being away so much easier, but it doesn't make going to events any easier. This past month was my friend's wedding in which I was a bridesmaid. This is a wedding that I have been anticipating for a long time so there was no question that even though I am in China I would make it back. For whatever reason I really didn't take into consideration how far I really am from Los Angeles and that I would be taking off a week of work during the fourth week of school, which for those who teach know the beginning of the year is crazy. As the date got closer to the wedding and things got crazier for me at school I really started to doubt if deciding to go back was the right decision, but then again, how do you tell one of your best friends that? And so I was torn. I realized that once again I hadn't thought through what I really committed myself too. However, as much as I wanted to take the easy way out and not go, I knew that I would regret not watching my friend walk down the aisle. And so I went.

It was a crazy five days starting with the moment I landed I had to get my dress altered and find shoes and help with getting wedding stuff. It was difficult being in Orange County, so close to home, but not being able to see everyone. And I admit, it was a bit stressful. Even while I was there I questioned if I made the right decision and whether or not it was worth it because of some of the drama that went on and the fact that I flew across the world to spend most of my time running errands.

Well, as soon as the day arrived all the questioning that I had went away. Seeing Jen in her dress and Tim in his tux made me realize that I would have regretted not being able to see them get married. As the wedding began and I walked down the aisle, I could not have been happier and then, when Jen walked down the aisle to meet Tim and exchange vows I realized that nothing could have made me miss them getting married. The wedding was a blast and when everything was said and done, there was a lot of drama and it was not easy for me to get out to the wedding, but it was worth it.

I learned a lot through this experience. I have learned that I need to look into what I am committing myself to when I travel back home and that it is not just a cross country flight but rather a cross world flight. I have learned that making sub plans for a week and having to come back to work after having a sub can be a mess. But, most importantly, I have learned that there are somethings that are worth the hassle.

Soccer = Happiness

2007-09-17T20:09:00.000+08:00

For those of you who know me know that I love soccer. For me, soccer is happiness. When I am playing soccer I am truly happy (ok, sometimes when I am losing or get no action I am not happy), but I do love being able to play. Last year was difficult because I didn't get to play soccer that often. I was not on a team and I truly missed it. Going from playing on three teams in San Diego to no teams in China was difficult. Well, this last weekend I found a sports league that has pick up soccer games every Sunday. I showed up not knowing what to expect. Well, it turned into 2 hours of playing and I absolutely loved it. I will be honest, it was 15 guys and me, but it was so much fun. At first they were skeptical of me and I had to prove that I can play, and I think I did that. Today I am sore, but it is a good sore that comes form playing. I also an joining a 7 aside co[ed league and am super stoked. What this means is that I will have soccer twice a week. Actually, I will have soccer 4 times a week because in October I start to coach. I will have my pick up games on Sunday, co-ed games on Monday, coach practice on Wednesday, and coach games on Thursday. I am so stoked to have soccer back in my life again.

Oh, and not to mention that the Women's World Cup is in China too for soccer. Last Friday I saw the Japan vs. Argentina game and the England vs. Germany game. Tomorrow I will see USA vs. Nigeria and I hope to go to the 3rd/4th place game and finals. Man, I never thought I would be at the Women;s World Cup. It makes me wish I would have tried harder at soccer so I could play competitively, but I am happy that I can just play now.

So life is good right now. I am so happy to have options to play again. Last year I was definitely missing soccer, so now I am so excited to play again. I LOVE soccer!

Balancing two lives

2007-09-16T11:24:00.000+08:00

This year I am finally coming to the acceptance that my life is not in America anymore. It is a hard realization, but after one full year of living abroad and transitioning into my second year I am slowing coming to the point where I am acknowledging that my life is officially in China, at least for the time being. What becomes difficult is trying to figure out how much of my life in America do I hold onto? It is hard having relationships back home that I want to keep going, and so the effort is worth it, but it is difficult not being able to be a part of things. I am blessed to have the internet and phone to keep in touch with people, but I am now coming to grips with the fact that I just cannot be home for every event, as much as I want to. At times I wish people back home could see my life here, which is why I have my blog, so people can stay connected to what I am doing and what I am experiencing, but I admit it is hard at times to be so far away.

Last year I didn't feel the pull because I was only going to be gone for one year, so it was a long trip, an adventure, but now I am heading into two years. This year it also seems as more events are happening back home, mainly weddings and babies, which are big events and I want to be a part of. I am the type of person who hates missing out on things, so I want to be there for everything, but I have to accept that I just cannot be there for somethings.

So, honestly, I am learning to balance my two lives that I have. At times it become difficult trying to determine what to come home for and what not to, and so I become torn. Knowing that if I was in America I would be home at the drop of a dime, but now that option is not there. I also realize how much I do value the relationships, which makes the balancing act a little more difficult but part of me wants to be able to be there, but the more logical part of me tells me it just isn't possible.

But, regardless, it is good to know that the reason this becomes difficult is that I have good things happening in China and there are good things happening back home, but it makes making decisions just that much harder.

My apartment

2007-09-01T18:34:00.000+08:00

Well, my apartment is not 100% together and I still need to buy random things to decorate and make is complete, but it is good enough for pictures. So, for all of you who have been wondering what my apartment looks like here are some pictures.

This is what it looks like on the inside from my bedroom window. There is a center court yard area and you can see how big the buildings are. I just like that there is a little bit of green in the city.

This is also from my window looking out onto the street. The street below is Fuzhou Lu.

This is a shot of the my apartment from the entry way. As you can see it is pretty basic, but definitely does the job.

My dining/living room.

This is my couch I just got recovered. I really like the green color. I just wish they would have recovered my other couch, but I can't complain because the brown and tan combo is much better than the anilam print that it was.

This is the painting close up. I am really proud of it because I made it. Yes, you read that correctly, I painted it. Last week I decided to try to paint. Across from me are a bunch of paint and art supply stores, so I decided to try to paint something. I had no idea how to use oil paints, but I am pleased with how it came out. OK, enough about my painting and onto more or my apartment.

My kitchen.

This is my bedroom. It is small, but I have my living room to hangout in. There are shelves and a closet, but I didn't want to bore you with those pictures.

My bathroom

So that is a brief tour of where I live. As I get more settled I like it more and more. Of course it has its little quarks (like the apple print bed) but overall it is quite nice.

Only me

2007-08-28T21:25:00.000+08:00

I feel like I always have random things happen to me. Anyways, today at school I got stung by a caterpillar. Yup, I said caterpillar. I had no freaking idea that caterpillars could be dangerous, but leave it to me to figure it out. One landed on my arm at lunch when I took the kids to the playground. I had no idea what landed on me, but something stung so I swatted it away. I then went to lunch duty where I had to help the kids get their food. While on duty my arm burned like no other so I iced it with a water bottle till I could go to the nurse. It was the nurse who informed me of these "stinging caterpillars". Basically my arm stung all day and it it now still stings 9 hours later. I cannot believe that caterpillars can sting, but I learn something new everyday. Moral of the story: not all caterpillars are nice. Good news: it landed on me and not one of my students (dealing with crying kids is a bit more painful than my sting).

Oh, and to clarify, I did not pick up the caterpillar but it randomly fell on my arm

My first day

2007-08-28T21:03:00.000+08:00

The first day of Kindergarten is always a nerve racking day. Kids are left for the whole day to sit at desks with someone they do not know as their parent leaves. While the first day is a big one for children, it is also a big day for the teachers. As much as one plans for the first day, there are inevitably glitches that come up and events that are unplanned.

My first day as a Reception teacher (basically Pre-K on a Kindergarten curriculum) was one that I was nervous about. To think that I would have the children for 8 hours and that really anything could happen freaked me out. I was excited but there was a huge part of me that was really quite nervous. What is I got a crier? What if I got a pee-er? What if the kids ran around crazy and would not listen? What if they didn't like me?

Well, I survived the first day (and I mean "Survived"). While there were not catastrophes and I got through most of my plans, it was chaos. The schedule was not really clear and the other teachers who were supposed to relieve the other Reception teachers and myself from break and lunch were not put on the schedule, which meant no breaks all day.

With that said, over all the day went well. I did have a high number or criers, but by the end of the day that stopped. My kids are really cute and are quite well behaved. I can definitely tell the difference from teaching at an English school versus a Chinese one in that the kids understand so much more. While not all the kids have English as their first language (one of my boys just moved from Norway last week and does not know any English), the overall comprehension is so much greater.

Today I went into my second day hoping for not as much chaos as yesterday, and I got it. I was stoked to get through my lessons and have things "under control". I still have a lot to figure out and I know that I have many mistakes to make and lessons to learn, but today was reassuring in that I know that it will get better. I don't want to give the impression that things were bad, because the reality is that things have been way better than I thought (I hope I am not jinxing myself).

I am really excited for this year and my kids are already growing on me. I definitely have an international classroom as I have students from the UK, Australia, Korea, Hong Kong, Norway, France, India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and I am sure another country or two that I am forgetting.

My apartment.... Part II

2007-08-20T20:48:00.000+08:00

So admit that I was super excited about my apartment. This past weekend I went and bought new towels so that they color coordinate. My friend who visited even said that they made my place look grown up. I still need to add other touches, but I decided to wait on getting the rest of the furniture. There is a couch that needs to be recovered and a bed added to my bedroom. Well, today was my first day at school and was crazy because we had a team building activity. I left this morning for work at 7 am and got back at 6:30 to meet with my landlord to see my new bed. Anyways, as I walked in the door she had a lady in my apartment measuring the couch to get it covered. I was excited because they brought a lot of swatches to choose the color. My landlady wanted to do grey and black but I thought it would be too many colors. I wanted to do blue but she didn't want to do blue again (I don't blame her), then I said red, and she didn't want that, but I think we have compromised on a greyish green. Now I decided to see my new bed. As I walked in the room there was a bright lime green bed with white apples. I didn't know how to react. I honestly could not hide the shock and horror of it all. I feel bad because it is brand new but it is absolutely hideous. I am trying to figure out how to save it or how to get a new one.

So, what are your thoughts? Do I embrace the apples or do I change the bed?

Now... the view I cannot complain about. Yesterday when my friend came we sat on my balcony and this is what we looked out into.

To give you a quick intro to Shanghai... The crown building is the Westing hotel. I am in Puxi, but in the distance is Pudong. You can see a little triangle light in the background. That is the Jin Mao (which was the largest building in the world but now is the third largest). Right next to the lighted triangle is a little light. That light belongs to what will be the world's tallest building (it is still under construction). Both these buildings are across the river in Pudong.

Why today was good

2007-08-19T22:08:00.000+08:00

I finally unpacked all my boxes
I bought a coffee maker and I am pretty sure it has a timer so it will make coffee automatically while I sleep and I can wake up to fresh brewed coffee (we will see if it does tomorrow morning)
I found a wine that doesn't taste too bad and it relatively cheap
I like my apartment
My apartment has cable and I can watch HBO, among other channels
My friends are now back in Shanghai
Despite me being nervous about teaching I realize that I do have a good job and it will be good for the resume and i am lucky to have the opportunity to teach where I do

I am moved in!!!!

2007-08-18T15:56:00.000+08:00

So I am officially in my apartment. Actually, at this moment I am sitting at my window seat that over looks the street typing. I feel really good about my apartment and I like it even more now than before. Of course it isn't perfect, but whose place is? I still need to unpack most of my stuff and go shopping for more stuff but it is coming together nicely. The highlights of my apartment are the two couches, satellite TV that is in English, and the two big plant tree things my landlords left. Of course there are other good things about the apartment like all the windows to let in sunlights, the fact that I have an extra bedroom, the location, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf being only a block away, and the fact that is is mine. I am excited to be able to not live out of a suit case and be able to unpack and decorate a little. I know it will take a little while to get it the way I want, but it is already coming together. Tomorrow I am going to do another shopping trip to get a coffee maker, phone so all you guys at home can call me, food, and other randomness.

It is really exciting be living in the city. Never ever would I have thought that I would be in the middle of the fastest growing city in the world. I do not consider myself a city girl, but then again in college I never thought I would be a small-town girl. While it is going to be more of a hectic lifestyle living in the city I am actually really excited about it. It's cool b/c I can walk to the main subway station and pretty much get where ever I want (as I said, location is one of the best parts about this place).

I am not posting pictures quite yet because the landlords are getting a new bed today for the guest room and the second couch still needs to get re-covered. Oh, and there are boxes everywhere and I cannot even see my bed b/c of the mound of clothes on it. Anyways, pictures will come shortly.

I just also realized that from out of my window I can see the Jin Mao (which was the tallest building but is now the third tallest) and next to it the tallest building in the world is getting built. Pretty cool, I know, kind of makes you want to come visit :)

Hmmm, what else can I see of interest.... I guess those are the coolest things. But below me I see lots of people and above me are really tall buildings.

My new apartment!!!!

2007-08-15T14:16:00.000+08:00

I found an apartment. I spent all of Sunday looking at places and being pretty disappointed by what I was looking at. The housing allowance that the school gives seemed like it would be more than enough, but it really isn't. I know I can play more out of my own pocket, but I am trying not to. Anyways, I started looking at 9:30 am and looked at the last one around 2. As luck would have it, when I walked into the last one I knew that it was the "one". It was not as nice as I wanted in terms of size and furniture, but there was something that made me like it. The location is AWESOME!!!! The center of Shanghai is called People's Square and I am about a five minute walk from there. Anyways, I had to make a quick decision and because people were coming right after me and if I didn't take it and they did then I would be out of luck. I felt too pressured and couldn't make the choice and told them I would think about it and get back to them. As I walked out of the apartment toward the subway station I passed a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf that is one block from me, and I was sold. Knowing that I can get Coffee Bean anytime I want it was the sign I needed. The next day I called my agent and told her I wanted it and signed the contract Monday night.

I figure that once I can decorate a little it will be nicer. Also, the couch is a wild animal print with lions, tigers, zebras, etc. on it and they are going to recover it to a beige color along with the other couch. They are also going to get a bed for the guest room. So I now have my apartment. I move in on Saturday and I am excited. I will definitely post pictures when I take them and hopefully will have pictures of the couch before they recover it.

If you want to see the area go to this website: http://www.smartshanghai.com/maps/smsh_map.php

I am right on the corner of Fuzhou Lu and Hubei Lu.

So that is where I live. Hopefully some of you can come see it sometime :)

Round 2 begins

2007-08-10T15:41:00.000+08:00

At this moment I am currently in the process of packing. It is 12:42 am and my flight leaves at 10:50, which means I am on the road by 8. I do not know what to think about leaving and I am in a state of denial. The past few weeks home have been a blast and it is hard knowing that I have to leave. In two days I will be finding my apartment for the year and in 5 days I will report to work for the first day. Part of me is excited to begin this year knowing how good last year was but part of me wants just one more week in San Diego. However, this is always how summers are and life goes on and reality sinks in and it is back to the grind.

Anyways, earlier today I went to sushi with my sister. Like at any good Japanese restaurant, we were given fortune cookies. Here is what mine read:

"Culture and customs of China attract you."

I couldn't help but laugh at the truth the cookie contained. As much as I don't want to leave, China does attract me. Despite the craziness and constant mayhem, there are great things about China that I couldn't experience in just one year. And it is true, I am attracted to China. As much as I like to be in denial about it, I do like it there. I do like the craziness and constant mayhem.

Now I don't know how much I will sleep tonight as my mind races around trying to remember everything I need to do, but it will allow me to sleep on the plane tomorrow. So this is it, this is the start of another year.

My time in San Diego

2007-08-07T00:50:00.000+08:00

Kettner Nights

Amie's Birthday with the soccer girls

Yea for brothers!

Taco Tuesdays... always a good time

Good Ole' Cass St. Bar and Grill

At the races

I have documented all my other vacations, so now it is time for me to talk about San Diego. The weirdest thing for me was when I was filling out my customs form upon landing in LA and for reason for travel to America I had to fill out "visiting". Never would I think I would put "visiting" I always thought I would put "returning home." However, this was not the case and I had to come to grips with reality that I am visiting the place I call home.

Anyways, my time here has been pretty "normal". By normal, I mean I have just slipped back into my old way of life. The first week I coached a soccer camp. It was so much fun coaching and being around soccer. Although it was work, it wasn't really. I would have done it the whole time I was here, but I needed time to hang out and see people. The first day I was here I went to the beach and Tony's Jacal (my family's fave Mexican restaurant). This dinner was super fun because my family and closest friends came. I admit, I am blessed by my family and friends; I don't think I realized this till this past year. This night was the kick off to my time in San Diego.

Like I said, I haven't done anything super exciting, but I have loved every minute of it. I have seen a bunch of friends, drank margaritas, ate tacos, played soccer and beach volleyball, gone to the beach, shopped and shopped some more, ran and gone for walks, walked my stepdad's dog, went to the races, and just loved being here.

Last weekend I went to Huntington Beach to stay with my good friend Jen and her fiance Tim. I haven't seen them since they got engaged, so it was so much fun. My friend Katie came down too and we got to do some much needed girl time.

My time here is coming to an end; I only have 4 more days, and I am getting sad. I think I am kind of in denial about going back, but I know next year will be good. I have a lot to do before I leave and a lot to do when I get back to Shanghai, but such is life. Reality is sinking in and I don't like it. As they say "back to life, back to reality." But I can't complain, I have a good life.

Here are pics from going out.

Pictures from Vietnam

2007-07-26T10:27:00.000+08:00

Jackie and I went to Vietnam right after school got out for a week and a half. There were a lot of things that went wrong on our trip, but I have to admit that the pictures made the trip worth it. I won't be going back to Vietnam any time soon, but I hope you like the pictures.

My time in China continues

2007-07-26T10:17:00.000+08:00

I went into my teaching as a one year deal. I figured I could do something new, travel, and take a break for a little while. As I rolled into June I was planning on returning to San Diego and getting back to my "normal" life. Well, those who know me, know that "normal" doesn't always happen with me. Two weeks before the year was over I was offered a job to teach at the British School of Shanghai (BISS). I will be teaching Reception, which is basically Kindergarten. To be honest I am shocked that I took the position. There has been a lot of things this past year in China that made me questions why I came and things that I really don't like. Everyone asks me if I love China, and the answer is not really, but I do love the person that I have become through the experience. I love being able to meet new people and learn about new cultures. I love the confidence that I have gained and the curiosity to travel that I have acquired. There are things like not having the beach around and my friends and family and open areas and smoggy air and dirty streets that I do not like, but there are things that I do like, that I don't even comprehend. This next year will be tough. I will be living in the city and will have to commute from work, but living in the city will allow me to do more things and get involved in the Expat scene and hopefully join a soccer team, or two.

So my blog will continue for one more year. I am not sure what craziness I will get into and what adventures await me, but I am excited. Right now I am in San Diego and it is so good to see my family and friends. I am truly blessed to have the people in my life that I do. I have learned the value of relationships and that you should never burn bridges. Sure I will miss everyone when I leave and honestly I am not excited to have to leave, but I am excited for this opportunity to teach again and I know that there are reasons for this door to have been opened to me, even if I do not know the reasons now.

Pics from the Beijing

2007-06-02T14:54:00.000+08:00

Hail Mao!

Mmmmm... scorpians on a stick! They were alive on the stick too when they cooked them.

A panoramic of the Great Wall

More scorpions!

I made it to the Great Wall!

Jumping over the wall.

Where we were on the Wall

More of the wall.

I know this one is in twice, but I couldn't figure out how to delete it and I didn't want to repost.

My Xi'An video

2007-05-13T23:45:00.000+08:00

Here is my video highlighting my Xi'An trip. I just learned that I can post the videos directly into my blog, however I am not sure if it works... so someone please let me know if the video appears. The reason I can't see the video is I am in China and they like to censor things, and my blog (or rather blogger) has been blocked. I can post, but I don't know what the finished product looks like so I don't know if the video is actually there. I figured I would try it. If there is only me writing about the video that is not present I am sorry. Below are links to the videos if this doesn't work. OK, enough talking...

Too much time + some Terracotta Warrior figurines = fun!

2007-05-13T23:44:00.000+08:00

Biking on the Xi'An wall

2007-05-12T10:51:00.000+08:00

The "Poop your pants trail"

2007-05-12T10:08:00.000+08:00

Before we went to Xi'An Janai and I saw pictures of a crazy hiking trail in China. Basically the pictures showed people on a cliff that is thousands of feet high shimmying across on a what looks like a sketch piece of wood with only a chain to hold you into place (solamente in China). Anyways, we had no idea where this mountain or trail was, but it looked super scary, which also made it look super fun. So... when Janai and I found out that this trail was at Hua Shan (where we would be going) we both wanted to do it. I do not know what the actual trail is called, or even if it has a name, but we started calling it the "poop you pants trail" because it looked so scary that we were sure we would do just that after completing it. Alas, after 6 hours of climbing the steps of Hua Shan we finally found... and here is the proof that we did it.

Oh, there are pictures of the normal trail to show you how ridiculously steep it was. The steps were crazy small and parts we almost straight up. It took us 11 hours to get up and back. Of course we stopped for lunch and to take in the views, but my calves, quads, and just about every part of me was hurting the next day. The poop your pants trail was something you had to pay to do and was not part of the normal trail, although some of the normal trail was pretty sketchy. And, in case you are wondering, we did have a harness.

Ahhh, the Winston

2007-05-12T09:52:00.000+08:00

So from the picture you may think that this boy's name is Winston, but chances are pretty slim. A "Winston" is a code name that Janai and I gave to kids who wear what are know as "splitty pants". Splitty pants are very very very common in China. In fact, they are more common than seeing a kids in "regular" pants and diapers. From the first day we came to China we have kind of gotten a kick out of seeing kids in splitty pants. As you can see, it makes it a lot easier for when the kid has to go to the bathroom, but it is one of the very unsanitary things that occurs in China, seeing that parents and grandparents let the kids go to the bathroom just about anywhere. While in Xi'An Janai was able to capture a shot of a "Winston".

Some super fun Xi'An videos

2007-05-09T07:35:00.000+08:00

Here is a link to my Xi'An video... I hope you like it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ja0KtMNqLs

This is just a fun video we made when we had a little down time in our hostel and some terracotta warrior figurines laying around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHy_JjS85M4

The Terracotta Warriors

2007-05-07T18:14:00.000+08:00

This is only one of the sites (and it is the biggest one). There are three different chambers. This one has about 6000 warriors in it.

In the words of my twin bro when he was about 2 when someone told him that they bury bodies in cemeteries, "you mean they got no heads?"

Look! I'm a terracotta warrior too!

The main attraction in Xi'An are the terracotta warriors. Basically an Emperor along time ago wanted to take his army with him when he died so he has 20,000 people create about 10,000 replica soldiers, chariots, and horses. The discovery of the tomb was only in the 70's and was discovered by a framer who was digging a well for water. Anyways, after fighting (and I pretty much mean that in a literal way) our way onto two different buses (it was craziness) we made it to the warriors! Success!

Leaving on a jet plane...

2007-04-29T09:16:00.000+08:00

Actually, that is a lie. Today I am leaving on a train ride. I am going to Xi'An (which is where the terracotta soldiers are) and to HuaShan (which is a mountain). To save money we tried to get train tickets b/c they are like 25-40 bucks each way instead of $150 each way (huge savings). To get train tickets it is absolutely nutty. The day they go on sale, which is ten days before departure, you have to go to where they sell them and hope to get tickets. Well, a friend went at 8:30 am the day tickets went on sale and they were already sold out. Anyways, some other friends needed to get tickets so I went down with them to try to get them for another day. After waiting in line for an hour and a half one of my friends learned there were no tickets to Beijing left and for Xi'An they only had one train and one type of seat, but I took it (sort of out of stubbornness and pride since I had been waiting in line so freaking long). Well, I found out that the train I am on is the slow train, meaning it takes about 20 hours to get to where we are going AND our seats are the "hard seats". Apparently it basically is a bench you can sit on and those without tickets sit all over the floor b/c there are standing room only tickets. Needless to say it will be an adventure for sure. I don't think I will get to sleep much, but hopefully I will. Part of me is excited b/c I know I will see some interesting things over the next 24 hours, but part of me is thinking, "What the heck did I get myself into?" It shall be an experience to say the least.

God bless the squattie

2007-04-22T20:38:00.000+08:00

Squatties are probably one of the main things I will NOT miss in China. For some reason they think it is better to basically but in hole in the ground for a toilet instead of having a "western" toilet. Usually they are pretty dirty, but when it's all ya got you don't really have a choice. Here is a clean one and Janai and I demonstrate the right and wrong way to use one.

Teacher Trip

2007-04-22T20:22:00.000+08:00

This past weekend the Kindergarten teachers (Chinese and English) went on a weekend trip. In two days we went to 4 different places. While we were on a bus for a long time it was fun. It was cool to be able to hang out with the Chinese teachers and also good to get out of Shanghai. One day we went to some mountain and hiked up it. It was jammed pack full of people (like everywhere in China) but it was good to get out of the city and actually see the color green. The second day we went to Hangzhou. I had been there before, but it is good fun and really beautiful, except that it rained, ok it poured the whole time we were there. We bought these crappy umbrellas that didn't cover much and got soaked. However, after awhile I stopped caring about getting wet and jumped in puddles and played a little in the rain. All in all it was a fun weekend with fun people.

Behind the scenes...

2007-04-07T18:38:00.000+08:00

For Eater the Kindergarten teachers put on an Easter play for the kids. I was surprised at how well the play went and the kids seemed to enjoy it. It was a combo of the story of the resurrection with mainstream parts like the Easter Bunny, chicks, and eggs. We filmed the play (I don't have that yet) and Chris filmed some behind the scenes footage of before the play. Check it out! Oh, I play the part of SPring Chicken #1.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kxcr2ukgDlE

Playtime

2007-04-07T14:08:00.000+08:00

Today was one of those unusual days where it was actually warm and sunny. I have learned to fully appreciate these days in Shanghai because unlike San Diego, they are not too common. Well, supposedly as Spring approaches the weather will get nicer, but needless to say today was gorgeous. I decided that I would go out for a run this morning and put my running stuff on and headed out. As I walked by the playground about to start my run I saw two of my kids and said hello. What was meant to be a quick "hello" ended up with me playing soccer with them. It was so much fun kicking and running and just playing. Soon another one of my boys cam and I played with the three of them. Since the Living Quarters is for employees many of my students live here. As I was playing more and more kids came out. Some were my students and some were not but they just knew me from around school. I wasn't quite sure what the parents of my kids thought about me chasing and running and throwing their kids since i am their teacher, but no one seemed to mine. I ended up just playing for over two hours.

I forgot about how much fun it is to be a kid. To have no worries and to be able to run and fall and get up again. To be able to laugh and smile and just enjoy life. I am not sure who had more fun, the kids or myself? I never did get to my run because by the time I left the kids it was time for lunch and I was hungry. But playing was so great. I wish I could play like that with my kids everyday, but at school I do have to teach them, so everyday can't be a play day, but I do love the time I can play with them, at school and out of school.

Coaching

2007-03-20T00:00:00.000+08:00

My whole life I have played soccer. I remember when I was six suiting up to play. Starting in middle school my life really became all about soccer as I started to play club. For me soccer was my life. Even today there is an excitement that I get when I get to play. I admit, every time I walk by a game being played my head turns to watch, if even for a moment. Soccer was and is very serious. Not to say I don't have fun, but I like to play to win. Ask the Cal Copy girls, there were times where my competitiveness was a little overkill. Moving to China has killed me because finding a soccer team has not happened and I miss it. I miss being on a team and I miss the running and the diving and just about everything. So, when I was asked to coach the high school team I jumped on the opportunity.

I was excited to be able to coach and develop a team. I was excited to see my team win. I was excited to push the girls as hard as my coaches pushed me. Well, until reality set in. To begin, out of 13 girls only 3, maybe 4, have ever played. And even the girls who have played have only played for maybe a year or two. Then there are the girls was are mainly playing for a P.E. credit. It was hard for me to accept that the girls really are only out here for fun. That they don't have the desire to push themselves hard. I had to laugh when I told the girls they needed to buy cleats and one girls asked what cleats were. Oh well. We lost our first game 0-8 and our second game 1-7 or 8 (we lost count). However, I am learning that winning is not everything. When the girls scored the one goal they went crazy, like they won the game. After the game they didn't focus on their loss, but their one goal. We laughed joked around, and it was fun.

I realize that this season will be different than any I played in high school, but that it might not be a bad thing. While I wanted to be pushed when I played, these girls aren't out there to conquer the world, and I have to remember that. So it is back to the basics of soccer for me. I have to remember when I was 6 and just started to learn to play and that it was not about the winning but about having fun. And I have to learn to not be shocked when I get asked questions about how to do kick offs and corner kicks and about cleats and why their muscles are sore and I have to remember that there are firsts for everyone, and for most of these girls this is their first time playing soccer.

Lack of newness

2007-03-19T23:31:00.000+08:00

Today I was thinking about how I really do not post as much to my blog as I did in the past. When I first got to China EVERYTHING was exciting and everything was an adventure or at least an experience. Routine trips like going to the grocery store became big ordeals. Even just walking around being surrounded Chinese speakers was something to write about. No matter what it was I was doing I was excited to share it with everyone. When I began teaching I was daily filled with stories of me being frustrated with my kids as I tried to manage 17 4 and 5 year olds who barely knew English. Not to mention, I had to figure out how the heck I would teach Kindergartners. Sure I was in Kindergarten, but what did I know about teaching it? What did I know about kids? What did I know about classroom management? And so everything was new and the inspiration to write came naturally and easily because my head was filled with thoughts everything new I had done that day.

Well, now I have been in China for 7 months now. It is weird to say it. And I realize that I have fallen into the routine of life. I never thought I would have a routine, but I do. I have the same foods I buy at the grocery store and the same restaurants and bars I like to go to and my coffee shops and lesson plans and running routes... And my life seems boring since the "newness" has worn off. What excited me before about being in China kind of doesn't anymore and I feel like I have nothing to say, but I realize that even though everything I do doesn't carry the same excitement that it did the first week I moved to China, things happen everyday, and I still have things to write about. So I am going to try to record more of my life in China. I am going to try to share my day-to-day life with those who care to read it. At times the events might now be super exciting, but whose life is always exciting (well, unless you are on a sitcom or something). But I will try to share the best of the best moments, which there are quite a few.

Cameron Highlands... Malaysia

2007-02-21T19:35:00.000+08:00

Jungle friends from Thailand

2007-02-21T19:23:00.000+08:00

The beaches in Thailand are GORGEOUS

2007-02-21T17:36:00.000+08:00

My Xmas video

2007-02-21T17:07:00.000+08:00

I realize it is a little bit past Christmas, but better late than never. Here is the link to my Christmas trip to Hong Kong. We tried to make it as much as a traditional Chirstmas as possible with a tree and stockings and all the fun stuff. Anyways, enjoy the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYqffHnWdII

You should be able to copy and paste the link above.

Pee Pee Island

2007-02-15T17:36:00.000+08:00

Our first beach stop was Krabbi where we stayed at Railley Beach. We then went to Phi Phi Island (pronounced Pee Pee). This island was one that was hit hardest by the tsunami, but is also one of the most beautiful places ever. The water was so clear and gorgeous. There were green hills on the island and the weather was warm. I was able to play beach volleyball, and I was in heaven!!!

Anyways, I will stop about the beauty because I will post pictures later. One night we (Jackie, John, Tarah, Amber, and I) were walking around. It was our last night as a family (since Tarah, Amber, and I would be leaving for Malaysia the next day). I wanted some dessert, something sweet. I decided to be healthy, so instead of gelato I would get mango. I found a stand and waited to be served. As I chose my mango I felt something on my foot. Considering there were bugs everywhere, and getting a mosquito bite was not uncommon I figured it was a bug, until I realized it was wet. I admit, I was perplexed, so I looked down to see a 3 year old Thai girl in a cute little dress squatting. I jumped back, realizing that she was squatting and peeing, not just on the ground outside her mom's shop but also on my feet! Everyone was else was laughing, so had to laughed. How do you respond when a little girl pees on your foot? The reality is it is kind of funny, although completely gross. A couple walked by and thought it was "Cute." Cute? Funny maybe, but not cute. Oh well, I guess it puts a new meaning to the name Pee Pee Island.

Bangkok

2007-02-15T17:26:00.000+08:00

"One night in Bangkok makes a proud man humble..." as the song goes. Well, we spent two nights in Bangkok. We got in to Laosan street (which is a huge backpakers street) at like 9:30 at night. Having travelled all day and walking with our huge packs, we only needed a room for three people. As we trusged up and down the street with our Lonely Planet as our guide, we realized that we would not be finding any places suggested in the book, so we wold have to stay at the first place we found. Our room was a one bed cement crap whole. We did have a toilet, but to flush we had to fill a bucket up with water and pur it into the toilet. It was above a bar and it was a little loud, but it was a place to stay. The next day we would set out to find a better place, but we were hungry and wanted to put our packs down.

The next day we realized that finding a reasonably priced room for three people would be hard, so we settled for a room that had a bed the size of a double bed and was no larger than a lrage closet. THe highlight of the room was the tv where we watched the news update on the 2008 presidential candidates. The low was the tv in the room next to us and the the walls were paper thin so none of us slept at all because we were crammed into a double bed listening to the tv next door till after three in the morning.

The highlights ins Bangkok had to be the food. The street food was amazing. There was mango and sticky rice which was to die for along with pad thai (sp?) and skewers and plain mango and these fried crepe like pancakes with banana... During the day we walked around and found this park. The park was so cool and there was a path that weaved itself around. There was a pavillion where a band played and there were dancers. However, instead of listening to the music I joined in witht hese Thai guys playing a soccer type juggling game. The ball was this woven platic type ball which was kicked around in a circle. After the music stopped the pavillion was cleared for an aerobics class.

Overall Bangkok was alright. The people were cool, but just another city.

It has been a long time

2007-02-15T17:18:00.000+08:00

Right now I am in the middle of Chinese New Year. Before I thought Chinese New Year was a crazy street party with dragons and the sort, and while there are probably areas with these parades, what it really means for China is a national holiday. So, I get three weeks off of work!!! Yes! Anyways, Our break started on Feb. 3 and goes to the 25th. Since I get some much time off I have decided to travel with my friends Tarah and Amber (well, my friend Jackie and her boyfriend John were with us for half of it). Our original plan was to go to Thailand (the islands, then Laos, Cambodia, and come back through North Thailand); however, we realized that we would not have enough time, so we chose to go to just Cambodia and Thailand... but since plans always change, the week before we changed our minds and would do Thailand for half and Malaysia for the other part.

With just our plane tickets in and out of Bangkok, we set off from Shanghai for a travel adventure. Right now I have been travelling for about 12 days, and have seen and experienced amazing things. Of course we have encountered the realities of travelling: gross bathrooms, overbooked hotels, paying too much for things, realizing that where we want to go is not open b/c of the season, and things like that, but I have realized that this is the experience of travelling and exploring. I have taken many pictures, but cannot post them till I get back, but I will share random moments for our trip.

Some more Hong Kong pics

2007-01-04T07:32:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the longness (is that a word?) of my last post... I didn't think I would type so much about the the fiasco that went on the last day. Oh, and I realize I should have titled in Merry Xmas or something like that b/c I didn't even talk about New Year's and my New Year's was awesome (and it wasin Shanghai). Ok, enjoy these pic/

Happy New Year

2007-01-03T22:32:00.000+08:00

Well, it is officially 2007! I cannot believe that another year is done and a new one is starting... wow, time flies. This time last year there is no way that I would have ever thought that I would be in China, but here I am. It has been awhile since I have posted anything, so I do not know where to begin, so I will start with Christmas.

Christmas was surprisingly wonderful. This was my first Christmas away from my family, and I have to admit that I kind of missed the craziness of my family, but all things considered my Christmas was great. 9 of us went to Hong Kong. We split up into two groups: the hotel group and the hostel group (I was in the hotel group). There were four of us girls (Tarah, Jackie, Laura, and I) that hung out the whole time (except for Christmas day we met up with everyone else). Hong Kong was such a breath of fresh air. When we first got there and had to take a cab it was fun to learn that they drive on the wrong (well, I guess it is right for them) side of the road since they were ruled by Britain. I felt like I was in Toad's Wild Ride everytime I was in taxi; it was so much fun. Our hotel was a four start hotel, but standards are a little different in China when it comes to room size because while we did order the "bigger" room, the room was not "big" and we had four girls to two twin beds needless to say it was a cozy room. Thank goodness we all like each other and nobody was kicked out of the room. But, it was so much fun because we brought all our Christmas presents to our room and a small Christmas tree and we all made stockings for eachother. On Christmas morning we opened our stockings and our presents and drank coffee and it was perfect. Even though my family was not there I felt like they were in the room when I opened my presents. Oh, and I got three stockings this year... I felt so spoiled. I love stockings, they could possibly be my favorite part of Christmas, and I got three of them!

I think the best part of Christmas was my excitement for my "american" bought presents. OK, I admit I LOVE the glasses my sister gave me and the slipper shoes from my grandma are awesome, but I havenever been so excited in all my life for Quaker Instant Oatmeal and Starbursts and Hot Tamales and Xmas M&Ms and gum and Soy Vay Teriyaki suace and Uptown Coffee. It is funny to think that oatmeal would make me so happy, but it is the small things in life.

Christmas day we met up with everyone else for lunch and watched the Nutcracker. After the Nutcracker we went to dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Man, do I miss steak. I really am not much of a meat eater, but who doesn't like a good steak?

Some other highlights in Hong Kong include but are not imited to: shopping for 3 hours in the Esprit Outlet, eating nachos two nights in a row for dinner, being in a city where people do not spit and pee on the streets (yes, they do that in Shanghai), being able to walk aimlessly with not agenda for 4 days, the bakery at our hotel with these apple pastries that were absolutely to die for, being able to get another stamp in my passport...

However, all good things have to come to an end. The last day Tarah and I were leaving on an earlier flight so we had to go to the train station first to cross over the Shenzhen (which is technically China b/c Hong Kong is not). Anyways, the bell hop was putting our stuff into a taxi, but our bags wouldn't fit in the trunk, so he pulled them out for us to take the next one. Well, he pulled almost all of them out because he forgot Tarah's duffel bag which had all her make up (and let say American bought products are not easy to find here, even if the label says "Made in China"), toiletries, books, oh, and her ticket. So we are 3 hours before our flight, but by the time we leave the hotel, get to the train station, cross the border check, and get to the airport it takes just over 2 hours, so we were already pushing it. The hotel is calling the cab company and trying to view the tapes to see if they can get the number of the cab, but no luck, while I am freaking out about our flight, and Tarah is just trying to not get too pissed. We decide that Jackie and Laura can file the police report, but Tarah and I need to leave, and just hope that her passport will be enough for her to get her ticket. Now we have less that 2 1/2 hours... time is ticking. So we get on the train, and now we have to go across the border crossing, declare everything, blah, blah, blah. We are running dow the halls with our huge bags, manageme to get in all the slowest lines, but we make it through. Now, it is 6 pm, our flight leaves at 7:30, but it takes at least30-45 min to get to the airport oh, and we have to find a shuttle. Luck would have it that as soon as we get into the parking lot a man sees our huge bags and assumes we are needing to go to the airport. He grabs my hand and we are not running, dragging our bags, and he takes us to this car. Now, I know that we should not get into random, umarked shuttles, but now it is 6:10 and we have to check our luggage by 7. Oh, I forget to mention the ridiculous price they were going to charge us, so we had to bargain some, but we decided that we had no other options. As we get on the road we are hit with traffic and the slowest driver in China. Usually they dart and swerve, but not her. Usually I would like this type of a driver, but not when you are late and we were still unsure about Tarah's ticket. As I look at my watch that now says 6:47 I can only think that there is no way... but alas, an airport sign. We pull up to the drop off zome and are sprinting down the terminal. We go to a window, but of course it is the wrong terminal. Crap! We take off sprinting... 6:57 as we get to terminal B the clock reads 6:59. I run to a windwo (Tarah has to go to a different one). As I get to the counter, the clock changes to 7, but I get me ticket; I look over and Tarah has hers too. Yes! There is a God! Our panic turns to dilerium which turns to laughter. Oh, but we still need to board. We get to our plane at 7:15... 15 minutes to spare. Finally, as we sit down a sense of relief falls over us.

When we finally get into Shanghai I can only think about how happy I will be to be in my bed. We get in line to get a taxi. When it is our turn to get the taxi the driver pulls the line that he doesn't know where we live, which is bull. Drivers say that b/c they don'tlike driving us b/c we don;t live far enough away to make it worth while. Luckily one of my students happened to be on our flight, so his parents help us out and reluntantly the driver takes us home. Oh, but he is the one driver that wasn't lying and really didn't kow where live so he missed the exit and it took us about half an hour longer than it should've. When we finally arrived to the living quarters I was so happy but so exhausted from the craziness of the day. Then a thought crossed my mind, "I don't think I ave my key." Normally not a big deal, but since my roommates were on the later flight kind of an issue. I drag my 60 lb suit case up two flights of stairs to my apt, and my assumption was right... no key. I try to get a guard to help me, but he doesn't know English and I don't know Chinese so I call a friend to help, but of course my battery dies (and it is now 11:45 pm). I debate whether or not I should go to Tarah's, which would require me to carry my bag down the stairs of my apt and up 5 flights of stairs to hers or to just sleep at my door. I decide to not be a bum, and I somehow managed to get my bag upthe stairs and crashed on her couch. As soon as my head hit her couch I was out.

Well, I made it back to Shanghai, woke up the next morning and started back to work. While the ending of the trip was a little crazy, Hong Kong and Christmas were perfect.

A passage from a book I am reading

2006-12-17T13:02:00.000+08:00

So, I am reading the Raggamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. Anyways, I really liked this passage so I thought I would share it:

There is one barrier to love that deserves special mention because it is so crucial to the second call of Jesus Christ- Fear. Most of us spend considerable time putting off the things we should be doing or we would like to do, but are afraid to do. We are afraid of failure. We don’t like it, we shun it, we avoid it because of our inordinate desire to be thought well of by others. So we come up with a thousand brilliant excuses for doing nothing. We put off things, waste the energies of life and love that are within us. And the judgment of the Lord High Executioner in The Mikado on the girl who perpetually procrastinated falls on us: ‘She’ll never be missed; no, she’ll never be missed.’

Each of us pays a heavy price for our fear of falling flat on our faces. It assures the progressive narrowing of our personalities and prevents exploration and experimentation. As we get older, we only do thing we do well. There is no growth in Christ Jesus without some difficulty and fumbling. If we are going to keep growing we must keep risking failure throughout our lives. When Max Planke was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discovery of quantum theory, he said, ‘Looking back over the long and labyrinthine path which finally lead to discovery, I am vividly reminded of Goethe’s saying that men will always be making mistakes as long as they are striving toward something.’”

-Brennan Mannning in The Ragamuffin Gospel

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2006-12-17T10:51:00.000+08:00

A classy martini for a classy girl :)

Strike a pose

Here is my mean face

Here are some pics of Jackie and I at the Marriott. The bar is on the 40th floor, so there is an amazing view of the city (even though you can't see it in the pictures). Oh, and this is my straight hair. I really do like it... the change is fun and it's easier to manage than curly hair.

My hair

2006-12-09T23:54:00.000+08:00

One of my biggest concerns with coming to China was about my hair and what I would do when I needed to get it cut. To begin, curly hair is hard enough to cut back home and I have gotten some pretty bad hair cuts in the past when people don't know how to cut curly hair and comsidering Chinese women do not have curly hair I admit I was concerned. Oh, and there is the whole language barrier and wondering how the heck I would tell a hair dresser how I want my hair to be cut. Anyways, I am now going on four months of being in China (yes, it has been that long) and my hair was definatley needing to get cut. Since I was hesitant about what I would do with my hair, I put off doing anything until today.

So, you may be wondering how my mari cut experience went in China, and to be honest it went well. I had to call friends to talk to the hair dressers for me to make sure they knew what I wanted. Oh, and what I mean by what I "wanted" what I decided (and I decided this yesterday) was to avoid having to worry about my curly hair in China and I got my hair straightened. So, as of today, I no longer have curly hair and my hair is pretty much as straight as straight hair can be. To be honest, I love it!!!! I cannot wash it for three days or pull it back for a week, but I am excited for straight hair. What's crazy is how long it is now because my hair now goes do to just below my shoulders and above my shoulder blades. And yes, I will send pictures (I just don't have any yet).

Anyways, that is the big news of this week, I know that I am excited. I do admit, I was freaking out a little before I got it done. I had a few phone conversations with my friends for some support because this is a big deal for me. Now that it is done I really like it and do not regret it. Sure I will miss my curls, but they will grow back.

My video from Yangshou

2006-12-02T21:22:00.000+08:00

I finally made another video of my pics. This one is from my October break in Yangshou... I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPQtikBAT3Y

Pics of the fabric market

2006-11-26T15:35:00.000+08:00

I know that you all have been dying to see what the fabric market is like. Last weekend I went to pick up my coats and they were too big so I had to get them altered, which meant that I had an hour and a half to kill but luckily I had my camera, so like any good Fudge would do I went around and took pictures. I know my skills do not compare to those of my family members, but they do show you what the fabric market looks like.