Pictures

Here are the links to some of my pictures from China:

China: A Year in Review
and
Beijing, Xi'an, and Sichuan

Update

I realize I promised an update after I returned home. It’s been two months, so here you go:

I am adjusting well to being back in America, though I am still unemployed and going stir crazy during the day with nothing to occupy me. Things, however, are looking up. I have an interview tomorrow afternoon for Kaplan Tutoring, and the following day at Banana Republic. I am also planning to return to school next summer to get my teaching credential to teach elementary school (my students this past year have scared me off from teaching middle school!). Currently, I am quenching my thirst for knowledge by taking a sign language class at the local community college - also, I was hoping to meet some new friends. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that half my class would be freshly out of high school STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. Oh well, at least I’m learning a new language.

In terms of China, there are things I miss about it: cheap (and delicious) food, great public transportation, my own apartment, a steady income (even if it was only ~$350/month), the opportunities to travel, and, most of the time, on an individual basis, my students. Just kidding, I love my students. Even if they did drive me crazy.

From trying new foods (or not...I don’t care what you say, there’s no way I am going to put congealed pig’s blood in my mouth, or chew on a chicken foot. Sorry, but no thanks.) to getting lost in a city where I can’t understand anyone and end up getting half my hair chopped off to climbing the Great Wall or enduring a three day horse trek (if I never get on a horse again, it will be too soon), my year in China was an adventure. It was full of ups and downs. There were good days and bad days. Days where I set out to explore the city, and days where I stayed inside all day watching bootlegged copies of the newest movie releases. There were days where there was no where else I’d rather be, and days when I’d rather be anywhere else. China was fun, exciting, frustrating, dirty, interesting, boring, exhausting, overwhelming, amazing, and life changing all rolled into one.

I still can’t believe it’s over. Pictures from this year’s batch of teachers are starting to pop up on Facebook, and as I look at them, I’m not sure what I feel. A little bit of jealousy, some sadness, and even a little relief that my year is over and I now get to share in their experience from the comfort of my air-conditioned, carpeted, oven-having home. :-)

I'm Home!

I made it safely home! :-)

Quick Update from Hong Kong

Hello Everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I have spent the last few weeks traveling through China with my friend, Lauren. And now...get this...I'm sitting in the Hong Kong airport, just hours from boarding my long flight back to America!! I still can't believe the year is over. I'll update more once I get home, so keep checking back to hear about my travels to Beijing, Xi'an, and the Sichuan province, and to see how I'm readjusting to life in America. Anyway, I need to wrap this up before my computer dies (my battery lasts maybe 15 minutes...if I'm lucky!)
See you soon!
:-)

RIP

Today, I finally put my shoes to rest. They have been good to me all year, but now it is time for them to move on...to the trash.



R.I.P. Black Shoes

Ting Bu Dong

Sometimes I think it is funny to go off in *really fast* English to a student who I know can barely understand me even when I speak reallllly. slooowly. In a way, I guess it makes me feel better about not being able to understand 99% of what is going on at any given moment in this country. That, and it’s always amusing to see the look of utter confusion on their faces. Generally, however, when I speak to non-native English speakers, I speak slowly, clearly, and adjust my vocabulary to their level.

That is not the case when native Chinese speakers speak to non-native Chinese speakers. Once you make any indication that you speak any amount of Chinese (even if your vocabulary only extends as far as “ni hao” – hello, and “xie xie” – thank you), they will go off, in normal speed, leaving you in a cloud of confusion. This is usually the point in the conversation where I bust out the “ting bu dong” – I don’t understand, and they get the point, laugh, shake their head, and walk away. But that’s not always how it goes.

One day, while walking down the street, an older man yells hello. I turn around, wave, say hello back, and continue on my way. He catches up to me and begins to ask me (in Chinese) – Do you speak Chinese? I reply, “yi dian dian” – a little. And it’s all downhill from there. Despite my attempts to tell him that I don’t understand, he refuses to believe me, and walks with me, asking questions, for the next five minutes. Though I am able to pick out some key words, and give some sort of answer, for the most part, I have no idea what he is saying. But he doesn’t give up. Maybe he thinks I’m just pretending to not understand. Eventually, I break away, shaking my head and laughing at the absurdity of the encounter.

A few weeks later, the same thing happens with a different man.

Party!

35 twelve years old.
One apartment.
We must be crazy.



Yesterday, Ashley and I hosted a party for some of our students to celebrate the end of the year and to share a little bit of American culture (in the form of food) with them.



We had quite the spread: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Lay’s potato chips, watermelon, peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies, and Jell-O jigglers. (The Jell-O and mix for the peanut butter cookies were sent from America).



The party went surprisingly well – the students all seemed to like the food. The Jell-O was especially popular! After they ate, we went outside (in the 90+ degree humidity!) and played “Pin the Stars on the Chinese Flag” (a variation of “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”).





It was fun to see the kids outside of school, and many in regular clothes. And I know they got a kick out of seeing the foreign teachers outside of school!