Today I saw a grown woman, at least my grandmother’s age, drop trow and (try to) pee into a drain in the floor of a crowded, public lady’s toilet at the local Dennis. She had absolutely zero shame- as do so many kids I see pooping and peeing on the sidewalks, hardly hidden behind the [...]
Archive for November, 2008
The Difference Between Us
Posted in China, tagged China, Japan, living, toilets on November 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted in China, tagged China, cooking, food, living, spaghetti, Thanksgiving on November 27, 2008 | 2 Comments »
I was only vaguely aware of the holiday (there are no presents involved so what what’s the big deal?). Maybe it started last week when a student asked what Thanksgiving songs are there.
Um.
If I was better at thinking on my feet, I would have made up a warm fuzzy about Indians sharing their pumpkin [...]
Me Want (Chinese) Food!
Posted in Adventures, China, tagged China, Chinese, cooking, food, living on November 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Our kitchen wreaks of Chinese food. After multiple failed attemps over the previous two plus months, I was finally able to achieve something that resembled real Chinese food, not the tasteless concoctions two clueless Americans throw into a wok.
The stumbling block was the spices. It’s easy enough to buy mushrooms and garlic and broccoli from [...]
Oh Living Room. Why so Cold?
Posted in China, tagged China, living on November 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Around 7:45 this morning, I was jolted out of my warm, semi-sleepy state by the sound of the gate outside our door rattling.
I shook Chris’s shoulder, “Someone’s at the door.”
His eyes popped open and he moved the fastest I’d ever seen him: he flew, yes flew (legs in the air, feet not touching the cold, [...]
Happy Things
Posted in China, tagged China, College, ESL English, living, teaching, University on November 19, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I think I’ll write this entry on the good things about China- because sometimes I need a reminder.
When I went to the hot, stuffy, crazy, crowded hypermarket this afternoon I stumbled across a small Christmas section. Yes! Granted, my view is it’s not time for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, but seeing the thin, fake trees, [...]
A Little Rant About Some Things That are Wrong with the Chinese University System
Posted in China, tagged China, College, english, teaching, University on November 17, 2008 | 1 Comment »
So classes. They’re going well and I still like this teaching gig- aside from the day about a month ago where I actually kicked a couple students out of class. My greatest triumph, though, was not melting into a pile of tears when I lectured them for being rude, immature and just disgraceful: If you’re [...]
The City is Very Beautiful
Posted in China, Travel, tagged China, Kaifeng, photos, Travel on November 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Kaifeng. Chris and I pulled ourselves out of bed by 9 in time for the hotel’s breakfast. Of course, I had bread and coffee in my head so I was a tad shocked to see a lunch buffet in front of me: rice, potatoes, eggs, carrots, other vegetables sliding around their pans, eggs with tomato, [...]
Hamsters in Entropy
Posted in Adventures, China, Travel, tagged bus, China, Kaifeng, train station, Travel, Zhengzhou on November 12, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Chris and I arrived in Kaifeng late Friday, just in time to make our 9 PM reservation deadline. Our emotions had us wound in exhausted knots and all we wanted to do was curl into a bundle and forget that we were in Doodle Land.
After several people, including our tutor, Robert and another Chinese teacher, [...]
Western Food Feast
Posted in China, Travel, tagged China, coffee, fast food, food, KFC, McDonalds, Travel on November 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I am still a coffee addict. Even though I drink mostly instant now as real coffee is hard to find. And once you find it, be prepared to pay up the wazoo for it. My wazoo wants to be left alone so I drink Ben Cafe instead, a fine alternative to the fried Nescafe.
But [...]
What You Have to Go Through to Buy a Sweater
Posted in Adventures, China, tagged China, fashion, shopping on November 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Today was the first day I went shopping- clothes shopping- by myself. The weather is finally starting to feel like autumn and I have mostly thin and short-sleeved shirts. Not good when it’s 40-degrees when you leave for an unheated class room. And live in a solid block of concrete (it’s now warmer outside than [...]
