It's the Magical Thanksgiving Dumpling, Charlie Brown!

Happy Thanksgiving! Despite missing my favorite holiday at home, I had a great week. Let's get to the nitty-gritty, shall we?

My last blog was Wednesday, so let's go from there. Thursday I was bad and told my trainer I had to work so that I could sleep in and skip working out. But karma has a way of working out, because I did go in later that evening, and when I saw Xiong, he told me he was sick, and because I cancelled, he got to sleep in a few extra hours. So everyone wins! Friday I went to a birthday party for Ivy, the wife of one of my coworkers, Sharriff. Ivy is Chinese, and it's always interesting going to one of their dinner parties, especially the food. I wasn't as daring as I've been before, and while I tried bull frog, I skipped the cold duck tongue. Saturday and Sunday were long days at school as usual, and went pretty well.

I was pleasantly surprised on Sunday when they told me that my classes for Monday and Friday were cancelled. I have no idea why, but I know better than to question. And Monday got even better, because when I woke up, the nasty, cold weather was gone! I hardly even needed a jacket. I spent the morning at the gym, and the afternoon cleaning my apartment.

In the early evening I went to the train station to pick up my friend Alex and his friend Les. Alex and I know each other from freshman year of college when we were in a study group together, but became friends when we studied abroad in London. He just spent the last year teaching English in Thailand, where he met his friend Les, who coincidently, is from Bethesda. He grew up just around the corner from me, and his sister and I were friends when we were younger. Small world! They've finished up in Thailand, and have been touring China the last few weeks before eventually heading back to the US in 2 weeks. I was very excited to see familiar faces!

Tuesday we woke up early and took the bus to Hangzhou, which is a large city about 2 1/2 hours away, in the neighboring province. I was hesitant about taking the bus, but let me tell you, it was almost luxurious. Big comfy seats, a bathroom, and clean. I sat next to a Chinese man who didn't speak a word of English, and we actually were able to chat for a good 15 minutes. I'm 99% sure he just wanted to try to sell me water-purification systems, but it was good practice for my Chinese. The strangest part was that he asked me for my cell phone number- but he doesn't speak English. I don't know why. Probably just to be able to show people he has Western friends.

Once in Hangzhou, we "climbed" up this beautiful pagoda, and took photos. Climbed isn't really true, because unlike the pagoda I went to my first month here, this one had escalators and elevators, so hardly strenuous. We then had some lunch and took a nice long walk around the West Lake, this gorgeous area. Hangzhou is really, truly, beautiful. A Chinese friend told me that there is an expression that roughly translates to "Under Heaven, there is Hangzhou and Suzhou", which I believe to be true. Getting home was a bit of a hassle- first trying to get a taxi, and then making it to the bus station. Our taxi driver actually got pulled over for driving in the bus lane or something, and had to get out to deal with it. I again impressed myself with my Chinese skills when I was able to explain to him that I wouldn't pay the price on his meter because he left it running while he was dealing with the cops. He understood and agreed. Turns out I know more than I thought I did :).

Wednesday we took it easy in the morning, and in the afternoon walked around some of the souvenir markets. The guys toured around some more while I went to work, where I taught 4 year olds the word "beer", and the phrase, "I would like some beer". It was in the lesson plan. In the evening we met some of my friends for dinner at one of my favorite Sichuan restaurants for a great meal.

Thursday, Thanksgiving, we were nice and lazy in the morning. In mid-October I spied pumpkin pie mix at the Western market, and overheard one women telling another that if you don't buy it early, it would be gone by Halloween. So I grabbed a can, and have been holding on to it for about a month. So on Thursday morning, I went out (after dealing with a stupid flat tire- my bike just won't let me be happy) and bought other things to bake my favorite- pumpkin bread. Cooking it was interesting, as I have yet to find a measuring cup in this country. The Chinese don't bake, so there is no need to measure. I had to use my gym water bottle, as it is the only thing with measurements on it. Despite it all, I made some semi-decent bread, and it made my apartment smell like Thanksgiving :)

I had to go to work, where I discovered my favorite class was cancelled again, this time due to H1N1. I sat around until my second class, and when I returned home, Alex and Les had cleaned my apartment, and even made little Thanksgiving decorations, which was very sweet. It was then time for dinner.

We decided to go to the Howard Johnson's near my apartment. I know it sounds gross, but I swear, it was the classiest HoJo I've ever seen- 4 star. The buffett was quite impressive, although the only thing that made it Thanksgiving was a carving station with the turkey. But we feasted on all sorts of things- from meat to pasta to sushi. It was by far the most expensive meal I've had in China, but it was worth it for the holiday. Too stuffed to move, we spent the evening watching TV. If that's not Thanksgiving, I don't know what is.

So all in all, Thanksgiving in China was good. I got many sweet messages from both my expat and Chinese friends wishing me a good holiday, which I enjoyed. One Chinese friend even sent me a text that said "Thank you." I responded, "for what?", to which he replied, "isn't that what you say on Thanksgiving?". Very cute.

This morning I got up early to call family while they were enjoying their dinners, and then promptly fell back asleep. I bid farewell to Alex and Les, and then headed to the gym for my post-Thanksgiving workout with Xiong. He laughed at me when I described an American Thanksgiving, but I'm not sure whether it's because of the amount of food, or that fact that Chinese people seem to eat that much on a daily basis, and he didn't see why it was a special event. He did make me go up those 20 flights of stairs again, but this time we made it to the top without stopping, so either I'm getting healthier, or that last time I was hungover. Both possibilities. I had just come back home and was catching up on the week's American TV when I got a call from Alex, who told me they had nearly 4 hours until their train. So they came back to keep me company. I've bid farewell to them again, and am now cooking more pumpkin bread, as I don't want to waste it the leftover pumpkin mix. Tomorrow is another busy Saturday, and my schedule returns to normal. It's also becoming cold and rainy again, so I guess my friends really lucked out!

And because my father thinks this is the best part of my blogs, here are more random things:

• I accidentally bought scented toilet paper. Surprisingly nice.
• There is a gas ration in SIP right now. My place is so small, I don't think it will be an issue, but I know it's worrying some people. No heat, no hot water. I'm banking on the fact that I can always shower in the gym....
• The movie 2012 is like the biggest thing right now. I've had 3 Chinese friends tell me how amazing it is and how I need to watch it immediately. I've already gotten it on DVD.
• I decided to have a coat made for myself, as it is just so cold. I found a shop, and they only offer cashmere. So I decided to treat myself. She let me pick it out of a magazine, and it will be done in 10 days. The price she offered was, no joke, about 70% less than what I had expected to pay. I was so shocked I didn't even think to negotiate.
• I cleaned my apartment on Monday because my friends were coming. On Tuesday my maid was so shocked that I hadn't let her anything to do that she did my laundry. Despite the fact that it's not freezing cold outside, my clothes are still soaking wet. It's Friday.
• Turns out I had the wrong name for my apartment complex. Having the right on has made my life much simpler. Imagine that.
• My students, being Chinese, love to eat. They come to Sunflower for 2 hours on the weekends. They have 2 5 minute breaks, during which they eat like they haven't had food in 6 weeks. I don't mind, because they share with me. Generally, I get seaweed, chips, candy and cold french fries.

And that's all I've got. Except photos. Those I have!

China 6

Wo Ai Ni,

RDG

Happy Thanksgiving! = 感恩节快乐 - gǎn ēn jié kuài lè.

I'm Freezing....

OK, so I feel really terrible for the delay. To be honest, it's been so cold and lousy, I haven't had much motivation to sit down and write. But here I am, with details to report. And sorry from the start if it seems more disjointed or random than usual- I'm just in a stream-of-consciousness sort of mood.

So yeah, it's finally, officially winter here. The Chinese tell me it's unseasonably cold- this type of freezing weather doesn't normally hit until January. Lucky me. But on the advice of another Sunflower teacher, Chris, I went out and bought a big plaid furry hat with ear flaps. I like to think of it as Homeless Veteran Chic. But it keeps me warm enough on the bike, which is good, because riding around with the cold wind cutting through you is miserable.

Well, at least it should be, if my bike was working. Last week there were some crazy downpours, and I tipped my bike trying to go over a curb too slowly. In my haste to pick the bike and myself back up (don't worry, nothing worse than a bruise on my leg), I didn't realize the foot mat had fallen off. The mat covers the batteries, which is especially important because I cracked one of my battery cases trying to stomp it in last month. And 15 minutes later, when I realized the mat was missing, it had already been stolen. So not thinking, I rode around with the battery exposed, and now, no big surprise, it doesn't work. My tutor is kindly arranging for the bike to be picked up tomorrow, so I can get on with my life! Not having the bike is really annoying, and taking taxis gets expensive (not to mention difficult in the rain/cold).

But onto other things. I've decided to take on some private students to supplement my income. The first is a 14 year old girl named Ting Ting. She's been a student of my Boland instructor Bill for several years, and they decided it was time for a change. We had a demo 2 weeks ago, and then I had my first lesson with her last weekend. Her grammar is great, so I'm mainly focusing on her vocabulary, and more importantly, her conversational skills, as she wants study in the US or UK at some point. She's very sweet, and so far I enjoy it a lot.

The other new students come courtesy of Michael, the head teacher at Sunflower. They are three professional men, probably in their late 20s/early 30s. One is a lawyer, one is a private investor, and the other is a factory manager. So in other words, rich. They're primarily focused on business English, and they're a nice break from teaching kids. Plus, teaching adults is what I learned my first month here at Boland, so it's nice to be able to put some of that into practice. They meet pretty far away, but one has already agreed to pick me up and take me home. I had a demo with them, but I won't officially begin for a few more weeks.

Still going to the gym, although I usually only make it 4 days a week now. I thought it would be difficult to motivate myself to get up and going in the cold weather, but it's actually made it better, because the gym is far warmer than my apartment. So it's a nice break from the cold.

Chinese lessons are going well- Vivian noticed tonight that my pronunciation and tone-reading ability is getting much better, so that's good. She's also started supplementing the book with things I really need to know to survive, which is nice. So like today, for example, she had made up a little vocab sheet for me on ordering food in a restaurant. I knew a lot of the words already, but she taught me how to construct sentences, so that's good.

And to answer my Chazie's question- my Chinese haircut turned out just fine. He spoke English and since I just went for a trim, he did no damage to the curls, although he was a big fan of them. Chinese hairdressers crack me up- they're mainly men, and at home they would be seen as the most over-the-top group of gay men ever, with their eyeliner and 3 foot-high red hair. But then you see them walking down the street holding the hands of their girlfriends. As John Quale would say, they're definitely 'metro-sexual'.

Next week is Thanksgiving, and my friend Alex, from my study-abroad semester in London, is stopping by with his friend as they tour around China. The three of us, plus the one other American friend I have, will most likely be having dinner at a hotel that is hosting what they claim to be a Thanksgiving dinner. T-giving is my favorite holiday at home, and I'm feeling the little pangs of homesickness, especially after how great it was last year. But I'm also looking forward to experiencing a Chinese take on the holiday! And as my Grandma said, it will be an experience I won't forget!

Part II: Wednesday

OK, so I wrote that first part last night (Tuesday), but I didn't get a chance to finish because I went out with my friend. So here we are, Wednesday night, and I'm getting ready to go meet two of the other Sunflower teachers for our weekly Wednesday night bar session. I took my bike to get fixed today, which seemingly went really well- took no time and was completely free. But I got home, and my batteries still won't charge. So tomorrow I'll have to go back, and probably pay to replace them :(. It's very annoying, to say the least.

The rest of my week is pretty good and pretty busy. I'm going to do some serious organizing in my apartment to prepare for Alex's arrival on Monday. I'm also on the constant hunt for warmer clothes- sweaters and such, so hopefully I'll get some more stuff soon.

So that's about it for me. I also want to apologize for not responding to everyone's emails- I do really, really appreciate them, and I'll try to make more of an effort.

XOXO,

RDG

P.S. Chazie- I don't know if Aunt Sylvia reads my blog, but please tell her that I named a lovely Chinese woman after her!

Your Chinese for the Day:

Yi Er San Si Wu Liu Qi Ba Jiu Shi = 1, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

And so we meet again...

See, it didn't take me so long to write again! Truth is, it's been a pretty busy week, so I have more to talk about this time.

I posted a blog last Monday, so I suppose I should start on Tuesday- my day off! My friend Mike planned a bit of a surprise outing for me, since there are plenty of important places I haven't seen yet in Suzhou. The plan was to walk from the area they call "Old City" to Tiger Hill, the biggest tourist destination in the city. The walk is about 3.5km. It was nice, because you walk through tiny streets along the canal to get to Tiger Hill. Once there, we decided to forgo the expensive admission fee and just keep walking straight. Which we did, for hours. We left the tourist areas, and went from tourist area to "real China" to farm land to abandoned highway to complete desolation and poverty. And then we turned around and walked back. The walk took us about 5 hours, but I saw some really amazing things. Living where I do, surrounded by Westerners, sometimes makes me forget what this country can really be like.

Wednesday and Thursday I taught, and spent time with friends. Thursday I was a bit disappointed, because I was supposed to teach my favorite class, Da Ru Primary. These kids are seriously so excited to see me and learn English for 40 minutes that it makes up for all the crap that some of the spoiled rich kids at Sunflower put me through. Since the Chinese don't celebrate Halloween, I bought some light-up devil horns and a bag of lollipops to teach the children about trick-or-treating. But as the Chinese TAs and I approached the school, we nearly walked past it because it was dead silent. The kids had all gone on a field trip, and no one bothered telling us! Major bummer.

Friday, another teacher at Sunflower, Shariff, took me to buy a bicycle. I've been thinking about getting one, as I mentioned before, so I just went ahead and did it. Mike and Shariff invited me to join them on a bike trip today out to Lake Tai, where I've been before. I was all excited to go until I found out its about 100km round trip. Having not been on a bike in many years, I politely declined. I'm looking forward to hearing about it tomorrow, though! I also got my first haircut in China on Friday, at a very fancy salon. Haircut with amazing head massage? $11.70.

And then came Saturday- Halloween! I taught all day, pretty much ignoring the holiday. Except for my last class, which is 14 year olds. Last week they had the word "imported", which is a difficult concept to display considering everything is actually made in China. So I found an empty packet of Trident gum in my purse and showed them. I felt bad because they thought it was so cool but I had none to give them. So this week I explained Halloween to them, and then made them say "Trick-or-treat", and gave them each a packet of Trident (the remains of my stash from home!). They were very excited, and it made me happy.

That evening I had dinner with a large group of people (mainly Irish), and then we ventured out to Bar Street. As I mentioned before, Halloween is not a Chinese holiday. One of the Australian bars was hosting a large party, complete with free beer, so it seemed like every foreigner in Suzhou was there, including us. I've never seen anything like it- Westerners partying on the inside and right on the sidewalk, and the Chinese standing in mass on the opposite side of the bike lane, staring and taking photos. The party itself was like a standard American college Halloween party, so nothing exciting to say about it, other than I didn't drink because I had to work on Sunday, so I called it an "early" night at 2am.

Sunday I taught 2 classes, and then was assigned to host an optional Halloween party for students and their parents. It was pretty lame, for the most part. Best activity was carving jack-o-lanterns, since most of them had never done it before. I was impressed by their skills! It was also funny watching them do the Limbo- they did not get the concept at all.

Monday was back to the normal routine, and I enjoyed a lazy night in. The weather has suddenly turned extremely cold, and on the bike it's even worse. So I bundled up on my couch and began the John Adams HBO mini-series, which I've been enjoying a lot.

And that bring us to today, my day off. I read, went to the supermarket and the gym. Then I met my friends Mary and Michelle for an after dinner Starbucks and massage. First time I've ventured into Starbucks in China, and it's basically the same as home. The massage was wonderful, although painful at times. Right now I'm incredibly relaxed and warm in my little apartment, and as soon as I post this, I'm heading up to bed.

And because I like lists, here are a list of minor things that have been annoying me recently:

• The Chinese don't use fitted sheets. I'm tired of waking up on my bare mattress every single morning!
• If I buy one more stupid DVD in French or Japanese, I'm going to go nuts.
• Hard to believe, but the Chinese are far more addicted to their cell phones than we are. They refuse to ignore calls, no matter what they're doing. At the gym, on their bikes, getting their haircut, anywhere.
• No one accepts credit cards.
• China doesn't do daylights savings, so I'm now 13 hours from home, which is not as easy to calculate. China doesn't do timezones, either. The whole giant country is on the same time.
• I'm annoyed at myself for not studying Chinese as much as I should.

OK, now that I got all of that off my chest, I feel much better :)

Miss and love you all!

XOXO,

RDG

Your Chinese for the Day:

不识庐山真面目 只缘身在此山中- You don't know the true face of Mt. Lu because you're in Mt. Lu (I know, I don't really get it either. Something about how being involved in something makes it difficult to see the big picture. But it's by a famous Chinese philosopher, Su Shi. This is what happens when you tell a Chinese person you want a Chinese proverb to put on your blog....)

It's Not That I Don't Love You, I'm Just Really Lazy

I think the title says it all. I've been meaning to write another blog- honestly. But I just haven't had anything particularly interesting to write about. I mean, one or two things will pop up, and I think, 'By golly, I need to put that in the blog!'. But a one sentence blog isn't going to appease anybody. So I store up all these little things and finally, after a week (or two) have enough to say. Things have been going well- still teaching 6 days a week, still taking Chinese lessons, still going to the gym. Wow, that reads like a thesis statement and a decent M.O.D. Yay AP English!

Teaching- They've finally given me what appears to be my permanent schedule. The best thing about it is that my weekends have been reduced to 9-5:30 on Saturdays, and just 1-2:30 on Sundays, which allows for some semblance of a normal social life. However, I know new classes will start on Sundays, and they'll be given to me, so I'll enjoy this schedule while I have the chance. At this point I have classes I love, classes that annoy me, and one class I hate.

Oh, the class I hate. It's about 15 7-year olds. This was my second week teaching them, and they didn't get any better. They're all naughty- they like to poke at me when my back is turned and stick out their tongues rather than repeat vocab words. But we use a star system in Sunflower- good behavior earns stars, bad behavior makes them disappear. If they earn a certain number over the weeks, they get something stupid, like a Snoopy eraser. But they, especially the younger kids, go nuts for these stars. So with the naughty class, I just keep taking them away, which keeps them somewhat under control. But I have one kid- he just pushes me to the breaking point. Let's call him Billy-Bob, because he's fat and has the nastiest black teeth I've ever seen.

-A quick side note: In China, there doesn't really seem to be the same emphasis on 'Special Ed' or learning disabilities in schools. So every kids is placed in the classes, which means we occasionally get kids like Billy-Bob, who clearly need Ritalin or one of those leashes you strap your kids to.-

So Billy-Bob can't sit still. He's out of his seat every 5 seconds. Or under it. Or on top of it. Or chewing on it. He punches me in the stomach, he bugs the little girls, and on top of it all, he can't pronounce a word to save his life. He seems to have some ability to memorize the vocab, but can't say it. So on Saturday, we were playing a game that the kids love, called 'Wolf Wolf, What Time is It?', where I stand on one side of the classroom with my face to the wall and call out times, and they take steps forward, until I run around and chase them. Well, this was the first time this class has played this game, and they were loving it. But while I was standing with my back to the class, Billy-Bob runs up and pushes me into the wall. I had it with him. Both the TA and I grabbed him, and sat him down, and yelled "[Billy-Bob], no! Sit down!". And that was it. Not too bad, right? Well, during the break, Billy-Bob's mom comes in and tells the TA she and I are too mean to him. We need to exercise patience, and be his friend. I laughed. BB is a perfect example of the 'Little Emperor'. He's spoiled rotten. He probably weighs like 100lbs, and his mom still carries him. I just find it funny because I never thought I'd get complaints for being too strict! Generally, Chinese parents expect and encourage it!

It's not all bad though, as I said before, I have classes/ kids I just adore! I've also gotten to name some more. Dad- you'll be happy to know, I named one Jeff! I'll name them for all of you over time, I'm sure! Oh yeah, did I mention that no one here can pronounce my name? It's just so strange, coming from a country where it's super common. I notice it most often in the spelling- Richel or Rechal.

Chinese lessons are going well, although I need to devote more time for studying in between lessons. But I'm at the point where I ask everyone I know for help- the TAs at school, my trainer, Chinese friends, etc. Oh yes- I made some Chinese friends! The first night I went out with them, they took me for hot pot- which is where they bring a big ying-yang shaped bowl to the table filled with hot "soup"- one mild, one incredibly spicy. Then you mark down on a piece of paper what meats and veggies you want, and they bring them out to you. You put them in the pot, and eat up. It was very good, and Amy and Margaret were great company.

It was at that meal that I ate pig's brain. Yes. The brain of a pig. And yes, it looks like a brain. And has the texture of what you'd imagine a brain to taste like. I had a few bites and politely tried to hide it in my bowl. I went out with Margaret again tonight, and had a fantastic Chinese meal, free from all known strange animals.

Still going to the gym. Trainer is still adorable- except that this morning he made me climb up the stairs at the building next door. All 20 stories. On the upside, he did it with me- which I choose to believe is because he wanted to rather than didn't trust the lazy Mei Guo Ren (American) to not walk up like 6 stories, sit down and have a nice 20 minute nap. But I'm still motivated to go tomorrow, despite that, so all a good sign.

So I think that does it for me. Fairly busy week ahead- going to do some more site seeing during my day off tomorrow, and then teaching the rest of the week. Thinking of you all!

XOXO,

RDG

Your Chinese for the day: 瑞吉儿- Rui Ji Er, My Chinese name :)

Sister Act 2- Back in the Habit

Well, hello there. Please sit down, and I will tell you a tale of intrigue and suspense. Ok, not really at all. I'm back in my normal routine of teaching. The holiday went through last Friday, when I returned in full force to the classroom. Friday and Saturday were fairly easy days, just 2 hours each, and then Sunday was another 9am-8pm day. As far as those go, it wasn't so bad.

See, this is why I don't post often- my life can be pretty boring! After sitting around the last few days of my time-off, I decided to get off my lazy butt and join a gym. The combination of the e-bike and access to Western food is not good for the gut. So I picked the only gym I know about, since I can see it from my apartment. It's called Powerhouse, which they tell me is an American brand, but I've never heard of it. But anyway, very nice facility, would be considered high-end even by American standards. My first two sessions I got to work with a personal trainer. His name is Xiong, and he speaks English fairly well. I mean, he has no problems with words like biceps, forearm, and nutrition, but we spent a good five minutes going over the pronunciation of the word "towel".. The first two sessions went so well I decided to hire him a couple times a week. I help him with his English, and he helps me with my Chinese, so it's kind of a win-win. But I've committed to going 5 days a week, since Mon-Fri I work so little. So fingers crossed I'll stick with it, but so far I actually look forward to going (and not entirely just because Xiong is so completely adorable).

What else? I finally got paid today! Which is important for several reasons, the first being the most obvious- I haven't been paid since I left the Embassy at the end of June. The less obvious reason is that I now how enough cash to open a Chinese bank account, which is important because I need to be able to pay my bills, since one of these days I am going to wake up to no electricity and/or water. It's also fun to be handed a wad of 100rmb bills rather than a paycheck. Makes me feel like a gangster.

Wow, I'm actually struggling to think of something to write, and as witnessed by my ramblings belows, that's not usual. So it's probably best to do what I sometimes do- just jot down little musings and thoughts on China. You people like bullet points, don't you?

• Today I saw an armored car picking up cash from a bank. With 8 soldiers holding guns in a ready-to-fire stance. No joke.
• The stores are filled with long-johns, and it's still like 70 degrees outside. But to be fair, it's already pretty chilly riding around on the bike. So I bought a pair when I was at Walmart. Just the first of many, I'm sure.
• One of my students got so excited in class the other day when we were jumping around shouting and acting out words that he punched me in the mouth while chanting "hope hope hope" over again.
• I can no longer wear dresses/skirts to school. Kids are perverts.
• I had some more pointless words to teach at the same school that force me to teach "mete" and "dene". This time we had "tun", which is an antiquated British measurement of liquid volume, especially wine casks. Essential to know, right?
• But on the positive side, one word I had this week was "cute", which was an excuse for me to poke each kid in the cheek while reciting the word. They are so freaking cute.
• I got to name my first student this week. I was caught off-guard and named him Simon, since he had glasses and spiky hair and looks like Simon from Alvin and the Chipmunks.

And that's really all I've got. But, as always, I am happy and safe, so I guess that's all that matters. Will be back soon, hopefully with more exciting things to pass along.

XOXO,

RDG

Your Chinese of the day:

Wo chang lai darao ni, hen gup yi bu qu: I am sorry to trouble you so often

(OK, I have Chinese tutor in like 10 minutes, so I just flipped through my book and picked this out. Should come in handy, though!)

Holiday Season in China

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! This is the week of holidays here in China. Thursday was National Day, which celebrates the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (60th). The streets are decorated with these incredible flower statues (see pictures below), and lots of red and gold lanterns and banners. Saturday was the Mid-Autumn Festival. I don't really know what it is, but it has something to do with the moon, which is full right now. The Chinese people freaking love the moon. And mooncakes. Which I don't care for.

But yes, vacation. It started Thursday, and continues until next Friday, when classes begin again in full force. So far, I've been making good use of my time off. Wednesday and Saturday I ventured into another Chinese nightclub, which I've written about before. It is just such a strange environment. The music is loud and the ambiance decadent, like in a Western night club. But there is no dance floor, just dozens of little tables people claim and stand next to. People just kind of dance where they are or climb up on a speaker. But in general, it's a place to be seen ordering an expensive bottle of whiskey rather than showing off your dance moves. Thursday I was feeling a bit under the weather, so aside from Chinese tutor, I took it easy. Friday I was feeling a lot better, so I joined my friend Christina and two other Irish women, Mary and Grainne, and Mary's two young children to take a tour of the Suzhou silk factory. Suzhou is famous for its silk, and unlike most of the tourist attractions in Suzhou, this one is free. Well, relatively. They give you a tour, showing you how silk is made, and then take you to the very big store, where you drop your money. Some of the stuff was gorgeous, but having very little need for a handmade silk duvet cover, I went the cheap road and bought a scarf, because I'm already getting a bit chilly riding around on the bike, and it's still like 70 degrees out.

Walking around with Mary's two adorable blond hair, blue eyed children was a very different experience. I get occasional stares, but, as my Chinese tutor pointed out, aside from the fact that my eyes are pretty deep-set and light in color, I have a lot of similar features to a Chinese person (skin, hair color, and height, for example). This, of course, is debatable, but beside the point. Everyone came up to stare at these poor kids. They poke at them and follow Mary around. The 1 year old doesn't seem to notice, but the 2 year old hates it, and I feel for her. How Mary maintains her composure with people constantly poking and prodding her kids, I don't know. But I sure do admire her for keeping her cool.

After the factory we met up with Grainne's husband and a new friend of hers, a lovely Israeli woman who just moved from Beijing with her husband. We had a delicious Chinese meal by my apartment. I've been eating a lot of Western food recently, and I forget how good Chinese food can be. It is especially good when you go with a big group, since the food is meant to be ordered together and shared. That way, there are lots of good things to try.

Saturday I treated myself to a manicure at a Singaporean spa. I also found the best/most dangerous place ever next door to it. It is the mecca of imported food. I walked in, and it looked tiny, and pretty unassuming. When I noticed a sign for the deli, I headed downstairs (deli meat is a rarity here). And bam- it was like I was in an American supermarket. OK, not huge, but the stuff they had was like being at home. Way better than the place I wrote about last week. Also far more expensive. So I won't be shopping there normally, but it was nice to know if I am ever craving Doritos or Spaghetti Os, they are just up the street.

Sunday I spent some time riding my bike around the area, just enjoying the incredibly beautiful weather. I went out to Times Square, the big outdoor mall, just to walk around.

Today (Monday), I ventured out to the new shopping center near the Walmart. This place was massive- like if you took 2 Mongtomery malls and stacked them on top of each other. Many of the stores have yet to open, but they had a wide-variety of familiar stores- Sephora, Lenscrafters and H&M, for example. I went into H&M, and was happy to see they stocked some Western sizes. I bought a couple of turtlenecks and some gloves, in preparation for the winter.

I've also been watching a lot of movies and TV shows on DVD. And as I've already whined to some of you, I have occasionally picked up English movies only to come home and find that they've been dubbed in Japanese. With Chinese subtitles. It's annoying, but it's what I get for paying $1.50 for DVDs of movies that aren't out yet at home.

Movie recommendation time! I watched a movie called "The Boat that Rocked", a British movie that is being released soon in the US under the name "Pirate Radio". Excellent music, at least in the version I watched, which was, of course, dubbed in Japanese with English subtitles. But I thought it was hilarious, and the best movie I've watched out here.

What else? Oh, I got my bike fixed! It appears that the steering column had been broken. We're not sure how it happened, but theories include poor craftsmanship, a bad pothole, or that someone had attempted to steal it. Whatever the case, I kept putting off getting it fixed because it is still under warranty, and I was having trouble dealing with the shop I was supposed to take it to- they were rude to my tutor, who was my translator. So I decided to go for convienence over money, and it ended up being a wise move. I took it to a shop about 500 feet from my apartment, shook the bike to show him the problem, he pointed to his watch to indicate I should come back in a hour, I did, it was done, and he charged me 25rmb. That's like $5. Good as new.

And that is that, my friends. Below are some pictures I took while cruising around SIP. I may head to a garden this week, so I'm sure I will have more photos to add shortly.

China 5

XOXO,

RDG

Your Chinese for the Day:

Wo yao liang ga de shi er ga= I want two of the 12th one (How I ordered my lunch off the picture menu today. Shut up, this was a big deal for me!)

Happy National Day!

Hello again. I'm not going to make excuses about not posting very often, because it's only been a week, and this is as good as it gets. It's currently Sunday night, and I'm very tired.



The last 7 days have been incredibly busy. I've added new classes to my schedule, so I now teach 6 days a week. I'm not thrilled about it, but it's just a few extra hours, and contractually I have to accept them, so when my bosses offer, it's in my best interest to say yes. But I like my new classes, so all is well. The Chinese National Holiday begins on Thursday, so starting then I'll have a week off. Not sure what I'll do with my time- it's too hectic to travel, because it's one of two times a year Chinese people can return to their families. I may take a day trip, but I'll probably just experience National Day in Suzhou. It's the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China and the 15th anniversary of the SIP, where I live, so it should be a lot of fun. The decorations are already amazing, and I'll make sure to take lots of photos.



A Sunflower teacher left, so beginning after the holiday I'll have my own permanent weekend classes, which I like. Rather than subbing, I can get used to my kids. I started some of them this last weekend, and they're great- lots of young kids, which I enjoy.



Classes at Sunflower were cancelled today, as an extension of the holiday. Unfortunately, it wasn't a day off for me. In the morning I had "new teacher training" with a specialist from Shanghai. Unfortunately, because I'm the only foreign teacher who has been here less than a year, I was the only one who had to take it. Well, me and 15 Chinese TAs. Don't get me wrong- I like the TAs a lot. They're super nice, speak English well, and couldn't be more helpful. And the trainer was good- she began the class by speaking in English, which makes sense, because it was a training class for an English school. But I suppose it got a bit tiring to try to explain in English, because she quickly switched over to Chinese, and I sat through the entire 2 hour class that way. At one point she stopped and asked me if I spoke Chinese, and when I said no, she asked the guy next to me to translate. But she spoke too quickly for him to do so. Occasionally I guess I looked confused enough, because she would switch back to English, but it was only temporary. I had to leave early to teach, but I learned a few more games, so not too bad.



So yeah, no holiday for me today. Or the kids, for that matter. At home, when there is a national holiday, you just miss school. Not in China. You make it up on the weekends. So today, the kids at the nursery (3&3, or San Zhi San) had to go for a normal school day. On a Sunday. One of the other teachers left for vacation already, so I took her classes there this afternoon. Not bad, except that I get to go teach the exact same lesson there tomorrow to my own classes, so that's no fun.



Oh, I've heard some more good English names. In one of my classes last weekend I had a boy named Poseidon. As in Greek god of the sea. I also had a boy named Emily this afternoon. I found out why this happens- sometimes its the TA. I did a demo last week with a great TA named Robbie, who I like working with because he's smart and is good at controlling the class. One of the potential students didn't have a name, and rather than deferring to me, made one up himself. Wansen. I think he meant Watson, but the kid was already fond of it before I could correct it. So that's how it happens.



What else? My laziness has hit an apex, so I hired a maid, or an 'ayi', as it's known in Chinese. I found her through my landlord, and have to pay a whopping $1.50/hour for her. She came for the first time today, and my place looks amazing. So good, in fact, that I'll post pictures of it!



And that brings us on to the internet. So rather than grow frustrated with my inability to connect through this blog or Facebook, I caved and actually purchased a program to get around the firewall. So far, it works great, and I am officially the only person I know in China who can access blocked sites. So worth it! Haven't tested uploading pictures yet, but will do shortly.



So that's about it for me. It's only 7pm, but I'm beat. The other night I bought the entire 7 seasons of West Wing, the first season of True Blood, the third season of Skins and 2 movies for about $16, so I have a lot to watch as I settle in for the night. A few random things to leave you on:

• Matching t-shirts are all the rage here. Couples dress alike. Sometimes the exact same thing, but sometimes they are these t-shirts designed for couples- the man's is slightly different than the woman's, but they go together. They also make them for families, with ones for your kid. It's cute/disturbing.


• I am seriously thinking of investing in some fur-lined Crocs. If you want to launch your intervention, now is the time, because it will happen. Sooner than you think.


• I went to the most "Western" food store in Suzhou, and spent more than the average Chinese family spends on food in a month on the follow items: A jar of salsa, a bag of tortilla chips, two portions of boneless chicken, two microwavable containers of rice, a can of peas, two jars of olives, a box of Alphabits cereal, a jar of jelly and two cans of Cherry Coke. All worth it, I promise you.


• I'm getting really good at the electric bike.


• I'm not getting any better at Chinese.


• My two biggest expenditures out here, besides rent, are food and purses. Basically the same as home.

OK, that's about it for me. I teach tomorrow and Wednesday, then I'm on a nice little vacation. Tomorrow I am going to investigate joining a gym, since having the bike has eliminated all the walking I was doing before.

Pictures below.

http://picasaweb.google.com/rgold300/China4?feat=directlink

Love always,

RDG

This blog is dedicated to my oldest friend Sarah, who I have been friends with since nursery school. She was hit by a car while running earlier this week and is still in critical condition. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts. - I wish you a speedy and strong recovery Sarah! http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/Atlanta_Nurse_Uses_iPod_to_ID_Patient_092509

Your Chinese for the day:

Wo qi yue lai Zhong guo de= I came to China in July (from memory- go Chinese lessons!)

From the Desk of R. Dori Goldman, Esq.

OK, I know I said I'd have more time to update once I stopped school, and while it's true that I've had more time, I clearly haven't kept my promise. In my defense, my internet stopped working like 5 days ago, and on top of everything, my firewall jumper isn't working well right now.

But enough excuses. I have lost absolutely all concept of time, so I don't even know how long its been since I've updated. Since my internet isn't working, I'm currently sitting in a bookstore/library/restaurant/bar I've been to a few times, and really enjoy. Plus, the free wifi is nice, too. It's Sunday night and I'm super exhausted- this was my first full teaching weekend. Last weekend I had a busy Saturday but an easy Sunday, so it doesn't count. This weekend I filled in for another teacher who had to go home for a few weeks. I don't know how he keeps this schedule: 9am-8pm on Saturday and 9am-6pm on Sunday. 1 hour off each for lunch. That ended up equaling 6 90minutes classes on Saturday, and 4 90minutes classes (plus 2 30 minute demo classes for potential students) on Sunday. I'm beat, not going to lie. But the beauty of it is that I only have 5 hours of teaching over the next five days, so plenty of rest.

While I don't have my own classes, that's pretty much what my schedule will look like : super busy weekends, and an easy week (my weekend is Tuesday and Wednesday). So how have I been filling the time? Well, I moved into my new apartment in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), and I've been getting myself situation, buying very important things like a toaster oven. I've been doing a halfway decent job of keeping it clean, although I can obviously mess it up in like 1/200 of the time it takes me to clean it.

I've also enjoyed having a kitchen so I don't have to eat out all the time like I did when I lived in the hotel. I haven't cooked much, because, frankly, like 70% of what I cooked for myself at home was some sort of Asian stirfry, and the point of cooking is to escape Asian food. But I make pasta or steak, and it comes out fine. I've been invited to a potluck dinner by another teacher tomorrow night, and there is like absolutely nothing I know how to make that has ingredients available in China, so ...we'll see, I guess! But I was super excited to find that not only can I get normal tasting peanut butter in China, it's actually the brand I use from home! So I eat a lot of peanut butter sandwiches. Like every day or two. But it's a small reminder of home :)

So, what else? I'm getting more comfortable on the bike, although I've already managed to break one of the batteries (duct tapes works wonders!). One of the other teachers at Sunflower took me on an e-bike tour of SIP last week, and I saw a lot of places I'd never seen, so that was really cool. It was also on that ride, where I followed around a much more experience biker, that I really became comfortable on the bike.

I've also hired a young Chinese woman named Vivian to be my tutor. She comes to my house twice a week to teach me, and so far, so good. Oral Chinese is a fairly straightforward language grammatically (especially compared to English), but the pronunciation is a nightmare for me. Hopefully thee private lessons will give me the push I need to really focus and learn it: both for survival, and because I'm interested. But studying Chinese has given me a decent understanding of what my students are going through learning English.

But back to the important stuff: teaching. I guess it's easiest to break it up by school. Monday and Friday afternoons I teach 4 30minute classes at a nursery school about 20 minutes away. I do these without a Chinese TA. The first three classes have about 30 students, around 5 years old. They're really cute and very well behaved. Because the class is so short, we don't have time to do much besides learn a few words that they yell back at me. I run around a lot and get all red in the face. I feel like a clown, falling on the floor and doing funny things, but I actually like it a lot. But I had my first real embarrassing moment: I was given 6 words to teach the students, and I didn't know 2 of them. These kids haven't even progressed to vocabularly yet- the words they work on are chosen just for sound and pronunciation. But I kid you not- 2 words. Mete and Dene. Google them. I had to.


My last class at the nursery is the itty, bitty babies. They can't be more than 2 years old, and they don't speak Chinese yet, let alone English. While I just meet with the older kids once a week (3 on Monday, 3 on Friday), I meet with the babies both days. The first two times half just burst into tears and the rest just stared at me. Since then, though, the think of me as a bean bag chair. They literally just jump on me- in my lap, on my arms, and on my back. I've found that stickers have worked well to keep them under control, and that singing Itsy, Bitsy Spider 5 or 6 times puts them in a hypnotic state. And now, only like 3 or 4 cry when I walk in the room. Progress!

Thursdays I have one 40 minute class at a public school. The kids are about 7, and there are at least 40 or 50 of them in the class. But, oh my goodness, I'm like a celebrity there. The kids at my other schools come from wealthy families, and are used to seeing western people. But not these kids. When I arrive it's usually the end of recess, so they're all out in the yard, and they all run up and stare. They follow me around and gather at the windows of the office to peak in at me. It sounds crazy, but I swear it's true. The kids in the class are just so excited to have a western teacher that they're very well behaved and eager to participate.

And then that leaves the weekends at Sunflower. Kids comes for 2 hours classes- 90 of which is with the Western teacher and Chinese TA, and the other 30 with just the TA. Teachers pretty much just jump from class to class, and are handed a lesson plan, and GO. Ages range from from 3-15, and I've found I already strongly prefer to teach the younger kids, like ages 5-7. The smallest kids are fine, but are exhausting, and the older kids are can be really poorly behaved. Plus, working with the younger kids requires more creativity and fun, while the older kids just read from a book. But it's also nice to have a mix to break up the really long days.

OK, I'm beat, and I still have to ride my stupid bike home. I'll do what I can to keep in touch, although I hear it may be bad for the next few weeks.

EDIT: So when I went to post this blog, of course the firewall thing wasn't working. There has apparently been a big crackdown on these things. I found an alternative. Although it is in Dutch, it seems to be working well enough to get the blog up. Unfortunately, it won't allow me on Facebook, so to those of you have left me messages on that, I'm sorry I can't respond right now.

Love you all!

RDG

Photos!

I was finally able to add photos. Click on the albums below to take a glimpse about everything I blab on about. More to come!

China 2

China 3

The Importance of Totem Poles

So I know I've been terrible at updating, but I have an excuse. It's been an incredibly busy week (or 2). Busy, but successful. I finished up my TEFL course- and passed!

My exam was in two parts- Last Friday and Monday. That Saturday and Sunday I observed classes at my new place of employment. All day long. But it was a lot of fun- the kids have a lot of energy and there is a good mix of ages so it doesn't get boring. I taught my first 4 classes at the nursery my company outsources to on Friday, and it was a lot of fun. The classes there are short- only 30 minutes, so there isn't much time to do anything other than give them kids a few vocab words and have them shout the words at you. But seriously- Chinese kids are so beyond adorable, there isn't even a word to describe them. I spent this weekend observing again. Although I'm itching to get out and teach, I was happy they decided to give me a little more time to get comfortable. This company really seems to have their act together, and they're all as nice as can be.

Last Monday I got a bit of bad news. The owner of the awesome apartment I was going to rent got an offer to sell her place, and because we had no contract, went for it. I can't blame her- it was an awesome place. But with the help of Michael and Xian, I found a place I like ALMOST as much. The location is actually much better, but the place just isn't quite as nice. But I know I'll be happy here. I'll make sure to post pictures. I found the place at 6pm on Tuesday, and moved in at 9am on Wednesday, with the help of my friends Jonathan, Michael and Xian. They also helped me set up Internet and took me to buy the most important thing I'll ever buy in my life: An e-bike.

Yes, I am now the proud owner of an electric bike. It's basically a scooter or a moped. The batteries weigh a ton, take ages to charge, and it only works for like an hour at a time. But it's the best way to get around Suzhou. Although I bought it on Wednesday, today was the first time I took it out on the road. OK, actually, Jonathan did like 90% of the driving, but it was good to practice, and we drove around the lake and discovered some fantastic and beautiful spots. Having the bike will allow me all sorts of freedoms- it's hard to just get out an explore the area if you can only walk, and unless you speak Chinese, a taxi is only going to get you to the address you request. Because my weekends are so full at work, I less than 6 hours total between Monday and Friday, so I'll have plenty of time to do some more exploring. Plus, it's bound to be stolen soon, so I should enjoy it while I can.

So more about the classes. As I said, the kids are really cute. At the language center, where I'll work on the weekends, the kids range in age between 3-15. They spend a lot of time reviewing previously learned material, and I'm constantly wowed by their ability to retain information. Chinese children learn from a young age in school to memorize, memorize, memorize. So when they're given, say, a list of 25 foods in English, they'll come in to class with the list memorized in order. No questions asked, it's just how they work. But some of the vocabulary the book gives them is kind of strange. One class I observed was learning vocab from a unit on Alaska- and one of the vocab words was "totem pole". Think about it. Is this a word you'd really need to know to have a working knowledge of the English language? I couldn't get over it, and I wasn't the only one- the teacher cut it from the lesson. But who knows, maybe 20 years from now, one of these kids will be hired by an American company and be sent to work in Alaska, and they'll be humiliated when they have to ask their guide what the tall carved poles are.

Because yet again I just have a list of random things to talk about, I'll give you some more things I've learned:

1. Buying $2 Chinese wine is not the same as buying 2 Buck Chuck.

2. It's probably a good idea to check and see if your neighbor has an incredibly strong unprotected wireless network BEFORE you drop 1000 yuan on a year's worth of Internet service.

3. It's quite a bummer to discover your brand new bike is too big to fit in the elevator, so every day you have to lug two incredibly heavy batteries to your apartment to charge.

4. I've watched two full seasons of How I Met Your Mother in like 4 days. Just wanted to brag.

5. Best English name encountered in a Chinese class so far: Mysnoopy. Runners Up: Bobo and Kslow.

6. Chinese people love Crocs. Love them. Everyone wears them- young, old, dress up, dress down. If I had, hypothetically speaking, given in and bought a pair of orange ones, would you still be my friend?

7. Side note: Crocs are the only shoes in my size that I've found so far.

8. A Walmart the size of an airport hanger, complete with H&M, Zara and Next is opening up down the street at the end of the month. It's all the Chinese people can talk about. Or me, for the matter. Walmart!!

9. A box of cereal cost me more than a train ticket to Shanghai.

10. I decided not to pay for TV in my new apartment, because I'd rather buy DVDs pay for satellite TV, and the basic Chinese TV only has one channel. I watched it a few times in my hotel, and it was always the same. News followed by a tourism "documentary". My favorite? The story of the world's biggest jade Buddha statue, located somewhere in Northern China. Check it out. It's in the Guinness Book of World Records. Not under "World's Largest Jade Sculpture". Just "World's Largest Jade Buddha Sculpture." If someone knows where the largest is, please let me know. I'm dying to find out.

OK, pretty lame list, I know. But it's late and I'm tired, and I'm not stopping to take a nap in the middle of this entry (although, truthfully, I did stop to go out to dinner for a friend's birthday). But now that I'm settled and have a more regular schedule, I will have more time to update. And pictures this week, I PROMISE.

Zai Jian,
Rachel

Your Chinese for the Day: Sui Hui Lu (It's the name of my new street :) )

And so it comes to an end...

No, I'm not leaving China. In fact, this morning I officially committed myself to staying in Suzhou until August 30, 2010. That's right, I am now officially employed in the PRC.

I've accepted a job at an English language center called Sunflower. How can you not love that name? They specialize in teaching children (ages 3-15) after school and on weekends. They all outsource their teachers to instruct young kids at other schools during the day. The hours are light (only 20 a week for full time), the pay is excellent, and the people are as friendly and caring as can be. I officially start on Tuesday, September 1, but I possibly have to do some training this weekend. Today was the first step- signing the contract. Tomorrow is step two- medical exam. In order to get a work visa, I need to be poked and prodded by the Chinese. I hear it's not bad, but I'm sure I'll have a few good stories to tell after tomorrow.

I've also found a fantastic apartment. Well, I didn't really find it. The head teacher at Sunflower, Michael, asked me about my living situation during my interview. When I told him I didn't have any ideas, he told me his wife had a friend who was looking for a single woman to rent her place. Michael, his wife Xian and their two adorable daughters took me over to the apartment to check it out yesterday, and it is fantastic. Clean, modern, fully furnished, safe, and overlooks a giant lake. I move in on the 6th, so I'll make sure to take lots of photos.

Interesting side note- It's pretty standard in China that when you rent a place, you pay 6-12 months of rent right up front. It's a safety net for the owner, since there is no such thing as a credit check out here. Seems strange to me, but nice because I don't have to worry about paying rent again until February.

But alas, as excited as I am to get started on this new chapter, I've yet to finish school. Tomorrow I have my class planning exam and my oral exam. Monday is my Chinese exam and my written exam. I've already done quite well on my teaching exam, so I know I'm going into these next 3 (Chinese is separate) exams on a high note. Technically, I shouldn't stress because I have a job already, but I need the diploma to get certified as a "foreign expert", which will help me get my work permit.

So that's about it for me- just a medical exam sandwiched by lots of studying. Below I've included a list of some random observations that don't really have a rhyme or reason.

1. Chinese girls watch too much Gossip Girl. "Oh My God" starts like every other sentence.

2. Fact: My Chinese teacher has a far better knowledge of English grammar than I ever will.

3. Chinese men- young, old, fat, skinny- like to walk around with their shirts pulled up, exposing their stomachs. I'm not sure if it's to keep cool or if it's some sort of bizarre mating ritual, but most of them should probably keep their shirts down.

4. I can go from literally hating this country to absolutely loving it in .5 seconds. Example: My laptop contracted a nasty virus, probably caused by the programs I used to get over the Great Firewall of China. Since my computer is my main source of communication, I was grumpy. Stupid country. Went to school, where they gave me a card of an IT man who speaks English. Within a few hours he'd come to the school, wiped out the virus and installed a 3 year anti-virus program. All for like $60. God, I love this country.

5. I've done next to no shopping in the month I've been here, which is very unlike me. I think it's because although I know the numbers and different expressions to use while bargaining, the idea of actually doing it is too exhausting. But this week I was in a good mood and wanted to buy a new purse. I didn't feel like going to the fake market, so I walked around my neighborhood, prepared to bargain. And I didn't find a single one I liked. The Chinese love the tackiest stuff.

6. Sorry, I had to stop and take a nap. Seriously.

7. When we went to the lake last weekend, I was worried that I looked like a tourist- wearing khaki shorts, a baggy t-shirt, a baseball cap and sneakers. Also add a travel purse across my chest and my camera. About 5 seconds later I remembered that no matter where I am or what I wear, I will never, ever look like a local, so I might as well be comfortable.

8. I am halfway convinced the Chinese are intentionally polluting their air in an attempt to block out the sun. They hate the sun because they don't want dark skin- it's a symbol of the working class. You see the most umbrellas on the sunny days. Even in the super hot weather they wear long sleeves and gloves while riding their bikes. The stores are filled with creams to whiten the skin. Doesn't seem to bother the men as much, though. Instead, the grow out their pinkie fingernails to prove that they don't do manual labor. I assumed they had grown them out for another reason...

9. We ordered chicken at lunch. I picked up a piece, kind of grossed out at at the skin and bones, but I picked at it best I could. I wasn't getting much meat, so I flipped it over. And it's eye was starting right back up me. Yes, I ate the chicken's head. And yes, I'm still getting slightly queasy writing this. Thinking about wiping the brain off my chopsticks. Convince you to come to China yet?

10. I taught a lesson on common American names, and how to pronounce them. I explained that my first name, Rachel, is very common. I then explained that my middle name, Dori, is very uncommon, especially in the spelling. They laughed at me. This, coming from a society that picks English names like Starburst, Money, Hitler, 7 and Monkey Dream. I can't wait to see what names my new students pick for themselves.

I absolutely love the comments everyone is leaving, and I apologize for not answering them directly. But I miss and love you all!

And a note on the photos- I've taken a ton and really want to share them, but I'm having a really tough time uploading them. I think it's because my internet connection is so poor. I'm going to try somewhere else tomorrow, in the hopes that I can get it to work. But I promise they're coming eventually!

XOXO,

RDG

Planes, Trains and Taxi Cabs

So I didn't think I'd be able to top my little whirl-wind day in Shanghai last week. Boy, was I wrong.

A little back story, for context. When I applied for my visa to come to China, I asked for 60 days, but they only gave me 30. I was told by the very helpful folks at my school that I'd have to go to Shanghai and request an extension, which would require two trips into the city on the weekday, checking into a hotel and no guarantee I'd be able to get the extension. So about a week and a half ago my program director noticed that I was actually given something called a "multiple-entry visa", which allows me to come and go to China whenever I want for the next 12 months. However, I'm required to leave the country every 30 days. Literally just walk out and right back in. I can't get rid of this visa until I switch to a work one.

That's a fairly common story. And the typical solution? Hong Kong. By way of Shenzhen, the Chinese city that borders it.

So that's where I spent 30 hours this weekend.

Friday didn't start off well. The internet wasn't working well when I woke up, which meant I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to send an attachment for school, resulting in me being late. I tried to catch a cab, but because it was Friday, that took 3 times as long as it should have. I ran into Chinese class, embarrassed at my tardiness, and unhappy because being late for anything stresses me out.

I sat through my Chinese culture class, which I always enjoy (but not nearly as much as language), and then observed another student teach. As soon as his class was dismissed, I bolted out of the building, where the driver I had hired was waiting for me. Because you never know what traffic will be like, I booked the pick-up more than 4 hours before my flight, although the airport is only 1 hour 45 minutes away. Being Chinese, he drove like the car was on fire and the airport was the only source of water in China. He honked, flashed his lights and tailgated cars daring to only go 20km over the speed limit. So needless to say, I made it there with hours to kill. Never one to mind being early, I found check-in to be easy, and enjoyed a semi-decent and incredibly expensive Italian lunch.

When it comes to air travel, the Chinese are amazingly efficent. I have a theory about this. It's because the Chinese use very small carry-ons. They don't cram everything into a roller-bag. The check their luggage and just carry on a small laptop case or backpack. In fact, the only time I saw people with rolling luggage on board, they were Westerners. This means the security line goes faster (you also don't have to remove your small liquids or take off your shoes). They wand pretty much everyone, but don't drag you behind some curtain somewhere, they just do it quickly right where you are. They don't board by groups- when boarding is called, everyone gets on, stows their bag, and sits down quietly. It doesn't mean they don't rush and fight to be at the front line, because if they didn't, they wouldn't be Chinese. But when they get on the planes, there is plenty of room for everyone's luggage in the overhead bins. No cramming, no pushing.

While waiting for my plane, I attempted to activate my cell phone for international calls. I had thought I'd set it up when I bought the phone, but since the entire exchange was in Chinese, I have no idea. So I called the China Mobile number in my phone, which has some English operators. Because I was currently in Shanghai, I was automatically sent to their line. I explained myself, and the operator tells me I need to call the Suzhou branch of China Mobile, and gives me the number. I call, and they don't have an English line. I try talking to the operator, to no avail. So I call back Shanghai, and explain my situation.

Me: I want to active the international calling on my mobile.
Them: You need to call the Suzhou number. It's XXXXXXXXXXXX
Me: I tried that. They don't speak English. Is there an English line?
Them: No. You just need to explain it to them.
Me: But they don't speak English and I don't speak Chinese.
Them: You'll need to work that out with them.

Needless to say, this did not go my way. I was a bit nervous, because I thought it might make it difficult to contact my hosts in Hong Kong. But I boarded my flight, and then we sat on the runway for an hour. It was a smooth flight. Air China still provides you with a hot meal. Can you believe it? A 2 hour flight with food. I hardly even remember that. I had rice with what I swear was a German spaetzel, but who knows.

When the flight landed in Shenzhen, everyone jumped up and started grabbing their bags. I swear we hadn't even gotten to the gate yet. So I joined in, trying to get my bags down. In my haste, I made a grievous error- I left my Kindle in the seat back pocket. And I didn't realize it until I was in the taxi on the way to the train station.

Oh, what a joyous taxi ride that was. The driver didn't understand me when I tried to say huoche zhan (the railway station). So I drew him a picture, which made him laugh. Being a typical Chinese taxi driver, he drove like a maniac, and in an attempt to cut off traffic, he got in the wrong lane to go to the train station (the road signs were also in English), which got us stuck in a ridiculous traffic jam. That's when I got my first call from Joe, my wonderful host in Hong Kong. I explained about my phone, and that I was running late, but we arranged that we'd connect once I got a train ticket.

When I finally got to the train station, it was a zoo. People everywhere, confusing signs, and noise. And millions of stores selling who knows what. So I began following signs for Hong Kong. I walked and walked, and somehow ended up at the exit point for China. Dozens of border agents, but no lanes for foreigners. I must have looked like a clueless moron, because someone came and pointed me in the right direction, which was a whole other floor. After filling out forms about my health and waiting in line for a good 30 minutes, I cleared the Chinese border. As I was going through, Joe called, and I asked him to call me back in 5 minutes. That's the last I heard of him. The minute I stepped into Hong Kong, my phone went out of service. And little did I know, but as soon as I cleared China, I had to wait in another long line to enter Hong Kong. When I finally made it through there, I found the train station. But I wasn't 100% sure which stop I wanted. Since my phone wasn't working, I tried a pay phone. But I couldn't get it to work. I was starting to freak out, thinking about the poor Hamiltons, who had been waiting hours for me to arrive, and now had no way to contact me. But I boarded the train, hoping maybe I'd picked the right station and I'd be able to find them. But as soon as I got out, I knew I was wrong. I remembered I was supposed to meet them at Exit 1. But this station had Exits A-E. So I found a security guard (thankfully, most people in Hong Kong speak some English) and asked for a pay phone. She directed me to a University campus next door, where I found the phone. But I could not get it to work. I tried and tried, until I was down to my last coin.

The panic was full-fledged at this point. I was in a foreign city without a working phone, no idea where my hosts lived, and unable to even use the pay phone. By this point, it was nearly 10pm, and I'd landed just before 7. As a last-ditch effort, I found a police officer, and barely holding back tears, I asked him to show me how to use the phone.

I can't even describe the relief I felt when I got in touch with Joe. Of course, they were waiting at the station I was supposed to be at, but within 5 minutes, there they were- the best couple in the entire world, Joe and Kathy Hamilton. They're friends of friends of my grandparents, so not exactly a close relationship, but they couldn't have been better to me.

They took me to their amazing home, way up in the hills of Hong Kong. They live in a beautiful apartment on the 39th floor with sweeping views of the ocean. It's really breathtaking. I'm pretty sure they must be mind-readers, because they took me to their home, made me a turkey sandwich with BBQ chips and planted me in front of the TV. I kid you not- a turkey sandwich has been the #1 thing I've been craving since I got to China, probably because they don't eat it on the mainland. But they have it in Hong Kong, and it was the best thing ever. After the day I'd had- all the travel stress, and my poor Kindle, I really couldn't think of a better way to unwind.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a ton of time in Hong Kong. We took it easy in the morning, and again proving to be a mind-reader, Kathy asked me if I wanted to go to the grocery store. It's hard to explain why this is so awesome, but it is. Some Western food isn't too hard to get in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, but it's really difficult to come by in a place like Suzhou. You can usually find some strange tasting Oreos at the store, or "American" flavored chips (the others ones have flavors like "Tangy Chicken" or "Italian Sauce" or "Lotus"). And since I probably won't be back in Hong Kong for a long time, this was my one chance to come across some real Western food.

In my eyes, the store had absolutely everything you could want. I know that if you've come from the US and are living in Hong Kong, there are plenty of things you'd miss from your store. But in my eyes, it was heaven. I cursed the fact that I still live in a hotel with no fridge, because I would have stocked up on the turkey :). But trust me, I did well. And it's not cheap. I am now in possession of the following: PepperidgeFarm Snickerdoodle Cookies, red licorice, and a small box of Captain Crunch. That, plus some bandaids, People and Cosmo magazines, some anti-itch cream (for the 100 million bug bites I have) and a package of tissues cost me 275 Hong Kong Dollars, roughly $35. But oh so worth it.

After making me some delicious burgers for lunch, and giving me a tour of the Peak, I bid farewell to the wonderful Hamiltons and started my journey home. Hong Kong traffic sucks, and it took me longer than expected to get to the train station. I got my ticket, took the 45 minute train ride, and then got to the border. This time, things went a bit smoother. It was easy to leave Hong Kong, but took a little while longer to enter China. But I did, and now I have another 30 days in the country. But I kept looking at my watch- by the time I crossed into Shenzhen, I only had 2 hours until my flight, and it takes at least 30 minutes to get to the station (plus, traffic sucks in Shenzhen). But I made it, about 20 minutes before my flight was to board.

But I wasn't ready to leave without trying to find my Kindle. I went to the customer service desk, who sent me somewhere else in the airport. Frantic, I raced to the "business centre", where a very nice woman tried to assist me and 3 other people at the same time. She searched through her huge binder of found objects, and I started to feel the familiar sadness- looks like I'm going to be ordering en mass from Amazon.com. But then her eyes lit up- she had it! She went to the back, and after making me sign my life away, my Kindle was back in my loving arms! I swear, the Chinese can be the coolest people ever sometimes. Someone found it, turned it in, and filled out a ton of paperwork. Just because I'm forgetful.

With Kindle in hand, I raced to through security, and made it to my gate, only to find the incoming plane hadn't arrived. But who cares. I made it to the airport, Kindle and Captain Crunch in hand.

And that was just Saturday.

I didn't return to my hotel until 11pm on Saturday. My alarm went off at 6am on Sunday. Career fair. The school set it up, in conjunction with the City of Suzhou. It was pretty successful- found a few schools I liked- two of which I am visiting tomorrow. I hope to have a contract signed in the next few days. But I was cranky- wearing dress clothes made of synthetic fabrics in Suzhou humidity is painful. I was never happier to own cotton than when I put on shorts and a t-shirt after the fair.

After lunch, our hotel owners, Oliver and Yokee Lee, took me, Garrett, Eric and Jonathan on a trip to see Tai Hu, which is a large, famous lake on the outskirts of Suzhou. It was very pretty, but the paths all around it were flooded due to the recent typhoon, so there wasn't much to explore. But they took us on a boat ride around the lake, which was great.

Next, they kept driving to show us more outside of Suzhou. We went hopping from island to island, and saw some really beautiful neighborhoods, as well as some truly impoverished ones. After another hour or so of driving, we ended up in the mountains. We stopped at one (I wish I knew the name), and got into these green vans, which kind of looked like VW Vans without sides. The vans took us up and up and up into the mountains. The mountains had terraces filled with tea. Once we reached the top, I saw a pagoda on the tip top of the peak, and what looked like a chair lift. "Oh good," I thought, "We get to ride up to the top".

Wrong.

We climbed. Garrett made fun of me because, naturally, I was whining as I was huffing and puffing- and he said it had nothing on the Great Wall. So this was my practice for the Great Wall. But eventually I reached the top, but not before I thought I might die a few times. The air up there was really horrible- combined with the heat it was very hard to breathe. It was also difficult to see much because of all the smog. Sad.

Exhausted and hot, we made out way down the mountain, and eventually back to Suzhou. I was really thankful that Oliver and Yokee took us, because it was fun to see something new, and it's always easier to navigate with a Chinese guide.

So ok, this was a super long post. But it's been a very, very busy weekend. So now, with this posted, I will go pass out.

XOXO,
RDG

Your Chinese for the day:

Wo bu hui Zhongwen- I don't speak Chinese (most reguarly used phrase in my life)