Shanghai

Staying up all night at a hotel in Shanghai... I'm hoping that I'll be able to sleep straight through my twelve-hour flight and avoid jet lag. Tomorrow I fly to Tokyo, then Detroit, then Columbus, so I'm in for some serious travel boredom. I hope I can buy an English book at the Tokyo airport... there were none here in China.
While waiting in the airport at Shanghai, a stranger asked me if he could practice his English. He was an English teacher at a middle school in a small town, so he had never spoken with a native speaker before. Then his friend asked me if she could take a photo with me. I don't know why that still surprises me... stangers are all the time asking me to take a photo with me here, like I'm some kind of novelty. (And I guess I am, eh?)
Anyway, good night, all. In less than 48 hours I'll be home eating tacos!!! HOORAY!

Buddhists and Basketball

Went to a Buddhist temple today after lunch. It was really amazing. SO beautiful! I had no idea there were so many different Buddhas.
Tonight was the USA vs. China basketball game party...
Our own China vs. USA match - We may have lost in arm wrestling, but we won 101-70 in the basketball game!
Italian red meat flavored chips... hmm... what sort of meat?
I've started packing some things and realized that not everything is going to fit... especially the gigantic tea set from one of my students. I think it's too fragile to try to wrap separately, but the box is huge and heavy. So, I guess a photo will have to suffice. So long, tea set. So long, tennis shoes. So long, various toiletry items. Make room for the souvenirs!

Sunday morning

Denny, one of the student helpers, gave me these earrings as a goodbye gift. :o)
Many of the teachers have already left for the airport. I'm one of the few who are spending a little more time in Wuhan before coming home. Last night, for one last meal together, we went to "Gianno's", the only pizza place in Wuhan other than Pizza Hut. :o)
This morning was my last meal provided by the program, so I get to go out and find my food for the next 5 days. Yay for adventures!
Since I'll be needing some snacks, I stopped by the IGA. (Yeah, that's right. They have an Independent Grocers of America in China... interesting, eh?) This is the sign they have above the escalator...
I bought some Lay's potato chips there, and the flavors are wild! They have shrimp flavor, chicken, cucumber, mango, and my favorite: blueberry!

Saying goodbyes

Today there were two big ceremonies... the closing ceremony for the Summer Intensive English program, and the opening ceremony for the Olympics! In the closing ceremony, some of my students helped me demonstrate the Electric Slide.
We also had songs, poetry, speeches, and these students did their rendition of "The Brady Bumch". :o)
After the ceremony, the students all wanted to take lots and lots of photos and say their goodbyes. I got a little teary-eyed as it sank in that I'm heading home soon and might not see these students again. (Although if I have the chance to go again next year, I'm SO taking it!)

Tonight, we gathered around the TV and watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics until my eyes started drooping, so it was time to bed for me. (Before U.S. athletes came out... I just couldn't stay awake any longer!)
For the next week, I'll be staying in Wuhan and doing some exploring, shopping, and getting massages. :o) Then it's back to Ohio! Six more days!

Last class session

Okay, whoever said cats aren't smart is about to be proved wrong...
I saw this little guy sleepin' on an icecream freezer yesterday on my way to class. Wish I could've joined him! It was a heat index of 115!

Today was my last day of classes, so I had a potluck party with my homeroom. They all got a little camera-happy...

Awww... I had a lot of fun with these guys and I'm really gonna miss them!

And now the COUNTDOWN begins! Eight days until I come home!

Campfire

Went to "Campfire Club" last night, which some of the teachers put together to show the Chinese students what a campfire is like. However, since it's still really hot at night, we settled for a bucket with candles. There was still a pretty nice glow. :o)

We had ghost stories, chants, a harmonica solo, and I sang "Leavin' on a Jet Plane" with another teacher. We ended with everybody singing "Country Roads", and it was so beautiful to hear all those voices together.

Today in class, I learned an urban legend about KFC. My students asked me if it was true that KFC uses genetically altered chickens, because they heard that the chickens have six wings. (I guess that's how they can sell so many chicken wings??) Anyway, I made sure to tell the students that as far as I knew, KFC chickens were completely normal. :o)

Here's another bit of "Engrish" for you... all the other fruits were labeled normally. You know, like "apple" and "banana" and "mango". But this one, for some reason, had a new name...

Here's my last list of fun, creative names of my students. This week's my last week of teaching!

1) Zero

2) Scarlete

3) Indina

4) Truking

5) Wrong

6) Celery

7) King

Ever tasted dragon fruit? I just had it for breakfast! One of my students gave me one, and it was delicious! Not too sweet, and very refreshing.
I was suprised that it was white inside, with tons of tiny seeds... a little like a kiwi. Mmmm!
For lunch, I took one of my students, Chen Ying Ying, to McDonald's, because she had never eaten there before. It's actually on the expensive side in China. :o) We each had a cheeseburger and shared the fries.
After McDonald's, I spent 3 hours with my students at KTV (karaoke). I heard so many sad love songs in Chinese, I don't think I'll ever need to hear another one. :o) It was incredibly fun. I made several special performances, including "Leaving on a Jet Plane", "I Will Survive", and "Jingle Bells", which my students chose as a joke.

One more great example of terrific Engrish. Some things are just lost in translation...

Making dumplings

In China, it's fashionable to be pale. (Quite the opposite from the tanning salon on every corner in the U.S.) So when the girls are outside and it's sunny, they use a pretty decorative umbrella. I bought one for myself, even though I would love to be tan, because the shade actually helps in this crazy heat!

After class today, I bought a beautiful bouquet of flowers for one of my students and her family. She invited me to her home for dinner.

When I got there, two of her dad's friends were making dumplings, and they insisted that I try! I wasn't very good at it, but it was pretty amazing seeing how practiced they were.

Joy's father is a professor at the university where I'm teaching right now. He was a little to shy to use his English, but he understood everything I said. Her mother was very thin, but she ate more than any of us! :o)

Here's my very own dumpling that I made all by myself. I could tell because it wasn't as pretty as the others. :o)

I got to watch Joy's mother play Mah Jong with her friends before we left. It's much more complicated than the one-player computer game I'm obsessed with back home.

Loved this example of "Engrish"...

Ice cream

Today during the mid-class break, I took my students to a nearby icecream vendor and bought them all a popsicle. I figured, my lesson topics are all about food, so it's only fair that I feed them after making them hungry. :o)
I got one for myself, too, and dripped some on my shirt. It's crazy... popsicles here start melting a lot faster, and I just can't keep up. I've probably dripped a little popsicle juice on myself every time I buy one here.
This weekend I went to a big super-mall and there was a Dairy Queen! I got an oreo blizzard, and there was a sign that said "served upside-down, or it's free." I have no idea why, unless it's to show that it's not melty? Who knows. But it was every bit as good as the ones in Ohio. :o)
Here's the super-mall in the distance. five floors of shops! WOW!
Tonight after watching "Hairspray" with a big group of students, I went to get a head massage at a hair salon. They wash your hair, massage awhile, then dry and style it. For 15 yuan, which is around 2 dollars. Too bad the styling doesn't last in the heat... the second I walk out the door, my hair is flat. :o)

Good night, all. I'm in need of every bit of sleep I can get!

Random Notes

Okay, it takes three days longer to dry my clothes in my room than it does to dry them on the roof patio, but I just can't bring myself to dry my undies out where everyone can see them. :o)
We did another dance class today. Taught a few salsa moves and the students "oohed and aahed" over me moving my hips. I guess it's not done here much.
Here's my doctored up feet after the pretty new shoes fiasco. At least the Hello, Kitty bandaids make it a little more fashionable.
By the way, I love generic knock-offs here. Check out these "asidad" sandals from the night market. :o)
Here are some other creative names that I've come across in the past few weeks... how fun!
1) Open
2) Revere
3) Ardwy
4) Wiky
5) Essay
6) Oh Yeah! (exclamation point included)
7) Glacier
8) Bubble
9) Aragon
10) Bird
11) Flint
12) Hydrogen
13) Snow
14) Alf
15) Color

Opera Troubles

Okay, not to brag, but I began the day looking really cute. I wore a dress and shrug that some of my students helped pick for me. However, a 20 minute walk to the Opera proved to be a bad choice... It was over 100 degrees out and really humid. Check out how my thin little cotton dress soaked up all my sweat and put it on display for the world. EW!!! Good thing the opera was air-conditioned. It gave me time to dry off.
The opera itself was really neat. I couldn't understand much of anything, but I guessed a little and made up the rest in my head.

This one was about a young maiden who fell in love and her suitor gave her a jade bracelet, which is the Chinese equivalent to an engagement ring.

I chose a ridiculously uncomfortable pair of shoes to wear, too, which was my second big mistake of the day. At first, they felt fine. Ten minutes down the road, I was getting blisters all over my feet. I think I might still bring them to the U.S., though, even after how they treated me. They're awfully cute, and I don't usually walk so much in Ohio.
Here's how I got home... wearing Deb's socks and carrying the wicked heels. People look at me a lot here, since there aren't a lot of Westerners and I'm so tall. But boy, you should've seen everyone stare at the crazy girl walking down the street in socks!
Don't worry... I avoided wet spots. I arrived home safe and sound. And now, it's time for a good night's sleep to prepare for another crazy week!