Grading

Grading has been eating at me. Sorry there have been no updates. So few updates. :(

For Christ-mass, the foreign teachers had secret santa and ate Beijing duck. Not much else, I guess?

Mostly while I have the homework graded, I still have exams to finish. Sorry that life has been so boring. Well, not completely boring (I find excuses to put off grading, silly, silly me), but mostly for excitement around here it's "Let's go to dinner.... in a different part of town!" Whoo.

Whoo-hoo.

Whoo.

Did I mention hoo?

I'll post another update if I can, once the grading gets finished for this class. It'll be finished today. (Then my next final is on the 4th).

updates

In the midst of finals and grads. Had a farewell dinner to Ben and Mallory last night. Tonight we were treated to a Christmas dinner.

Tasty. The best dinners are when there is a western toilet in the VIP area.

Um, let's see...

Sorry no sooner update; between VPN issues and grades, there was not much opportunity.

Yes, the grading is going. Today I managed to get the bulk of it done, but I still have a few that need doing. Tomorrow is the conversation final.

Even though I've mentioned China can be cold, it hasn't been cold recently- since the heat came on and I can now get warm at night, the warmth seeps into my bones, I guess, and I can carry it around with me all day. Sleepy.

Quick update

Headed for bed, so here's a quick update of today.

Met with some English teachers from the department to talk about how classes are going. Unsurprisingly, one Chinese teacher (not the dean) dominated the conversation with the writing teachers. I had to force myself to be heard about a few things. It was suggested I write my own book. Huh. I could. Hmmm.

Then my fellow teachers and I went to the store. A new store. A big store. The biggest store. I bought cheese. Meltykiss, doritos, and...cheese. cheese. CHEESE.

Tired. I will update more on tomorrow if I can, but tomorrow's a busy day

(I found out my schedule, also, and I teach 16 hours, but 12 classes. Next semester I have the most students of anyone. Whoot?)

Kinda not exciting day

Today was pretty meh. Getting the students to ask each other questions by playing head's up 7-up, but if you call on someone, you have to ask them a question. Then as they had their heads down I stole all their water bottles and selected different ones to help describe them.

Strange, but they'll get tested on stuff like that eventually.

Still have movie class. Horray, I think. Horray for movie class? My computer keeps making noises. If it keeps this up, I'm afraid by January I won't have anything. Luckily I've got my grades backed up, and I can go to a net caffe in order to put in the grades, but still. It worries me.

Last month I was eating a lot at West Gate- this month, South Gate. Even though West Gate is cheaper, South Gate offers more restaurants that you sit inside, cheaper food, and I dunno. It's also closer, that might help. Between last month and this month, Adam and Ben translated a menu at another place- that makes the total translated menus I know in this area to 4 restaurants. So we've been hanging out there, mostly because foreigners have a reputation. It's good food, mostly, but we know a waitress there (Adam's student). It also has decent beer.

This post is mid-day. The day could become really exciting without notice! We'll see.

Cold Water, Thankful for Family Life Rant

Today the cold water pressure died. Nobody told us why until after they restored it, either; there was construction. We, as foreign teachers, found out when our toilet tanks did not refill.

I'm realizing slowly the advantages here of being born in my family, a middle class yet somehow rural farm feeling family.

1) I know what circuit breakers are and how to flip them on and off. This is especially useful in the AV classes, for whatever reason they're always turned off. I have yet to see them flip in my apartment.

2) I know how to clean things. When you have mold growing on your bedroom wall, there's nothing like SCRUBBING IT OFF to make you feel proud and accomplished.

3) I know how to fix brand-new (Chinese new) chairs when their wheels fall off.

4) I know when I can and can't install something on the ceiling based on the type of material it has.

5) I know how to shut off the water on a toilet if it overflows.

6) I know how to manually refill a tank on a toilet and how to fix the stopper and lever.

7) I know when to throw things out and what things can be left out for a while (like cake, meat, or soup).

8) I know how to use my A/C unit to help dry my clothes since the humidity in wintertime is still around 80-90%. What.

9) I know why the stray dogs are barking at me and can toss them either a baozi or avoid walking between them and their puppies efficiently.

10) I know why the window has water dripping on it every morning, even if it is not raining. (It deals with the windows here only having one panel, instead of the double sides (or thickness) that a lot of US homes have, especially those who have deep winters).

11) I know not to leave a heater on when I leave the building. Do I forget sometimes, yes, but as soon as I remember I run home or freak out about it (which is why I've now gotten into the habit of turning on the heater after I've locked my outside door).

12) I know why my speakers are fun, but I should not use them all the time (they crinkle sometimes, 'cause ear fatigue, etc).

13) I know how to check the road for cars when I'm crossing. Note: There are no crossings. It's like a game of frogger every day!

14) I can kill my own bugs. With my bare hands. It's a most useful skill.

15) I can sew when my clothes develop holes in the washing machine. Still can't fix the fact that the machine stretches them though.

16) I can travel to China without a checked bag for an entire years' worth of supplies. I'm still proud, even though my parents have shipped me things from home. On the upside, I think of these things as things I knew I didn't need.

17) I can cook emergency meals in the microwave. I can cook, too, but I'm not willing to buy a hot plate just yet.

18) I'm okay eating with a little bit of dirt in my food. Worms do still kill my appetite, but at least I don't feel a need to vomit.

19) Also I know where lamb comes from and when I see the tasty sheep skinned in front of me and it's bloodied carcass carried away, I am aware people will be eating it. The same goes for when I find parts of my pig in bacon that are not normally in bacon, like the skin with hairs attached.

20) Probably more related to Japan- I'm very glad that I'm able to recognize what things are by brands and labels of things here without being able to read them- it's amazing how similar all shampoos look like and how all soaps look the same. Tide looks the same in every country. But it's far more expensive, so I'll just take the one next to it, thank you very much.

I might come up with some more later. For now, I'll end with number 21- being used to having the water turn hot or cold. This probably comes from more of whether or not a toilet was flushed in my house or if everyone had used up the hot water. When you're a family of five, showers are not going to be perfect dreamlike things.

Writing Finals

I have finals today. I am exhausted just from writing, probably because today I sat down and wrote two and a half finals in one go.

Well, more like.... let me explain.

Finals were are a little strict. Firstly, I have to write two finals per course in case someone fails (because they have a chance to retake the final. A lot of schools would rather pass students than fail them, just because it's near impossible to take a class again). Along with two finals per course, I'm also required to turn in an answer key. I won't be giving the final, but I will be grading them.

So what originally looks like 4 finals turns to 6, since I'm the only teacher teaching three courses. At least the students are all bright, cheerful, and cute. :) I'm going to miss teaching them next semester. :(

On the upside, getting attached to my students is always a good thing. They all have the most different opinions (sometimes we disagree, but I expect when I talk to people in general, so it's not an "I am offended" disagreement) between them, and it's just... fun to watch.

Anyway. So tired from finals. So tired.

Picture Update

There's no particular order to these pictures, sorry.

This is from the fancy dinner in Zhengzhou. It was so fancy. So many foreign people. Somehow, Kaifeng has recently acquired more foreign people- there's a wandering Scotsman hanging around. He's awesome fun.

This is me and my student Angel. They all wanted pictures with me. I said okay. Because really, I'd like pictures with them. I've probably had my photo taken up to 200 times now with random people? I should charge money.

This was a concert we were invited to, and showing how few fire codes were accepted by the public. It's nice to know that if I am in a building and there's a fire, I'm likely to die. Yay! We got a free concert, and the man got free foreigners to attend the concert. What a wonderful trade!

HAND CHAIR. Tried to look as evil as possible, but that photo didn't work out, and this one did. By did, I mean my face is still obscure enough. If I didn't want you to see my face, though, I wouldn't have posted me and my student.

This is the hot pot we had when we came back from the small city the second time. It was delicious, and they have the pots heat by induction- so nothing burns but whatever's in the pot.

This is the halloween party. Costumes!

Bobbing for apples.

Adam, Will, and Ben's hands are at a restaurant. I forget where this is.

Local park in Kaifeng. I forget the name. Has "Bo" in it somewhere.

In this month, it is the chrysanthemum festival. Here's what our college had in the middle of the main road.

An Ode to a Cheap and Effective Method of Transport

This photo taken from Kaifeng's official Chinese website, http://www.kaifeng.gov.cn/. Because I like citing my sources.

Where have all the bung-bungs* gone?

And where are all rickshaws?

Where's my streetwise Chinese man

To fight the traffic odds?

Isn't there a blue box

upon wheels of three?

Late at night I look and I look

to return to campus cheaply!

I need a bung-bung!

I need a bung bung to carry me into the night

It's got to be cheap and it's got to be fast,

and it's got to be able to drive.

I need those rickshaws!

I'm holding out for a bung bung with a lower price

Oh it's gunna be hard and it's gunna take luck

When they've all "unionized"**.

Somewhere in the Kaifeng,

in an act of policy,

The mayor got up off his seat and turned to the city.***

"There's too many accidents!" he cried about the street,

"No one knows were to turn or to cross and it's getting quite crazy!"

But...

I need a bung-bung!

I miss those bung-bungs in the dead of the night!

Weaving through cars and weaving through bikes

And taking the old-back roads!****

I miss the bung-bung!

I'm holding out now for taxis 'till the morning light

They start at 5 yuan and only go up

And are far better in a car-fight.

All the rickshaws got bought out by today!

Not a single one remains!

I could swear I can hear them calling out to me~!

Through this chill and the bus and the rain,

I want them back despite safety!

They've gone away, their blue little boxes!

(Blue little box, blue little box, blue little box!)

Oh, the bung-bung!

Bought out for the idea of Kaifeng's safety!

Your drivers were paid and your bodies were crushed

and now you're a memory.

Oh, rickshaws!

How you dominated the streets!

But now your wiles haves shortened your lives,

and Kaifeng moves towards prosperity.

(bung-bung!)

I need a bung-bung!

I miss those bung-bungs in the dead of the night!

Weaving through cars and weaving through bikes

And taking the old-back roads

Oh, rickshaws!

How you dominated the streets!

But now your wiles haves shortened your lives,

and Kaifeng moves towards prosperity.

*Bung Bung is a Chinese onamonapia (I think) for "rickity" because there is no way rickshaws were ever safe. Bung Bung=Rickshaw.

**- One time while getting a rickshaw for about 15 of us, the group of ricksaw drivers all communicated and all set on the same price- 5 yuan for a trip. We'd tried getting smaller prices, but they all joined together. Adam called it best when he shouted, "No! They're unionizing!"

***- No joke, the last mayor got kicked out for being corrupt and taking bribes. This mayor sponsors building buildings, making policies like attempting to license rickshaw drivers (that didn't work out, so he made good on his threat to get rid of rickshaws), beautifying projects and I dunno, not being corrupt. Ji Bingwei is the new mayor's name.

**** If you wanted to even get a glimpse of what people really lived like in Kaifeng, a good way to do so was to take a rickshaw, they were small enough to go through back streets during rush hour. You could see houses, shops, and chickens everywhere. That was a good way to see Kaifeng without actually exploring; you could save those locations to return to them later.

I am somewhat tempted to sing this.

Also I do not own the tune, it is a parody of the song of Pat Benatar, great genius that she is. If you are not aware of the song "Holding out for a hero" I suggest you buy it and listen to it. This particular set of lyrics in no way represents the original nor was it intended for anything other than humor.

Next Semester Worries

Next semester I have at least three classes at 8am. This semester I only have two, and yet getting up for those two is somehow always a challenge. I don't know why.

Oh, yes I know why- I like sleeping far too much. Maybe if I set my alarm to be out of arm's reach, I would be more inclined to get up. Or maybe if I just got up and did things, I would be less lazy.

So I need to prepare for next semester by always trying to rise early! ...I'll practice....soon. Soon.

(On the upside, so far, I have no afternoon classes. This leads to much exploring).