And when the Chinese overlords came to collect their debt....

Another great article explaining the complicated relationship between the US, China and Chinese future as the sleeping dragon awakes and dominates.

Read it here.

The blogging continues

In the melee of moving half-way across the world a few things got left out of posts...I'm going to do my best with my plethora of time to include a few of those things here...before the blog closes out. But- friends and family, don't worry because I think having re-found a writers voice I had abandoned some time ago, there may be another blog in the works....stay tuned for details.

Life Lessons

Wow.

It's over.

I'm sitting in my parents house just outside of Washington D.C. The journey is over. I can't believe. It went by so fast. Part of me is ready to go back.

The past couple days of goodbyes have been hard. So many people I love dearly- and I don't know when I'm going to see them again.  

But I do have some closing words to impart on you....(which might be followed by more blogs)

#1 Give us your....

I'm not going to lie- most of my friends are of the middle-class, white-bread variety. Most of us don't know what it feels like to be a minority. Most of us aren't very understanding of minorities here in America. Some people think they should be happy  enough to just be here. And they should learn to speak English if they want to stay here.

Having lived as a minority for a year- Americans need to become more tolerant. We are a country of immigrants and minorities- that is what makes us great. We get the best of the best from all over the world. Let's not forget that ALL of us were immigrants once. And while I was in China not once was I ever shunned or ignored because of who I was. And when it comes to "just learning a language"- how many of you fluently speak a second language? How many of you took atleast 3 years of language? It just isn't that easy. So many times in China would a person who SPOKE zero English patiently try to help me as I mimed my way through a phrase. More often then not THEY ended up acting guilty for not knowing English. Imagine that perspective  next time you get frustrated when you think somebody doesn't speak enough English.

#2 Government is of the people. It is not the people.

Often times when going abroad American's can get a bad wrap. It's because our Government can do some stupid stuff. And people get CONFUSED. They all of a sudden think that I am the same as my Government.  And it's just not true. The same happens with China. Chinese people are not the same as their Government. They are even a little less liable since their officials aren't even elected. So the next time you think of China don't think if the PRC, communist loving, brain-washed, Mao worshipping people. They just don't exist. These stereotypes aren't true. The Chinese people are kind-hearted, welcoming people. They would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it- even if they had just met you. They are so excited to share their culture and their country with you. They didn't get to do that for a LONG time. And surprisingly enough, the people there are EXACTLY like the people here. We share the same daily struggles. The same hard-ships.  There are the same personalities types. I have never believed more in my life that there is only ONE RACE- the HUMAN RACE.

#3 The Media does not always tell the truth.

The dragon has awakened- and America just might have a reason to give them a little bit of bad press. Our economy is failing, all the markets are in turmoil and China is just plugging along with their annual GDP projected to grow again this year. Do you think think the American government and media might benefit from making Americans a little anti-China? Making American citizens not want to buy a Chinese product? Bringing up the big bad "C" word, reminding us that anti-democracy= communism. It's sad. But don't listen BLINDLY to every story coming out of China. No- they are not a perfect country. But neither are we. You can't judge a country by the stories the newspapers choose to print over here.

#4 You give them money! And they take you places!

Travel. If I have ONE piece of advice it's TRAVEL. You have never learned more about yourself, the human race, psychology, and your country by stepping OUTSIDE of it. And it's so much EASIER then you would think- honestly as Joseph put it "you give them money, show up, and you arrive in another part of the world." Stop reading about amazing places and visit them. If your smart you won't need to bring much money for souvenirs because you'll realize that the pictures are worth more then any tchotchke you can bring back. You also become a personal ambassador of America. Because when people meet a thoughtful traveler, who is interested in their people and their cultures, they will start remembering THAT as an American and not some war-hawk, fat-cat in a suit on TV. 

The Many Hats

Wrote this a few weeks ago- didn't blog it. Doing it now.

One thing that is odd about my current position is the different hats I have to wear. First of all- I am a young professional. Clocking in at 24 years of age I don't have a lot of age seniority over anybody. Secondly- moving to Beijing is not just a job adjustment. I have not been made responsible of just people's professional lives- I am partially responsible for their personal lives as well. And thus- I have to wear different hats.

I get to be tour guide Anna.
I get to be social networking Anna.
I get to be work training Anna.

And sometimes- I do believe people have trouble resolving the three. At the end of the day- they are the same person. But in the different settings they have different responsibilities.

While I am the same person you had drinks with on Saturday, I am also at the same time, NOT the same person who is watching your training. They can't be the same person. It doesn't work that way.

It's hard. Sometimes- I just want to STOP CARING. I want to be social Anna who doesn't care. But at the SAME TIME- I take pride in my job. I have 4 years RnR experience, 2+years in public education. That isn't forever- I understand. We're not talking decades- but it should give some perspective. I've been with RnR for as long as it takes to get a college degree. If there was a B.A. in Romping AND/OR Rolling- I probably would possess it.

Regardless- when professional lines get blurred things get complicated. Some teachers use to be an open book with their students- I on the other hand use to keep my personal life personal. While I do want to share with my students and let them know me, we can't be friends. When it comes down to discipline, friendship gets in the way. I guess I am feeling some of those same pains in a professional sense, after I have been through training with so many new people. I want to be your friend, I do. But- I guess my job has to come first. And with new crews of trainees coming through I feel less and less motivated to be social- and want to just focus on the professional.

I guess my conclusion is. Finding the balance that leaves everybody happy is hard one.

Sunrise, Sunset

Today it rained and the streets flooded.
Almost a year ago exactly- the same thing happened here in Beijing.
It was my 5th day in China the first time. Today is my 355th.
How time flies. How much has happened.
But in a beautiful way I'm glad this has happened. It made me feel like I have officially come full circle.
12 days till this journey is over.
Now just on to the next one.....

Panda Babies

While at our Rugby Tour in Chengdu we were a hop skip and a jump away from THE World Famous Chengdu Panda Base. They have 83 Pandas on site and many different little viewing sites/centers. You have to get there nice and early because apparently Panda's are lazy. They get up for their feeding in the morning and then spend the rest of the day not doing much of anything. So after a night of Ruby Celebrations we dragged our tired bodies/minds/souls on to the hostel's bus and took a ride of death on said bus which apparently had lost any concept of shocks long time ago.
The first center we got to vista was the three year old panda enclosure. They had four little panda's. One who was late to arrive to breakfast and 3 that had plopped themselves in a line and had no plans of moving. One thing that we were all worried about coming into this was the quality of life for said pandas. China is well known for having lots of "sad zoos" but I can honestly say this was a very happy place. The enclosures were large with lots of foliage and had intreating things for panda's to climb. The panda's themselves were all bright eyed and bushy tailed (as a panda should have been.)
After oooo-ing/aaaah-ing and the overwhelming cuteness we headed on the red panda enclosure. Now red pandas are about the size of a raccoon and look like the missing pokemon character. They are far more active then regular panda's but have this one off character trait. The rub their "butt" on everything. They were like little territory marking machines.dragging their hind quarters against anything that stuck out of the ground. They also must be much better at breeding then their giant cousins because there were twenty or so in the enclosures.
Then we marched on to the nursery. This had a central building, surrounded by 6 or 7 different enclosures. In the first was 6 or 7 one year old pandas. And we must have missed feeding time because they had all assumed the position in the the tree. The position apparently is called "panda carcass" where it has just barely enough energy to fling its adorable panda body over a branch and the immediately fall asleep. Lazy panda. There was also a mommy/baby pair. Baby was full of vim and vigor, Mommy wanted to nap, hilarity inside. Including a full on tumble down the embankment surrounding the center. But don't worry folks, he was OK.
It was around this time that our guide in broken English asked us if we wanted to hold the baby panda. I had come mentally prepared to say no to this. First and foremost, it cost 1000RMB. I'm not going to convert that into USD for you because it is shamefully expensive. Secondly, it's not great for the baby panda to have so much human exposure. Third, I'm not THAT panda crazy. But, my friend Kate had decided she WAS going to hold the panda and wanted somebody to wait with her. So, we stood in line. And waited. And waited. And listened to the people around us talk about 'once in a life time' opportunity and how amazing it was going to be. I started to want to hold the panda....but I had outsmarted myself. I knew this might happen so I purposely did NOT bring enough money to hold the panda. And this is where it's great to have friends that are enablers, because Kate pulled out a wad of cash and told me to not worry about the difference.
You go into the nursery center a few people at a time. They make you suit up as if you are going into a delivery room. You stand around and watch as the other tourists hold the panda. One of my favorites was the 5 year old child who was A. unimpressed with being this close to a panda and B. the size of the panda. Then it was Kate's turn. And then mine. One thing about holding a panda is it does something to your brain- it turns it into some sort of goo. And all you really can think is "OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG I'M HOLDING A PANDA OMG OMG OMG OMG!" When they placed him on my lap he slipped out of the trainers hands and he landed with the most adorable panda groan. To keep him happy they feed him one tiny stick of bamboo at a time and as he finished each stick he would stick his little paw out for the next. He was a heavy little sucker- somewhere around 60-70lbs I'd guess. His hair is very corse- which surprised me. He didn't mind me petting him or squeezing him- as long as the bamboo kept coming.
After the baby panda experience Kate and I were on panda-cloud-nine. You probably could have hit me in the face with a 2 x 4 and I would have smiled at you and kept walking.
We finished out our day with an educational panda video produced by the center. We learned a few important facts: 1. Panda's get off easy when it comes to birth. The baby when born is 1/1000th of the Mother's size. 2. Panda Mom's aren't really great Mom's- with lots of videos of them batting the newly born babies around in a confused state. 3. A few Panda Mom's are great and very human like, rocking and holding their baby just like a human Mommy would. 4. Panda's aren't great at a lot of things: Walking, Climbing, Mating, Motherhood 5. This panda center has a high success rate in retrieving panda semen because they use electric shock AND massage. I feel sorry for the scientist with THAT job.

Hi ho, Houhai!

As my time winds down I'm trying to make the most of...well...my time. I also want to show the "newbs" around and show them a good time in the great city of Beijing.
We went to Houhai lake, a man made lake towards the center of Beijing. Its surrounded by bars, shops, and restaurants with boat rentals all over. We grabbed lunch at a REALLY overpriced restaurant. It was mostly chinese food- but they had this amazing looking vegetable curry. When it came out it has an INCH of cheese on top. (See picture) While I'm one of Cheese's biggest fans- it really wasn't the curry I was looking for.

We then rented and hopped in a little electric boat and start zooming around the lake. AND by zooming- I mean we were racing turtles, snails, and other creatures that have not perfected forward motion with high amounts of momentum. But it was hilarious. AND then... much to our hilarious dismay out lack of engine came to a dull hum. Yes- we were stranded in the middle of the lake. Not to fear- there was a cellphone number for emergencies. So- I called the number and somebody picked up. I said, "Hello!" And they immediately hung up. So I called back, this time I tried in Chinese" "Wei! Nihao! Ni hui jiang yingyu ma?" (do you speak english) CLICK! Hung up again. I started feeling a little desperate. We were in S Lake without a paddle. So- I called a fluent Chinese friend to help us out but then out of the mist came our white knight. See picture. He seemed mildly annoyed- and then proceeded to macgyver only using a swiss army knife our engine back into existence. It was hilarious.

We then proceeded to April Gourmet- my favorite Western market in Beijing. Traffic hit as we went back to meet up with Beau, Alex, Stacey and Zach for dinner. We were meeting up in Gulou which is a very cute area near Houhai. It's not well known enough to be expensive but still has Western delights. Like MEXICAN food! We had a very nice dinner at Amigo's and then wandered the cute little hutong that it just south of the area. We ended up having roof-top drinks and retiring for evening. All in all it was a pretty perfect day. And that is how I want to spend the rest of my time here- relaxing, enjoying good company, and being out and about in the city.

I included an extra picture of a man performing water calligraphy. It's a sort of meditation activity where they write out poems, phrases and such in beautiful script. For me- I love the impermanence of it. The idea that while beautiful- nothing lasts forever. I love it.

Over and out. 26 days.

MISSING

100000RMB Reward

Jill

Last seen scarfing down dumplings

Wearing Crocs

Please Return to Beijing

We Miss Her!!!!

Dirty 30

So- now under 30 days, here is my list of things I NEED to do before I leave.

-Eat at:
-The Tree
-Ganges
-the Veggie Table
-the Bridge
-Enjoy the Westin's Bubbalicious (The 6 Hour Champagne Brunch)
-Hike the Great Wall one more time
-Travel to at least 1 more province
-Play in my first rugby match
-Go to the gym ALOT
-Visit Underground Beijing
-Tour 798 one more time
-Purchase last round of souvenirs
-Perfect my Mahjong skills
-Buy gifts for my coworkers
-Eat so many dumplings, fat noodles, and hot pot that I explode

The Fear of Home

Well. Here we are, 28 days and counting. I will be back home and officially ( again ) a resident of the US of A.

At moments I am so FRICKEN' excited to come home. I think about July 6th and get so excited. But it usually is then washed over with a mix of other emotions. Fear- fear of not knowing what my job will be. Or where I'll be living. Or if I'll even have a job. Also- I've removed myself from my friends for a year. Life had marched on- and things change. You feel those pains being out here, that you missed so much. I mean, I look at Eamon and Ainslee. They've grown so much and they're so young. I've missed some big moments with them.
The last major emotion is sadness. I really do like it here. My life is really really good. I have a great circle of friends, I have a great extra curricular, I have a great apartment. It's hard to just leave it all behind. Also- now that I finally have more time, I have time and means to travel. I didn't get to see Japan, Vietnam or Korea. I didn't get to explore Tibet or Hong Kong.

As I type this Jilly is pumping the air out of her last space bag. This is the official Beginning of the End.

The In's & Out's on Inner Mongolia

Double Update Power!

So- as some of you may or may not know: Cristina Mansilla spent two weeks with me here in Beijing. But sometimes you need to escape the big city for a simpler place....and a simpler time.

We were off to Inner Mongolia. We flew in to Hohhot, the capital city of the Inner Mongolian province. It;s a short hour flight a way. It's about 10 degrees cooler then Beijing- and a bit clearer. Not as much industry.

It's really interesting up here because you get a TON of actual Mongolian here. After living in a city dominated mostly by the Han's- its neat to see a totally different but similar genetic make-up. (check out Zorigoo- our Hostel owner/operator to see what i mean.) They look way more Eskimo or Sherpa-esque then Chinese.

There are two places to visit in Mongolia: The grasslands and the desert.

Day 1 we went out to the grasslands accompanied by Nick & this lovely German girl whose name I cannot remember. Animal everywhere- flat lands for miles- just blue sky and earth for as far as the eye can see.
One thing I forgot is that when there are no visual markers it messes with your depth perception. We would just want to hike "right over there" but then 20 minutes later we still weren't there. Weird sensation.

Other great thing about the grasslands- it is your bathroom. Which is great because you also burn poop for fires. I have some nice action shots of scooping poop.
We rode horseys and they ARE not trained ANYTHING like ANY horse I have ever ridden. They are all verbal commands- in Mongolian. So ya know- we struggled to communicate, IE my horse did not move. Even the horsey trainer couldn't get him to move. Lazy horse.

Day 2- Desert. It was along drive to the desert- when we left in the morning they said BEAUTIFUL weather. By the time we arrived a strong gust had picked up. So yes- we did visit the desert in a sand storm. My included picture is of all the sand that is on my face and underneath my sunglasses. My camera now makes an AWFUL grinding sound while it open and closes- but it still full functional. The sand got in EVERYTHING. I am still discovering sand in clothes and trinkets that went on this trip. We arrived and then jeep/sand bugged over the dunes- which was terrifying at best. Then we arrived at the camels- and oh were they GLORIOUS. Just check out the pictures- I mean- other then the platypus I'm not sure there is a more hilarious animal on earth. I want 3.

They gave me the brunette- so I named her Jill. And we traipsed through the deserts. They are a bit like giant beagles- in that they follow their stomach and can be sort of stubborn. I was entranced by their goofiness.

We also slid down a sand dune, played some beach volleyball, and harassed some other animal at a "ZOO." (HEAVY ON THE QUOTES THERE....they have two pens, wolves and ostrich/emu)

The Hostel was AMAZING and friendly. They were so kind and made you feel at home. The mongolian food was amazing. We ate meat pasties and cereal in whole milk. I could have had like seven of them. Guang our guide and staffer earned an extra special place in our hearts. She was funny and sweet- she is sitting next to me in the group shot.

Also Cristina and I had some great bonding time. I have missed her so much and we had a nice time away from the city. It was hard to fly back soooo soon- but these are memories that will last us a lifetime.

Why Cab Drivers Are the Bane of My Existance

As you may or may not know- Chinese is the hardest fricken' language to learn. On earth. Period.

Yes-  I may be biased but it is really difficult. The tones are killer- and the Chinese people don't seem to be very tolerant of a slight tone deafness.

I have been doing a language exchange and try to use my Chinese as often as possible. If you don't use it- it goes away. And every time I build up a little bit of confidence I inevitably have to take a cab and my spirit is crushed. Let me set the scene for you:

It's 11pm at night, I'm returning home from Rugby practice and have to travel the entire length of the city. I stick out my hand and quickly a cab comes over.

Cab Driver: Ni Hao (Hi!)

Anna: Ni Hao. Wo yao qu Suzhoujie ditie. (Hi! I want to go to the Suzhojie subway stop.)

Cab Driver: ::very confused:: Su---zhou----jie.... suzhoujie, suzhoujie....ni yao qu suzhoujie ditie? (I don't know seem to know suzhoujie....let me repeat it. You SURE you want to go the the suzhoujie subway stop?)

Anna: Shi de! (yes!)

Cab Driver: Suzhoujie? (I still am not sure where you need to go....let me repeat the name to you)

Anna: Suzhoujie! (At this point I'm in crises- I assume I must be saying the tones wrong I start to doubt myself. I start trying to repeat in my head- this time with different tones.) Su-zhou-jie! Su-zhou-jie! Suuu-zhoooou-jiiieeee!

Cab Driver: Su-zhou-jie? (I've known where you want to go- I'm going to repeat it one more time just to mess with you)

Anna: Shi de! (YES!)

---End Scene----

What I'm trying to get at here is that every time you start feeling good about having mastered some Mandarin, inevitably there is a Cab Driver out there to make sure you feel like you don't know jack.

The icing on the cake was that about a week ago a cab driver took me for a ride- a 20RMB more expensive ride then it should have been and I was helpless to tell him that: A. I knew we was GOING the LONG WAY and B. I didn't want to pay that much. But there wasn't much I could do about it.

But- as easy as it is to get discouraged- you have to keep trying. Or else ya know, you'll never get a cab ride home.

To My ADORING Fans

And by fans- I mean all 12 of you loyal readers. I want to apologize for being mostly silent. My return to Beijing has been a whirlwind of 5 weeks of insanity. And right now my BFF Cristina is here visiting.

But hold on to your seats, upcoming updates include (BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TOO):

-What's Out In Inner Mongolia

-Great Wall: What's so GREAT anyway?

-Anna Czaplicki: Unprofessional Tour Guide

-Taxi Drivers are the Bane of My Existence

-Why Breaking Up With Work Is Hard to Do

Fer SERIOUS?

Things that are tolerable to the Chinese:

-Spitting everywhere

-Parking on the side-walk

-Preventing peaceful gatherings of the people

-Making well-known artists "disappear"

-Accusing human right's activists as 'medaling'

-Imprisoning Chinese dissidents

-Putting relatives of said dissidents under permanent house arrest

Things that are intolerable to the Chinese:

-Closing down a Mac Store when I'm trying to get my iPad on

My Chinese Family

So- one of the biggest events of the past 3 weeks was the arrival of the Czaplicki family in China. For my parents this was their first time out of the country- and they made it pretty much to the other side of the world. Let's give them a round of applause for making the jump.

After the 13 hours flight- they were feeling a little rough to say the least. Everybody does. We made the hour long trip back to my apartment and immediately started fighting the jet-lag. Luckily- I have worked so much overtime that I more or less took the entire week off to be with them.
My parents have called their trip to China the gauntlet- they claim that I put them through a torturous 7 days of non-stop tourism. I feel that I just made them well-educated on the Beijing area.

First day we hit up dumplings, grocery shopping, & Summer Palace.
Second day was Great Wall with Herbie (!) at Mutanyu. The wall is a hike (no pun intended) so we just took it easy the rest of the day.
Then it was on to Forbidden City, Jingshan Park and LiQin's Duck. LiQin's is tucked in a hutong- and no cab drive EVER seems to know where the 'frick this duck place is. Our cab drive took us most of the way there stopped- and then this pedi-cab came out of nowhere. In broken English he told us "hutong too big" and "I take you Liqin's-you never find it!" aka I'm going to charge you 30 yuan for a joke ride around a hutong. I repeated Buyao! (NO WANT!) and instructed the cab drive to keep driving. We drove straight 20 more feet- and there was LiQin's. I felt a great amount of accomplishment. I'm no tourist!

One thing my parents quickly came to realize was the transportation dilemma. The three major choices for getting around are: your legs, taking cabs, and subway/bus. Each one comes with a benefit. Like your legs are free but can only take you so far so fast. Since I was already making us walk halfway around the city each day, we were greatly limited by our legs. Cabs. Now cabs are the most expensive form of transportation, but they get you directly from point A to point B. They are comfortable, sometimes even air conditioned, but they are limited by two things: Beijing traffic and Beijing drivers. The traffic here is bad, comparable to Washington, DC's rush hour. But you also have the driving style here, which, if your not use to it can be a hair raising experience. It's very aggressive and people dart in and out of lanes like it's their job. The final form is the subway. It's cheap, goes almost everywhere in the city, but can be horrible crowded, hot and uncomfortable. Jill and I have both had moments where we felt like we might pass out. Luckily there are so many people in each car, that if you did pass out, you would be held up my the sheer pressure exerted by the mass amounts of bodies. So- every trip requires the debate- how the heck are we going to get there?

Thursday we went to 798 Art District and the Acrobat show. My parents by Thursday were ready for some Western food, and I was happy to oblige. Unfortunately- they seem to have acclimated to the Chinese food too quickly and the rich Western food left us feeling a little gross. We did some quick bargaining and then it was off to the Acrobat show.

Friday we crashed. We thought we were going to go to Temple of Heaven but we all just collapsed and napped away the afternoon. At night we went out for dinner at a Korean place and did a little more grocery shopping.

Saturday we went to the Lama Temple, poked around another Hutong and came home for a Mac & Cheese dinner.

Sunday, we FINALLY made it to Temple of Heaven and then did dinner with my friends at Hot Pot! Yummy yummy hot pot. It was so nice to have my Chinese 'family' and my actual family together.

Monday, in the early morning hours, we gathered our things and jumped on a plane bound for the USA.

It was a whirlwind trip but I loved having my parents here in China. I'm pretty sure that they never would have come here otherwise- but it's such an amazing culture I'm glad they got to experience it. LOVE YOU GUYS!

Blog WHAT?

Well- look at me. 60 days left and I have run out of things to say. Ha!
Never! I just ran out of time to type it. So. Let me begin at the appropriate place: the beginning. I've always found in the most logical and easiest place to begin. Unless I'm of course writing a movie like Young Adam...and then you never know quite where to begin.

Almost 3 weeks ago I arrived back in Beijing. And....it was amazing. It's really impressive how you can have a relationship with a place. I arrived back in Beijing in the evening. It was warm....about 30 degrees warmer then when I had left. I threw on flip flops and a light sweater and headed out the door. I B-lined it for Subway...my craving for sandwiches having reached a fever pitch, I hurried over. And I felt so happy. Everything was familar and cozy. Everything made me excited: my red velvet couch, extra mayo with out asking for it, walking to 7/11. Even though I again was alone, separated from Jill, I felt as if I had returned to an old friend. It really was like reuniting with somebody after a long time, their flaws not so noticeable, or maybe I reveled in the small flaws. I didn't notice the trash or the crazy hub bub. It was just the way it was suppose to be.

Thus began a feverish 3 weeks. Immediately went into work mode- back to the grind. I was getting away with teaching 4 classes a day in Wuhan- two in the morning, two at night, and only on two days a week. Reality check came in back at Beijing- how much work lay ahead of me. But- the following weeks each deserve their own blog. So. For those of you who wonder: I am fine. I am alive. And yes- we're down to two months. I'll fill in the blanks as soon as I can.

Wuhun

Here I am sitting in the Wuhan airport. Flight delayed an hour---battery painfully low on my mac. But it's OK. Because I'm tired. I got up early to pack- packing at the last minute is one sign that I don't want to go.
Wuhan finally was perfect. I had found my way around. I had built myself my little niche. And then Jill came down. It seemed so wrong to be leaving.

Candy and Queenie surprised me with gifts of chocolate. Which made me officially have to carry three bags on (Take that TSA!). I'm actually wearing two sweatshirts and my bag weighed in at 66 pounds. I didn't even buy anything here in Wuhan- they just kept giving me gifts.

We cried. We cried like babies. I got a little teary eyed- and then Candy lost is. Lips quivering, snot dripping. All of us. It's amazing some where that I loathed so much- seems to have stolen my heart. Romp n' Roll Wuhan was a bit like my baby too- I was there from the beginning- I wish I could stick around a little longer to see how successful it is going to be.

I am looking forward to Beijing- but it is with a heavy heart that I leave my Wuhan family. Hopefully, one day, I will be back here again.

Grand Opening: Wuhan!

Nothing like a little bout of insomnia to spur some creativity. Actually its a little bit of "I fell asleep at 8 o'clock and my body didn't know what to do so now I'm awake."

SO! (Damn you Seamus Heaney!) Our grand opening happened last Saturday! It went really really really really really really really well. I am so proud of the staff here who put together an amazing grand opening. And we were especially thrilled because BIG BOSS and BIG BIG BOSS came to visit us. So big ups to Michael and Luyin for journeying down to Wuhan. It was really nice to have them here- and I think it made all of the parents really really happy to meet them.

The Grand Opening ceremony invited all over out members and a bunch of potential members. We had "professional" dancers perform for our members, lovely speeches from all the bosses, a dance from the Instructors, lots of fun activities, media out the wazoo, and a lottery for some prizes. Everybody left satisfied and we even made the Sunday night news!! :) We also had the highest enrollment rate ever for a Romp n Roll in China...so yay!

While Michael was here were treated to some delicious meals: including HOT POT, family style, & Thai food. We also took a trip to Food Street (which I have included a picture.) I love street vendors- and its fun to explore all the different types of food. Also- a lot of the yummy food is prepared in front of you which is a lot of fun. Michael and I were brave enough to try some "stinky stinky yummy yummy" which is a type of tofu that smells SO BAD it is illegal to cook it on the street in parts of Beijing (imagine like dirty feet soaked in vinegar). Well- Michael was more brave- I required A LOT of prodding. It was not that bad.

Jill arrived Monday night and what a JOYFUL reunion that was. I have missed my G-LOVE SO MUCH! We spent much of today galavanting around Wuhan. I finally got to go to Golden Crane Tower (Huang He Lo) which is super pretty. Jill and I are so pasty white that we got sunburned even though it rained all day. That's when you know you are in need of some Vitamin D. You get great views from the tower of Wuhan and I included one picture that shows one of the most prized bridges in Wuhan. it was built by the Soviets- and connects Wuchan with Hankou.

In about 18 hours I will fly out of Wuhan- and I'm doing so with mixed feelings. My main dislike of Wuhan has been the loneliness- but now that my partner in crime is here... I want to stay. This city has a lot to offer. It's got a really cool vibe. It's very laid back. And it's very Chinese. I am excited to go back to Beijing! And my Mom & Dad are going to be here in 4 days 21 hours!

Ching-Lish

Ching-Lish is a term Chinese people use to describe what happens when a non-English speaker does an improper translation. The result is often mind-numbing/hilarious.
Here is the ad that my Romp n' Roll wanted to post. (Click to make it bigger)

Pity Party! Table for 1!

So. Another day off in Wuhan. I've been stricken with some bad cold/mild flu. I look like I haven't slept in a week and that wouldn't be totally inaccurate. (BTW- Heaney's Beowulf has had a profound effect on my life- because I love nothing more then starting out every fricken story with "So.") 

It's been 41 days since I began my journey down here. And it's been about 34 days of solitude. I'm not trying to be dramatic- but other then work interactions and skype sessions I live a very solitary life. There were moments I've enjoyed this- I haven't had so much time for me in a VERY LONG TIME. But in the end- it's been very hard for me. I'm a social creature. 

The other thing is that it's left me so alone with my thoughts. Intelligence is a mixed blessing- sometimes I wish I was just a few IQ points shorter and then maybe I wouldn't be worrying so much. I've always got this nagging feeling I'm not doing enough with my life. And the fact that I'm down to 90 days in China is also forcing me to confront the future. What a scary thing. It would be nice to let time just run on, like water over rocks. But reality and bills, loans and life unfortunately swirl their way in to my head. 

First off. What will I be doing when I get back. I was hoping to return to the Public School system. I enjoy teaching, alot. But the idea of returning is so up in the air right now. When this whole voyage began almost a year ago (yes ,it has almost been a year since that fateful meeting with PR) I was in process of trying to go back to school. My plan was for an M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling. But now I don't know. I'm not sure what I want at all.

Now- don't feel totally bad for me- there has been another job offer. I will not be completely unemployed . It is a job that I'm interested in. I've been considering it quite heavily- but then the question of benefits and salary; duties and stress come into play. 

I'm just slightly feeling like I still haven't found WHAT I'm suppose to be doing yet. I like to believe that everybody has a life calling. I truly believe that a life worthing living is one that helps other people. And,  I enjoy teaching and I'm good at it. But…I'm not sure it is "IT"

Somebody recently asked me what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and my answer is 'I don't know!" I wish that answer was more freeing then petrifying. But the fact that I don't have a direction right now is really difficult for me. 

But I guess the conclusion is that time will tell what my next step is- maybe the lesson here is to just give up a little control and let things happen. Atleast, I find some comfort in that thought.

A Not So China Related Post

The Arts in America are dying.

What tells me its dying? It's the fact that in the past 2 years in Hanover County 5 FULL TIME positions have been eliminated from the County. In a County of only about 30 art teachers that's 1/6 of art teachers.  And jobs are in limbo AGAIN this year. And I haven't heard one peep about it at the School Board Office meetings. The quiet killing of the arts program continues on with out an objection.

What tells me its dying? It's the proliferation of teach to the test. NCLB has insured America's children to only answer questions that involve A, B, C or D. And god forbid that an answer (like many of life's questions) falls into one of the shades of grey in-between. Or that the answer doesn't have a scantron circle next to it- How will our children know what answer to pick? Subjects like Theater, Fine Arts, & Music remind our children that there isn't always just one right answer....but we can always work towards finding the best one. 

What tells me its dying? This concern and assumption that America's education system is failing it's children. While in the public school sector the #1 problem we dealt with wasn't bad kids or bad teachers it was a lack of parenting. People who sent their children to school and expect the teachers to raise them. It also the idea that you can continue to pay teachers low wages, ask them to work long hours, and cut their benefits, only to have your children succeed.

What tells me its dying? With budget concerns abounding, the Republican party focused its sights on PBS, NPR, & The National Endowment for the Arts. That somehow- cutting the MINIMAL funding of these three facets of our society- would save us from the debt that the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, over inflated Federal Budgets and the Banking sector have driven us into. 

And what does this mean? 

It means, almost hilariously, that we are becoming more and more like China. Why do you ask? In China, the education system is focused on celebrating children who learn quickly and don't ask questions. Many schools reject the smartest students because they know that they will be "trouble," asking too many questions and distracting the teacher from what they must do. Take that a step further and let me ask you this question: What is one Chinese product/name brand that you know and use? Anybody? You know why you can't name any- it's because they truly don't exist. China is a country filled with people who were taught to the test. They can only recite the answers that have been given to them and that is where America is headed. Any country that de-values art, creativity and individualism is headed down this road. China is a country of people who make things that other countries have invented. The American Education system that everybody deplores is the same system that raised the people that helped men reach the moon, invented the PC computer, & the internet!

What can I do?

I feel like most of America is too apathetic or feels to impotent to do anything. And you know what- by resolving yourself to those emotions you are correct. So what can you do?

Donate money. The next NPR/PBS money drive donate $20. Think about it- if an average movie costs $10 a ticket and gives you 2 hours of entertainment...then do the math. I watch easily 20 hours of PBS programming a year (thanks mostly to Antique Road Show) then I can atleast give them $100 (which is an under-donation.) 

Take an active role in your children's school. Don't just show up on report card day- get to know the people in the office. Do you know the name of your child's art teacher? Do  you know the name of your School Board Office representative? Find it out. The squeaky wheels get the grease- and if you think art is an important facet to your child's education, send them an e-mail reminding them you are a citizen who cares. Hug an ART TEACHER today!

Vote. Find out who supported the arts and who did not. Write your State Congressman & State Senator! Write the men in Washington, DC. Remind them that they are only THERE because we the people elected them to be. Need help? Americans for the Arts has a pre-written form to help remind them that you want creativity taught in your child's school.

Need more reasons? Research shows: Children from Art classes out-perform non-art students on the SAT, US Employers Rate Creativity Among Top Skills, The Arts Boost Learning & Achievement for Students. 

Where's Waldo?

Find me in the company picture…..if you CAN! 

Homogenous

You know what is one of the most horrid statements in the world? This: "I'm not racist, but…." The second you say that….you're wandering into scary territory. But I almost started my post that way.

Here are my thoughts: I very well may be 1 of 1000 or so ex-pats living here in Wuhan ( a city of 9 MILLION. ) Yes, there are business travelers coming in and out- but LIVING here I may even be over estimating at 1,000. And the business travelers are mostly French- which doesn't help me much.  But I find myself craving somebody who looks like me. Well- maybe that's a little too extreme. I'm craving somebody from the West. 

Don't get me wrong: I love my co-workers. They are super accommodating, they treat me well, and we ARE friends. But, we're from different backgrounds. This is all of their first job. They all still live at home. Their first time at a bar was one week ago when I took them there (and they lied to their parents about going there!) Most have never driven a car. Most have never left this city. 

And- they're all Chinese. AND AGAIN: don't get me wrong! I LOVE Chinese people. They are so nice, they are so welcoming, they have a lovely culture, but at the end of the day there are some things they don't understand. For example- yesterday in art class a little girl had to use the bathroom, so her grandmother scooped her up, pulled down her pants and held her over my trashcan. Nobody else batted an eyelash as she pee'd….all I could think was 'awww, really???'

And I don't have the person here at the end of the day to just shake my head with- to laugh it off. Another Westerner came to our Romp n' Roll (a Kiwi!) and my deprivation must have showed because I talked his ear off….and didn't once mention any pluses of our classes. I just wanted to talk about how much I missed good BREAD! 

And I feel bad- sometimes I whine to Candy that I wish I had another Westerner here to hang out with. And she exclaims, "But you have us!" And she is correct, and I love them dearly - but there is something to be said for people from the same hemisphere as you. There's a connection there- something in the way we talk, or grew up, or the tiny minutiae that makes up our lives that I can't describe to you.

14 days till Jill comes down here! 12 days till Michael and Luyin show up for the grand opening! I have to say….I'm really looking forward to it. 

A Skinny Post

You would think that living by myself would create a plethora of posts.
I keep on writing them in my head on the way to and from work. But-
nothing has come to fruition.

I guess one notable thing is my weight. Geez is it hard to gain weight
in China. Actually here in Wuhan it's especially hard. I was told
prior to coming down here that their portion sizes are smaller down
here. That's not really saying much because Beijing serves everything
in Cheesecake Factory sized portions.

And it's true. But their portion sizes aren't small, they're reasonable.

Every day I eat a yogurt. I pay a small restaurant to make me
vegetarian lunch every day. And it turns out a vegetarian lunch means
rice and veggies. Dinner is my only grab bag. If I eat at home I'm
limited to: 'Ramen' Noodles, PB & J. I can order food in CHINESE at a
hot dry noodle stall, a rice dish stall, & a fried dumpling place. So-
you can tell variety isn't really in the menu.

This diet has caused me to just shed weight. So much so that I'm
purposely supplementing my diet with all the yummy stuff I never use
to eat because it wasn't WW friendly. My main unhealthy delights:
Magnum Bars (Cake batter ice cream dipped in chocolate), Ice-cream
flavored Oreos and haw fruit leathers. I've even been drinking the
occasional ::gasp:: COKE. It's just so weird to not feel like I'm
fighting my weight so much.

It's the first time in a long time when I feel like I'm eating exactly
what I want with OUT feeling guilty. Don't get me wrong, Weight
Watchers is the BEST eating plan out there. It really fully educates
you: but with most things the more you know the worst you feel. And
once I did the math about some of my FAVORITE things (California Pizza
Kitchens FROZEN Individual Pizza: 30 POINTS!) you start to feel guilty
when induldging.

But here I don't worry I just eat. And who woulda thunk….a rice and
veggie diet keeps you slim. Haha ☺

Got Your Goat

As a teacher it's really hard when a student "got your goat." To all my former students who may be reading, know this: teachers hate disciplining their students. Believe me, every teacher, when they decided on the career path of teaching would imagine themselves in the classroom enlightening and engaging young minds. They believed that they would be such an amazing teacher that they would NEVER have to discipline anybody because their students would be so self-motivated and inspired they would NEVER be off-task.

 

Reality check comes like 5-minutes into your secondary practicum. And I can say for the most part- I did not live a disciplining nightmare.  But- I did not teach a disciplining-free career.

 

But the hardest part of being a teacher is when you see a smart, capable student screwing up and not doing their work.  You always start out taking them aside and kindly ask them to get their act together. And if the student doesn't start getting their act together then you have to have the "reality" talk. The "listen I'm not sugar coating it and I'm not asking." And then there is the day that they really get your goat. 

 

Today- a worker at Romp n' Roll Wuhan got my goat.

 

The first day I was here I was greeted at Romp n' Roll by Candy and Jerry. Candy is my assistant. She is a really hard worker and even though her English isn't perfect she constantly works at making it better. She is always happy and always thinking. Jerry was in sales. But the day I showed up we had to move a lot of gym equipment and set the gym up. Jerry is the only boy who works at our company and even though he probably weighs 120 lbs SOAKING WET he helped us move all the equipment. It turned out his English wasn't that bad. AND it turned out he loved to sing. He also had this really amazing energy and was just bright eyed and bushy tailed.  He decided he wanted to try to train to be an assistant.

 

The managers at Romp n' Roll gave him 1 month to learn to be an assistant, which really means they gave ME 1 month to train him. One thing I told him from Day 1 is that for him to be a successful assistant his English was going to have to improve. He was going to have to live, eat, sleep and BREATHE the English language. And that if he did not understand me HE was going to have to stop me and have me repeat.

 

I also explained to him that in the next month he was going to have to work harder then he is use to.  Much harder. But if he did work really hard he was would have no problem becoming an assistant. In addition to improving his English skills he was going to have to learn how to sing songs in English, learn how to translate, learn all about pre-k children, and how to teach/interact with them.

 

Well- Jerry's excitement for being promoted into the education department took one week before it had waned.  It took until this week before my energy for helping him learn had waned.  He is always the LAST to show up when we're flipping the gym or cleaning the art room. He pretends to understand- until I stop and ask him a question to check for understanding. Then he asks me to repeat. I don't mind repeating myself or re-explaining a concept. But what I CAN'T do is psychically know that the person I am training DOESN'T understand something. AND If I'm not FOLLOWING him around making sure he is working then he is NOT working. I've pulled him aside 3 times and given him warning. I've talked candidly to him about the likely hood of his success with out more effort. I usually got an apology and an excuse, and a promise that tomorrow would be different.

 

Now, in addition to training Jerry, I have been: interviewing possible assistants, doing total TRM inventory, re-painting murals, writing training schedules, writing Oral English lessons, setting up equipment, ordering materials, organizing materials, and TEACHING.  Also, since I have no Internet at home I have no contact with the outside world OUTSIDE of work.  So I have to schedule business meetings & personal meetings.  So- it is not as if I am blessed with a plethora of time.

 

One major hurdle in training people in their second language is teaching them the songs.  So- since my first week here I have been going over the Spring Session songs EVERY day with the education department. And they had to learn all the songs by yesterday. They have the song print outs and the MP3's of somebody singing them.

 

On Thursday we did one LAST review of the songs with a reminder that TOMORROW was a test. I gave Jerry one last "you need to get your act together speech." On Friday, Candy passed with flying colors. Jerry knew 1 of the 6 songs I tested him on. I was PO'd. He had promised that he was going to work extra hard. He gave me some excuses. I told him he had 24 hours to learn the songs.

 

And today, he knew 2 of the 6 songs. And I lost my cultural grace.  (CUE THE GOAT) He apologized for FAILING his test for a second time and I said that he need not apologize to me. I told him that he needed to apologize his managers.  Then I asked him to go apologize to the managers in front of me. Because he needed to understand that I am not the one paying him. That it is his managers who get to decide whether he has earned his job and his PAY as an educator.  That they have trusted him to work harder and earn this position and he hasn't done this.

 

In Chinese there are two terms for friends. There is (excuse the spelling) Pone-yo.  And then there is Tong-yo. Pone-yo translates roughly that means somebody who says something nice. This idea is transferred into Chinese culture. They would never say something negative about somebody- or point out another's failures.  They never want to say NO to you because that would not be "nice." This is where I failed Jerry. I was not his Pone-yo.

 

Then there is Tong-yo which means a good friend who doesn't always say nice things, but who tells you the truth. Which is rare and harder to find in China. I'd like to believe that what I said to Jerry came from a place that wanted him to succeed. That maybe this last wake up call will be the one that helps him succeed.

 

I feel awful and guilty for laying into Jerry. I feel like I did not go about it the right way. But at the same time- I feel as if I care enough about him to tell him that what he is going is setting himself up for failure. I just. I regret going about it the way I did. But at the same time I feel like I begged him every other way. And he is 20 years old. He is a man. And I am not his mother. I should not have to chase him around to work.

 

I guess my conclusion of this post should be…I wish there was no goat.

Chinese Law

Now that the whole world seems to be in some sort of revolution the
Chinese government seems to have taken notice.

So, today the Chinese government declared that it has all the laws in
place to be a "socialist democracy with Chinese influences." It was
just that easy! Damn! After 50 years China has done it! So- when do
the citizens get to vote?….Anybody?….Hello? ….Bueller?

And you should SEE the spin that CCTV put on it. They keep asking all
the analysts, "Is China now a socialist democracy?" And they don't say
"yes," but NOBODY has brought up the issue of voting! I don't know if
I fell asleep during 8th grade Civics, but I thought the KEY to a
democracy was the idea that every citizen had a say in what happened.
That seems to really be a KEY element that would be missing.

It's so interesting to see how the analysts so carefully critique the
Government. They never will directly say that the Communist party does
what it likes and gives lots of money to it's highest members, or will
point out that the current Chinese Constitution has an Amendment that
says that the ONLY party that can have power IS the Communist party.
They say careful things like, "Forming these social democracy laws is
definitely the first step in creating a harmonious society- but the
real issue is enforcing these laws and this is what the challenge will
be to the Chinese people."

But this is all from the same people who say that the 1989 Tiananmen
Square protest was an incident where protestors got a little unruly
and the government came in and helped calm them down.

What really is happening is that by offering an idea that democracy
might be within grasp the Chinese government helps to calm anybody who
may be planning to take part of any type of revolution. They are so
masterful at orchestrating enormous lies and events to help people
feel better about their hardships.

There are huge issues in Beijing now with rent costs skyrocketing and
many normal workers cannot afford to live in the city. So Chairman Hu
went around and knocked on doors in Beijing and asked people how much
they payed for their apartments- of course with a camera crew. All of
these people claimed that they payed 600RMB a month for a 2 bedroom
apartment in the Capitol, and they did not understand what everybody
was complaining about. They saw that there was no problem with rent
prices. Just to give you some perspective- Jill and I pay 7000RMB a
month for our apartment which is a 2 bedroom 1 bath. So CCTV was
claiming that Jill and I must be paying 10x more then our apartment is
worth. Man, we negotiated a bad deal! After a little research, it
turns out the families that were interviewed are all well-to-do
members of The Party! They didn't even do a good job covering up their
deception.

My final note has the need, the need for speed. The Chinese government
recently released footage of the Chinese Air Force that looked
suspiciously like footage from Top Gun. I'll leave you the link….and
let you guys decide.
<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thecutline/20110131/ts_yblog_thecutline/chinese-air-force-drill-looks-awfully-similar-to-top-gun">China
Air Force: I feel the need….</a>

When Ordering TRM's Goes Horribly Wrong

I guess this was for Valentines week….

Wuhan Woes

Well- last week when I was with out e-mail I wrote two SCATHING posts about Wuhan. But- luckily I have had time to "chill out" and I think I can write a more clear headed post now.

Well- Wuhan is well. Boring. I should've known when their Wikipedia page is painfully short. 

The first week was really, really rough. I was all alone in a strange city that is NOT Western friendly. After a week and after spending  a lot of time in other parts of the city I can still only count the number of Westerners I've seen on one hand. Now- don't get me wrong, there are weeks in Beijing on the Eastern side where I don't see another Westerner. But do a little traveling and sure enough- you'll bump into a few sooner or later.

My co-workers had shown me how to get to and from work from my apartment- and thats about it. My co-workers are VERY young. All of them are Wuhan natives and still live with their parents. Their parents actually still pack their lunches for them. We didn't have a microwave at first so they heated their meals at the next door restaurant. But that-ended when we got a microwave this week. And then nobody wanted to leave any more. And nobody took the time to show me  where good restaurants were- and I'm either too proud or too embarrassed to ask. They suggested I bring lunch everyday- but my stove top is broken. (sidebar: Actually- they suggest I pack a sandwich since that's what all American's eat....) I had to kind of just manage through. Translation: I've been eating Ramen Noodle for dinner every night. 

But- survival instincts kicked in and I got desperate. I ate at a china-brand version of KFC. It's really good- actually and for 13 RMB you get a value meal. AND a VALUE MEAL is like actually appropriately sized. But- since I'm not really  going to the gym here I'm trying to only eat there once a week.

We did hot pot on our night off which was fun. We ordered some beer to share....but I ended up drinking most of it. Remember when you were in high school- and there was always the random college student who was way too old but enjoyed hanging out with the highschoolers. I feel like THAT GUY. The girls asked me what it was like to go to a bar....and....they're all atleast 21 (in a country that doesn't have a drinking age...) 

We went shopping on our day off. And it was...nothing too special. Maybe I am spoiled by the markets of Beijing....but things were cheaper. Actually a lot of stuff here is cheaper. And when I have somebody around to help me: the local eats is GOOD!

But I have the ENTIRE series of LOST on DVD....and I'm all ready to season 2. This is great because I didn't start watching till season 3.  Man- and now there is a new whole list of characters I don't want to die but I know DIE because I've never seen them. #1 on that list is ECHO. Man- I love him. 

So. I'm surviving. And hey 18 44 53 70 123.

18 days till I'm back till Beijing

44 days till my PARENTS arrive in Beijing

53 days till I fly home to DC

70 days till CRISTINA comes to Beijing

123 days till my contract is up. :)

Wuhan Whaddup

Let me just say that I think I am finally too old to say 'whaddup.' Or
at least too old to type it.

I've been in Wuhan for 2 days now. By myself! Who do they think they
are sending me with out my other half, Jill? No seriously- you may
think I'm kidding. But you live with somebody for 8 months for 24
hours a day and a sudden move a couple thousand km away & you feel
like you are missing something. I felt a little embarrassment when I
was talking to my Wuhan co-workers and EVERY story started, "Jill and
I always...." or "This one time, Jill and I..." Seriously, I might as
well just start calling myself Mrs. Glover. But it's okay- when we
talked to each other two times yesterday we made each other feel
better. :)

They put me in a nice two bed room apartment. It has a nice kitchen,
dining room, huge couch, porch, big bathroom, and a squat toilet.
Somehow- that squat toilet makes the rest of it not AS nice.
Especially since it really doesn't flush...but when you shower all the
water runs in and it flushes itself.... But it really is a nice
apartment overall. My bed room has an awesome HEATER and for the first
time in months I'm waking up feeling TOO hot. The bed is also
like...only 5'10'' long. So I sleep kind of diagonal.
It's weird living by myself. I spent two years of my life in my own
apartment--and enjoyed it. BUT I really feel lonely in this apartment.
Maybe it is that it is SUPPOSE to be for two people. Maybe it is the
foreign nation. Maybe I have gotten used to having a roommate. Maybe
it is the fact that my internet is SPOTTY at best. Enough about me
being mopey though....

Wuhan is a city divided into 3 parts- it's divided by two rivers
joining (think a Mercedez Emlblem) so each section has a different
vibe. We are in Wuchan- which is known for many good universities. The
Hankou area is known for shopping & nightlife. The last section,
Hanyang, is reserved mostly for industry. I must say I was a bit
nervous about moving down here. I have heard mixed reviews about
living in a "2nd tier" Chinese city. It's not that bad. I am most
disappointed by the lack of Subway restaurants. Also- my co-workers
don't seem to grasp the vegetarian concept aka I got ordered cow's
stomach today. Ew. There are very few Western comforts and this does
make it that much harder. I also get the general vibe that a Westerner
is about as common as a unicorn- so it can be a little overwhelming.
Last night I got paparazzi'd while we were out for dinner. Random
people starting taking pictures of me with their cell phones. I DON'T
like that- but I do understand that I am an oddity.

It is warmer here- NO GLOVES or jackets. It got to the sixties today
and it was nice. And they gave me an AWESOME sweatshirt, it even says
HAPPY BABY GARDEN on the back. I know my RnR employees state side are
SO JEALOUS.

One thing I do have to say for the Chinese people as a whole is that
they are some of the most welcoming, kind people in the whole world.
And although sometimes it DRIVES me crazy...I appreciate their need to
hold my hand and guide me across a busy street, or OVER explaining
simple things ("...this is A BUS and you give them MONEY and it takes
you places....") or telling me things about Chinese food ("We really
like rice.") Also- they all apologize for not knowing English better.
I believe it is SO engrained in them- but really I feel bad about not
knowing Chinese better. And I guess I have a Beijing accent because
they don't understand ANY of my Chinese down here. (And I was feeling
all cool and awesome for being able to tell a cab driver where I
lived....::sigh::)

One weird thing about it is that there is SOMETHING about Wuhan that
reminds me of Delhi, India. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it is
the overall dirty look or the multitude of small stalls. It really
makes me understand how LUCKY we are to live in Beijing. It really is
a super modern and enjoyable. And many people DO speak English.

All right Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my close-up!

Well- Jill and I have finally hit it big. Get ready to see our faces plastered on billboards, in the pages of your magazines, and on TV interviews on CCTV.

You are looking at the new faces of That's Mandarin!: Chinese School. 

Jill and I were asked by our friends to star in their commercial which will be ALL over the Ex-Pat internet. Watch out Brando, here I come.

As I sat there, surrounded by a small production crew as they adjusted the lighting, a few questions were brought to mind:

-Can I now join the Screen Actors Guild?

-Which side IS my good side?

-How will I sign my autographs…or who will I pay to sign my autographs for me?

-How will I remember all the little people who helped me get here?

-When do I get my entourage?

-Is Justin Bieber to young to be my first big Hollywood flame?

-When do I get to meet Lady Gaga?

-Should the world tour include dates to Egypt? Too soon?

-When do I get to fire my management?

TUMBLE TUNES MONSTER!!!!!!

Other possible titles: 

What Happens At RnR On Snow Days

or

When Training Goes Awry 

Spring Festival

Happy Chinese New Year everybody!

I know it's a little late- but it's better late then never! We bid goodbye to the year of the Tiger and said hello to the year of the Rabbit. 

And- boy to the Chinese know how to do New Years.

First you make and eat dumplings as a family. Also you drink together as a family. Then most of China tunes in to an 8 hour television show that showcases all of China's super stars. Then everybody and their neighbor gets highly explosive, real-deal fireworks and shoots them off. Starting from dusk until 3AM it sounded as if we were under an air raid. 

Jill and I went over to Luyin's and made dumplings. They were delicious! And Jill and I aren't half bad at making the dumplings. Then we drank some of the "best" rice-liquor….which just meant instead of just tasting like gasoline it tasted like gasoline and FIRE! We set off fireworks with Luyin and his son Jerry. We tried to stay up to watch the TV show, made it only till 11 and walked home. That's when we were inundated with fireworks in a way that I have never experienced. We ran back and got our camera's and ended up staying up till 2 AM taping the mayhem. EVERY direction we looked we were just SWAMPED with fireworks. You could walk 20 feet without somebody else shooting off fireworks. The idea behind the fireworks is that they scare off the bad spirits. But they are professional grade fireworks that you can shoot 100-150 ft in the air. And the only reason I can tell you that height is because when taking pictures from my apartment on the 10th floor they are eye level or a little higher. 

I was overwhelmed with the feeling that this was something special- this was a once in a lifetime type of experience. I was genuinely moved by it- and got a little misty eyed.

I am trying to get a hack so I can upload a video on to my blog and hopefully I can show you first hand exactly how crazy it was. 

But Happy Tudz (bunny) Year!!!

Pictures are:

Dumplings

Jerry making dumplings

Luyin holding a firework…(yes, they do that here!)

Firework outside

Firework from my apartment window!