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| Hey guys - I'm back in the US - looking for work to save money for more schooling. Depending on powers above for guidance, hoping to return in the not too distant future... | | |
| Ten minutes ago, people all over China stood and observed 3 minutes of silence for the victims of the Sichuan earthquake. The people were silent. At the same time they turned on all the weather and air-raid sirens in Beijing, and cars and trucks blew their horns continuously.
Remember the people here; there is so much grief. I've cried so many times in the last week, seeing pictures and reading the stories. | | |
| Mark C is hovering over me like a wet puppy.
In case you couldn't tell, it's raining quite heavily today. A pleasant cool drizzle, or a drenching downpour. However you feel.
Mark is trying to start some kind of Chinese video game, but seems to be failing. "Haha" I laugh at him.
New Day Foster Home. Rachel V organized a trip there yesterday morning. Some people planted flowers, some played with babies and others threw parties for young 'uns. I washed light fixtures with Joel S. It was a good trip.
Cigarette smoke really permeates clothing.
2 months and I am going home... I'm not coming back for a long time
I am sad.
It is raining today.
"Why" I ask. "And what now" | | |
| Happy almost Christmas everybody! I hope you're farther along with Christmas shopping than I am. I'm about half done, but the half that's left is for everyone in China. Well, at least everyone in China that I know :) Here's hoping I can finish this weekend...
Last Monday I went to the India Embassy to get a visa for my spring festival trip to be with my dad. There was a line of about 30 queueing in the cold outside the gate. The visa "office" is only open 9-11:30am weekdays (said "office" being a drafty, half-demolished little brick structure). I arrived at 9:45. I got in at 12:15. For 2 1/2 hours I watched Chinese businessmen cut in line in the middle of the Chinese people ahead of me. No one moved a muscle or said anything. (Can you say "nonconfrontational". I stared at one guy without blinking for 15 minutes until he got out of line and came around to the back) But that wasn't all. I soon came to dread the arrival of the black Audis. There were 5 or 6 that morning. Each time, some cocky Chinese man or woman would climb out, saunter over to the embassy guard, offer him a smoke, laugh and chat, hand him a cellphone to talk briefly, and then get shown in ahead of everyone else. (They were obviously not embassy workers, who always flashed their ID cards) Invariably, he or she toted a briefcase stuffed to overflowing with visa applications and a large stack of passports in hand. After one such instance, in which the guard had to assist the man in carrying his stacks of paperwork from across the street, our line of connectionless common people didn't move for 35 minutes. The temperature hovered around freezing and the day was dark and miserable. I felt worst for the elderly people in line ahead of me. I kept envisioning possible ways to "accidentally" harm the guard, but eventually was sorta convicted and stopped. After this prolonged lesson in Chinese culture, I finally made it in 45 minutes after the office was supposed to have closed. Thankfully the visa workers stayed into their lunch break to process us. That was an answer, as I couldn't have gone any other day that week. I now have a receipt. I will have to repeat the process on Monday to actually get my visa. Maybe I'll be over the cold by then, in time to catch another one. Good thing this sort of thing is relatively rare :)
There is so much happening here. We are +3 in the last few weeks. Please keep remembering us! | | |
| We're back into the swing of things here in Beijing. I met the last of my 4 classes of freshman this morning, and just have PhDs still to meet on Friday. I've been back since August 24, but didn't start teaching till yesterday. It's been nice to have the time to settle in and catch up with people here. This year I have a lot less responsibility since Diane's returned to lead the University team. I am glad for that :) I've had a lot of opportunities recently. It would be nice for those to continue and develop.
I'm renting a soccer field on campus every week on Wednesday afternoon with an open invitation to students and friends. 20 or so people come every week. It's a good way to keep up with old students, and keep in shape. I'm actually heading there later this afternoon. I've also joined a team in the International league in Beijing (finally!). I'd been wanting to but not had the time for the last 2 years. They play Saturdays and Sundays. I can only play Saturdays, but it worked out that another guy can only play Sundays - so together we're one player.
I love teaching freshman! They are so enthusiastic. You always come away from the first class feeling like a rockstar. They ooh and aah at pictures, give you their complete attention, and write sweet nothings on their notecards. They absolutely adore foreign teachers, and if you show any competence whatsoever most are in a frenzy of excitement by the end of the first class :) Hopefully we can maintain that excitement.
Wednesday mornings are going to be good this year. I teach all morning - 90 minute classes starting at 8:00 and 10:00. Nate Smith teaches next door the whole time, and we visited each other today between classes. Nate gave me a muffin cause I was hungry, and a drink of tea :) Chalk dust and early mornings can make you a little dry. Andy joins us at 10:00 and teaches on the other side of me. His new class of freshman was even more excited than usual this morning. They gave him a round of applause when he walked in, and clapped for me too when I came over to visit. I had to send Nate over then - told him to just walk in and wave and see what happened  I could hear the applause through the wall of my classroom. haha :)
I love it here. | | |
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