What Was That Again?!?!

The Question:
what do you hope to be doing ten years from now?
The Answer from Feng:
"I hope to be couch potato!" he smiled, then asked the class, "Do you know couch potato? You sit on the couch and watch tv and eat, and that is what I hope to be doing in ten years."

Well, I guess they can't all be super academicians!

Wednesday -time for toast

Notice anything about this new loaf of bread - never been opened?

You guessed it - no heel - at either end.

So, here's the question of the week: they will eat and enjoy eels, turtles, snakes, beetles, chicken feet, fish head soup, pig snout, but they refuse to eat the heels of the bread loaves.

I just don't quite get it here.

Tuesday - Just Like America - Part II

After school basketball - the grandparents/parents stand around outside the little gate watching and cheering on the girls.

Hey, just like home, except this is no fancy gym, just outoors by the school.

Who needs a gym, it's still lots of fun for everyone.

Monday - first day of class

A few more students came in after this picture was taken, so it's a big class. Don't they look happy and eager?

Here are a few of their American names - Snow, Newbery, Agnes, Samson.

Where do they get these names?????

Newbery helped me yesterday, Samson is funny, and Candy is sweet, just like her American name.

Sunday Treat - Cheese from America

We found this yesterday while shopping at a different market...oh, did it taste good on the ham sandwich. I have not had real cheese for one month, and I've missed it.

Glad to have you back, friend.

Everyone Loves the IPad!

I came around the corner, and there were three sales clerks all fascinated as Allen was showing them some features of the IPad. It just made me chuckle!

There are no words to describe how helpful this techno gadget has been for us.

We downloaded a translation program...so that when we type the sentence in English, it will translate that sentence into Chinese. Oh, my, that has helped out us so many times.

Like today, when we took a VERY long bus ride, and would have had NO CLUE where to get off, so Allen typed in our destination, showed the man sitting next to us, and he knew exactly where we wanted to get off. Another time, we needed to exchange something, and we used the IPad to explain that to the sales clerk. It is a marvelous, necessary tool - for us - at least.

BTW, Kristi, if you are looking, thanks for the case. It is so awesome and perfect! How we love it; it makes the IPad easier to hold and maneuver...perfect, thoughtful gift from a perfectly thoughtful daughter!

Clothesline

It's just down the street, right by the student athletic field.

And, it's always being used. Is it first come, first serve?

I don't know how it is decided who gets to hang their clothes on this little line, but I hope they get the clothes down just before the pouring rain!

The Eye Doctor's Office

The Chinese Teenager

Posters/drawings on the wall; stuffed animals on the bed; candy(Dove chocolate) by the lamp...yep, she's a teenager all right!

Rainy Day

Even an umbrella doesn't help much in this downpour!

Outdoor Gym

It's just a few yards from the apartment's front door, and it's free!

It's an outdoor gym with a variety of weather-beaten exercise machines. They aren't fancy, they aren't high-tech, but they work - or rather, YOU work. And, that is the point.

So, get out in the great outdoors surrounded by greenery, kids, and humidity, and work hard!

What This Campus Needs is a Good....

pizza delivery service. Just think, thousands of students on a Saturday night....wouldn't they want a pizza delivered?

Apparently not, they obviously prefer sticky buns and eels.

I know this because the closest Pizza Hut where we ate on saturday, is very far away.

So, I guess I'll have to settle for just going there about once a month.

Saturday - Sidewalk Relaxation

Sidewalk - totally torn up...pedestrians must walk around all the construction, but strung between two trees were these hammocks. And, there were two men just enjoying the moment, not caring as the throngs of people walked around the piles of rubble.

It just struck me as so amusing.

Are the hammocks for the workers - in these heat they deserve a break!

Pedestrians - I could have used a little time out from all the walking!

But, whatever they are for, OSHA was nowhere to be seen!

Friday Night Lights

Have you ever seen something so unexpected, so different, so colorful, and thought, "I've just got to have a picture of that!?"

And, then, upon seeing the picture, you say...."Hey, what just happened here?"

That explains today's picture - the foreign faculty were all walking to a fantastic restaurant, and along the walkway were these trees lit up in the most incredible HOT PINK lights...it was a sight for a Friday night.

But, alas and alack, the picture itself is very blah.

So, let me just say, you ain't seen nuttin' in the way of lights until you've seen the walkway to the Seven Seas Restaurant with their HOT PINK lights! A sight to behold!

Just not in this picture.....

Just Like America!

This is just outside the middle school right by our home. Everone loves snacks, eh?

This Made Me Smile

Can you see where this is taken? (I have to get my once-a-week fix of American food, even if it is McDonald's.)

So, the thing that is so fun about this picture is that the McDonald's workers had sent out for Chinese food. See those little bags? All Chinese fare.

Let's face it, folks, usually, we just like the food from where we grew up.

Military Training II

I've never seen the students with guns, so I don't think they practice with any weapons. They are so disciplined; it's all very impressive. As they ran in front of us on the sidewalk, it looked like there were so many more women than men. Does that mean more women are going to university, or are there more women than men of this age group? maybe I'll find out when school starts in 10 days.

Military Training

All the freshmen/women are at military training right now. They have it for one month before they start classes. After this training, we will begin teaching....

Business English...yeah, right down our alley!

Sunday - a tour of the classroom

The classroom where we teach will be very similar to this...it has multi-media capabilities, which is very good.

We now have a sort-of-firm start date: Sept 25.

Saturday Dinner at the Cafeteria

Squash, Sprouts, Veggies with tofu....Kristi, if you are watching, I have eaten more tofu in two weeks, than inmy entire lifetime! You would be proud!

"You Gotta Stock What Sells" Sam Walton

That's why there are 50 different rice cookers at this store in Guangzhou, China.

No curling irons or toasters, but 50 - yes, I counted - there were 50 different varities of rice cookers. And, we are now the proud owners of one of them.

I have straight hair, no toast for breakfast, but we do have a fancy rice cooker!

Laundry Day

We've adopted the Chinese way of drying clothes. However, our neighbor hung her jeans out to dry and it took two and a half days for them to get medium dry.

Shortly after this picture was taken, Allen had to take the towels down; we had another torrential downpour.

But, they were sort of dry.

Shark for Dinner, Anyone????

So, the fish tanks, with a variety of live, swimming fish are right by the entrance to the restaurant. If you want fresh fish for dinner, you look inside the tanks, choose the one you prefer. Then the fish person will take the fish out of the tank, and smack it as hard as he can on a little plank. Then, it's cooked, and you have fresh fish for dinner! In this case, fresh shark for dinner.
NOTE: this is the first time since I began this picture-a-day challenge on Jan 7, that I have lost the picture. I have not missed a day taking a picture, and I haven't always been able to post on the exact date, but this time I have totally lost the picture. Which was of a teeny shark in the fish tank just waiting to be eaten....weird. I could post a picture that Allen took, but it just wouldn't be the same. So, yes, I did take the picture. Yes, it was on the camera. No, it is not there now. Weird again.

Tuesday - Parking Lot, Chinese Style

I love how people ride bikes everywhere..including in the middle of really frightening traffic!

Monday - Sep 5 - the Red Lantern

This hangs right beside my desk; it's supposed to bring a person good luck. I need it:

Right now, I have a cold, a growth/scab-like thing on the top of my head, a bladder infection.

So, kick in, good-luck red lantern.

Sunday - Home-Cooked Yummy Meal

Thanks, Rachelle, for the great delicious food. But, it wasn't all about the food either...it was the incredible setting, the company, your kindness to new ward members.

Perfect Sunday afternoon.

PS Rachelle matches her kitchen table; she is wearing black and white, which is just like the table settings.

Saturday at the Market...smells bad....tastes worse!

Not only do the taste and smell kill you, but just picking it up, it's a dangerous weapon!

But our fellow teacher from Malaysia, grew up eating this fruit; he loves them.

Something for everyone!

Friday-Just Singing in the Rain...

Or should I say...Downpour??!?!?!?!??! Yes, I should say downpour....

Thursday, Typical Teens

America, China; it's all the same; chips and soda for an after-school snack!

Market -

A dizzying array of fruits and vegetables are available here..the only problem is that everything has to be carried home!

Our First Meal Ordered with No Help....

And, believe me, we should have had lots of help. Oh, my goodness, that beef is HOT!

Student Protestors?!?!?

We were just coming out of the most amazing electronics mall I have ever seen....it was just amazing! Three stories of just electronics....a man/boy's dream.

Church was over.....

but no one wanted to leave....

Saturday Morning

This is after the first night in our apartment.....it will be a good bed and will work fine. The university provides the apartment. Since this picture was taken, we have worked to fix things up...it will be a good place to live and work on our lessons.

Friday morning...arrival in Guangzhou, CHINA

Thursday, LAX Airport...

waiting for the next leg of the long journey...wow, he's so cute!