New years eve

Well it's new years eve and this is how things have played out so far. Yesterday Matt, Daisy, Bre, Annaick and I made plans to go out for dinner then go out for bowling. Things get all messed up. Bre didn't want to come right away so she said she would meet us there. I met Matt and Daisy at the bus stop and we headed to Giano's for dinner. Then Annaick and her friend Rachel met us there. Then we waited for Bre and she never showed up. A little bit after Matt Daisy and I arrived, I suddenly felt sad and was very quiet throughout our dinner. For some reason I got very depressed and just wasn't myself. Maybe it's the time of year, maybe I just feel sorry for myself but in any case, I ate in silence and barely said 2 words after that. Then Matt told me that we weren't going bowling anymore after dinner, which I would normally raise a stink about but I was cool with. Than Annaick and I went home. Unfortunately my depression lasted until this morning and all day till this afternoon. Gary made some plans to ring in the new year and I forced myself (and Annaick) to make up our minds to go. The day went on, I felt no better, time got close for me to get ready, I felt no better, I almost didn't even want to get ready but I didn't want to let Annaick down so I forced myself.
We said we were going to get some dinner then meet Gary but when Annaick came to get me she said she was' going anymore and seeing as I wasn't really in the mood and if she wasn't going then why was I going. So I put on my jeans, called Gary and told him that Annaick and I weren't coming. He was a bit concerned but he understood. Annaick and I went to our avourite restaurant, ordered 5 of our favourite dishes, had a couple beers and a few laughs. Now I feel a bit better but I'm glad I didn't go out because then I would have been pretending and I hate doing that.
So Annaick and I are going to watch a movie and when countdown time comes, we're gonna meet upstairs Matt and Nick, do the countdown and call it a night. Maybe it will be better tomorrow.
Happy New Year to all and Happy Birthday to me!

Annaick is really cool

Well the day started like any other. My kids are in exam time now, so I have to do oral exams with them. Today is Wednesday, my half day. Annaick had some stuff to do in Hankou and she asked me if I wanted to go with her. I wasn't doing anything special s I said I would go. After lunch we got our things together and were on our way. We took the wrong bus but quickly found our way and back on track.
We went to this travel agency where she was able to make some arrangements for her parents arrival soon. We took care of that and were heading home. As the bus made a turn Annaick noticed a DVD shop that she had been too before but she swore by. We got off at the next stop and waked back to go to it. They had an awesome selection. I picked up a few movies and then the most important thing. I was able to get seasons 3, 4 and 5 of C.S.I. Other than Seinfeld and Simpsons which are my 2 favourite shows of all time. C.S.I. is the one that does it for me. I was so incredibly happy. Then I saw all 10 seasons of Friends in a box set and that shall be mine as well. I'll be going back on Friday for that. Then after we had our DVD fill, we walked back up the street just to see the shops and stuff. I bought a new jacket and was very happy to pick it up at the price I did, then we came home and got dinner at our restaurant.
It was a great evening for it starting out as an ordinary day. So anyway, more oral tests until the end of the week. Then some more stuff happens and then eventually we get to go on vacation. I get to go to Beijing, have some fun, meet my mom, bring her back to Wuhan, have some more fun, then school starts up again.
One good thing is though, I'll be able to celebrate Chinese new year in the capital of China. That has got to be good.
Well....................
TTFN

Awesome holiday weekend

Well, here goes.
Saturday started off not too good. I think I ate something at the restaurant on Friday night that had my stomach in knots on Saturday. Anyway, as the day wore on, I was feeling less and less like I wanted to go out. Then Annaick practically put a gun to my head and told me that I was going out for Christmas eve whether I liked it or not. So I put something nice on, a bit of make up and we were on our way. We stopped at Annaick's friend's house first, french guy named Francois who was not only very nice but uber hot. He speaks a bit of english and when he does........ that french accent is to die for. Anyway I digress. So we go up to his apartment, Annaick, Bre and I. Annaick walks in first, gives the traditional double kiss on the cheeks, I walk in give the traditional double kiss on the cheeks (which I had learned many many years ago that this was just traditional and had no sexual relevance at all) but when Bre walked in and he stepped up to kiss her, she pulled away, then attempted to go in again and pulled away again. Then turned about 25 shades of red and apologized saying that this wasn't something she was used to (well, heck neither am I but I atleast know what it is and what to do). My feeling is that she thought it was sexual and was embarrassed to do something like that.
Anyway, we left and went to Sky Bar which was a 10 minute walk away. We got there and found Roy and Angela were there already and had been there since 2 o'clock in the afternoon and had also been drinking since then. They were both very drunk. Anyway we got there around 9pm. We mingled and I nursed a drink till happy hour at 11pm. Roy sat next to me and probably told me the same thing about 45 million times over and over. Then he proceeded to ask me the same 3 questions over and over about another 50 million times. Besides that I was starting to get into a groove and was really starting to enjoy myself. Then happy hour came and I ordered my favourite drink (black russian) and ultimately had 4 of them for ordering 2. Then things really started to pick up. There usually isn't dancing at this Blue sky location but we danced. Angela fell twice but didn't care much since she was pissed drunk. Because I had paced myself with my drinking, I was good and tipsy but I wasn't drunk and luckily I wasn't sober.
I made some new friends. Some chinese guys were sitting at the table next to us and they were having a great time too. Then I went over to them and played a card game with them. Till now I have no clue on how the game is played but I kept winning. Then I left to go back to my table and makes jokes and laugh about stupid things. Then midnight came which signified the end of happy hour but something else more important
CHRISTMAS DAY!!
So we all cheers christmas. Then I went back over to my new chinese friends and played a dice game with them. This game I actually know and I was winning at the beginning but then I started to lose and then just left. My new friend Coffee wanted me to play some more but I declined. Then we dance some more, drank some more, danced some more, drank some more, danced some more, drank some more, then, paid our bills and left around 3:30 in the morning.
I went to bed and woke up around 10:30. I got myself together with not much of a hangover. Then Angela and Roy had a friend Gary that teaches in a university in Hankou who was supposed to enjoy christmas lunch with us. He's from Australia. The night before we exchanged phone numbers just to keep in touch for later and/or to hang out whenever. Anyway, Annaick was supposed to pick him up at the KFC near our house to bring him over because she knew that the condition that Roy and Angela were in they wouldn't be able to pick him up. Then he calls my cell and tells me to tell Annaick that he'll be late. I call her and tell her then she asks me if I wouldn't mind getting him since she had plans to meet here parents online at a certain time to chat with on christmas. So I told her I didn't mind since I was going to step out anyways to pick up a couple things and send some mail. So I call him and tell him I will pick him up. A little while later he tells me he took the wrong bus and has no clue where he is. Well with me not knowing where he is I have no clue how to tell him to get here. So I call Annaick and she tells me what to tell him to tell a cab driver once he gets one. He had trouble pronouncing, so I waited till he got a cab and I told the cab driver over the phone. So, everything seems to go well and I tell him that when he crosses the bridge he should call me then so that we could almost meet at the same time at the KFC. 10 minutes later or so he tells me he's at the KFC. I was going to jump in the shower but I figured I would do it after I got back home. So I walk out to the KFC and I call him wondering where he is because I don't see him (thinking he's sitting inside somewhere), then he says that he thinks he's at the wrong one and then asks me "are you in front of the KFC?" I say yes, he then says "well so am I" I'm bewildered. This man has been here for over a year and can't find his way around town. He tells me that he's at a KFC on Zhongnan Lu. Luckily I knew where that was, so I told him not to move and that I would be there shortly in a cab. Anyway, I found him and we came back home. I had, by that time, very little time to get ready but I made it. Heck I even squeezed my shower in there too.
Christmas lunch was awesome. Brian did a great job putting everything together. We took the 2 kitchen tables and lined them up, all of our chairs and set it up in the living room upstairs since theirs is bigger than ours. The food was really fantastic. After we ate, we sang kareoke. That was a real blast. We sang christmas songs and slow song and fast songs. Heck I even sang "Like a virgin" (shut up Tricia). It was really great. Considering the circumstances and the fact that this was my first christmas away from home, I had a really fantastic time. We were all happy, we were all fed and most importantly, we were all together.
Then in the evening, Annaick and I went for a short walk, just to kinda take things in and finish off the christmas day.
So as you can tell I had a very good time. This isn't to say that friends and family members were not missed, they were, but I think I had an adequate substitute.
So in closing I would like to say Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Hugs and Kisses
Tish

Not quite

Well yesterday afternoon was pretty interesting. After school we had to meet Mr Ye for dinner. The school wanted to take the foreign teachers out. We were supposed to meet at this restaurant called Mr Xie at 5pm. Well Matty stix and I get there and no one is in sight. Chinese people are notoriously late so we thought nothing of it. Then we figured we were just too early and decided to go back to the school to see if any one else was there or waiting. ( I should mention that the restaurant is about a 5 min walk fom the school) As we were walking up the driveway, we see Mr Ye with Roy, Angela and Nick. Apparently he was waiting for us at the school. So we head back out, all of us, and then Mr Ye says that Mr Xie's restaurant was booked and we'll be dining somewhere else, also not far from the school.
So we go to another restaurant and the food is good, actually great. We had some laughs and I forgot to take pictures. Then when we got back to the school to get ready for the concert, Mr Ye had presents for us all. For the girls, a box of chocolates, Hershy's chocolate syrup and a jar of peanut butter. The gift that keeps on giving, and for the boys, the same, however, instead of the box of chocolates, they got a bubba of beer. Once again, a gift that keeps on giving. So after dropping that off at my room we headed to the concert, which was held in the auditorium of the music university right next door to the school.
Well in true chinese fashion they sold more tickets than they had seats for. Then on top of that the heat was turned way up, and it was a sauna in there. Then, many people showed up late and were disturbing and about halfway through the show, they started letting the university students in. Well there is no longer any room for anyone to sit in, so they just all crowded around, standing there. Now at first I could see most of the stage but a quarter of it was out of my sight. By the time these students started filling things up, more than half the stage was gone to me. Then the people in front of me couldn't see so they had to sit up, then I can't see so now I have to sit up. The performances themselves were quite beautiful. In fact the first piece was done with a huge orchestra of people playing all different kinds of instruments (chinese and western) and they were amazing, but that I think was the last thing I enjoyed. Not because the performances were bad (except for this one girl that did this interpretative dance that was lost in translation for me) but because I couldn't see anything. Just after the halfway mark, I decided I'd had enough. Yes the tickets were free but what was the point of me being there? I was boiling, I couldn't see anything and everyone around me was annoying the bloody heck out of me. Talking on cell phones and fidgeting in their seats. So I told everyone that I was out of there and then I came home.
Today is christmas eve and I'm sort of in the christmas mood but at the same time, I could just as well stay home and do nothing. I have a christmas tradition of watching a particular movie every year. I've done that and now I feel better.
I'll see what the day has in store for me and I'm actually looking forward to christmas lunch tomorrow.

TTFN

Finally, a decision has been rendered.

Ok, this is how the weekend will play out. Tonight, the school is taking us out for dinner at a restaurant not far from the school, then we'll be going to a concert after that. I have no clue what to expect. Then at the frat house, we're all probably going to party on Saturday night. Then we have christmas lunch on Sunday and if people still want to party then we can go somewhere to party on Sunday night.
So that's what the weekend looks like.

TTFN

Here comes the holidays?

Well Christmas is coming and there are decorations at the stores but noone else other than us foreign teachers are excited about it. The only thing that sucks is that exam time is coming and all of us are doing alot more work than we would normally do. I had to plan and prepare my oral exam, then that needs to be administered on Boxing day, then after that, the kids have their written exam.
So far, it's been a hell of a week.
Brian was supposed to be planning Christmas dinner for everyone at the house. He wanted everyone's opinion on when we wanted to have it. Some were saying christmas eve dinner others were saying christmas lunch and still others were saying christmas dinner. The thing about christmas dinner is that noone could really let loose and party because we all have to work the next day and noone wants christmas lunch(just doesn't have the same ring) and some people dont want christmas eve dinner because, yes we can let loose and really party but that day is not christmas day. So Brian took a vote and still hasn't gotten back with the results. We're all waiting to find out what's going on and the clock is ticking. Either way, I'll be home, with or without dinner at the frat house.
If anything happens, however, you'll be the first to know.

TTFN

la dee la dee da

Well today was an interesting day. Well not really, but what can I say. I started off the day thinking "I'm not really in the christmas mood" Annaick was saying the same thing too. We realized that televeision in North America, bombards you with christmas advertisement. This type of advertisement obviously affects you and you get into a christmas mood. Then you shop, and put up decorations etc. This is what gets you into things. Seeing as we are not exposed to that here, christmas day is just another day on the calender and holds no real significance. But then, a package came for me. It was from my mom and was filled with many a christmas thing. Then about an hour later I got a letter from my breastest friend and it brought me to tears, and all of a sudden after unpacking my box, I was in the christmas spirit. Thinking of christmases past and the fact that the people in the frat house were my new family and looking forward to spending christmas with them.
I really started to feel good. Now looking forward to the day, looking forward period. It's a good feeling. So now christmas is no longer another day on the calender. Christmas is a time to spend with family and my family is both in Canada and in China now. I really feel good.
So to whoever is reading this blog.........Christmas is coming up. Seasons greetings, happy new year happy whatever holiday you celebrate. Christmas is what you make it and I'm making it fun.

TTFN

A funny thing happened on my way to english corner

So I went to english corner yesterday and it was great. But before I get into that, a funny thing happened on my way there. I was taking one of the back roads to the bus stop, keeping my head down a little but still being able to see where I was going and I see these sneakers come out from around a van (something you don't see very often because many chinese men wear dress shoes) and the sneakers are followed by very baggy pants, then as I continue to look up, 3 or 4 layers of baggy sweaters with a big baggy jacket and a baseball cap set sideways. Then a chinese face, the he was followed by 2 others, dressed the same way. I couldn't help but smile and almost laugh. Then their faces as they saw me was a look of "OMG, it's a real one. It's one of the people we are trying to look like" and as we passed each other I couldn't help but continue to watch them as I was going. So much so that I was looking back at them as I continued to walk and as they continued to walk by. Then they all said hello and I smiled and waved. It was so funny to me that I was smiling the whole 20 minute walk it took me to get to the bus stop.
Anyway I got to english corner and the regular bunch of characters were there. I gave an english name to a new friend of mine and made some other friends. This time we discussed the holidays and what it meant to us westerners as well as communication and technology. How much it's evolved and become such a huge part of our lives. Then just about when we were finishing up, my new friends almost demanded that we go out for dinner. There is a university about a 15 minute walk up from Giano's and this is where we went. The university cafeteria is unlike any cafeteria I have ever seen. There is an area where people eat downstairs but you go upstairs and you've entered a fancy restaurant, complete with table cloths and waitresses. We (and by we I mean my friends) ordered a few dishes and we had a good time talking, laughing and eating. They were amazed by the chinese I knew as well as my proficiency with chopsticks.
Then after a couple hours we decided to part ways. Three of the boys were kind enough to walk me to my bus stop and wait till my bus came and then that was about it.
So I exchanged phone numbers and email addresses with everyone, with promises to call etc. Plus I told everyone that I won't be at english corner for the next 2 weeks since those would be christmas and new years but I will be there the week after that. I think they are looking forward to it as much as I am.
So that's how things went down.

TTFN

I can move for a big girl and I love happy hour

Well yesterday was a good day. After I got home I went up to Brian's and watched a movie, then came downstairs and watched a couple more. Half way through the first, Matty stix joined me. Then I had some plans that evening that fell through so now I was left with nothing to do. So I called Matty stix and told him about the fact that I had nothing to do now and he suggested that we go out for drinks. Upon his recommendation we decided on Blue Sky in Hankou. I called Damon to see if he was up for it and he was. He met us at the frat house where we had a few drinks before and then we were off to the club.
We got a table and it was quarter to midnight. This meant 15 mins before happy hour. I love happy hour. Like a really happy hour should be, you get 2 drinks for the price of one. So I stuck with beer and so did Matty stix but Damon was pounding back tequila. After a few he was really drunk.
Then they started to play a few good songs and Matty stix said "lets go dance" By this time I had had a few in me, so I was up for anything. So we hit the dance floor and we were amazing, either that or we were really drunk so we seemed amazing. Either way, we were amazing! I think at times Matt was surprised because I could dance. After we got back to the table I made a point of telling Damon that I could move for a big girl. He said, "yeah, I know" then he leaned over and told Matt and he gave me the thumbs up. Anyway after way too many drinks, I was drunk, Matt was drunk and Damon had to say a short prayer to the porcelain gods, so we decided to leave. In the cab on the way home we kept making jokes. The same stupid drunk jokes that are always made. Then Matt kept telling me to tell the driver to slow down and I was practically yelling at the driver knowing that he spoke no english. Then we got home and Damon decided to pass out on our couch and kept apologizing for drinking too much and getting drunk. I just laughed it off and told him that it wasn't a problem and he was always welcome to sleep on our couch. Matty stix was out, I think before he even got into his room. Then I headed off to bed and woke up an hour ago.
So all in all it was a fantastic night. Now I'm going to get ready for english corner with my new friends.
In case you were wondering, I'm having an amazing time here in China.

TTFN

Love, love, love

I'm getting to this point where I am just loving everything. I love China. I love my students. I love my work. I love and miss my friends. I'm just loving everything.
Anyway, Christmas is coming and I have a few things to send. I know they'll be late but better late than never. This week has been pretty cool. It seemed to go by fairly quickly though. Every other evening I had a few drinks with Matty stix while we watched a movie and then on the evenings I wasn't doing that I had a few drinks with Brian upstairs. I hung out with Brian mostly because he's not going to be back next semester and I want to spend as much time with him now before he goes. Brian is an older guy from Australia and his wife is chinese and they have a 5 month old daughter Julianne. She is so sweet. Brian kills me because him and I have the same perverted sense of humor. Sometimes he sets things up to have a funny punchline and I usually beat him to the punch because I know where he was going with it. We really have big fun and big laughs together.
In other news, I've done a bit of shopping and think I may have gotten gifts for everyone I planned on getting gifts for. There is just one other person who I have no clue what to get for him. This is what has delayed me on my sending things. That and the fact that I've sort of been procrastinating and I've been busy doing actual teacher work. Making tests, giving tests, marking tests, giving homework and marking homework. Then exam time is coming so things have been getting busy. Plus we are all getting ready for Christmas at the frat house.
This weekend should prove to be interesting.
Winnie helped me get a cell phone but there is something wrong with it. So now I have to meet her in Hankou tomorrow to get it repaired or replaced. Then I have tentative plans with Annaick to go to this Belgium restaurant for some food and to taste many different kinds of beer. Then Sunday, I'm going back to Giano's for english corner, so that should be fun.
So I'm just heading out for dinner right now and when I get back I'm gonna see what Brian's up to and maybe have a few beers with him.

The fun never stops at the frat house.

TTFN

I love communication

Well ater much procrastinating, I finally did it. I had been meaning to get a cell phone a little while after getting here and I did that yesterday. Winnie has a friend that's a manager at this big cell phone place in Hankou and she took me to him to get hooked up. I was just looking for something simple that would provide me the opportunity to be able to communicate with people when I'm not home and to have people be able to get in touch with me for the same reason.
This cell phone place was huge and had so much going on and so many people. Anyway, I was just looking for a second hand refurbished phone. I got one at a decent price, plus a sim card that allows me to talk anywhere in China at any time. The monthly payment is a little more expensive to be able to do that but I rather pay the money and know that I can do that. Most of the phones are cheaper each month but they can only be used in either Wuhan or Hubei province. Ordinarily that would be fine but I plan on travelling in Jan and I have to have my cell phone available to me. This is the reason why I got it. Anyway, I just wanted to update you on that. Winnie is going to help me set up the phone today and then I'll be done. Then I'll add the number to my list of contact info.

TTFN

Happy days

Another good weekend.
On Friday we had a meeting to discuss the upcoming exams as well as to give us info on when we would be going on vacation etc. Also to discuss what is expected of us in the exams.
At lunch however, the school gave each teacher a bag of oranges. I'm guessing that they had a surplus and didn't know what to do with it, but each of us got a bag. And I'm not talking about a small bag, I'm talking about a big bag. The kind of big bag that would be delivered to your local grocery store. Maybe about 100 oranges or so. I don't think I will be able to eat them all but we'll see.
Then after school I went with Annaick to Carrefour, just to give her some company and ended up buying a few things. I was very surprised to see how much christmas stuff they had at Carrefour. It was like I walked into Wal-mart or something. I bought a Santa hat to wear on christmas day and some other things. Then it got late and we got hungry so we went to the restaurant for dinner.
On Saturday morning I woke up and just had to get out of the frat house. A couple days before, Annaick was telling me about this hill/mountain just at the university that you could climb and I decided to do that. I packed my bag with a bottle of water bundled up for the weather, stopped by a shop and got some egg bread to take with me and I was on my way.
I had my map in hand and Annaick told me the bus to take. It was easy to get to the university and all I had to do was walk in direction of the hill/mountain.
The climb wasn't too bad. Actually at one point, I was waking along a flat path and noticed that I could see people above me that were actually on the mountain itself. I wanted to get up there but saw no way how, until I came to a clearing and a path leading up. It was very steep but I was determined to make it. I climbed using full strength in my legs and my arms to keep my balance. It took alot of energy and effort because the path was very steep but I made it.
I walked along the now rocky path on the mountain itself and really had a nice climb.
After about an hour I climbed back down and headed home in a cab from the university. When I got home Brian said that he was going to make dinner and if I wanted I could come up. I'm always game for free food so I went up there for dinner, which was really well done. Then we hung out and chatted with a few beers.
After a couple hours I went to bed.
On Sunday moring I woke up and got ready to meet my new friend Jason at the pizza restaurant (Giano's - where we made the baozi) for an english corner. This is where chinese people, especially students, gather together and discuss things in english. This provides them the opportunity to practice and expand their english. It was great fun. I met even more people and we had areally great time.
After that was over, Jason and I went out for dinner (as he promised to take me to a good place for chao kao). This place was about a 15 minute walk from Giano's. It was pretty cold by the time evening settled in but the walk to the restaurant was sooooo worth it. I love chao kao to begin with and the place makes it very good. It tasted just like the amazing chao kao I got in Shanghai. We had a few other things then we just sat there and chatted and laughed. It was really good. Then it started to get a bit late and we decided to go home.
When I got home, I didn't know that my mother took the from of a 21 year old 6'3'' blond boy from Nova Scotia. I walk in the house and Matty sticks says "do you know how long I have been waiting for you young lady?"
I was like, "sorry mother. It won't happen again" He was joking of course but he kept teasing me that I was going on a date. I kept insisting that Jason and I were just friends. I'm really happy that I've made friends outside of the school and the frat house. It's just good to get out of that bubble.
So next Sunday I will be going back to the english corner and hanging out with my new friends.

TTFN

Let the good times roll

Well it's been a fun couple of days. Things have settled since that freak left and we've all gone back to normal. Wednesday was a good day. Some of you may know that Wednesday is my half day where I (and the other teachers) only have classes in the morning. So at lunch Matt and I went out to get something to eat and after eating we parted ways. I went to Break Through because there was a jacket I had my eye on that I wanted to get. When I got there though, the jacket was still there but I tried on an extra large and it didn't quite fit. Then I tried on about 3 other jackets and they were all too small even though they said extra large. So I left my favourite store empty handed. So I went to some other stores and did other shopping. Bought some more DVD's and other things. The other thing I purchased that I was surprised to even find here in China was a flag representing Trinidad and Tobago. I had to buy it ofcourse but I was very surprised to even see it here.
On Monday, Annaick told me about this girl that owned a fantastic pizza restaurant that was having a short cooking class on Wednesday and in the class we would learn how to make baozi (b-aw-zuh) which is a chinese dumpling. So after getting home I got ready to go out again for that.
Bre and I were going to meet Annaick and Angela there.
We got there, met a french friend of Annaick named Valerie and started to learn how to make the baozi. This was really cool and is quite a simple recipe. I can't wait to make it on my own. Anyway, after making baozi, we ate it and then ordered a pizza. The pizza was so very good. Brick oven pizza and was better than anything at Pizza Hut. If I ever have a craving (which is rare) I'll be going there. Plus the owner speaks english and is very very nice.
After we had eaten, then the socializing began. I met some new people and we exchanged contact info. Then for the longest while I was chatting with this chinese guy named Jason. He spoke very good english. We were talking about just stuff in general. He was asking me how I felt about China before and how I feel about it now. He's a student at the university and is studying history. He's a pretty cool guy. I'm actually kinda glad I made friends with him because I was almost getting tired of hearing Annaick talking about her french friends and all the fun they have. I mean it's good in a way to have friends outside of the frat house because after a while you could go mad but it just became a bit nauseating hearing her go on and on. Finally I have a friend outside of the frat house.
So apparently the restaurant has an english chat corner on Sunday afternoons and Jason asked if I'd like to come by. I wouldn't be learning any english ofcourse but I might be able to help and then he could also help me with my chinese (which btw is getting better everyday). Then he told me that he would take me to a good place to get chao kao. So I have something to look forward to on Sunday.
Now apparently Valerie had some other french friends, that Annaick had met at one time or another I suppose, that were supposed to meet us there. They got there very very late but they were actually pretty cool guys. They were younger than the other gentlemen friends of Annaick I met before and did me a "favour" by speaking more english. Plus because they were younger, they made jokes and kept things lively. I had a pretty good time.
After a few beers, pizza and alot of laughs it was time to go.
Thursday (yesterday) was another intersting day. I went to class in a so-so mood but by lunch I was hyper. I was talking to my mom online and she told me that her ticket was purchased and that she would be coming to visit me here in China in February. I was beyond excitement. And to make things better I was having sugar in the form of a lollipop and was bouncing off the walls in no time. I even went to class with lollipop in hand and mouth. My students were all amazed and laughing. Teacher has a lollipop. She's eating a lollipop in class. Oh my gosh, teacher eats lollipops just like me.
Anyway Sophia and I had made plans last week to go out to a Thai restaurant for dinner that was supposed to happen yesterday. I love thai food and Matt does too, so he said he would come with. Everything was set and Damon came by to pick us up. The original plan was that Sophia would meet us there because the restaurant is in Hankou and that's where she lives now. Anyway, he gets to the frat house and says that Sophia said that she couldn't make it. Something to do with her boyfriend. So we decided to go on our own. The menu was different than the menu I was used to at home but the food was very good. Then halfway through dinner Damon gets a call from Sophia saying that she was going to come to the restaurant in about half an hour. An hour goes by and she's nowhere to be found. Damon calls her and she says that she's waiting on someone and she'll be there in half an hour. Another hour goes by and still no Sophia. Then Damon calls her and tells her that we would be leaving and we could get together another time. She understands, cause the thing about it is, we're waiting on a chinese person who's waiting on another chinese person. If we continued to wait, we'd proabably still be there now.
Anyway we hop back in a cab and go home but on the way, Matt kept saying that he wanted to pee and was asking Damon if he thought the driver wouldn't mind stopping somewhere so he could go. Damon just laughed and didn't translate but halfway home, the car started jerking, then sputtering, then it just stopped all together. Well Matt got his wish and was able to get out to pee but then we were stuck on the side of the road. Luckily it's the road that leads to the bridge from Hankou to Wuchang so it is pretty busy, but there are no shops or houses or even people on the road. Anyway we were able to get back into a another cab fairly quickly and got home safely. It was a pretty interesting night.
So that's the mini adventures that I've had over the past couple days. Trying my best to keep you posted.

TTFN

Ding dong the dude is dead. Which old dude? The wicked dude!

Well after everyone had horrible experiences with the new dude, he's finally gone. Apparently Mr. Ye told Bre that he didn't think that the dude was "suitable" to teach the children. Apprently they had him dangling without actually signing a contract and I don't know if he got fed up first or if they just let him go.
I think they knew something wasn't right with him because when he came here, they said they were just going to try him out before signing him. This seemed peculiar because they never "try anyone out" before signing them. Heck he was already here in China. Some of us were brought over from the other side of the world and we were signed contracts.
I really didn't like this guy. Annoyed the bloody hell out of me. He was so arrogant and self-centered. And poor Matty sticks, he was tormented by him everyday because Matt's the only guy in the office that was willing to talk to him and Matty sticks didn't even like him. I was really getting annoyed with him and his attitude over the last week. I told everyone that if he was still at the school on Monday that I would just tell him to stay away from me and not talk to me. Annaick asked me if I was going to find a better way to say it, I told her I'd try.
Monday comes along and I'm having my lunch and he comes and sits down. He starts talking. I couldn't take it anymore. I turned to him and I whispered "I think it would be best if you didn't talk to me" He looked confused but replied with "OK". Then I whispered back "Thank you"
It was the quietest lunch I had ever had. Then on that same day, Bre told me that Mr. Ye came to her and asked if she wouldn't mind taking on a few extra classes as he wasn't going to keep the new guy.
Then yesterday was his last day. Annaick was sooo happy. She kept saying that she had never despised someone so much that she didn't really know, actually, I think the word she used was hated, never hated someone so much that she didn't know. But anyway, he's out of our hair and our lives. Never have to see him again and we could go back to normal. There was a real disturbance in the house when he was here and now it has settled.

May the force be with you.
TTFN

Which old dude? The wicked dude!

Well after everyone had horrible experiences with the new dude, he's finally gone. Apparently Mr. Ye told Bre that he didn't think that the dude was "suitable" to teach the children. Apprently they had him dangling without actually signing a contract and I don't know if he got fed up first or if they just let him go.
I think they knew something wasn't right with him because when he came here, they said they were just going to try him out before signing him. This seemed peculiar because they never "try anyone out" before signing them. Heck he was already here in China. Some of us were brought over from the other side of the world and we were signed contracts.
I really didn't like this guy. Annoyed the bloody hell out of me. He was so arrogant and self-centered. And poor Matty sticks, he was tormented by him everyday because Matt's the only guy in the office that was willing to talk to him and Matty sticks didn't even like him. I was really getting annoyed with him and his attitude over the last week. I told everyone that if he was still at the school on Monday that I would just tell him to stay away from me and not talk to me. Annaick asked me if I was going to find a better way to say it, I told her I'd try.
Monday comes along and I'm having my lunch and he comes and sits down. He starts talking. I couldn't take it anymore. I turned to him and I whispered "I think it would be best if you didn't talk to me" He looked confused but replied with "OK". Then I whispered back "Thank you"
It was the quietest lunch I had ever had. Then on that same day, Bre told me that Mr. Ye came to her and asked if she wouldn't mind taking on a few extra classes as he wasn't going to keep the new guy.
Then yesterday was his last day. Annaick was sooo happy. She kept saying that she had never despised someone so much that she didn't really know, actually, I think the word she used was hated, never hated someone so much that she didn't know. But anyway, he's out of our hair and our lives. Never have to see him again and we could go back to normal. There was a real disturbance in the house when he was here and now it has settled.

May the force be with you.
TTFN

Ding don the dude is dead!

Ding don the dude is dead!

The breath test

After enduring many years in Canadian winters, I think we all have our own ways to tell how cold it is without knowing the actual temperature. I use the breath test. If you go out there and you could see your breath, then you know it's cold. If when you blow out, you see an almost cloud, then you know it is very very cold.
Well today, I woke up and was disinclined to get out of bed. After getting dressed and having breakfast, I headed outside and I could see my breath. I knew it was cold. Winter is definitely coming. You almost play hop skotch from class to class to office to home.
Anyway, today wasn't too bad. I didn't really leave the house much this weekend so I never went to the office and neverfinished marking my tests. When I got to the office this morning, there they were staring at me. I tried to finish them as quickly as I could but to no avail. I'm gonna try to finish them at lunch now.
My classes weren't too bad. I started a new unit and it really sucks. In fact the entire book sucks but I have to find a way to get through it. Anyway, that's just about it.

TTFN

well, I guess we're gonna have to pay for that

Ok so we made the plans to go to Blue Sky in Hankou to party it up and do some dancing. There are two Blue Sky locations, one here in Wuchang and the other in Hankou. The one here is more of a restaurant and you sit and eat and listen to western music. It's not bumping and there is no dancing. The one in Hankou, has a place for you to sit and eat but it's usually packed with foreigners (foreigners are people that are not chinese and it's a term you find yourself using as well) and it is bumping. There's a dance floor and the music isn't half bad.
Anyway, we got there, we ate and then we started drinking. Cast of characters included, of course yours truly, Bre, Damon, Amanda, Matt, Winnie, Matty sticks, Daisy, Sophia and Sophia's boyfriend. Bre got very drunk, Matty sticks was nicely drunk. Then at one point him, Daisy and Winnie went to the Red Passion club to dance and then they came back a couple hours later. Damon drank alot but was pissed because he wasn't geting drunk. Then Amanda got mad at Matt because he has a little bit of alcoholic tendancies when he starts drinking. Basically once he starts, he can't stop until he passes out. She's pregnant right now and has very little tolerance for bullshit, so she got mad, spilled out his beers and demanded that they go home.
I spent a fair bit of time on the dance floor. Met some people, danced had a great time. Then happy hour came along and it was really happy. At happy hour you get 2 for one drinks. I was ordering Cosmos like they were going out of style. Then for the longest time I was sitting with Damon and talking about all kinds of junk and both of us were laughing at Bre. Then for no reason whatsoever, Bre picked up a martini glass and threw it on the ground. Of course it broke and then Damon said in the most nonchalant way that it just made me laugh, "well, she just broke a glass, I guess we're gonna have to pay for that" and then he took a sip of his beer. I was dying of laughter. The glass cost us Y20, then about 20 mins after that we decided to go home. By this time Matty sticks had been back for a while and Winnie and Daisy had gone home and Sophia and her boyfriend had left just after dinner. So it was just me, Damon, Matt and drunk Bre. Damon got his own cab home and I poured Bre into the back of a cab and we were on our way. We got home and it was quite interesting me trying to put Bre to bed. She was still dancing and mumbling stupid things and I was drunk myself so that just made things just a little more difficult. Anyway I was able to put her to bed and to sleep and then I hit the sack myself. I woke up yesterday with a monster hangover. Something I'm not used to because in my "youth" I never got them but now since I'm getting "old" it's starting to happen. Anyway, telling Bre about her adventure was funny because she didn't remember half of what happened.
So today I have a stack of tests to mark and 3 stacks of books to mark because you may have forgotten that I'm hear to teach english, not party my ass off, but whatever works right? If I can do both, then what's the harm?
Anyway, that's the story thus far, as usual I will keep you posted.

TTFN

Time marches on

Well things are all about the same as usual. We got paid yesterday and, ha ha surprise, we went shopping. Bre needed an MP3 and I was looking to buy some DVD's. I made a point of saying before I got to China that I was going to go nuts buying DVD's because they are so cheap. It's averaged at about 90 cents CDN a movie. Then when I got here and I found that the movies were not in the cases I know them to be in but in these almost envelopes with the title etc on it, I was disinclined to buy them. Then I saw movies that I had had my eye on for a very long time and just gave up. If the quality is good, then who cares.
About a week before payday, Matty sticks and I made a pact to go on a DVD bender on payday. Well we stayed true to that.
Anyway, like I said Bre needed an MP3 and we decided to go to computer city. Cast of characters included myself, Bre and Winnie. Daisy and Matty sticks said that they would meet us there later. We get there and Bre was being so annoying. She didn't like anything she saw and I found out later that she never ended up buying one. But I'm skipping ahead. Anyway, I was starting to grow weary of Bre's whining and I'm sure Winnie was getting frustrated because she was translating for Bre and pretty much had no choice but to be there.
I would stand there for a bit, then walk away. In one of my walks away, Daisy spotted me from outside and Matty sticks was in tow. She was lucky to see me because computer city is quite large and they would have spent alot of time looking for us.
Anyway, I told Matty sticks that I was getting fed up of this and I wanted to go out and buy some DVD's. These guys sell the stuff in boxes on the sidewalk. Y5 a movie. Pretty cool. So I got about 6 or so and Matty sticks got a few, then we got hungry. Daisy suggested this place to go for chao kao (barbequed lamb, usually). We were off in search of food. It was funny because we couldn't find Bre and Winnie to tell them we were going somewhere else and even if we did, it wouldn't matter.
So we ate and the food was good. Then Daisy told Matty sticks and I the bus to take to get home. It was a bus we never took before and it was a long ride but it gave us a view of other parts of town we never saw before. We finally got to our stop and started to walk home. On the way, we did a bit more shopping then went to this store and really went on our DVD bender. In total I purchased 20 movies and Matt got about 18 or 19. On the way home we noticed that some places had christmas decorations up. It was great to see and we were both surprised to even see them up.
Yesterday I was told that the Administrator for foreign teachers was coming and we had to make sure the frat house was in tip top shape. Our cleaning lady was been going crazy cleaning everything in sight.
Today we found that they put christmas decorations in the frat house. Now things are starting to happen. It looks great. We even have a partially decorated tree. Not too bad considering.
On tomorrow's menu, we'll be going to Blue Sky in Hankou. We're gonna be doing some dancing and drinking so that should be fun.
Anyway, that's all that's been happening.

TTFN