the awkward sausage

see that? that's my favorite sausage sold on a stick that you can buy at the school stores and random little vendor places in harbin.

well today, it became an awkward sausage. after giving final oral exams to one class i started to go outside and found a student waiting for me with my favorite sausage on a stick in his hand. uh oh. i think he's seen me eat it before and knows i like it. anyways, i stay cool as he approaches me with the sausage and starts to speak with a nervous stutter "i know this may be my last time to talk with you... i really enjoyed your class... i wanted to ask you something, but i'm very nervous to ask it... i want to know..."

(i take a big gulp and prepare myself for the worse)

"...if you can make my marks (score) higher?" ... hahaha i didn't see THAT one coming! i guess you can say the rest of that conversation was about his grades, motivation in class, and how i do NOT accept bribes (making it clear that the sausage i just devoured does not mean i will give him a higher grade than what he deserves. haha)

A Loving Rebuke

Every morning after I wake up I usually stick my hand outside the window to feel the "real" temperature. Today it felt slightly cool and windy with a touch of rain. I don't have many options when it comes to outwear, it's either my long down coat, short down coat, hooded sweatshirt, or cardigan sweater. It's better to be safe than sorry, so I went with my usual short down coat which is waterproof and very wind proof... the only downfall is that it's just TOO warm to wear and I end up sweating in it when walking to class. By the time I reach the teaching building I'm ready to strip off to my short sleeve teaching blouse/shirt. As I climb my normal 5 flights of stairs to class I pass by an older woman who got one look at what I was wearing (short sleeves are inappropriate at this time of year, according to the calendar you don't wear them indoors or outdoors no matter the temperature until the time is right!) and scolded me in Chinese for wearing so little clothes when it is so cold. Telling people that they are not wearing enough or advising them to wear more clothes is a sign of love in China, something I have to remind myself often. I told my students about the story in class later and asked them how I should appropriately respond to that... (my sinful, independent self wants to tell that woman something like, "Don't worry lady, I'm not cold and I'm not going to die..." haha) My students instead said I should say "Xie Xie (Thank you)" or "Wo zhi dao (I know)".

Ah, learning to embrace a culture and it's differences can be humbling, challenging, and fun... sometimes. haha

open house

on most sunday nights i host an "open house" night at my apartment for groups of 7-9 students to come to my home to eat, play games, practice english, and us to get to know each other better. this past sunday i had 7 boys and 2 girls signed up to come! usually english majors are 90% girls, but this class has 7 that decided they wanted to come together.

open house starts at 7pm, but at 6:44pm agnes calls me and tells me that they are at downstairs outside the building. yikes! i wasn't QUITE prepared for them yet... i should have known they would come earlier. thankfully 10 minutes later the first student, Gritty, arrives to my door looking like he just ran a marathon. i asked him, "just you??" and he said with a proud smile, "i climbed the stairs!" hahaha.. all 20 flights of stairs. bless his heart. apparently there was another event going on with another teacher so the elevators were too full and it took a long time for the rest to come. the next student made it somehow a few minutes later (i think he squeezed onto an elevator) and carried a HUGE basket of FRUIT! i kid you not, this fruit basket arrangement was HUGE... and HEAVY!! i couldn't carry it with one hand and my hands were shaking when i carried it with two hands. hahaha i have some very chinese and very sweet students.

so what do you do for an evening with 7 boys and 2 girls? have several rounds of "mafia", several rounds of "spoons" (truth or dare style), make a human pyramid, and eat of course! :) it was a super fun night getting to hang out and play games with them, kill them (in mafia hehe), and get to know them a little better. welcome you to open house! a few photos from the night:




oh, one more thing :) after they left i had a kan kan (look look) at my guestbook that they signed (they have to write their english/chinese name and draw a picture of themself)... eric wrote this.. haha (in china they say tan skin is "black")