Drink Coffee Blog

Hey again!  It’s been a gorgeous weekend here in the Yunnan Province.  Hooray!  I finally felt like I packed the correct clothes!  Martha and I had a great day in Dali yesterday.  We went into town for a nice leisurely lunch.  We sat on a balcony overlooking the walking street for some great people watching and yummy noodles.  Afterward, she showed me the China Post office (expect postcards in three-ish weeks)  and we did a little window shopping.  We also had a case of Cinderella foot looking for the perfect pair of boots.  Sadly, both of us have feet that are TOO big!  We WILL find them though.  It can be done, and we will do it.  We also had an afternoon cookie and hot cocoa or coffee at Bakery 88.  Yums!  Then it was a busride home and dinner at the Centre.  I helped Martha with English corner and then we walked into the village for Shau Fan (street food bbq) and a Dali beer.  All in all a great day!

We made scones this morning with Jeanee and then I finished a book lent to me by Nellie’s friend Tazi.  After lunch Martha, Jeanee, Bryce (the Linden’s younger son- he’s 12) and I went for a bike ride to the Eight Mother Temple.  It is a beautiful and strange place with all kinds of twists and turns and plaster molded figures.  It’s pretty crazy.  There is a gorgeous statue overlooking the lake and protecting the temple.  She is made of the famous Dali marble.  We took a long way home over dirt roads and got a bit turned around.  Bryce was leading.  Jeanee and Martha didn’t really have the bikes for it so they turned around.  Bryce and I somehow found ourselves in the middle of some fields walking our bikes past a horse that was blocking our way.  Riiight.  Well, I guess it wouldn’t really be a day in China if there wasn’t at least one point at which you didn’t know what the heck was going on.  So, day complete.  Bryce and I are also now the Xizhou Adventure Squad.  If you need adventure, we’re the ones to see.  With that, it’s off to complete lesson plans for the week and then dinner! 

Go Hawks!

A sure sign you’re travelling.  I did sink laundry this afternoon. 

I’m still perfecting how to ask someone their name.  That phrase is not ready for it’s debut yet.  I’ll find out my little buddy’s name though.  Don’t fear.

I went to Shaping this morning.  It is actually a bit farther than anticipated and takes about 50 minutes by bike.  I’m thinking that once the tires are blown up all the way I might be able to shave off a few minutes from my time.  I am loaning a bike from the Linden Centre.  They have about 8 or 9 bikes now and so I felt like Goldilocks trying to find the one that was Just Right.  I LOVE the school in Shaping.  The kids are so joyful and the teachers are very welcoming. 

After my lessons today the head teacher at the school was trying to tell me she wanted me to go with her to some sort of celebration for the afternoon.  We’re not totally sure what type of celebration.  It was like new home or wedding or something.  Anyway, I’m grabbing my stuff to leave and she’s motioning to me that I don’t need this stuff and to come with her.  Ho-kaay.  Soo, I follow her and we go out to the car and I’m frantically trying to call Jeanee because I don’t know what’s going on.  Sigh.  I am a hapless foreigner.  At least Jeanee couldn’t really figure it out either.  So I had the phone to the head teacher, she talks to Jeanee, Jeanee talks to Ling Ling,  Ling Ling talks back to Jeanee who talks to me and then Jeanee talks to the head teacher again.  Oh adventures.  Jeanee rescued me from the afternoon of being show and tell.  We are headed in to Dali this afternoon with Martha.  It should be fun.  Then, after dinner Martha and I have a boxing review (Anthony is gone for ten days so we just have to practice now) and then Wine Night on my balcony.  We have to wine night later after dinner because the pigs below my place aren’t quite as fragrant then.  Oh, rural china.  There’s just nothing else like it.  I have a feeling I’m going to be one big pile of tired after that because of all the biking and boxing and walking and fresh air.  What a difference from home!

Hello Hello!

All morning I’m having the kids shout numbers and letters and “Hello!” “How are you!?”  “I’m fine!”  “Thank you!”  It’s so crazy because they say the numbers and colors and letters in Chinese first but I’m not learning any of it at all because they are SHOUTING!  I can’t understand.  Haha. 

The little guy who lives below me saw me at school this morning and blew me a kiss!  It was SOO CUTE.  The kids are hilarious.  The little kids did not have class this afternoon because it was so cold and rainy that they got to go home early.    It’s quite a dismal day actually.  I accidentally left my towel out on the balcony.  Wha wha.  I also feel a bit like a hobo because I’m wearing like all of the  clothes that I have.  Hahaha.  Everyone else is doing it too so it’s okay.

Anthony went with me to the other kindergarten in Shaping today.  We hammered out details and it sounds like I’ll be going there first thing in the morning now and then coming back here for lunch then going to the kindergarten here in Xizhou at 3:00-4:30.  It is about a seven miles or so from my place to the school in Shaping.  I’m THINKING it’ll be thirty minutes or less by bicycle.  We’ll find out tomorrow!  The head teacher at the school in Shaping said I can come even earlier and learn Chinese with the students as well.  They have Chinese one hour in the morning before I will teach.  I’m totally taking her up on that.  The kids are defintitely ahead of me right now, but she assures me that they move very slowly and I should be able to catch up with no problem.  Anthony says my goal should be 20-25 sentences while I’m here.  This seems do-able AND should make my return trip to Shanghai flow more smoothly.  Today I’m working on my name is Ray Ray (they can’t do the ch and the l so my chinese name is Ray Ray!)  What’s your name, and see you tomorrow.  I suppose these won’t actually help me in the airport but they will be useful in the class room!

Hello from Xizhou, China.  I’ve made it to southwest China in one piece.  It was a VERY long day at the airport.  I arrived here on Sunday morning around 3AM.  Ugh. 

My little room is quite Chinese and cute.  It’s actually pretty funny.  I’ll try to get some pics up later.  The bathroom is, uh, primitive.  Sigh.  This is life in rural China. 

Sunday during the day I came over the the Linden Centre where Martha Aurelius promptly told me that I needed a costume and I was going to be a cowgirl for trick or treating that night.  Hahaha!  O-kayyy.  Probably half hour and one salvaged paper bag later I had a vest, boots and a sheriff’s badge.  We also walked into the village and found these stocking-type things to make braids for me and a tail for her.  (She was a cat.)  Good times.  I will also try to get pics of this up.

It was my first day at school today.  The kids are unbearably cute! We are just doing numbers and colors for the next few days.  I’m teaching them little songs and motions to go with them.  So fun!  I just made a new little friend at the guesthouse where I am staying too.  He is probably two and a half and just telling me ALL kinds of things and I listen and listen and listen and have no response.  Poor guy.  He probably doesn’t understand that I don’t understand a WORD he’s saying.

In news at home: Chase Allen Martin made his debut on Friday.  7lbs and I think 12oz. 21ins long.  We all hope Josie is taking it well!   More soon!