Boots and Blossoms: November 2012

I know, I have been terribly negligent in blogging. In my defense, it has been PSYCO! What with Thanksgiving, birthdays and end of the semester things going on, I feel like I haven't had time to process all the crazy and fun things that have happened. Seriously, since the last time I posted, it has snowed soooo much.

So, because there is WAY too much to cover, I am going to just bullet point the highlights...please excuse any bad grammar, rambling or anything else that an English major should know when she writes a blog post. She has most likely forgotten because it is late at night, she has a migraine (3rd day in a row) and it is at the end of the week when her brain is grey mush...

1. Beginning of November, I had about 13 students over to my tiny apartment to make dumplings. In truth it really involved them kicking me out of my own kitchen so they could cook for me. They aren't allowed to cook in their dormitories so going to a teacher's apartment means they get free reign of the kitchen. I did get to help fold dumplings, but mine were very sad looking.... Best highlights of that night occurred when I was arguing with my students about me helping do the dishes. They kept telling me to go sit down and I asked them why I should let them do the dishes. They looked at each other exasperatedly and replied "Because...we are Chinese!" I have no idea why that made sense to them...but they literally had to drag me out of my kitchen. Another highlight was when Depreena was jokingly going to let my students try butter. I exclaimed, "Don't feed my kids butter!" Well, my one boy student, who's name is Water, popped his head around the corner thinking he heard his name and said, "yes? Water is here!"

2. China Adventures! I spent a whole day with a sweet Sister named Jo. She is not from Changchun, and is a freshman, so the two of us together trying to figure out where to go, on top of limited English, was an adventure all in itself. Perhaps I got us a little lost (we got off on the wrong bus stop and had to walk for a while....completely my fault..). But, we eventually got where we wanted to go and had fun the entire time! Another adventure was Winter coat shopping with Bridge and Grammar. Finding a coat to fit my very American broad shoulders was a chore, but I found a very warm and cheap one. So many funny things happened that day. Grammar picked on me for being absent minded and klutzy as usual. Both of them are traveling with me for Winter Holiday!!!

3. Loss of Pride: Where to even start, lets see...I have wiped out so much I stop remembering...I wiped out at a park because I slipped. My friend hauled me up by my backpack because I was laughing to hard to pick myself up. I fell down when I was walking to the dining hall because I did not see the ice in front of me. I also fell down when I was shopping with some students. Correction, I fell up stairs...that was really embarrassing. I also fell up the stairs while carrying my bag of eggs after making it all the way back from the market with no mishaps...I broke one..I was sad.

4. Students freaking out when I take off my sweater in class to reveal I am only wearing a t shirt. "Teacher, are you not cold?" they ask and then put their hands on my bare arms to see if my arms are cool. As usual, my arms are extremely warm, which I think assures them I will not die from cold in class. Reality, the classrooms are really hot (to me, and I walk around when I talk...so I get warm easier) in building 4 because its is newer.

5. Students saying really funny things to me that you would NEVER hear in America. Walking out of building 4, I hear four of my girl students behind me giggling and talking in Chinese, when suddenly I hear the English words "Fall in love!" I turn around and say "girls, what are you talking about?" They get this sheepish look on their faces and the leader of their pack says "teacher, you are thinner from when we first meet you, we think it is because you have fall in love!" Yeah, I laughed out loud at that one and then quickly assured them that was not the case.
The next one was just the other day. Emma, a student of mine sees me in the dining hall eating, comes up and starts talking to me. Suddenly, while we are talking, she pulls out a small jar, opens it and dips her fingers into the goop inside and smears it on the back of my hands. While she is doing this she says, "Here Teacher, it is cold out. This will help" Apparently it was some kind of coconut gel balm for your hands. I have the sweetest students ever!
When my students came over to make dumplings, they all brought me a small gift. They brought me a scarf (2 scarfs actually) a face mask, and mittens....do you see a pattern? All things to keep their silly foreign teacher warm. Why? see number 4. I tend to wear t shirts to class...

6. Students being extremely thoughtful. When my students came over for dumplings, they brought food to compliment the meal. They actually went out and bought what we would call "sweet and sour pork" because they remembered how much I liked it.
Another thoughtful moment was yesterday. I was eating with students, but my food was taking forever to come, but I was fine with waiting. Unbeknownced to me they apparently were terrified I was going to faint away from hunger and one of them scampered off to go get some dumplings for me. When you get dumplings, you have 3 options for what to dip them in: Soy sauce, spicy stuff and vinegar. I only like vinegar with the spicy stuff added in, I cannot stand soy sauce. Mind you, I only mentioned that once in passing to my students several weeks ago when talking about food, but they remembered. How do I know they remembered? Because when they brought me the surprise dumplings, the dipping dish had only vinegar and spicy stuff in it. I was very touched. It also made me aware that they do listen when I talk and I do have a huge impact on them.

Those are the best highlights from my past month here. I am warning you, when I leave January 10th for winter holiday, I wont have my laptop with me, so you shall have to wait till the end of February to get updated on my travels, unless I find an internet cafe where I can access blogger.

To ends things, here are some PICTURES! because everyone loves pictures!!!