Update!

Hello everyone! I'm back in Zhuzhou and just finished my second day of the new school term. After lots of traveling I find myself craving hours upon hours of SLEEEEEP... so I'm trying to catch up on my Z's when I'm not teaching. Below are a random smattering of some pictures from my Spring Festival vacation to Hong Kong and Thailand with Josh. I'll try to post more pictures when I have time. Love you all!  :)

Backpacking in Thailand

I am currently backpacking across Thailand for the 4-week Chinese New Year holiday. My posts will be few and far between due to sporadic internet access. Josh and I started in Zhuzhou, China...traveled down to Hong Kong for two days, and then flew to Phuket, Thailand. After enjoying Kamala Beach in Phuket we stayed in beautiful Khaolak, headed to Koh Samui island (we ended up extending our time there because it was gorgeous!), and now we're in Bangkok! Highlights include snorkeling on Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan, eating delicious Thai food at local markets, and exploring a 5-tiered waterfall on the outskirts of Khaolak. I will update some stories and pictures when I have time! Love you all!! :)

China's Premier Visits Zhuzhou

Nora and I were wondering why there were so many police everywhere on Monday... until we remembered that Wen Jiabao, China's Premier, was visting Zhuzhou for the day. Zhuzhou is a manufacturing hub, most importantly for planes and trains, and Jiaboa's visit was focused on seeing how the city's industry is doing. He also spent some time with the locals, trying to keep connected with how daily life is for ordinary Chinese citizens. Pictures and an interesting article HERE.

2012: Year of the Dragon

2012 is the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese zodiac, which is composed of twelve animals. Zodiac rotations are based on the Chinese calendar, which has elements from both lunar and solar calendars and takes 60 years to complete a full cycle. The Chinese zodiac is often used superstitiously -- to predict baby genders and adult relationship compatibility.

Since I was born in late 1988, I fall into the "Earth Dragon" category. As of the date of this blog post (on January 3rd, 2012) it is still the Year of the Rabbit even though the Gregorian calendar moved ahead from 2011 to 2012. The next lunar year begins on January 22nd, 2012, which is the beginning of China's Spring Festival -- the most important festival in China.

Anyway, below is a description of people with Dragon birthdays. If you're curious about your own year, check out www.chinesezodiac.com. It leads to some pretty interesting introspection!  I definitely see some strong matches between me and typical "dragon" characteristics!

Dragon (Chinese: 龙, Pinyin: Lóng)

Personality

Occupying the 5th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon is the mightiest of the signs. Dragons symbolize such character traits as dominance and ambition. Dragons prefer to live by their own rules and if left on their own, are usually successful. They’re driven, unafraid of challenges, and willing to take risks. They’re passionate in all they do and they do things in grand fashion. Unfortunately, this passion and enthusiasm can leave Dragons feeling exhausted and interestingly, unfulfilled.

While Dragons frequently help others, rarely will they ask for help. Others are attracted to Dragons, especially their colorful personalities, but deep down, Dragons prefer to be alone. Perhaps that is because they’re most successful when working alone. Their preference to be alone can come across as arrogance or conceitedness, but these qualities aren’t applicable. Dragons have tempers that can flare fast!

Health

Considering their hard-working nature, Dragons are healthy overall. They do get stressed and suffer from periodic tension/headaches, likely because they take so many risks. Dragons could benefit from incorporating mild activity into their lives. Yoga or walking would be good as these activities can work both their minds and their bodies.

Career

Dragons prefer leading to being led. Jobs that allow them to express their creativity are good choices. Some good careers include: inventor, manager, computer analyst, lawyer, engineer, architect, broker, and sales person.

Relationships

Dragons will give into love, but won’t give up their independence. Because they have quick, sometimes vengeful tempers, their partners need to be tough-skinned. Dragons enjoy others who are intriguing, and when they find the right partners, they’ll usually commit to that person for life.

Dragons and the 5 elements

Metal Dragons – Years 1940 and 2000

Metal strengthens this already strong sign. Metal Dragons are more determined and they’ll fight for what they believe in. They enjoy the company of those who feel mighty enough to challenge their beliefs. They’re true leaders and usually find plenty of others willing to follow.

Water Dragons – Years 1952 and 2012

Water calms the Dragon’s fire. Water Dragons are able to see things from other points of view. They don’t have the need to always be right. Their decisions, if well-researched, are usually better since they allow other’s to become involved.

Wood Dragons – 1904 and 1964

Wood Dragons also are willing to entertain the opinions of others. Their artistic side is strong, and Wood Dragons enjoy being creative and innovative. They get along with others, but will always be the dominating force.

Fire Dragons – 1916 and 1976

A Fire Dragon’s emotions can flare instantly. Fire Dragons put themselves on pedestals, and because they react quickly and recklessly, they sometimes make wrong decisions. Fire Dragons need to slow down and keep their tempers in check as that’s when they’re best.

Earth Dragons – Years 1928 and 1988

More rooted in the ground, Earth Dragons make better decisions because they act more rationally. Earth Dragons are level-headed and able to control their behaviors. They’re more supportive of others, but they prefer being admired by others.

Compatibility

Dragons are compatible with the Monkey or Rat and incompatible with the Ox and Goat.

So I tried to give my students a "freebie" question on their exam by asking "What's your Oral English teacher's name?" Some of the responses have been hilarious... including "Teacher Kilt", "Teacher Cake", and one that's too inappropriate to write on here. lol. Ohhh the joys of grading exams.

The good news is that I think my sickness is more "chronic bronchitis" than pneumonia (but this is just self-diagnosis at this point, thanks to the internet and skyping with my nurse mother). So I'm taking amoxicillin (for my throat and lungs), sudafed (for my sinuses), drinking lots of Chinese medicinal tea, and I'm about to get some "Chuan Bei" (supposed to help clear out my lungs)... it's kind of like a cough syrup that must be mixed with hot water. I'll let you know how that one works out.

Aaaaand in a mere four days I will be picking up my lovely boyfriend from the airport in Changsha!!! I'm SOOO excited for our month-long adventure in Thailand!!! (Plus a surprise destination I'm keeping a secret). Train tickets have finally been secured (after much pushing and shoving, waiting in line, and headaches) so at least we have secured all the logistics of getting to Thailand. :)

In a week I'll be basking in the beautiful, Thai sunshine on a glorious sandy beach. *sigh*

I'm trying to finish up grading about a thousand (or more) exams before leaving on holiday with my boyfriend... but I think I have a sinus infection paired with either pneumonia or bronchitis, so please keep me in your prayers as I try to find a doctor in town.

Train Tickets

Trying to buy train tickets during the Spring Festival rush (for Chinese New Year...when the "Great Migration" occurs because everyone goes back to their hometown) is about as enjoyable as banging your head against a brick wall. Literally.

Check out this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/30/train-ticket-seekers-crow_n_1176359.html

How to Dry Clothes in the Winter

If you look behind me (in the picture) you'll see a lovely clothes mobile hanging from the ceiling fan. This room is my office, and it's the warmest room in the apartment (thanks to my space heater)... so, whenever I do laundry I hang up all my clothes ALL around the room. It's quite hilarious, actually. There are clothes hanging from the windows, door, desk, from random nails on the wall, etc etc. It's so damp here in Zhuzhou that it takes forever for the clothes to dry outside. For every problem there is a solution.

Albeit a strange one, but nevertheless a solution!

Updaaaate

It's been a week since my last post -- sorry!! I've been a little busy with my birthday, Christmas, and the sudden news from my school that I need to give 1,100 exams this week. Yeah... that's just how they roll. So, I had the challenge of creating an Oral English exam that was fair, doable for the wide range of English proficiency levels in my classes, and -- most importantly -- not too time-consuming.

First I started out with giving my Friday classes a set of questions they must ask and answer in pairs. I would call students out to the hallway in pairs and they had a minute to complete their speaking exam. This went well... until I realised that I could NEVER get all 65 students done in one 40-minute class period. And since there is only about 1.5 weeks of school left, I had to scratch that exam idea. So now I'm giving a listening and question-and-answer exam (on paper) that can be given to all students at the same time in one class period.

The only challenge? I can't grade on-the-spot anymore... I'm literally spending HOURS upon HOURS sitting in my office grading these stupid things. And the kicker? My school told me that I must use a specific grading scheme: 90% of the students must get an A, 8% must get a B, and 2% a C. In the massive Excel spreadsheet with the student rosters I must assign a letter grade for the B and C students, but for the students getting an A, I must assign a number grade between 90 and 100. I can't believe my school is springing this upon me last-minute. It's PSYCHO.

But I'm just trying to smile through it because I love my students.

Anyway, so I spent Christmas here in Zhuzhou... I'll have to write a separate blog post on the church service I got invited to on Christmas evening. It was definitely a cultural experience! Haha. Overall, though, I had a great and relaxing Christmas, albeit a bit weird not being around family, friends, and a familiar Christmasy environment.  Will post again soon, with more pictures! (The photos below:  me and a school security guard; me and the singing Christmas monkey my dear mother sent me; me and my house-plant-turned-Christmas-tree).

My 23rd Birthday

Thanks to my awesome site-mate, Nora, I had an awesome birthday morning. What could be better than a breakfast of coffee, Bailey's, strawberries (which we haven't had yet in China because they're soooo hard to come by), bananas, yogurt and almonds, and CAKE!

... and thennnn full body massages at Zhuzhou's top massage place. :) Let's just say that Chinese massages are a bit crazy...haha.... We then had lunch at a delicious, family-owned Fujian restaurant on the east side of the Xiang River. Thanks, Nora, for an awesome birthday!!! Can't wait to run intervals at the gym tonight! ;)

^ at the full-body massage place

^ a hot-pot birthday dinner with some WT friends in Zhuzhou...

with a delicious birthday CAKE!! Yum!

Prayer Request

There are several things that are going wrong with my school, and I will be directly addressing the headmaster this week. If things don't improve, I don't know what I'm going to do. I will keep you posted on the situation. Overall, there is ]direct manipulation going on, and I'm sick of it. My school treats me like a trophy -- they invite me to expensive dinners but don't care how I'm treated when it comes to paying me for class, for transportation, and letting me know vacation dates in advance. My liaison makes things up to cover her own ass and I end up crying because she always lets me down. I think she's slightly bipolar. Please pray that God gives me extra strength and wisdom to deal with all this...

This weekend has been totally relaxing... Nora and I went to the gym on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night to do some cardio (hello, intervals!!), weights, stretching, and YOGA in Chinese. Haha. And apart from the occasional bike ride or getting some fresh food, I've stayed in my apartment's sunny office with the space heater. I've been listening to Christmas music, reading news from all over the world, watching free movies (thanks PPTV.com), and RELAXING. Overall a great weekend. :)

很漂亮 Hěn Piàoliang

Nothing in the whole world feels better than having 65 middle-school students clapping and cheering when you walk into the room. Today I got a little dressed up and put on some makeup and my contact lenses because I had an important lunch to attend. When I walked into my 5th period class (right after lunch) the classroom erupted in cheers and students yelling "You're SO beautiful today Teacher Cait!!!!!" Several students ran up to the front to look at my eyes to see their colour, while others came up to tell me that I looked 很漂亮 (Hěn Piàoliang - very pretty). Couldn't have asked for a better start to my afternoon. =)

宋组英 (Song zu ying)

If you're in the mood for some beautiful Chinese music (potentially the equivalent of a female, Chinese Andrea Bocelli or Josh Groban) check out this artist on Tudou: 宋组英 (Song zu ying).

Hot Pot

Hot-pot seafood and vegetables ~ dinner with my Chinese friend Long Jiao (who I've recently named April; she wanted an english name). Sooo delicious. And our meal was paid for by a Chinese man across the restaurant who wanted me to drink Irish whiskey with him. Haha. ;)

Horse-Horse Tiger-Tiger

The highlight of my language learning adventures this week is *hands down* the following phrase:

Mămă Hǔhǔ

Frequently used to mean "so-so" or "mediocre", the literal translation of these two (technically four) words is "horse-horse tiger-tiger". One can also say "Yi ban-ban" to say that something is just average or alright, but saying Mama Huhu is just so much more fun. Haha. One way to apply this useful phrase is when a Mandarin speaker tells you that your Chinese is "very good". He/she will usually say "Nǐ de hànyǔ shuō de hěn hǎo" (Your Chinese is very good; 你的汉语说得很好), to which you can respond "Nǎli nǎli - mǎmǎ hǔhǔ" (Not at all, it's mediocre; 哪里哪里 马马虎虎").

一个晚上在北京

My school: Cait, you are invited to our New Years Celebration in three weeks.
Me: Thank you very much!
My school: We want you to sing a song with other teachers.
Me: Um, okay. How many other teachers?
My school: Actually, just you. But one other teacher will sing with you during the chorus.
Me: Ooookay. What's the song? (*thinking it will be in English*)
My school: It is a Chinese song, you will have to learn it quickly. The first practice is tomorrow.

Greeeaaaaat. Thanks for the heads up! LOL.
(The song is called "One Night in Beijing" - 一个晚上在北京)

Karaoke and a Cold

So, karaoke is a big deal here. It's called "KTV" and people love nothing more than getting some friends or coworkers together and renting a room at a KTV place to sing together. Which is what I was invited to last night by my Chinese friend. We were supposed to get dumplings together so we could eat and practice English together, but her company was going out to dinner. Instead of cancelling our dinner date she invited me along to the shenanigans...

We started off with a delicious dinner at a local place, which involved lots of great dishes and waaay too much wine for everyone. I hardly drank at all because of my bad cold, but the others were wild! Here is a photo of the lovely ladies at my table.

Unfortunately I wasn't feeling well by the end of dinner, so I was kindly dropped off at my school instead of going out to KTV. I went to bed super early and had a great night's sleep. I'm still feeling under the weather but I hope it'll pass soon. :S

Chinese Shadow Theatre

Shadow puppetry (皮影戏 - pí yĭng xì) or shadow theatre is an ancient form of storytelling famous in many Asian cultures, including China. The puppeteers use opaque puppets in front of an lit-up backdrop to give an illusion of moving images. Traditional Chinese instruments are played for background music and the puppeteers usually use different voices for each character. It's really quite interesting to see! And UNESCO recently sanctioned Chinese shadow puppetry as an intangible piece of cultural heritage.

Lung Cancer

According to the Chinese Ministry of Health, over 600,000 people die -- PER YEAR -- from lung cancer in mainland China! That is an outrageous number!!! However, it doesn't surprise me since smog is a growing problem in all Chinese cities and almost all males seem to smoke cigs. Despite "No Smoking" signs in some public places, no one abides by the rules and it is virtually impossible to avoid second-hand smoke. Men smoke in the hospitals, on the trains and buses, at schools, and even at the gym... they just don't grasp the fact that their cigarettes not only bother people but also pose serious health risks to children, pregnant women, and everyone else around them. Smoking is such a serious problem here.

But an even bigger problem is the pollution/smog/air quality in China.

"In Beijing, the lung cancer rate has increased by 60 percent during the past decade, even though the smoking rate during the period has not seen an apparent increase," said Mao Yu (a health official). In other words, careless industrialization is causing a lot of health problems here. And other problems! Just yesterday the smog was so thick in Beijing that many flights were canceled due to lack of visibility...which also caused a 50 kilometer "stand-still" traffic jam just outside the city.

If you want to read an interesting article on the topic, check out China Daily.
This won't be the last post I write about the air quality or smoking...

Amazing Grace

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

In loving memory of Grandpa

Sidney Kooistra (1935-2011)

Surprise Bachelorette Party

This past weekend Nora and I hosted a surprise bachelorette party for two of our good friends here in town -- both American expats teaching English. Aditi is getting married in India this coming January and Bianca is getting married in Texas in July, so we thought a joint party was in order, especially since they are site-mates.

About 18-20 girls, a good number of them from out-of-town, came together on Saturday afternoon to begin the festivities. We started by renting out a KTV (karaoke) room and decorating it with hearts, candles, Chinese wedding symbols, and congratulatory posters. The bachelorettes, thinking they were coming to a birthday celebration for a friend, were thoroughly surprised when we jumped out and yelled SURPRISE!!!!! We spent the afternoon playing crazy games, telling secrets, and singing some pretty wild songs. After a delicious dinner (and cake!) at a local restaurant we've dubbed "the Kung Fu restaurant", we pre-gamed at Nora's apartment and headed downtown to the city's only club. What more can I say.... we danced the night away, fulfilled our crazy dare/challenges, and came home much too late.