Dancing Through Life

Joys of Teaching

2011-03-07T09:47:00.000+08:00

So I realized that I hadn't posted anything in forever and a lot has happened in my life over the past few months. Right now I am student teaching. I just finished my 3rd grade class and now I'm moving on to my 4th/5th split. Through teaching, I have learned a lot about myself and I've definitely learned some of the do's and the don'ts. It has been a great experience. I only have two more months left and then I will graduate May 7th! (TWO MONTHS AND COUNTING!!! :)) I've had a lot of people ask me about funny teaching stories so I thought I would share a few of my favorites. . . .

My expertise with bloody noses came in handy when one of my students had the nastiest bloody nose. My teaching had to leave the room when the blood started spurting all over the table. Luckily with some decent Kleenex, ice, and tender loving care, the bloody nose stopped after an hour.

The principle asked, "What do you all want for Christmas?" My student's response: "I want Miss Hunter to be our teacher for 4th AND 5th grade. I'm going to ask Santa to let her stay here forever." (I'm hoping he can pull some strings so I can get a job. :))

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.
My students and I were at library and they were having a lesson on researching topics. My kids were having a rough day and definitely weren't acting their best. The librarian had to keep asking a certain group of students to calm down and be quiet. Well after a few times of this, I was getting a little annoyed myself. I told them that if they weren't respectful during library that we would have to practice what that meant during recess. Well they kept it up and I told them that I didn't appreciate their behavior to our librarian and that we would be having a talk during recess about what it means to be respectful. They were pretty bummed about that. Recess came and I set them down and we had a little heart to heart. I explained what respect meant. I then had all of the students that the librarian had to keep reminding stay in for recess and practice proper behavior in the library. They were not happy with me. One student said, "Miss Hunter! It's not fair though! I wasn't talking I was just with the other boys that were talking, but I was still quiet." Well this brought another teaching moment as I explained that sometimes even when we are around the wrong crowd we get in trouble. I related it to stealing. I said that even if he wasn't stealing, but he was with his friends when they got caught that he would get in trouble to. This really hit him hard. I thought he was going to cry as he sat in his desk. After him and his friends showed me how to be respectful for about 5 mins (which I'm sure seemed like hours) I thanked them and let them go out for the rest of recess. I looked over at my little friend and noticed he was the only one that didn't go out. I explained that he could go out because he had shown me how to behave. He nodded and said, "I know Miss Hunter, but I need to stay in. I need to pay the consequence." Wow. What a stud! I was so touched him and his understanding of consequences. I think I learned just as much from this situation as he and his friends did.

"Miss Hunter, I think you should stay and live at my house. That way you don't have to move and can teach us forever. I have an extra bedroom and I know my mom would say yes."

My students came in from recess one day and they were all very upset. I asked what was wrong and one student answered, "Miss Hunter _____ is leaving! He can't be in our class anymore. His mom is going to home school him." Well, I was pretty upset myself because this was one of my best students and I certainly didn't want him leaving! I went up to this student and asked why his mom wanted to home school him. He replied through tears, "Miss Hunter, I'm so mad. My mom just won't listen to me. She never believes me and now I have to be home schooled and I don't want to leave! (He started crying harder) I said, "Okay, calm down. Everything is going to be okay. Tell me what is going on. Why does your mom want you to be home schooled?" His response, "well you see, my mom said that if I came home with muddy clothes, she was going to home school me." At this point I started to smile and tried to hold in laugh. "I don't think you are going to be home schooled. Just explain to your mom that you feel down during football at recess. I think she will understand." "No Miss Hunter you don't get it! She will never believe me! She never does and now I have to leave all my friends." At this point I had some of my other students near tears and everyone was sure that he was never coming back. I told them not to worry about it and that he would talk to him mom tonight and then we would see what happens. My students were still distraught and were very dramatic about the whole situation. They gave him hugs after school and said their farewells. Well the next day sure enough he was still at school and with a smile on his face he explained, "She said she would give me another chance."

"Miss Hunter, look at that sign! I think it wrong. It says home of the bravs? Why does it have a ? and why is it spelled wrong?" My response: "I'm not sure. It probably is just a type-o. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sure it was made by one of those Mexicans."

"____ said the f word." Me: HE WHAT?!?!" Student: "Yeah, he said farted." Me through laughs: "Oh, right. Yes, we should say that."

I could tell stories forever, but these are just a few of my favorite. Teaching is wonderful and I love it. It is hard, stressful, and time consuming, but it is a great profession and I know it is what I'm supposed to be doing. It is so rewarding to hear I child say, "Wow Miss Hunter! I finally get it! It finally makes sense" or "Miss Hunter that was the coolest lesson ever!" It is fun to see students so eager and excited to learn. I love seeing them apply what they learn. They are so smart and they teach me things everyday. I can't wait for my 4th./5th split. I'm sad 3rd grade is over, but I'm ready for a new change. I love getting to know the students and each of their personalities. I'm sure I will have more stories to add to this list.

Faith in Every Footstep

2010-11-29T11:14:00.000+08:00

Lately I've been thinking about how crazy life is. Life can be such a mystery. It is full of unknowns, changes, and surprises. I once heard that life is what happens to us when we are making other plans. I am at a point in my life where it seems everything is changing. Sometimes it can be a little frustrating. I've never had any issues with change... I'm one of those rare people who actually need and like change. BUT I do have issues with planning. I am one of those weird OCD schedule types. I like having a schedule. I'm weirdly organized and I'm obsessed with lists. I love planning. I love planning awesome parties with my friends, planning out my day, and planning fun adventures. I am ALL about planning. Recently I haven't been able to do much planning. I don't know what I'll be doing or where I will be living at in the next few weeks, let alone next year. You can imagine how frustrating/annoying this can be for an OCD follow the schedule type. It definitely has tried my patience. I have done a lot of thinking, studying, and praying and I've learned that yes life is crazy and unpredictable, but it's all about having faith. I've learned a lot about faith and trust this semester. It is something I'm learning and trying to do better at. Here are some highlights....

Life is never what we plan it to be, but it ALWAYS works out and usually better than we could ever imagine.

"How fundamentally different my life is than I had sought to plan! My professional life has changed. My personal life has changed. But the commitment I made to the Lord—to put Him first in my life and to be ready for whatever He would have me do—has carried me through these changes of eternal importance." -Dallin H. Oaks

It isn't enough to do the right thing. We have to do the right thing at the right time.

Faith is the only thing that can prepare us for life's unpredictabilities. Faith prepares us to deal with opportunities and persist through disappointments.

Developing the commitment to follow God and his will is what anchors us in this life.

We can't plan everything. Sometimes we have to be willing to accept God's plan

Faith requires action.

If we trust God and listen for his message, we WILL find it.

Patience really is a virtue. Everything happens in its own time. D&C 64: 31-32

Faith = Trust

“Since faith in the timing of the Lord may be tried, let us learn to say not only, ‘Thy will be done,’ but patiently also, ‘Thy timing be done.’”- Neil A. Maxwell

If the timing isn't right, we need to adjust our actions to that of the Lords.

Most importantly, God loves his children and wants them to be happy. He has a plan for them that he designed to bring them happiness.

This is one of my favorite songs. I think it says it all pretty good. Here are the lyrics. Enjoy.

The Most Beautiful Part About This Is....

I try to understand
The things you’re dealing with
My heart goes out to you, my friend
Somehow you’ve struck this out
Some would call it tragedy
But you know it’s a blessing
Just look how you’ve grown, my sweetest friend
May angels lift you till the end
She said look to the sky, not the ocean
When all seems lost and forever bleak
That’s the time you you must fall to your knees

Here I know through your faith
Christ can heal all
But till that day we must have faith
The words to me will never change
Just look how you’ve grown, my sweetest friend
May angels lift you till the end
She said look to the sky, not the ocean
When all seems lost and forever bleak
That’s the time you you must fall to your knees

And by His grace
You’ll see His face
On that day, you shall rejoice
Through His mercy, you’ll hear his voice
Rise and walk, my son
Let your burden be gone
Just look how you’ve grown, my sweetest friend
May angels lift you till the end
She said look to the sky, not the ocean
When all seems lost and forever bleak
That’s the time you you must fall to your knees

I'm dumb... after I typed the lyrics I realized... why not just post a video? So now you get both :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfGQJMk5_9E

Missing Rhode Island...

2010-09-20T04:03:00.000+08:00

I've been back for almost a month now, which just seems crazy. I am so happy to be back in Utah with the mountains, friends, family, and even school. But I must say I miss my time at the beach and a million other things.

I miss faces like these...

living in a house like this...

driving things like this...

doing things like this....

eating at places like this...

...and watching beautiful sunsets like this...

I heart the OCEAN STATE.

Future Cake Boss

2010-09-12T06:39:00.002+08:00

Over the summer the girls got me obsessed with TLC cooking shows like Cake Boss and DC cupcakes. I now have a new fantasy of opening up my own bakery/cafe. After watching our fair share of episodes, the girls and I decided to put our creativity skills to action. We dedicated two days to cakes and cupcakes. We had a cupcake contest and then built an all home-made four layered cake! We were quite impressed with ourselves and all I have to say is Cake Boss has some new competition.

DC Cupcakes!

Cake Boss

First two layers... chocolate brownie chunk, homemade vanilla icing, and then a white cake.

Three layers... added another brownie chunk with icing.

Final layers with homemade chocolate frosting.

The final product!

The Chefs aka Cake Boss.

Boston

2010-09-12T06:24:00.000+08:00

While I was in RI, I was able to take a day trip to Boston and do baptisms for the dead in the Boston temple. It had been a while since I been able to go to a temple and it was a really cool experience. It made me reflect a lot about my time in RI and why I was there. Before I left, my friends kept teasing me that this was my “mini” mission. Supposedly I was one of those stereotypical 20 year old girls that feel they need to venture off in the world and make a difference before they settle down and get married. Even though I totally disagree with that statement... I did find there some truth to it. I didn't go to RI so I could come home and get married. For those of you who know me, you know how false that is! I felt very strongly that I needed to go specifically to RI and work with the family that I did. Looking back, I can see several reasons for this. I learned a lot in RI. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of life. My family was not LDS, and neither was anyone in my city for that matter. This wasn't a new experience for me though. I just got back from being one of a the only members in a country! However, this time I was able and allowed to talk freely about religion. Not many days went by without at least one person asking me about my beliefs and why I lived the way I lived. I was able to reflect a great deal on why I was a member of the LDS faith. I am not a member because of my family or friends. I am a member because I choose to be. The gospel makes me a better person and it makes me happier than anything else. I was able to share this with so many people. Although none of them joined the church or probably will anytime soon, I was able to clarify teachings of the gospel and share my testimony verbally and also by example. I'm so grateful for those experiences and conversations that I was able to have. It strengthened my own testimony and hopefully those around me could feel something too. So no I am not buckling down and getting married anytime soon, but I do feel I was able to serve a “mini” mission.

Newport

2010-08-27T01:04:00.000+08:00

A few weeks ago I visited the great city Newport, Rhode Island. It might just be one of my favorite places I've been to. It's a fun city with lots to do. It has great beaches, a beautiful golf course, amazing sea food, a cute beach village, shopping, and did I mention the Newport mansions? Newport is known as a New England summer resort. The mansions were built during the Gilded Age by very wealthy Americans such as the Vanderbilts, Belmonts, Bell, Wetmores, ect. There are incredible. I think this is a case where a pictures is worth a thousand words...

This is the Rosecliff mansion. Look familiar? Lots of movies have been filmed here.. including 27 dresses!

This is the Marble House. It is completely made out of marble and was a 39th birthday gift for one of the Vanderbilts... 11 million... in 1892. Enough said.

This is the Chateau-sur-Mer.

The Elms

The Breakers.. my personal favorite. This was teh Vanderbilt's summer home. It has over 70 rooms with one room made completely out of gold. Below is the backyard view right on the ocean.

After I toured some of the mansions I walked along the "cliff walk." I think this explains my new obsession with the New England coast.

I walked forty steps...

to get to this...

then I walked along this...

to catch the end of the sunset...

Discoveries of Living on a Beach: Crabbing, Starfish, Jelly Fish

2010-08-21T20:17:00.001+08:00

Being from Utah, I can count the times I've been to the ocean on one hand. Living on a beach is very different. I've learned a lot about the ocean- the tides, waves, fish, ect. I learned that there are millions of different crabs- some are eatable and some are not. There are different kinds of jelly fish- some good some bad. Stay clear of the red and pink ones, but the clear ones are okay. Moon Jellys are goo-y and are fun to throw at each other. Small sand crabs and starfish are fun to catch and play with. These are all things that a few months ago I knew nothing about.

Crabbing. Who knew this word would bring such joy. Crabbing is so much fun. It might be one of my favorite things I've done all summer. Crabbing consist of putting raw chicken on the end of hooks and resting it down in small nooks of rocks. This is where most of the crabs hide out and they are easy to catch during high tide. After scooping them up in a net, they are placed in a bucket for counting at the end of the days adventure. I've been crabbing a few times and the most we ever caught was 104! I was like a little girl on Christmas. It was the coolest thing and I probably got a little too in to it. The girls got a good laugh at me.

I'm pretty sure we caught the mother of all crabs. For those discovery watchers- I felt like I was on the deadliest catch. It was pretty intense and we were all pretty proud we caught this guy. We were crabbing with a friend who has been crabbing here for almost 40 years and it was the biggest crab he has ever seen... yes bragging rights I know. For those of you who have never been crabbing, I highly recommend it. There is not age limit and you will have the time of your life.

Watch Hill

2010-08-18T21:34:00.002+08:00

Well I've been living in Watch Hill for over two months now. I've been out here nannying for a family this summer. I can't believe it is almost over. I have just a little over a week here and then back up to school. It has been a good experience to say the least. I've learned a TON about families, parenting, and just different ways of living. Nannying is different than I thought it would be, but I've still enjoyed my time here. Despite what people think, it can be pretty hard sometimes. It's difficult to raise someone's children, especially when they have beliefs different than yours. It can be such a blast though too. The girls are so fun and we've had some crazy times. Everyone keeps asking me if this makes me want to settle down, get married, and have children. If anything it has done the opposite. I've been able to see how hard parenting is and we have a joke that nannying is the new birth control... joking... kind of :)

Let me tell you a little bit about Watch Hill. Watch Hill is the most beautiful place ever. It is a little village on a peninsula of southern RI. If I had to describe it in three words it would be - exclusive, seasonal, and resort community. It is crazy here during the summers. With 200 Victorian style summer houses and families flying in all over to stay for the summer, it's a fun and exciting place to live. But, in the winter it is a ghost town. Not one of the shops stays open. The moms bring the kids to live for the summer while the dads come up when they can on the weekends. It is definitely a different lifestyle than I'm used to, but it's been fun. There are constant parties and every club you can think of -golf, tennis, beach, yacht- you name it. I've learned that jeans are always a no and cell phones are never allowed... almost anywhere. I live in a place where people name their boats like I would a dog and white pants and a sweater tied around the shoulder is a must. Like I've said, I've learned a lot. :)
However strange this place is to me sometimes, I feel so lucky to be here. The house we are staying in is amazing-my window looks to the ocean and has a nice view of their pool. I literally walk down the street and I'm at the beach. It's wonderful and the sunsets are absolutely amazing. I have fallen in love with the New England coast. I love the rock cliff beaches, sailboats and lighthouses- they are the greatest things of life. I'm already looking forward to when I can come back.

P.S. I realize I haven't written about any of my adventures out here... so I will be posting a few blogs in the next week. Buckle up... more to come :)

Abbey Rae Maughan Carlson

2010-07-19T04:23:00.001+08:00

A few weeks ago my best friend got married. She married probably one of the coolest best guys I've ever met and I couldn't be happier for them... no honestly... thinking about them makes me giddy. They are absolutely perfect for each other. I couldn't have picked a better match. I've been in Rhode Island this summer, but I was lucky enough to come home and witness her big day.

Abbey has been my best friend through it all. From the awkward stages of adolescents, to making that first big leap into college, Abbey has ALWAYS been there. She is the most amazing girl I know. Abbey is thoughtful, spiritual, fun loving, forgiving ,happy, understanding, trusting, a good listener, creative, considerate of others, intelligent, organized, beautiful, talented, unique, and the best sibling, daughter, wife, and best friend anyone could ask for.

Almost every memory I have since junior high involves Abbey. We've done some crazy stuff- making Charlie's Angels movies, collecting shoes in my trunk, taking over "the fort," planning BOM.com meals, seeing wicked in NY, creating the perfect cream puff, riding the sky-coaster, snowboarding, walking the Brooklyn bridge, getting suck in the middle of Bear Lake, getting caught ditching Mr. Westberg's class, bobbing for apples, planning the best pranks, being in Mads together and keeping and starting the best traditions, starting senior sunrise, rock climbing, and much more.

Abbey will go get lemonade with you across the city, just because you are convinced no where else is good enough. She will stay home with you on a Friday night and read Eclipse. She will go to ROSS or Forever 21 and try on the craziest outfits just to cheer you up. She will fully support your weird ideas to make something crazy-- even stealing bananas from the neighbors so you can have a treat. She will hold your hand during the scariest of movies. She will paint nails with you at 2 in the morning because you are sick to death of studying for finals. She will come over at any hour to hear your latest boy drama. She makes the best PBHs- and strawberry milk I've ever had and she doesn't complain when all you want to eat for the rest of your life are cheesy-melts and broccoli-- or the latest-- apples and saltines. She is always willing to make runs to Bagel Town or Jamba.

I've never laughed or cried more with anyone else. It doesn't matter where I am- China, Rhode Island, Salt Lake, or Logan... she is there. Abbey and I have the most unique relationship. Whenever we are together, things pick up where they left off. We need each other and rely on each other, but we also have our independence. She understands me the very best. She makes me smile and she makes me laugh.

Best Friends for ~~LIFE~~ Eternity. I love her.

If you are lucky enough to know her, feel free to write your favorite memory of her.

Triathlon + Best Friends = Greatness

2010-06-28T05:31:00.002+08:00

When someone says Triathlon, I think of the words endurance, athletic, Iron Man, insane, and jealousy. I have always wanted to do Triathlons and I worship those who do. To me, these are the greatest athletes. If you can swim over a mile, and still ave the energy to go bike 20 something miles, and then run afterwards, well props to you! (Don't even get me started on those crazy people who do the Iron Man.. that is just crazy)

As much as I have always wanted be considered a "Tri Athlete" I never really gave it much thought because well, I have issues with swimming. When I say I can't swim, I really mean I can't swim. Yes I took the typical swimming lessons every summer, but I never got that breathing thing down, which is kind of key. I hate putting my face in the water and I'm always hyperventilating when I come up for a breath. Maybe I should have paid more attention during swimming lessons instead of goofing off and seeing how far I could test my instructor. I must say though, after all those years of lessons I did master the doggy paddle quite well.

My lack of swimming expertise made me think I would never be able to do a Triathlon, but then my amazing best friend Ellen told me about the Olympic Relay. We checked it out and signed up for the St. George relay right after the semester ended. Ellen would run (10 K), I would bike (33K), and Lindsay (unbenonced to her) would swim (1.5K). We got quite giddy thinking about the Tri event and decided that this would become a life long tradition between the three of us.

We signed up for this in February/March-ish. The race was May 15. That should have been enough time to train right? Ellen ran for soccer, Lindsay swam in her pool a few times and could finish the distance with a break in the middle, and I went on one long bike ride the day before, which Betty (my Dad's old road bike purchased back when he went to college) broke down on.... We were in for an adventure.

We left for St. George the day before. We were excited/giddy/scared out of our minds. With a rented wet suit, borrowed bike, tennis shoes (yes no clip ins), a borrowed jersey, and last minute padded spandex pants we hit the road. We got there that night and checked in. Probably the most intimidating experience. We saw countless athletes with their "legit" equipment. I wanted to grab borrowed Betty and run far far away. We got our packets and bodies marked and we decided to drive the course. The event starts with the swim. We went down to feel the water and I about died. Brave Linds. Then we drove the bike course, starting out on an endless hill. Yikes. All I could think was... did I really sign myself up for this? Wait.. I actually paid money to embarrass myself? (trust me, that comes easily enough)

"Is this real life?..." Yes... yes it is.

We got up the next morning and headed for the race. I got more and more anxious. Lindsay started off first and did awesome. :) Then she handed the chip to me and I set out on my bike. It was the coolest experience. It was such an adrenaline rush. Betty held up like a champ and I passed the chip on the Ell who finished us up strong. I was so proud of us! We finished!!! With borrowed equipment and lack of training, I think we did pretty dang good. It was a neat experience. I loved watching all of the other athletes. I couldn't believe that some people do all of that by themselves! People of all ages compete. The ages are marked on the athletes' calves for everyone to see. The ages ranged from 9-76! It was insane and very inspiring.

Swim Bike Run

I think we all caught the tri fever. I definitely am going to learn how to swim so I can do my own sprint tri. Ellen and Lindsay plan to do the same. All three of us are planning to do half marathons this summer/fall. Racing is the greatest, most motivating feeling ever. I already can't wait for next summer and more races! I highly recommend doing triathlons, even if you can't do it all by yourself yet :)

Go 490! OR :)

Viccctory!

Festival of Colors

2010-06-25T08:53:00.005+08:00

I used to always argue with my friends.. what is better fall or spring? This question is hard to answer. I love love love the fall, especially since living in Logan. However, the Festival of Colors is definitely giving me something to think about.
What is the Festival of Colors you might ask? It is a festival held in India announcing/celebrating the arrival of spring and the end of winter. What could be better right? People throw their worries away with the festive dry chalk. In other words, the best chalk fight you have even been to. Ask any college student and they will tell you that this Indian festival is the greatest thing of life.
This year was my first year attending the Festival of Colors and I can tell you that it certainly won't be the last. I am already ecstatic about this coming Spring.
Here is a link to a youtube video. Check it out. Below are some pictures of the day's event. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH5xlZHNm20&feature=player_embedded

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What I miss about China...

2010-06-25T07:05:00.000+08:00

-teaching my students
- hand pulled noodles
–being the “fat Americans.”
-English Corner
-cooking popcorn with Sam in a walk
-having church on skype or on a cell phone at the beach, in an apartment, in a hostel, or wherever I happen to be
–cooking with my students
–learning Chinese with Susan
-Other Chinese Horizon teachers
–Alice and Lillian
–buying fruit off the streets
–Jiao Zi
–cheap living
–not having to go to college
–traveling
-talking in “Chinglish”
–experiencing the crazy things that happen EVERY day by living in China
–motorcycle taxis
-Chinese music
-watching my students do their eye exercises and listening to their exercise routine at 6 a.m.
–train rides
–awesome shopping
-drinking hot water ALL the time
-having 2 hours for lunch
- being one of the only two foreigners in my city
-funny Chinese culture (slit pants, squatters, going to the bathroom wherever and whenever, spitting, drunk Chinese men, farmer blows, yes ALL of this I will miss)
-hearing “hello beautiful girl” everywhere I go
-being a movie star, getting starred at, signing autographs, and getting pictures taken everywhere
-having awesome conversations with my students
-Rocking out on the guitar with Sam (Sam forcing me to practice bar chords)
-“snakes” a.k.a. snacks
-cheap massages, pedicures, facials, you name it
-learning things every day from the Chinese people
-having to rely on my Savior constantly
–wearing the same clothes every day because it is SO COLD!
–Tai Chi and Ping-Pong
-the friendly and generous people

What I Learned in China

2010-06-25T07:04:00.000+08:00

There are so many things that I’ve learned by being here in China. I feel like the Lord taught me something new every day. Here are just a few…

-Heavenly Father loves ALL of his children. He has a plan for them.

-In spreading the gospel, the who and where is just as important as the when.

-We must put faith in Christ and follow his will. If we have faith, we will trust his will and accept his time table.

-Christ not only died, but he lives.

-Give thanks everyday

-God gives all of us different talents to build His kingdom

-Atonement is real and accessible to all.

-God is aware of me specifically and my needs no matter where I am

-the BOM is the word of God and was brought forth in our day to testify of Christ

-Joseph Smith was a prophet of God who translated the BOM

-It is important to obey the Laws of the Land no matter where you are.

-Service brings true happiness

-Generosity

-We must first act if we want answers.

-God hears and answers my prayers daily

-Even if I can’t share the gospel verbally, I can share it by my example.

-How important it is to keep the Sabbath Day Holy.

-how important it is to do the small and simple things every day.

-how important the sacrament is

-how lucky I am to have grown up in America where I have the freedoms and rights that I have.

-I took upon Christ’s name when I was baptized and therefore also have a duty to share the gospel.

-we have so many resources through the church that can give us aide when we need it.

-We have the Word of Wisdom for so many reasons.

-The Relief Society was inspired of God

-God is aware of our struggles and knows our sacrifices.

-God knows the desires of our hearts. He will bless us with opportunities beyond our wildest dreams if we let him.

Chinese friends, the greatest ones to have!

2010-03-30T10:28:00.000+08:00

The Chinese people are the most generous people I've ever met. They are constantly giving me gifts, food, and inviting me over to their homes. Jason and Sam like to make fun of me because I am constantly getting free stuff. It is kind of ridiculous and sometimes i feel like the biggest moocher. I don't think I've gone a week here without my students giving me something. Susan is one of my good friends here. For my birthday Susan's sister crocheted me a shrug and her daughter painted me a beautiful cheery blossom painting. When I go shopping at the market in my town the shop owners give me gifts-bracelets and food. I am so grateful for my friends here. They treat me like gold. They are such good examples to me of what it truly means to give. They are so generous. I am constantly being looked after here. I feel so lucky. These people will always be apart of my life.

Susan and her gorgeous daughter.

Laura and Me before I left... miss her so much.

Vacation and his mother on Christmas

Students

Me and Window.

Students

Adolf and Lebrone James...

Freda and her friends

Sophie

Kobe, King, and friends.

Lijiang

2010-03-30T10:06:00.001+08:00

Lijiang was one of my favorite cities. It was so relaxing and it had awesome shopping. We stayed in the Old village and toured the Black Dragon Pool.

Gate of Old City

This man made cotton candy from the power of his bike... only in China I swear.

yummy pig for dinner...

Best hand pulled noodles I have EVER had. Oh how I miss them.

Sam, me, Emily, and Haiden waiting for lunch.

Scarfs... I'm OBSESSED.

Stone Forest

2010-03-30T09:45:00.000+08:00

Here are some pictures from the Stone Forest in Kunming!

Emily, Sam, Lillian, me, Haiden, Deborah, Alice, and Jon

Emily, Haiden, Me

"We are the strangest hurd".. hahah but really, what an awesome family picture!

Spit Bags they gave us at the front.

Yes... we hiked around the Stone forest with two kids... one in a stroller. We had to carry the stroller through a lot of it because it was too narrow.. and we had to change a diaper while sprinting away from the crazy Chinese mob. It was an intense day.

Beijing

2010-03-30T09:29:00.000+08:00

I spent my first week in China in Beijing. I know that was forever ago, but here are a few pictures. I know I'm terrible!

Summer Palace

View of the temple and man made lake.

Haiden, Holls, and I chilling at the beautiful Summer Palace.

Holly and I at the gate.

My favorite little photographer. He was great!

Great Wall

The crew on our way up the wall.

View from the top.

The girls

Walking up the hill.

Big Buddha.

Ming Tombs

Holly and I at the tombs.

The back... touching it brings wealth. ..... touching the front brings power.

After they buried the bodies, they had to cut off the tongues of all the guards so they wouldn't tell anyone where the tomb was.

So You Think You Can Dance.. China?

2010-03-25T11:52:00.000+08:00

My students have a synchronized exercise routine they do every morning at 6 a.m. There is a loud speaker that blares crazy Chinese music throughout campus. This is my awesome alarm clock every morning. (yi er san si wo leo chi ba...). The first month of school my students had a big competition between Grade 1 (all my students) to see which class could perform the exercise the best. It was pretty legit. They got out of evening classes- something very rare for China. All of my students wore their school uniforms and competed in what reminded me of so you can think you can dance or bring it on. It was intense; and all of my students took it VERY seriously. There were judges, out of bounds, and the whole shebang. Here are a few pics from the event. I'll post a video when I get home. It was awesome.

Zhou Village

2010-01-24T01:50:00.000+08:00

A few weeks ago, the school wanted to take Sam and I to see the “Zhou Village.” Apparently it is an ancient village owned just by the Zhou family. There are still a few families that live there. It was cool. Here are some pictures.

Alright, so here’s a funny story. Everyone knows that I am not always the most graceful person. My school wanted to take us to out to lunch before we went to Zhou village (but we couldn’t because I already had plans to go to one of my Student’s birthday parties.) we were supposed to eat at this cave restaurant. After the Zhou village, the school was so excited about this place that they still wanted to show it to Sam and I. It was actually pretty cool. We went walking through the cave, but it was really dark and we didn’t have any flashlights. We were walking on a small cement plank (the rest was muddy water). Well leave it to me to somehow fall right into the water! That’s right. I was stuck up to my waist in mud. The friend Luke had to literally pull me out of the mud. We were going to go to dinner, but I was soaking wet. It was pretty funny. My head teacher honestly said this,

“Brooke thank you for always making things exciting and entertaining us.” Yup, that’s what I’m here for. My school was having a fit saying I was going to get very sick. They suggested we go to Shuangpai (which wasn’t very far away) and I could change into some of Haiden’s clothes. Praise that we are about the same size.

After I got changed, we had a big dinner with my school and Haiden’s school. The dinner lasted about 3 hours.. and we left early. Chinese dinners are quite the event. Pretty much everyone gets drunk and makes toasts to each other the whole night. It’s pretty funny sometimes.

Secret Village?

2010-01-24T01:33:00.000+08:00

Ever since Sam and I got to Lingling, we have been trying to find this Confucian temple. We found it on a map, but we have yet to find a way to get there. Last Monday we took out our bikes. We were determined to find it. We found a dirt road that looked like the direction of the temple. We discovered a farming/village community! We have lived here for three months now and we didn’t even know this place existed! It was crazy. We followed a few Chinese boys that were lighting off fireworks. I was freaked out that they were going to burn down all the farms. These boys were so cute. I seriously want to take them back to America. They spoke standard Chinese so Sam and I were able to talk with them. We were stoked that we could have a conversation. Granted they’re little kids and we still didn’t catch everything they said, but it was still pretty cool. One little boy, loved my camera and took pictures of everything. He was so fascinated by it. He asked us to come back and play with him and we promised we would. I can’t wait to play with him again. He was adorable.

Life As A Movie Star?

2010-01-24T01:03:00.001+08:00

Living in China is quite the experience. I live in one of the poorest provinces and my city is really small. I am the first foreigner many people have ever seen. I am the first foreign teacher my students have had. The Chinese love white people, especially Americans. They think Americans are the most beautiful people ever. It doesn’t matter if I walk out on the streets in sweats with no make-up, everyone will tell me how beautiful I am. I have white skin, blue eyes, I’m tall, and I have curly hair (or used to) which is all very different from any Chinese person. I definitely stick out. I’m constantly starred at and everywhere I go people shout, “Foreigner!” or “Oh! Beautiful.” It’s actually quite entertaining. I have signed thousands of autographs. It is not unusual for my students to ask me to sign their books or clothes in class. They love taking pictures of me. I thought this would get old after the first month or so, but it is my last week here and I still have students who sneak their cell phones out and take pictures of me during class. I’m sure I am all over the Chinese youtube. I still have at least one student in every class that asks to take my picture after class. Chinese people are crazy. Sometimes it does get a little annoying, but mostly I think it’s pretty funny. My mom used to joke that if you eve have a low self esteem, move to China. How true that is. They treat you like gold here.

A Million Posts?

2010-01-24T00:41:00.000+08:00

So I haven't posted in FOREVES but that doesn't mean I haven't be writing. China decided to block the e-mails sent to blogger so I wasn't unable to post. I have about a million posts I need to post. This is more for journal purposes than anything else. Sorry if this is overwhelming.... don't judge! :)

2009-11-18T04:24:00.002+08:00

Twinkle Day

Twinkle is one of my good friends here. She is a grade 3 student so she is very busy getting ready to take her college placement exam. Grade 3 students don’t have a foreign teacher, but I still get to see her every so often. Yesterday was her birthday and we named it “Twinkle Day.” Haiden, Emily, and I went to Lengshuitan and took Twinkle shopping. (She may or may not have sluffed classes that day.) We bought her a new coat, scarf, gloves, and a backpack. She was so grateful. It was so cute. She told us this was the first birthday that she ever celebrated… she just turned 17. We also took her to KFC for lunch. KFC is a huge deal here in China. It’s a nice restaurant here. She has always wanted to go but it’s kind of expensive. We seriously had to teach her how to eat a chicken sandwich. Fries and an ice cream sunday were also foreign to her. Twinkle has had a difficult life. She was in to drugs and stuff but then she got adopted about two years ago and it has changed her life. Her dream is to become a diplomat. She has the best English. She can even talk faster than me. She calls us her “sisters.” Later that day she wrote us a note…

“Sister one, two, and three, Today I cried in my heart. Today is the happiest day in my life. This is the first time other people remembered my birthday. The first time other people celebrate for me. I love you three. I hope we can become sisters forever. Remember today forever. Today is Twinkle Day.”

-Twinkle

It was pretty cool to celebrate her birthday with her. It reminded me how lucky I am and how I need to be more grateful for the things that I have. Later that day we surprised Twinkle with a cake. I told her she could invite her friends over to my apartment. I thought it was going to be a simple, innocent party. I wasn’t aware of the Chinese customs for birthdays. I was cutting the cake when one of Twinkles friends shoved a piece of cake in my face. Apparently the Chinese don’t really eat the cake. Instead they have a big cake fight! Maybe that’s why they are so skinny here. It was pretty crazy and within minutes the entire cake was demolished and there was cake and frosting all over my apartment. It was definitely one of the craziest things I’ve ever done. Here are a few pics of Twinkle Day adventures.

2009-11-18T04:15:00.000+08:00

Guitar:

“Would you ask Picasso to sell one of his guitars…?

This weekend I also bought a guitar. I made friends with a local band here. They gave me a great deal and even offered to give me free guitar lessons. I’m pretty excited about it. My mom asked me why I bought it when I am only here for a few more weeks and I can’t take it home. In the great words of Dewey Finn from school of Rock, “Would you ask Picasso to sell one of his guitars?” I am most definitely taking it back to America.

2009-11-18T04:06:00.000+08:00

Xiao Yue Liang

As a kid I always wanted a frog, lizard, or turtle, but my parents never let me. My parents hate pets. The closest thing I ever got to a pet was a Beta fish that ended up eating my water frog. This weekend I bought a new friend. I guess it was my way of sticking it to the man. My pet turtle is the coolest thing ever. I named him Xiao Yue Liang (little moon). You better believe I am taking him back to America. I’m already working out the details to get him through customs. Here are a few pics of Xiao Yue Liang.

2009-11-18T03:56:00.000+08:00

“What everyone wants from life is continuous and genuine happiness.”

-Baruch Spinoza

This past week I had a discussion with my students about why they love China and why they don’t love China. I also asked them what they thought other people thought of China. It was a lot of fun to hear all of the different answers. In one class, they gave me all the “communist” answers, we are big, powerful, strong, big army… blah blah blah. I also got answers like it is so beautiful, we have a lot of history, many places to visit, people are friendly, ect. I had one boy respond, “because there are many beautiful girls.” Gotta love teenagers. J Tank, one of my favorite students said, “Miss Brooke, I love China because I am Chinese.” He later wrote me a note in class that said, “I love China. I am Chinese. No love reason. I love China.”

He then had a picture of a heart with the Chinese flag drawn in the middle. It was awesome. He is such a stud. Tank then asked me why I like America and why I don’t like America. I gave him several reasons. When I said why I didn’t like America I told him that I didn’t like how Americans were so busy. The Chinese live simple and practical lives. Sometimes I feel like Americans don’t take the time to talk to someone on the street, say hello to a stranger, help someone out, or even give a smile. It seems like most Chinese people are happier than most Americans. The Chinese don’t have very much, but they are the happiest people I’ve ever met. Being around them makes me happy. We got off on a discussion about how many Americans have a lot of money, and they think this brings happiness. My entire class responded that this isn’t true and money doesn’t make someone happy. They all seemed to understand this concept. I told them that they were smarter than most Americans. They have already found what many people search for their entire lives: happiness.

2009-11-18T03:46:00.001+08:00

Secret Village?

2009-11-11T14:21:00.000+08:00

Halloween
Unfortunately China doesn’t celebrate Halloween, and it’s one of my favorite holidays, next to Christmas of course. I love dressing up, going to parties, watching scary movies, and eating candy. Fall is the greatest season. I love corn mazes, bobbing for apples (hahah), and of course carving pumpkins! I was sad not to celebrate it much here. However, I was determined to carve a pumpkin. It’s hard to find the typical round orange pumpkins here. They look more like squash. but after a lot of searching I was able to find a few small pumpkins. I got together with some of my friends and we had a blast carving them. Here are the results…

2009-11-11T14:16:00.000+08:00

Smoker Boy

I had the craziest thing happen to me a few weeks ago. I was teaching one of my classes and part way through the lesson I noticed one of my students on the back row had disappeared. The door is at the front next to me, so I would have known if anyone left. I was really confused. I asked the class where he was, but of course no one said anything. (curse that whole saving face philosophy). I walked to the back of the classroom where there is a little room. It’s mostly for storing brooms and other cleaning supplies for the students during their cleaning break. I went back into the room and found the kid smoking!!! That’s right my friends, full on smoking during my lesson. Of course I couldn’t help but to bust up. Did that really just happen? I asked the student, “Are you seriously smoking right now?” He knew he was caught so he quickly through the cigarette on the floor and tried to hide it under his foot. Well too late buddy, totally caught you. I then spent the next 10 minutes of class lecturing about why smoking is so disgusting. I told him I hated smoke. It smells bad, gives me headaches, makes your teeth yellow, and worst of all it can give you cancer and kill you. I went on about how it is illegal in America to smoke until you are 19. I told him if he ever wanted a girlfriend he better stop smoking, and all the girls in the class agreed with me. Smoking in China is simply part of the culture, especially for men, but I think the student understood what I said. I have now nicknamed him Smoker Boy and every class I ask him if he has smoked. He claims he hasn’t, and hopefully he’s not lying. I text him quite a bit and we are actually really good friends now. I probably could have gotten him in trouble with his head teacher, but honestly I think he learned his lesson. I don’t know if he is scared that I’ll still tell on him or what but he pays way more attention and participates a lot more in class. I hope he will at least stop smoking while I’m here. It was the craziest thing. It’s times like this where I think, this would NEVER fly in America. Gotta love China.

2009-11-09T15:38:00.000+08:00

Vegetarian?

I had a change in eating habits when I moved to China. I went from the girl whose favorite meal was a big steak and twice baked potatoes to a vegetarian. My family thought I was crazy when I told them I no longer ate meat. No, I haven’t gone all animal happy and no I haven’t become one of those weird health freaks. It is simply because meat is extremely unsanitary here. It sits out on carts all day. People don’t refrigerate their meats before cooking it either. I see the meat sit in small bowls on the table all day until someone orders it. I am completely grossed out of the idea of eating meat. In China, they believe that the closer the meat is to the bone, the better it is for you. In other words when you are served Chicken, you are served the entire chicken, bones, blood, guts, everything. They don’t leave anything out. I got sick of trying to pick my way around various chicken parts-eyes, feet, butt. There was something about watching the cook kill the chicken (by breaking its neck), pluck out the feathers, and then chop it up with blood and guts flying everywhere that just really made me lose my appetite. Call me crazy, but I’ll stick to the vegetables thanks. So, to explain myself, I’ve posted a few pictures of why I am vegetarian and maybe some of you will understand. Pictures really do speak a 1,000 words.

2009-11-09T14:32:00.001+08:00

Backstreets Back Alright!

Backstreet Boys were the pop stars of the 90s. Every girl was in love with them. I was one of these obsessive girls. But, sadly Backstreet Boys faded out and the boy band craze was replaced by hip hop stars. I don't think I really ever let go of backstreet boys. I mean, they were classic. I would still marry Brian any day. I came to China and discovered that the boy band craze was still very much alive in China. My students were just as much in love with Backstreet boys as me. You better believe I taught them a Backstreet boy song, "As Long As You Love Me." It was by far my favorite lesson. My students loved it. I'm not going to lie. There is something about hearing a bunch of Chinese kids try and sing Backstreet boys that just makes me happy. It was pretty entertaining to say the least. I took a video of it, naturally, but that will have to wait until I'm home. One of my classes didn't get to learn the song because they had a P.E. test that week. They were so upset when they found out everyone else got to learn the song. One of my students, a little chubby Chinese boy, came up to me and asked, "Miss Brooke can we please learn As Long As You Love Me?" Please… did he really need to ask? Sam's students heard that I was teaching them Backstreet boys and they wanted to learn too. They full on asked him, "Can we learn As Long As You Love Me?" Much to Sam's resentment, he taught them the song last week. People ask if I think I've made a difference with my kids. I believe I have. Chinese students requesting to learn Backstreet Boys… mission accomplished. All I can say is Backstreets back alright!!!

2009-11-03T13:19:00.001+08:00

Funerals In China. Reconsidering Death
China is an interesting place. The Chinese definitely have very different customs than in America. Since I've been here I've learned a lot about the Chinese culture. One day I was sitting in a restaurant and by restaurant I mean a little Chinese man cooking whatever he pleases in his walk he set up on the side of the street. It was my first day in Lingling. I was eating my favorite hand-pulled noodles when all of a sudden I saw a long parade of Chinese people carrying fancy decorations, flowers, and playing drums. The people were singing and lighting off fireworks. I had no idea what was going on. I assumed it was a special holiday. The next week I saw the same thing on my school campus. It looked like the entire town had come to walk around. It was insane. It was like a huge party. Fireworks literally went off all day for several days. It was crazy. I asked one of the English teachers what was going on. He informed me that it was for a funeral. Funeral..? What? It seemed a little too exciting for a funeral. I learned that this is their custom here in Lingling. They seriously do this for everyone and trust me I've now seen my share of funerals here. It got me thinking… Death doesn't sound that bad in China. Chinese funerals are crazy. Why don't we do this in America? In America, everyone is always so depressed. I mean, it is sad to see loved ones leave, but do we really have to dwell on that? Why not celebrate the life they lived? I know I would much rather have everyone have a party for me than sit crying dressed in black. Maybe I'll just have to die in China.

Pictures: This is part of the parade. I have an awesome video of the funeral parade, but it won't let me e-mail it. I'll have to post it when I get home.

Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite...

2009-10-29T19:52:00.001+08:00

Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite…

My apartment it really nice here. I have a large bedroom with a queen sized bed! I have a study/office room, kitchen, bathroom, and a living room. I even have a western toilet. When I first walked into my apartment I was completely caught of guard. I was expecting pretty bad conditions. After all it's China right? Well apparently they like to impress the foreign teachers by giving them the nicer apartments. I have no complaints with this whatsoever. I even took a video of my apartment because I was so excited about it. It seemed like the perfect set up. It was all fine and dandy until I started noticing the bug bites… I thought it was just mosquitos but then I kept getting more and more and it seemed that nobody else had a problem. It got to the point where I seriously had over 50 bites! Jon, another teacher here, worked for Pest Control over the summer. He told me it might be bed bugs so he gave my bed a look. Sure enough, he found lots of friends in my bed. I was too scared to sleep in my bed so I opted for my couch. Chinese beds aren't known for being the most comfortable, but my couch is on a whole new level. I slept with the light on because I was terrified of waking up with a spider or crock roach on my face. I had found a few other friends since moving in. I woke up with even more bites! They had spread to my face and neck overnight. My whole apartment was infested with bed bugs! I called the school and they brought over new bedding and cleaned my entire apartment. I sprayed my bed, couches, windows, by the door, and pretty much everything I could. I was a little nervous about sleeping in my bed

I felt bad about it because the school was really embarrassed about the situation. They called me several times a day to make sure I was okay. They wanted me to go to a Chinese doctor for my bites. Luke, an English teacher, even wanted to make me a soup to shower in. I assured them that I was fine. They did end up taking me to the school doctor and he gave me some lotion to rub on the bites. It was all pretty funny and I got a good laugh about it. Just living the Chinese life. However, the famous phrase "don't let the bed bugs bite" takes on a whole new meaning.

What's in a Name?

2009-10-29T19:50:00.001+08:00

What's in a Name?

During my first week of school I was told that I was to give every student an English name. This sounds fun right? I was way excited about it. My first reaction was to give crazy names like Jack Bauer or Chewy from Star Wars. I thought of some pretty good names, but then I realized that probably wasn't the best idea and probably not very mature on my part J. I decided to act more like an adult, and give them some what normal names. I thought a lot about it and I realized that I would want to pick my own name. I used good old google and looked up a bunch of baby name websites and I wrote down about a million names. I went to my first week of class and I told the students they could come up with their own names and if they needed help I had a notebook full of names that they could look at. They couldn't believe how many names I had. It was pretty funny. I told them they needed to have a name picked by next week. I went back to class the following week and I found the students had come up with some pretty awesome names. Here are a few…

Blue

Carpet

Wall

Ceiling

Tank (personal favorite)

Vacation

Candy

Harry Potter

Harry Peter (we had to fix that one)

Twinkle

Small Bear

Peter (this girl just wouldn't let it go. She was absolutely determined to have Peter even though I told her several times it was a boy's name. She claimed, "but I think it is very interesting.")

Green

Black

Kung Fu

Kobe

LeBron James

Michael Jackson

Boss

Uncle Sam (pretty clever I thought)

Hero

I promise some students did have some normal names, but I just liked these ones.

I had a few students who didn't pick a name. I let my maturity slip; I couldn't help but give out a few names…Obama, Jason Bourne, Superman, and Jack Bauer. I also named a few after my best friends… Ellen, Lindsay, Abbey, Rylee, Chelsie, Tom, Russell, and CJ. If my friends couldn't come to China at least I could have a Chinese version of them right? Hah, I thought it was a genius idea. You might think I'm cruel for letting the students have such crazy names but where is the fun in having a name like Bob, Fred, or George? What's in a name anyways?

2009-10-21T20:49:00.001+08:00

Number 1 Most Beautiful School in all of Hunan!

I live in a city called Linling, part of Yongzhou in the Hunan Province of China. It is definitely one of the poorer cities, but I love it here. China can be a really dirty place, but it is also beautiful. I teach at the ##1 Middle School. It is set up more like a college and I live on campus. It really is a beautiful place. When I first arrived an English teacher and good friend of mine told me, "This is a beautiful school. It may be the 3^rd most beautiful school in all of Hunan. Maybe number#2. Maybe even number #1 in all of Hunan!" I have been to several schools here and I would have to agree that it is the most beautiful school in Hunan.

Picture 1 : This is one of the classroom buildings.

Picture 2: This is a statue that they have in the middle of campus. It symbolizes hope.

Picture 3 and 4: This is the manmade lake in the middle of campus.

This is the cafeteria.

Picture 5 and 6: Students eating dinner. Another different culture difference. When eating, if there is something you don't like, you can just throw it on the table. Notice all of the food scattered around. Yes, I know this is hard to believe but it is completely normal, even at nice restaurants.

2009-10-21T20:41:00.001+08:00

China

Its beautiful culture

China is an interesting place. Even though I have been here once before, my first few weeks here were spent adjusting to the different culture. I remember getting off the plane and the first thing I said was, "Yup, I'm back in China." There is a very distinctive smell here, and it's not the most pleasant. I always joke around saying that I will go home and smell just like China. For those who are not aware, the Chinese are not always the most sanitary group of people. The streets are often wet from sewer, used cooking oil, and endless piles of garbage. Walking down the streets I often see men hawking loogies, blowing a farmer, or children running around half naked on the streets. Let me introduce you to the slit pants. These are pants that the parents put on their children so they can go to the bathroom easier. Most Chinese children do not wear diapers. They have a slit up the back and they go wherever they please. The parents train their children to go by squeezing their stomachs and saying, "sshhh." I've seen children peeing in the gutters, sitting bare bum on restaurant tables, and I even witnessed a child going in the grocery store. It doesn't seem to phase them. I will admit, It would be nice to get out of changing diapers and washing clothes, but I think this is a little much.

Another thing I had to adjust to were the famous squatters. Luckily, I am fortunate to have a western toilet in my bathroom; however;, anytime that I go to a public place I am forced to use the disgusting and vile hole. The worst squatters are in the train stations. They get so much traffic that the grossness of them is just inevitable. I wish I could even describe the smell, but there are no words. Let's just say I've gotten really used to rolling up my pants and holding my breath. I've come to really believe in the saying, "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."

Picture 1: I was able to snag this picture walking down the streets of my city. This is not the usual slit pant. These parents took it to a whole new level.

Picture 2: The Chinese are just a lot more open about their bodies here. One of my favorites is when the old men walk around with their shirts up because it is too hot.

Picture 3: Here we have the famous squatters. Oh the joy of using a squatter...

Blocked in China

2009-10-15T12:33:00.001+08:00

I was always one of those people who refused to ever get a blog. I will admit, I did occasionally "creep" other blogs. They were always clever, creative, and funny. I've never felt I was good at writing and I felt intimidated by the fact that everyone would be reading what I wrote. All of my best friends are really into blogging and after much reluctance I finally got a blog before I left to China. I thought it would be a really good way for my friends and family to see what I was up to. I've never been good at keeping a journal so I thought blogging would be a good way to record all of my crazy experiences. I got to China and I discovered that there had been a lot of protest against the government. To gain control, the government blocked facebook, youtube, and any blogging site. People were organizing riots over such websites. Any website that is used to express thoughts and opinions is blocked. Well, that kind of killed my fabulous blogging idea. I tried to use different proxies, but it didn't really work. I've resulted to e-mailing myself different posts. I'm hoping this works and we'll see how long I keep this up. Just for the record, I have been in China for two months now and I have LOTS of crazy stories and experiences. Don't judge if I put up a million posts at once. I've got some serious catching up to do!

2009-10-15T09:14:00.003+08:00