Letters from students

This will perhaps be my favorite post so far.  In the last weeks, I have received countless letters and drawings and gifts from students.  Because I cannot take them all with me, I decided to type up the messages.  The are priceless.  I have left all the errors and grammar in tact. The following has not been fabricated in the least. These are some from mostly grades 4 and 5:
_________

Jenny, you in Meishan Primary School teaching for a year, I am here to say “thank you”, Jenny, I really like your English class, you are pretty, but you are going back to the USA, we are very reluctant to you, Jenny, you have to remember, no matter where, do not forget me!  I wish: Happy every day, every day happy.  As long as happy, ok!  Forget me not.

-Mary

Hollo!  Jenny go to Chinses at hrppy!

Thanks for the days stayying with us.  They are so enjoyful and interesting.

Thank you teacher us English for one year.  Your country’s fun.  Now you have to go I am very reluctant to you.  I hope you can come back to have a look!

-Gredy

Bye bye teacher, I love you.

Dear Miss Janey: We all like having you as our teacher.  You have our respect and gratefulness.  Goodbye! I’m a girl.

-Class 3 grade 1 Candy. 

Dear Jenny:  Jenny is good English teacher!  I like your class.  I can see preey Jenny!  She have grey eyes, big nose, red month.  I love you!  Don’t forget China, China friends, and us Meishan Primary School.

-Hejingnan

Thank you, Jenny teacher, you are the months come to teach us English, we are very happy.  Back to the United States of America must think we!

-Wang Lin

I can think for you!  I think you can come to our Meishan school again!  Wish you happy every day!

-Jerry

Hi! Miss Jian.  Thank you very much!  You are welcome.  I like you. 

Jenny I like you.  Jenny’s.  I like Jenny you.  Jenny bay-bay.

Dear teacher, I know you will go back to your country. We feel unhappy.  We all love you very much.  We will miss you very much!

-your student, Wang Shaomin

Jenny:  Teacher, thank you for a year on our education.  Now, you are back to the United States.  At this point, I’m really a bit unwilling. I wish you were my teacher.  After you return home, I will work harder to learn English.

-Huang Kailing

A letter to the Jenny teacher:

Thank you Jenny teacher to teach us and teach us to knowledge, but you will have to go back to your hometown – the United States of America.  Even if you have to go back to your hometown – the United States of America, but my in China, also will not forget you teach us knowledge. I like you very mush Jenny teacher!

-Fu Junhao grade 5

I’m your student Rong Xiao Bing.  I’m in class three grade five.  I heard that you will leave school, I feel very sad.  Because you’re our best oral English teacher.  When will you come back to teach us?  I hope you can write back.

-Grade 5 student

Dear Miss Jenny, Thanks for teaching us spoken English. You’re our best teacher.  When will you come back teaching us?  What’s your QQ and email?  What are you going to be?  Good luck.  God bless you.  Amen.

-Li Zhaoyuan (Lizzy) grade 5

Dear Jenny, Where are you to doing?  What do you do?  Will you come back? We will miss you.  Wish you have a good vacation.  Have a good.  I hope you come back.  We always welcome you back.  Thank you for teathing us.

-Roy grade 5

Dear Miss Jenny,  I name is Peter.  Thanks for teaching us English.  What’s your QQ and email?  What are you going to be?  When will you come back teaching?  Happy every day for you!

-Peter grade 5

Dear Jenny, I’m Tin Tin.  I like your lessons.  Because your lessons are fun.  Your lessons don’t like some teachers, they are boring.  What’s your email?  What’s your telephone number?  You teach us 1 year.  We like you very much.  If you go, all I can say “good luck”.  God bless you.  Amen.

-Tin Tin grade 5

Dear Jenny, your class is very interesting.  I like your class very much.  I will remember everything you taught to us.  I like way you teach.  I don’t want you to go, because you are such a great teach.  Thanks you for everything.  Take care

-Shu Wuwei grade 5

I am not an outstanding student of yours, but you are the most respectable teacher to me in my eyes.  On this special day, I extend my heartfelt respects to you!

-Deng Xin Grade 5

Thanks for teachingus Englis.  You’re our best teacher.

- Grade 5 student

No formula can be used to calculate your devotion;  no poems and songs to express our heartfelt gratitude to you.  It is you that cultivate our minds with your extensive knowledge and your noble spirits.  On this special occasion, please accept our best wishes!

-Betty and Sam grade 5

I wish you a happy voyage.  Wish you, happy every day!  Hope the next time you come to our school to teach us!

-Xu Weilong grade 5

Dear Jenny, you wollen go to back the USA. I have a lot of words for you. I like in your class, because you are a good teacher.  I like to see you, because you are a beautiful teacher, I like your beautiful.  And do you like me?  Do you like China?  When I go to the USA, I will see you.

-Love, Wuyisi grade 5

To a very dear Jenny teacher:  Nice to meet you.  My name is YiyiXi, is a 5(3) classes of students.  I like listening to your course, becaure your lessons is very fun.  You came, I to you always full of curiosity, so don’t stop looking for your signature, I was rude behavior.  You are in my mind always be courteous, more is very intimate good friend.  We love you forever – interesting foreign teacher.

-Forever love you, forever can miss you!  YiyiXi

Jenny, 我不会写英文 I’m a sorry! 对不起J

- Grade 5 student

In the United States you have a good?  I hope to have a very good.  Happy birthday to you hert!

-Linda grade 4

Tomorrow is the last time we met you are the best teacher in the world English teacher.  I wish you a happy return J

-Luo Fan grade 4

You are the most beautiful!  Thank you Jenny’s I love you!  I’m Chen Ying.  I’m four class four female students.  You look very young, and beautiful, and white, and I wish you a happy return.  A hard teacher!

-Chen Ying grade 4

Dear Jenny teacher:  Hello.  Thank you very much for this period of time to teach us, you taught us a lot of knowledge, in this last lesson, we should treasure the last lesson, teacher Jenny.  We didn’t do anything for you, but I will bless you forever, I wish you a safe life!

-grade 4 student

She is my teacher Zhenne she have big eyes.  She is beautiful.  I love Jenny!

-Mimi grade 4

I will miss you Jnney! While you go, but I believe we will meet in earth elsewhere. I am waiting for this day.  I would be very very miss you, really.  I am not willing to you’re gone, I am a little sad.  At this poing, to send you a song:  You raise me up.  You wait, the day we meet again.  We will meet again, so good-bye.  Happy birthday!

-grade 4 student 

Some class photos

Some pictures of me with the students, since I don't think I've posted any class photos yet.  These are grades 4 and 5.

Goodbye ceremony

Of course, the year wouldn't be complete without more speeches to the whole school.  This time was definitely less nerve wracking  than the first week here!  The school gave me some gifts, and the headmaster made a speech in English (very brave of him!  He's improved this year).  It was very kind of them to set up.  But it became a bit of a tearjerker, because I will miss the school!

Serial Killers

Something I wish I had known before moving here -- China, specifically Shenzhen, is a veritable hot bed of serial killers.  I made the mistake of reading this before I went to sleep, be careful.  It's real life Criminal Minds!  Except minus the B.A.U.  So, mostly just a bunch of disgusting disgusting murderers and corrupt asinine officials.

The main, encompassing article:  http://www.danwei.com/serial-killers-in-china/

An article from last week's paper, from a neighboring province  :http://www.szdaily.com/content/2012-05/28/content_6781424.htm  （just to prove the above article is true)

Enjoy...

The Chinese Kleptocracy

It isn't news to anyone that the Chinese government is insanely corrupt, but here's an interesting article that I've found about it.

http://brontecapital.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/macroeconomics-of-chinese-kleptocracy.html

Most of it is too ECONOMICS and makes my head hurt, but you'll probably do better than I did.  It's in layman's terms, unfortunately my economics grasp is somewhat less than the average layman.
A decent and informative read if you have some down time.

TYNKWD, sidewalks and sky metal

Things You Never Knew Were Dangerous. Because I haven't done one in a while, this is a two part-er.

1.  Walking on the sidewalk
I already knew sidewalks were not safe after being tapped by a car who didn't want to wait in traffic while walking on one in Beijing. Sidewalks in the US are precisely for the purpose of having somewhere to walk without cars, but not so here. Further evidence: A girl in Xi'an last month was walking home and with no warning fell through the cement sidewalk.  There happened to be a 6 meter hole underground.  Luckily for for her, a taxi driver saw it and heroically went down after her and made sure she was alright.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17827983

2.  Driving your normal bus route (danger from the sky)
A bus driver was hit by a flying piece of metal the other day.  He was severely injured when it came directly through the windshield and hit him, so much so that he died three days later.  But amazingly he managed to pull the bus over off the highway and turn on the hazard lights, so no one else was injured.
The story:  http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/06/03/3287638/china-hails-bus-driver-who-saved.html
The video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJyWY2Fzzr8
That piece of metal really just flies out of no where.

Both of these storied just go to affirm the fact that living in China is a constant danger, even if you're being safe and doing something you do every day.  It's a bit nerve racking.  Literally anything can happen to you in an instant.  It really gives one a new appreciation for safety regulations.
But we're coming home soon, so knock on wood.

Children's Day talent show

June 1st is international Children's Day, which you would know if you lived outside the US because apparently all the countries celebrate these holidays but us.  Which meant that my primary school was off for the day, and the day before my kids put on a talent show.  They were so cute!  And some of them are really talented!  There was singing, dancing, recorders and violins and keyboards that are powered by blowing into a tube.  It was a lot of fun to experience, here are some videos and picture for you to enjoy!

I know we're not supposed to have favorites.... But look at these 2nd grade ballerinas!!

A grade five girl performing a Mongolian dance

A very talented girl playing the traditional Chinese guzheng

These are little keyboards you play by blowing air into.  So funny.

The cha cha is pretty popular here

Sago soup 西米露

Last week I was looking up recipes I had a chance at making on my hot plate -- a narrow list that solely includes things that can be boiled, such as soup and noodles -- to use some of my stash of foods the school has given us teachers for holidays.  I have things like dried mushroom, jujubes, lotus seeds, etc.  I found that an obvious thing to do was red or green bean (different than American beans, I think we'd call them azuki and mung beans) soup.  All I'd need to buy was sago, the tiny tapioca balls.  Well, long story short I've gone crazy and already made a huge bowl of red bean soup, and today decided to make a quick and easy sago milk soup, or 西迷露。 I've had it at restaurants and quite enjoyed it, so I'm thrilled that mine turned out the same. I added apples instead of taro, since that's what's in my fridge today.

The incredibly easy recipe via pictures tutorial:

Sago starts out small, white, and dry.

Boil in water for 10 minutes

The outside will be translucent and the inside still white.  Turn off heat and allow to sit for 10 more minutes, it will continue to cook itself.

The white inside will become clear.  Drain the water and return sago to pot.

Add coconut juice and a fruit for flavor, such as mango, taro, or apples.  Cook for a couple minutes for flavor.

It's usually served chilled, if you can wait that long.  As it sits, the sago will expand and thicken the soup slightly.

And the delicious result:

Enjoy!

Veggie meals and supermarket fishing

Vegetarian eats are very rare in China, since even vegetable dishes are cooked in animal grease and everything's cooked in the same place (I gave up after the first week of not being able to eat anything and decided for sake of sanity to eat meat). But there are a couple (expensive) restaurants I've been to that are delicious, and we recently found a new cute place with great food and better prices.  Take a look.

And not vegetarian, but entertaining.  Just a man fishing for dinner at the supermarket.

Looks like someone found a girlfriend

I found a mantis on my building two weeks ago

I found this today.

Dafen Oil Painting Village (大芬油画村）

About 1.5 hours from me is a "village" that is famous for it's oil paintings, everything from replicas of famous works to commissioned work and originals.  We made a trip out there to see if it was as cool as it sounded, and indeed it was.

As you can see, the buildings were painted in bright colors that are unique to the city, making the artsy area easy to find and memorable.  There were aisles upon aisles of little shops and studios.  

I had brought two landscape pictures to have commissioned, because when else in my life am I going to be able to commission an oil painting?  We had a recommendation of a painter from a friend, but in the sprawl and confusion of the village we couldn't find him.  So we walked around for a while and found an artist I liked.

Some of the most confusing communication ensued, because they of course do not speak any English and my oil painting vocabulary is weak.  But some headache later, I left with a receipt.

A week later I was able to return and pick up the artwork, and all the hassle was worth it.  The pieces are gorgeous and I'm thrilled, because one of the paintings is a 25th anniversary gift for my parents.  The other, naturally, is for me :)  

I felt confident enough to order a portrait piece of my nephew as well, and I'll get to pick it up in about a week.  Fingers crossed!

I'm trying not to go too nuts with getting things commissioned, like paintings and clothes from the tailor.  But it's such a fun opportunity and when I'm dirt poor again in the states I will never be able to.  Even on the small small salary I make here, we're put squarely in the middle class of China.  And it's so cheap comparatively!  My painting totaled about $40.  If only I could learn to paint too!  Unfortunately I found the village too late, and with only 3 weekends left there's no time.

For your viewing pleasure, my new painting:

Picture I took in RMNP

12x20in (or something like that) painting

Dim Sum

Some delicious food pictures of our dim sum.  We ate at what Lonely Planet called the best dim sum restaurant in Zhuhai.  It was great indeed!  Yum yum.

Macau for May Day

We got a three day holiday (which in China actually means we had to work on Saturday and then got Sunday-Tuesday off) and so we again packed our bags and this time headed to Zhuhai and then across the border to Macau.  It's the middle of monsoon season now and the rains were pouring, but luckily the weather improved and only sprinkled a few times for us.  Zhuhai turned out to not be too interesting, but we stayed there because it's much cheaper than Macau!   Monday morning we crossed the border (after a two hour line) and headed to the Vegas of the East.  We started at the Venetian, where Thomas explained a lot of the games to us.  It was my first casino!  And what a choice. It has the biggest casino floor in the world, and is head to toe gilded. 

We did some tours of Cathedrals and architecture, which was interesting because Macau used to be a Portuguese colony so it is a big difference from mainland.  After a delicious feast at Alfonso III, we went to some more casinos, including the Grand Lisboa, the Wynn, and the MGM Grand.  After getting a refresher course from Thomas, I played black jack and won a hundred dollars!  As my first time gambling, it was a great time and I can now say I've never lost :P

  

Rain out my window

Fisher girl statue at Zhuhai

the Venetian

St. Paul's Cathedral ruins

View over the city

In the MGM, an actual live butterfly globe

Lookin at a winner!