January 2010

Friday, January 1. No classes today. Spend the day catching up on a lot of things.

Saturday, January 2. In the afternoon, take the bus to Changsha. Taxi to Jin Jiang Inn on Dong Feng Lu. Once again, like an idiot, I've forgotten my passport so poor Chris has to come to the hotel to check me in! Apparently, i'm not the only doofus who has done this. Settle in, then head out to find breakfast for tomorrow morning (a Nutri Express and raisin bread from Rosa's). Also, look for yarn in some little shops across from YiZhong. Find some cream-colored wool yarn that I like. Meet up with Teresa to take taxi to the restaurant where Sean, Taryn, Quincy, Mandy etc are waiting. After dinner, to The Fifth Tone for apple pie (finally!); meet Noah who owns the joint. It's quite a cute little place. Then off to play Lazer Tag! I play one game, which is probably enough for this lifetime!

Sunday, January 3. Mid-service meeting for World Teach. I make a presentation on Classroom Organization. Sean is filming all of the presentations so I could actually see it if I dared! I'm very impressed with some of the other presentations. How is it that people so young can have so much self-confidence!

Lunch at the Northern Restaurant. I sit with Eric and KiKi, John, Chris, Hannah and ?????,

Conference ends at about 4:45 p.m. I go up to the WT "library" which has been completely revamped - it's terrific. Pick out a couple of books and leave a stack.

Monday, January 4. Reviewing for next week's exam with all of my classes this week. Dinner tonight at Korean restaurant. Take a taxi to Song Shan Lu. (NB: first we go into the wrong restaurant, thinking it is the Korean restaurant, but they are FULL! never had that happen in China before!) The food there is very good, but it turns out to be quite an expensive proposition: 40 yuan per person! yikes!

Tuesday, January 5. Much colder today. English Corner - only Anna shows up! Debbie comes and says that students are studying for exams already. Mr. Zhang comes and takes Micah and Katie to talk to one of his classes. John goes back to his apartment to put on some warm socks. I stay to talk to Debbie and Anna until the bell rings. Then John, Micah, Katie and I go across the street for dinner: eggplant with green beans, tofu, beef, and greens. After we finish eating, we sit around the "campfire" (the charcoal (?) fire that the restaurant has in the middle of the room) for another 30 minutes or so, talking and getting warmed up. helping Micah make a decision about whether to pursue the CELTA course in Thailand during our break.

Wednesday, January 6. Very cold. Ice on the bushes and trees when I go out to classes this mornin at 10. Still there two hours later when I return. First time this has happened since i've been in Hunan.

Reviewing for exam this week with each of my classes.

For some reason, I develop a migraine today. Fortunately, it subsides while Larry is here this afternoon, but later it comes on again, despite Imitrex.

Thursday, January 7. Headache continuing.

Friday, January 8. Ditto headache. Not doing much except teaching my classes.

Saturday, January 9. Feeling great. No headache! Larry comes for class today at 4 p.m. Then we go to dinner with ZZ group at the "ribs" restaurant. I bring along the BBQ sauce and a bottle of red wine. I must say that, although the ribs and the flat bread at this place are great, the rest of the food is underwhelming. Afterwards, I go to Carrefour, Jessen tags along, I get orange juice, bread and yogurt. Quick trip. Miserable cold and rainy weather this evening.

Sunday, January 10. Same miserable cold and rain. I stay in all day, fortifying myself for the week ahead - grading exams! I decide to cook today - pasta (actually egg noodles) with Barilla tomato/olive sauce, onions, garlic, eggplant and peppers. Using up all the produce in my fridge before traveling. Katie and John come to dinner and help me eat it all! Then John and I watch The Last Emperor. Interesting film. I'd like to read the book Twilight at the Forbidden City on which part of the film is based.

Monday, January 11. Giving exam to my classes this week. I really need to have those ski boot warmers in my shoes. My feet get so cold just standing in front of the classroom. The Chinese English teachers are all helping me proctor my exam.

Tonight, Larry takes all the foreign teachers to the nice hotel where he had taken some of us before. Four fabulous bottles of wine.

Note: From January 11 until January 19, I am busy giving exams and then grading exams! Delivering grades to Senior 1 teachers. Packing for trip. Getting a cold and bronchitis. Debbie takes me to the "pharmacy" to see the "doctor" who gives me a penicillin-type drug and also some Chinese medicine that I am to steam with a pear. Debbie comes back to my apartment to help me figure out how to do it! Also at the pharmacy, I score some Azithromycin (basically a Z-Pack) for 15 yuan. I'm definitely going to stock up before I go home!