Updated on May 31, 2011
It’s the thought that counts…
Wu came by today with our Christmas presents from the department…
I wonder if they felt the same way when they opened our cell-phone shaped rechargeable shavers? In China, the fact that you gave a gift is what matters.
In case you need any proof that I live in a SMALL town, today my taxi driver described my teammate Sonny to me and asked if I knew him. Considering our team of 13 makes up almost the entire foreign contingency in our town, we’re famous. However, apparently not all of the taxi drivers know us. Before I ended up in Sonny’s friend’s cab, I had waved down another driver. When he told me it would be 10 RMB to get to the school (it’s supposed to be five), I quickly shut the door…as he called out 8 RMB. Sonny’s friend (who was in the next cab) asked me how much that driver had told me. When I said 10 RMB, he said, it’s because you’re a foreigner. I replied, I know, but I also know better than to pay that. The driver got a good chuckle out of that.
I have four more finals to give, and one end of the year “fun” class to teach before wrapping up the semester. It’s hard to believe we’re this close to the end!
Updated on May 31, 2011
Hanging on by a thread
To my sanity, that is. Sorry about the lack of posting. 🙂 Here’s some numbers to help explain why:
- 8 days until my close friends arrive in China
- 3 teammate birthdays to celebrate in the next 10 days
- 4 Christmas parties
- 64 five paragraph essays to grade
- 52 written exams to give and grade
- 75 very dense pages of grad work left to read
- 5 grad papers to write
- 5 essay questions to write for my commitment interview
- Cupcakes, cookies, muffins, and various other things to bake
- 6 birthday/Christmas gifts left to shop for
- 20 need-to-be answered emails in my inbox
Time to go put another pot of coffee on…
Updated on May 31, 2011
Thanksgiving #1 & #2
Thanksgiving was a work day here, but the team still managed to scrape together an amazing meal. In between teaching two classes, I whipped up my Grandma’s four varieties of yeast rolls. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them! Plus, I think I might be barred from dinner if I didn’t come with them. It only takes me a total of three toaster ovens jammed in my kitchen to get them all baked up for dinner. 🙂
The day before I made a huge batch of applesauce and mashed potatoes. A local restaurant roasted two chickens for us (complete with heads, thank goodness!) and the team provided the rest of the sides. The chicken, despite its disconcerting ability to stare us down, was actually extremely tasty and saved us from trying to cook meat for 20 people in toaster ovens.
After a busy day on my feet, it was nice to sit down with the whole gang for dinner. Our centerpiece was the traditional Wu turkey (pineapple with head stuck in it). 
Friday evening I decorated my house for Christmas, and as if on cue, snow started to drift down outside my window. My house’s charm has been multiplied by many strands of Christmas lights. The perfectly-timed snow became a hindrance when some of the team and I attempted to take a bus to Changchun for our second Thanksgiving on Saturday morning. We arrived at the bus station only to find out that the buses were not running. Not deterred, we headed over to the train station and managed to find seats on a train leaving in an hour and a half. We arrived about an hour late to the Changchun dinner, but a conveniently placed microwave and a kind friend who had shooed people away from getting too many seconds from the food table salvaged the situation. After eating a plate full of food, we had a great time of thanksgiving and fellowship with people from the region. After that, a few of us hit the stores in town. It was hopefully my last trip to Changchun this semester, so I stocked up on all kinds of items, and took care of some Christmas shopping. We got back late Saturday night a little bit tired, but wonderfully full. It’s now time for the final press of the semester. I will only see my classes three more times. It seems as if no matter how well I plan out my semester, I always end up needing “just one more week”. I’m trying to creatively figure out how best to prepare my students for their final exams! Regardless, I know in the blink of an eye the end of the month will be here, and I’ll be left wondering what exactly just happened to me. Let the holiday rush begin!
Updated on May 31, 2011
A few of my favorite things
- The smell of applesauce cooking in my apartment. Apples mixed with cinnamon is one of my favorite scents. (I’m busy cooking up food for Thanksgiving.)
- These small oranges (about half the size of the palm of your hand). I never had them in America, but they’re my favorite treat in November & December in China (their season here). They are amazingly sweet! I eat them like candy.
- This drink, Lulu. It’s an almond milk that is usually served warm in the winter. I think it tastes like an almond cookie straight from the oven. The team thinks its repulsive, but it’s my favorite winter beverage. Plus, I think it will make me as pretty and happy as the woman on the can.
- This website. It’s the only way I have a hope of doing my Chinese homework each week. Not only does it teach you stroke order of characters, but you can draw a character and look it up that way. It’s one of my favorite websites!
- A baby falling asleep in my arms. Pure bliss and peace!
- Counting the days until my friends, Kasey and Kurt, arrive from the States to celebrate Christmas with me and get a glimpse of my life here. Less than four weeks!
- All of you amazing Rez folk who showed up for the Christmas Village and made it possible for the new orphanage to have a disinfecting cabinet, water heater, refrigerator, and washing machine! I can’t wait to tell the orphanage!
Updated on May 31, 2011
Too good to be true
Recently, I gave my writing students a somewhat simple and in my eyes easy homework assignment. Their job was simply to write a paragraph. A 5-8 sentence paragraph that began with a topic sentence and ended with a concluding sentence. In class, we worked on the pre-writing tasks. First, we brainstormed about the general topic, “Western Holidays”. Then, we made cluster charts (you may refer to them as bubble charts) to help organize our ideas. For homework, they were supposed to pick one segment of the bubble chart (they couldn’t possibly talk about the whole thing in one paragraph) and create a brief outline and paragraph. Some of the students managed the task quite well. Others showed me why I still have a job teaching English. Still others…well, their compositions were just too good to be true.
I’m in my fourth year of teaching in China, and I’m well aware that those practices we term “cheating”, “plagiarism”, and “copying” do not carry quite the weighty negative connotation here in China that they do in America. My students have given me ample opportunities to hone my skills at detecting copied work from a mile off. I believe that my detection skills have reached master level. Armed with google and quotation marks I’ve found many a speech and essay online. However, I was a little surprised (not a lot, just a little), when I discovered more than a few paragraphs that had been copied from the internet. I mean really, couldn’t you write six sentences in less time than it takes to find a paragraph on the internet about holidays and to hand write that paragraph? I was also a little insulted at how daft my students must think I am. Do they really believe I’ll think they wrote a sentence like, “At the very beginning, Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed by the Governor of Plymouth in the autumn of 1621 to express the colonists’ gratitude to the Father for the first harvest in the New World.”?
And yet, there was one paragraph which totally relieved my frustration by sending me into fits of laughter. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the following paragraph:
What is the meaning of the word Christmas? C stands for the C. Child who was sleeping on the day. H is for the Heavenly Host who worshipped that day. R is for the radiance on Mary’s holy face. I is for the lowly Inn, a poor and humble place. S is for the star that shines to guide the shepherds there. T is for the travelers who brought him treasures rare. M is for the manger where he was born. A is for the angels who hovered round his bed. S is for the Savior who brought peace and hope to earth. It’s so interesting, isn’t it? That’s what I introduce about Christmas for you. I wonder if you will like it.
Why yes, yes I do like it. Life is never dull here! And in case you’re wondering…I have held off on the decorations…
Updated on May 31, 2011
Is it time yet?
With snow falling outside my window and temperatures dipping into the negatives at night, I’m itching to pull out the Christmas decorations. Actually, I’ve been wanting to do that ever since Sarah and I put on a Christmas CD in the foreign teachers’ library a couple weeks ago. I know, I know, it’s a mortal sin, but it was the only music CD we had. And we’re in China, so anything goes. Anyways, I’m ready to hang some stockings! If I wasn’t still partially laid up from a stomach bug the team’s been passing around, the tree might be halfway up at the moment. I’ll try to contain myself, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to hold back through this weekend…
I remember as a kids my sister and I always begged my parents as soon as we got home from the annual Thanksgiving trip to Grandma’s to head out to the local tree farm. Unfortunately, it seems like that first weekend after thanksgiving my dad always had a business trip out of town. Even as a kid I could hardly wait to decorate the house. I guess there are some things you never grow out of!
Since I don’t have the energy to put up my actual tree, enjoy this trip down memory lane of Brandt Christmas tree hunting.
Updated on May 31, 2011
A new home
Many of you know that my team and I are privileged to have a great relationship with the local orphanage. They graciously allow us to partner with them in loving the fatherless and motherless of this town. I’m being entirely honest when I say this is a privilege. The women who work at this orphanage are truly heroes of mine. They love the children as their own and pour out their lives loving them. There is a lot to learn about love from them!
Recently, we were blessed to watch the orphanage move from a facility on the outskirts of the city to an amazing new facility in the heart of the city. In many ways, this move also reflects a changing perspective of many people, especially students from our university. In the past few years, we have watched the number of students interested in the orphans multiply rapidly. It used to be only our team visiting the kids on Saturdays, now it’s not uncommon to have more than 3 students per child on a Saturday. Students pour in bringing fruit, clothing, snacks, and more importantly hearts full of love. This sight is remarkable, considering orphans in China are on a periphery of a nation that functions based on social circles. They have no in-group, yet students are reaching out to them.
The new facility is at least double the size of the previous building. The attention to detail is remarkable, especially for China. All of the staircases have built in baby gates. The baby floor is equipped with low handrails to help toddlers learning to walk. The baby room has an adjacent large bathroom equipped with half a dozen bathtubs and small toilets . The building is warm. The heating is excellent. There’s a room for sick children to stay in so others don’t get sick. There’s a craft room. The older children’s rooms have whimsical trees growing on the walls and columns. Shiny new beds are topped with large stuffed animals. I was near tears as I walked through this beautiful building. Give thanks to the one who labors on behalf of the widows and orphans!
Big kids room
Baby bathroom
Baby roomUpdated on May 31, 2011
A little taste of heaven
My world was forever changed tonight. I think I just discovered my new favorite candy. Never before have I thought a candy was worthy of an entire blog post. Tonight I received a small package from my former team leader (you’re amazing Amanda!!!). I was a bit perplexed when I opened it and saw kisses with orange wrappers. I thought maybe they were just dressed up for Halloween. Never in my wildest most wonderful dreams did I ever think Hershey’s would make a PUMPKIN kiss. I love pumpkin anything…and it’s a flavor that I miss dearly in China in the fall. Now a pumpkin spice kiss sounds a little strange, but let me tell you (unless you’re a teammate who’s going to come ask me for one), this is the most remarkable candy ever created. I’m in love. I’ll go ahead and count this as my single’s day present. And thank goodness I’m single, because I wouldn’t want to share these precious kisses with anyone!
Updated on May 31, 2011
Happy Singles Day!
Today is an “unofficial” holiday in China. Due to the abundance of ones in today’s date (11/11), the younger generation in China has dubbed the day as “Single’s Day”–because being single is something to celebrate. There was not a hint of sarcasm in that last statement. OK, maybe there was just a little bit. I might feel differently if I actually received gifts on the day.
Anyways, to celebrate the holiday, one of the local restaurants (that is owned by an independent foreign teacher) decided to host a party. At the party, all of the foreign teachers were auctioned off for dinner “dates”. The money raised by the auction is being given to the orphanage. The idea of being auctioned off like a piece of meat was slightly repulsive to Sarah and I, but we also wanted to support the orphanage. Our solution was to be auctioned off together. Really, who could pass up the opportunity to discover your net worth? Plus, we were offering the added bonus of two girls for the price of one. Apparently, Sarah and I (together) are worth 27 RMB (about 4 dollars). Wow, that amount looks even sadder when I convert it. 🙂 The foreign teacher, not surprisingly, with the highest net worth was Vance, bringing in over 40 RMB. We tease Vance about being the newest Mr. Halligan/heart throb on campus. Sure enough, there was a gaggle of giggling girls ready and eager to bid on him.
I also celebrated the holiday by giving a culture lecture tonight. My topic was pets in America, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to talk about my first love, pictured below.
Updated on May 31, 2011
Overcoming fear
This is my fourth year living in China. Today was the first time I got my hair cut here. In a land where one of the most popular hair styles is what I affectionately term “the lion’s mane”, I didn’t have much faith in Chinese salons. I had heard horror stories of many a foreigner who had a disastrous encounter with a hairdresser. I know that in China the person cutting your hair is the expert, and so, to a certain extent, has the freedom to do whatever he chooses. I also don’t speak near enough Chinese to direct someone how I want my hair cut. All of these reasons combined together meant more than enough justification not to set foot in a salon. I got my hair cut once in the summer in the States, always giving the direction, “Please cut it into a style that will grow out well for a year.” This past summer, though, I was itching for a new style, and I decided to go for it–even knowing that it wasn’t the type of style I’d let grow out through the year. When I got back to China this fall, I told my Chinese tutors to take a good long look at my hair, so that they would be able to describe the style to a hairdresser. I strategically decided to take the great leap of faith today. There aren’t many foreigners in my city and there is certainly no one to impress (sorry team, that’s meant to be a reflection of my comfort around you). The next time I will see a large group of people who don’t automatically gush “you’re so beautiful” no matter what I look like (I love Chinese students!) will be at the end of January for my company’s annual conference. I figured if I got my hair cut now, there would be enough time for a horrible cut to grow out before then. Anyway, armed with my faithful language tutors on “hair guard duty” and pictures of my previous hair cut, today I headed out to what is supposed to be one of the best salons in town. When we got there, they insisted that the owner of the salon cut my hair. They gave him a long set of instructions and went through all the pictures I had. The owner then proceeded to spend about 15 minutes examining every milimeter of my hair to learn about the previous cut. He then spent about an hour carefully cutting my hair. It turned out a little shorter and thinner than I wanted, but overall, it was actually a pretty good haircut–especially considering it cost me less than 4 USD. I guess there was nothing to fear!
In other news, late last night we had an 80’s themed “Dance Dance Revolution” birthday party for Jennifer. Sonny recently purchased the game, and ever since my daily life has been to the rhythm of stomping feet (he lives right above me). Last night was my first time playing, but by some fluke I ended up almost making it to the final round. The birthday girl danced circles around me though. (Picture is pre-haircut.)
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