Meatloaf

You know its been too long since you had some of Momma's cooking when meatloaf tastes amazing! (no offense to the great people that spent time making the meatloaf) It did taste good but meatloaf has never exactly topped my favorite food list...

I am doing well and still like Chinese food.  Its just every once in a while...I could really go for some of Momma's cooking.  

Business Elective pictures

Presenting the can of moose which one of the guys sprayed on his pants...it was funny

Thumbs up?!


Made them market an umbrella...its fun to be a teacher

These pictures are from the Business Elective class.  They are all from this past Friday when we did marketing (read the post right after this to get the details...)

11 weeks...

Mom deserves the credit for pictures actually showing up on my blog.  She has been asking me to show her some pictures for, well...about 11 weeks now.  Better late than never?  I hope you enjoy the few pictures I put up.  I haven't taken a ton of pictures but have been taking some video and am trying to figure out how to post that without bringing your connect speed down to a crawl.  

 2 quick funny stories from class.  I love class.  Before I tell you the stories I must preface where they are coming from.  I am teaching a business elective class along with Julie, who was also a business major.  Business has never been taught, at least to our knowledge, so we have been creating our materials for class, which has been fun but challenging.  All is going well so far, but a lot goes on in business class.  For one, it is an elective on Friday afternoons and the kids in the class want to be there and ask many questions.  For example, why are the global markets crashing?  What is an average day of a CEO look like?  How is the Fed run?   Could you explain Investment Banking to me?  You know, easy questions.  

 Now that you know a little more about business class on Friday afternoons I will tell you what happens in class.  First, we have a good time.   About two weeks ago I was teaching on finance and accounting and had put some new vocab words up on the board.  I had a student come write the characters along side so everyone could understand the new vocab and what we were talking about.  Fairly standard, not complicated but it gets better.  He realized three minutes later that he had put the wrong character up and stands up while I am teaching and comes to the front and is standing next to me looking around and then in the corner.  I've stopped talking at this point because he took everyone's attention from me and I am wondering what is going on in my classroom right now?!  His eyes fall upon the dirty, long-fingered mop and he reaches for it and in one motion goes straight for the chalkboard.  Everyone gasps and is making their disgust known.  He is determined and does not let this stop him, he proceeds so erase the board with the mop and correct his mistake with the correct character.  When he finishes he gives me a look of, 'what? Why aren't you teaching, why did you stop?'  Amazing.  

Second story.  Today.  We finished up management and are talking about marketing.  We brought in different items, ranging from cleaning supplies to a flute.  Other items included Monopoly, Cheez Its, Betty Crocker TV dinner something, a Wii controller, a bike bell, and a small toolbox.  They had to explain the four Ps of marketing and try to sell the class on their product.  The one item I did not tell you about is where the plot thickens.  We also brought a can of moose.  They did not know what it was and I told them you can put it in your hair but I walk by again and one of the guys is spraying it onto his pants, like you would a Tide pen or something.  I just about lost it and said no, that is not what it is designed to do...but that is funny.   

Pictures!

This little guy was too cool to pass up, so I got a picture with him.  




Just so you know, you are not allowed to create a nuisance on the Great Wall.

In case you didn't pick up on the zillion stairs...they tell you.  Its steep.  

This is the first picture I took in China.  We were still in the airport waiting to transfer to the other terminal to get our bags.  

Students during the opening ceremonies for the first day of classes.  

Opening ceremonies..
Free stuff...just sitting there outside my door when I got back from class one day.

Lays in China
Texas style!

View from my balcony (just outside my bedroom)

Front of my building (a.k.a. Junior building)
now look the other way (same spot as before)
now look up...my room is 8 floors directly above 
My first bike...I sold it to a friend
My second/current bike

Busy but good week

This week has been quite busy but good.  For starters, I went to the Great Wall today!  Needless to say it is pretty great.  Sorry my humor is lacking at times…really though the Wall is amazing.  I loved going today.  It was a bit cold and unbelievably windy and I wasn’t thrilled to go on this particular day because I was thinking I could go another day.  But once we all got there and were up on the Wall my attitude changed a lot.  I am so glad we went and I had a blast.  If you have ever thought about going, you should.  It is truly an experience and I would highly recommend it!

 

Other things of interest this week would include our Harvest Party, ShiYi’s first week of teaching class, and being recording for the junior’s test this coming week. 

We have a party every year during the week of Halloween and have fun carnival games students can come and play and give away candy.  There were pumpkins to carve, costume competitions, games, candy…what more can you ask for?!  I had a lot of fun.  My game was Coke bottle bowling.  I took 2 liter bottles and filled them with water and then set them up as bowling pins.  I had a large, light ball students threw (they were suppose to bowl…) and knocked down the bottles so I gave them candy.  I dressed as a cowboy and had lots of fun.  I think they students enjoyed it as well.  Many liked my hat and I let a few have my hat take some pictures with them.  (being a teacher is pretty sweet sometimes)  We had a night for junior students to come and then another for seniors to come.  Being young and inexperienced I set the bottles far too close the first night, juniors.  It became a game to see how fast they could knock the bottles over and get more candy.  It really was not a contest and by the end of the evening, I was tired of picking and setting up 10 bottles every 15 seconds.  So the good news is I wised up for round two.  Seniors come and the distance has greatly increased and there is a new rule.  You knocked the bottles over; you pick them up or no candy.  I am glad to say that it worked quite well.  I was proud.  The game had a new suspense because it was quite difficult now to knock the bottles over but it was ok for seniors, whereas this approach would have been unsuccessful with impatient juniors.  I like our Harvest Party.

 

I had the opportunity to record a portion of the test for Junior 1&2 students on Friday.  I read test questions and paragraphs along with Ann.  It was quite funny hearing my voice and thinking my students are going to be hearing this next and trying to figure out what I am saying!  Ann and I had fun and are glad we did it.  I found out it is challenging to read test questions when you didn’t write them and they are written in a slightly awkward manner.  One of the more exciting times was when there were back-to-back male lines.  The nice Chinese lady encouraged me to use a second voice and make it interesting and just sound like another person.  It was good.  I know you wish you could know what I did but I won’t tell you. 

 

Thanks as always for checking in on me.