1st Week of Teaching

I love this picture :)
 My very first day teaching.
Chinese children always have joyful looks on their face, I love them!!!!
Picture time after class!
These are the girls that come say hello between every class!  They help me with Chinese, and I help them with English!
One of my favorite things is when Mandi and I walk through the school halls, swarms like this follow behind us :) ( I named the little girl in the bottom left Sue because she has curly hair.) 
Mandi getting ready to eat lunch at Leixiyixioaqu (school name).
This is the kitchen where the teacher's eat.  Please note the fire hole that heats the wok.
This is the view from one of my classrooms, beautiful, huh?
This is what Mandi and I saw as we left school on Thursday.  They make us feel so good :)

Guangzhou trip!

In China, PDA is nothing to be ashamed of.  Girls hold hands, guys cuddle...it means nothing!  This is a picture in the bus station of a prime example.
After museuming, Whit and I decided to mimick our bus station friends.
Our initial reason for going to Guangzhou was to see the International Circus.  Rumor has it-that this is the most incredible circus in all of Asia and Europe and after seeing it, I concur.  It was jaw-dropping and worth every cent! Can you see the elephants?
Whit, "circus-freak", and me right before the show.
Becca and I started doing the cha-cha together in the center of the park when an old lady bumped Becca outta the way and started groovin' with me!  I couldn't stop laughing-it was so much fun!
Three cute, old, Chinese men at the park.
This is a 17 story pagoda!  Unfortunately, it was closed and we couldn't climb it, bummer!
Becca, me and Chelsea.
A holy Buddhist temple.
This is the entrance to the Monk's dwelling.
I love Becca!!
Whit, Jace, Becca, Mandy, me and Brad.  These are the lovelies I live with!  (missing: Joell)
Another shameful, wonderful meal at McDonalds. (Julie and I)

This is the entrance to our hole-hell (hotel).  For $5 a person we bunked here for a night.  A friendly local led us to this apartment where beds can be rented out.  Not a bad idea....except when I first went in I instantly gagged from the putrid smell.  I can't think of anything to compare the smell to..all I know is I ran out of the room and continued to gag, over and over.  Fortunately, the room where I slept was not overpowered as strongly as the front room and the night went fine.  Sleeping here was very eye opening to me, and last night I realized how I have been unbelievably blessed my entire life.

Becca, Whitney and I shared this room.  
Look close, the bed had mice poopies!
Crazy sink.  Please note the red bucket.  This is where the sink pipe drains.  Once the bucket is filled, it's put in the bathroom where the water is scooped and splashed into the squatter (it becomes flush water).

This was the smelliest bathroom I have ever used.  I still don't know where the wreak was coming from, but I used this squatter strictly for bragging rights.
Emily's Cake Shop!
Next time you hear the China population stats...think of this.  Also, note the smog.
Line at KFC-they love that place here.  (There wasn't a special sale...this is just how the line is...)
Ahhhh....we are finally sitting, and on our way home.

Pagoda Parks and Flat Tires.

A few days ago, Mandy (the girl who teached at the same schools I do) and I decided to check out a popular park near our school headquarters and apartment.  It was stunning and an adventure..

I was meditating at the top of the Pagoda, enjoying the Eden-like weather, when a young couple joined me at the top.  The girl giggled and shyly asked to take a picture with me :)  I felt like a movie star.


Pagoda steps.

I think this looks like a calendar page...it was breathtaking.  After this wonderful experience Mandy and I went back to our bikes to find that someone had let the air out of all 4 of our bike tires.  It had been a long day so it wasn't super funny then, but someone was just having fun and it was easy to have them refilled.  

Country Life.

Zhongshan country.
Local farmer.
Farmer's home.
Local farmer.
Southern Chinese food is known for it's spicy kick.  This is where the kick comes from.  (This is a near by outdoor market where fresh produce is sold right from the farm.)  Very fresh.

Hey mom! Look at what I'm bringing home!
A few of us girls had a severe chocolate craving so we whipped up a cake mix and ate it like that since we don't have an oven--only a wok....and that won't do.
Whit and I with a duck head.
This is me and the nasty egg.  The egg "white" was a black, jelly thing and the yolk was green, grey.
We had a FHE family fear factor.  Every one participated and it was so much fun.  To keep things fair we pulled name out of a hat and then what you had to eat out of a hat.  The options were: chicken feet, 1,000 year old egg, sweet and sour fish (guts included), duck tongue, octopus, pig intestine, skewed baby chick, and spicy tofu.  I drew the egg and gagged my brains out.  It was horrid.  But I also tried the octopus.  Not a big fan.
Represent.
Seahorse...in the supermarket!
We got bikes!  This is how I will get to school every day.  Bikes here have the same rights as cars.  We can ride in any lane on any road, it rocks! (there are no traffic laws here what-so-ever)
This is my awesome roomie.   She had a chocolate craving so she whipped out her chocolate spread and dug in with her fingers.  I caught her in the act :)
Part of our training was sitting in on an English class.  The teacher decided to give some of us on the spot training and so he made the kids pick some of us to teach a little.  I got to go up, and I loved it, but this is a pic of Becca.
I think when the elderly reach a certain age they become city cleaners because those who sweep the streets and pick up trash are always old.  These are typical brooms.  I would love to try one out :)