It's been a lovely week in Chengdu, weather wise. We've had multiple days with some sun, and temperatures have gone up along with it. Today I finally cracked - the air had such a sense of spring that I turned off the heaters and opened the windows. Fresh air does a body good...well, maybe not here!
This weekend will be quiet, as Rachel left early this morning for a 2-day meeting in Shenyang - where it will be sunny but certainly much more cold! I have an afternoon of grading ahead for me, with hopes of being caught up by Saturday night. I finished a particularly taxing middle school project today, which filled up the lesson plans nicely but left my classroom and patience in tatters on a daily basis. I can breathe a sigh of relief.
We have only 4 days of classes next week, and then we begin our Chinese New Year break. It's hard to believe we will be leaving the country in a little more than a week! This sure is one vacation we are not prepared for.
-alan
Friday, January 29, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Lozzi Donuts and the woman upstairs
During our fun afternoon downtown yesterday, we gorged on gigantic ice cream desserts and oogled all the prime shopping outlets that Chunxi Lu has to offer. After nearly ODing on my double chocolate sundae, I set my eyes on Starbucks for some coffee to top it all off. While there, the woman behind me in line had a familiar, donut-shaped box. Rachel asked for directions, and we were on the trail.
After brief stopovers to watch the crowds play Wii skiing and mini-curling (promotion for Winter Olympics?) we saw more of the telltale boxes and knew we were on the right track.
Finally, there is was. A branch of Lozzi Donuts, a designer donut and coffee shop. A few such stores have popped into the market just in the last year, and this was our first opportunity to try it out. Full or not, this was not an opportunity to pass up.
The air smelled of fresh donuts, which were attractively laid out on trays behind a long glass counter. This provided an excellent opportunity to inspect and inquire about the different types (of which there were around 20) before picking which ones you want. In addition, the donut-makers were on display as well, allowing you to view the whole process from start to finish. It reminded me of the Krispy Kreme stand-alone shops.
We picked out the 6 best-looking options and brought them home for Sunday breakfast. Yum!
In other news, a mystery was solved, much to our own embarrassment. We often see an older lady walking in our building's stairway. Earlier this year, Rachel told me that she saw the woman in another building, walking. Her conclusion was that she was homeless (or just a wanderer) and that she spends her time trekking through the buildings as a scavenger. [For this reason, Rachel would not let me put my dirty shoes outside for fear of theft] I observed her on multiple occasions and had no reason to doubt this claim - she walked fairly slow, and without any particular purpose.
But this weekend, we saw her again, walking into our building. But this time, she was holding a bag of vegetables. We followed her up the stairs and watched her continue up to the 6th (and top) floor....where she was greeted heartily by a small child, presumably her grandchild. So the lady we thought was a homeless drifter was actually just our upstairs neighbor, who walks slow simply because she is an old lady who lives in a 6th floor apartment with no elevator. Wow. We make for some lousy neighbors...
-alan
After brief stopovers to watch the crowds play Wii skiing and mini-curling (promotion for Winter Olympics?) we saw more of the telltale boxes and knew we were on the right track.
Finally, there is was. A branch of Lozzi Donuts, a designer donut and coffee shop. A few such stores have popped into the market just in the last year, and this was our first opportunity to try it out. Full or not, this was not an opportunity to pass up.
The air smelled of fresh donuts, which were attractively laid out on trays behind a long glass counter. This provided an excellent opportunity to inspect and inquire about the different types (of which there were around 20) before picking which ones you want. In addition, the donut-makers were on display as well, allowing you to view the whole process from start to finish. It reminded me of the Krispy Kreme stand-alone shops.
We picked out the 6 best-looking options and brought them home for Sunday breakfast. Yum!
In other news, a mystery was solved, much to our own embarrassment. We often see an older lady walking in our building's stairway. Earlier this year, Rachel told me that she saw the woman in another building, walking. Her conclusion was that she was homeless (or just a wanderer) and that she spends her time trekking through the buildings as a scavenger. [For this reason, Rachel would not let me put my dirty shoes outside for fear of theft] I observed her on multiple occasions and had no reason to doubt this claim - she walked fairly slow, and without any particular purpose.
But this weekend, we saw her again, walking into our building. But this time, she was holding a bag of vegetables. We followed her up the stairs and watched her continue up to the 6th (and top) floor....where she was greeted heartily by a small child, presumably her grandchild. So the lady we thought was a homeless drifter was actually just our upstairs neighbor, who walks slow simply because she is an old lady who lives in a 6th floor apartment with no elevator. Wow. We make for some lousy neighbors...
-alan
Friday, January 22, 2010
No Eng Corn?
After a hearty meal of Korean BBQ, we sauntered over to the teahouse to check out the English Corner crowd. We have not been there since before Christmas (actually, maybe since Thanksgiving) so we were unsure what to expect.
We saw a lone foreigner, standing in the darkened square. It was Glen, one of the main participants and fellow science teacher. We stayed and chatted with Glen for awhile while we waited for any Chinese friends to come. Alas, it seems that now is already break time for the college students and so most are gone. In the end, another American, one Thai, and 2 Chinese came - but we never ventured in to the teahouse. Let's hope things rebound in the spring.
Today we are going downtown with the Brewers to the main Chengdu shopping area to have lunch and spend the afternoon. We will probably eat at Swensen's, an American restaurant/ice cream chain. We have never been - I hope it is good!
-alan
We saw a lone foreigner, standing in the darkened square. It was Glen, one of the main participants and fellow science teacher. We stayed and chatted with Glen for awhile while we waited for any Chinese friends to come. Alas, it seems that now is already break time for the college students and so most are gone. In the end, another American, one Thai, and 2 Chinese came - but we never ventured in to the teahouse. Let's hope things rebound in the spring.
Today we are going downtown with the Brewers to the main Chengdu shopping area to have lunch and spend the afternoon. We will probably eat at Swensen's, an American restaurant/ice cream chain. We have never been - I hope it is good!
-alan
Thursday, January 21, 2010
What's for dinner?
Through December and the first weeks of January, we were not having Xuemei cook very often for us...partly because Rachel was cooking more and partly because of bad communication. Well, we had a treat tonight - a new set of dishes. We dined on a lovely marinated tofu dish (which Rachel loved and I thought was ok) and a nice stew. Potato, chicken, onion, pepper, and just the right amount of salt and acid. A lovely winter meal. Thanks, Xuemei!
-alan
-alan
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Secret weapon
Despite my fears, the day with no electricity was a cake walk - thanks, in large part, to my unbelievably thick corduroy pants. These babies are lined with fleece and keep me toasty. I wish I had a shirt made out of the same material!
I think that between now and our Middle East vacation in February, I will rotate between my 2 pairs of fleece-lined pants and 1 pair of flannel-lined pants. It's a limited season when I can wear them, so I should take advantage - right?
Yesterday was Rachel's birthday. I had a meeting for most of the afternoon, so we left school a little late. We had dinner at our regular Chinese restaurant - Cashew chicken and garlic shoots with pork. Very American-friendly, as far as Chinese food goes around here. After that, we had cake and played Princess Uno with some friends. So, we had as much fun as can be reasonably expected on a school night!
I was thinking today about traffic on the way home. There is relatively less traffic here, for sure. And the speed of travel is much slower - so I am not too worried about accidents, because most happen at speeds that prevent serious injury. However, the variety of vehicles seen on our street astounds me. In the past week, I have seen a Corvette, a Porche, loads of BMWs...mid-sized Jettas, VWs, and Toyotas...taxis, electric scooters, motorcycles, and 3-wheeled pedicabs...cement trucks, dump trucks, and flat bed trucks. Even more, I like seeing the cargo being carried. One motorcycle today had a big TV and 2 computer monitors (the old kind) strapped to it. Then, a truck loaded with 20+ giant logs rumbled past. We have a Pepsi distributor down the street, so we see trucks loaded with thousands of bottles of Pepsi roll by. It is quite a sight!
-alan
I think that between now and our Middle East vacation in February, I will rotate between my 2 pairs of fleece-lined pants and 1 pair of flannel-lined pants. It's a limited season when I can wear them, so I should take advantage - right?
Yesterday was Rachel's birthday. I had a meeting for most of the afternoon, so we left school a little late. We had dinner at our regular Chinese restaurant - Cashew chicken and garlic shoots with pork. Very American-friendly, as far as Chinese food goes around here. After that, we had cake and played Princess Uno with some friends. So, we had as much fun as can be reasonably expected on a school night!
I was thinking today about traffic on the way home. There is relatively less traffic here, for sure. And the speed of travel is much slower - so I am not too worried about accidents, because most happen at speeds that prevent serious injury. However, the variety of vehicles seen on our street astounds me. In the past week, I have seen a Corvette, a Porche, loads of BMWs...mid-sized Jettas, VWs, and Toyotas...taxis, electric scooters, motorcycles, and 3-wheeled pedicabs...cement trucks, dump trucks, and flat bed trucks. Even more, I like seeing the cargo being carried. One motorcycle today had a big TV and 2 computer monitors (the old kind) strapped to it. Then, a truck loaded with 20+ giant logs rumbled past. We have a Pepsi distributor down the street, so we see trucks loaded with thousands of bottles of Pepsi roll by. It is quite a sight!
-alan
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Update: 8:05am and all's well
I had 1 set of copies to make before the scheduled power outage at 7:30am...and even though I did not get to the copier until 7:55am, I made it ok. Maybe they will wait until full daylight to turn it off.
I am currently wearing so much wool and fleece that I feel very much like a sheep. I need to take something off soon, or I will start sweating...
-alan
I am currently wearing so much wool and fleece that I feel very much like a sheep. I need to take something off soon, or I will start sweating...
-alan
Sunday night update - orphanage and no power
Just a few tidbits before going to bed:
- I have mentioned before here that there is an orphanage in Deyang which our school has a relationship with. This Saturday, we participated in the annual Christmas party for the kids there. [Yes, Christmas was awhile ago, but most of us are gone over the real Christmas holiday and the exact date is not too important to the kids since Christmas is still not really part of the culture here.] Rachel's service club planned games and collected presents, and we celebrated with cake and cookies. By the end, the kids were hyped up on sugar and seemed to have a good time. I hope our visit was a blessing to them! It was my first time there, and I was happy to finally have the chance to go. Special thanks go to Zack, who after coercing me into dressing as Santa willingly took back the responsibility and made a very convincing St. Nick. [Sorry, no pictures - I cannot post pictures of the kids.]
- We just watched the tape of NU beating Purdue in basketball. What a game! It was a fun upset. After watching them lose to Wisconsin in the final minutes, I am glad they are back on track to make their 1st ever NCAA tournament (yes, I know I getting a little ahead of myself).
- Tomorrow is my worst nightmare...I got an email that school would be without power. Our heat is electric, so that means it will be a cold day at work - jackets and mittens all day long. I am plotting how many layers of wool and fleece I can possibly get on my body...
-alan
- I have mentioned before here that there is an orphanage in Deyang which our school has a relationship with. This Saturday, we participated in the annual Christmas party for the kids there. [Yes, Christmas was awhile ago, but most of us are gone over the real Christmas holiday and the exact date is not too important to the kids since Christmas is still not really part of the culture here.] Rachel's service club planned games and collected presents, and we celebrated with cake and cookies. By the end, the kids were hyped up on sugar and seemed to have a good time. I hope our visit was a blessing to them! It was my first time there, and I was happy to finally have the chance to go. Special thanks go to Zack, who after coercing me into dressing as Santa willingly took back the responsibility and made a very convincing St. Nick. [Sorry, no pictures - I cannot post pictures of the kids.]
- We just watched the tape of NU beating Purdue in basketball. What a game! It was a fun upset. After watching them lose to Wisconsin in the final minutes, I am glad they are back on track to make their 1st ever NCAA tournament (yes, I know I getting a little ahead of myself).
- Tomorrow is my worst nightmare...I got an email that school would be without power. Our heat is electric, so that means it will be a cold day at work - jackets and mittens all day long. I am plotting how many layers of wool and fleece I can possibly get on my body...
-alan
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Rachel Plays Basketball
Above, you can see Rachel's annual foray into the world of basketball. She was recruited to play in a teacher vs student game, a scrimmage organized to help the JV girls team get some practice. As expected, smack talk, intimidation, and screaming were the hallmarks of Rachel's game.
-alan
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Workweek done, and other musings
One of my colleague's Skype status says it best: "Back in Chengdu. Back to reality."
Vacation is a distant memory, as one full week of work is complete. Actually, the return to CDIS was as smooth as could be hoped. It gets dark here around 6pm - and each day this week I rode home during the daylight hours. After the grind of December, I consider that a triumph.
Even better - I did not have to bring any papers or books home. I cannot say same for Rachel...**
I actually finished reading How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer; this book gives a fascinating look at the interplay between the emotional and rational parts of our brain as we make decisions. The counter-intuitive conclusion may surprise you: let the rational part of your brain make simple decisions, but leave the large, complicated decisions of life up to your emotional brain. In other words - when it comes to the big things, go with your gut because reason will let you down.
This week begins with a teacher work day, which is close as we can get to a shortened week. No MLK or Pulaski Day in Chengdu, unfortunately. (But in 4 weeks, we get a full 2 weeks off. I'm flying for ridiculously cheap to Abu Dhabi. I can't really complain).
Finally, after a long delay, a selection of pictures from our Christmas in Chicago, Detroit, and Dallas.
-alan
**Full disclosure: This unflattering image is not representative of Rachel's life. It was a momentary explosion of paper that was quickly contained. This is however, a haunting image that brings back memories of her unfortunate, pre-marriage lifestyle as a first year teacher in 2004.
Vacation is a distant memory, as one full week of work is complete. Actually, the return to CDIS was as smooth as could be hoped. It gets dark here around 6pm - and each day this week I rode home during the daylight hours. After the grind of December, I consider that a triumph.
Even better - I did not have to bring any papers or books home. I cannot say same for Rachel...**
I actually finished reading How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer; this book gives a fascinating look at the interplay between the emotional and rational parts of our brain as we make decisions. The counter-intuitive conclusion may surprise you: let the rational part of your brain make simple decisions, but leave the large, complicated decisions of life up to your emotional brain. In other words - when it comes to the big things, go with your gut because reason will let you down.
This week begins with a teacher work day, which is close as we can get to a shortened week. No MLK or Pulaski Day in Chengdu, unfortunately. (But in 4 weeks, we get a full 2 weeks off. I'm flying for ridiculously cheap to Abu Dhabi. I can't really complain).
Finally, after a long delay, a selection of pictures from our Christmas in Chicago, Detroit, and Dallas.
-alan
**Full disclosure: This unflattering image is not representative of Rachel's life. It was a momentary explosion of paper that was quickly contained. This is however, a haunting image that brings back memories of her unfortunate, pre-marriage lifestyle as a first year teacher in 2004.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Brrrrr!
I hearing news of a nationwide cold snap in the US. I watched the players shivering at the Orange Bowl in Miami. I'm not sorry to miss it!
I am doing fairly well here, thanks to 2 years worth of accumulated long underwear, lined pants, sweaters, and gloves. But I must say, you know your school needs an indoor gym when you look outside at basketball practice and see girls practicing in wool peacoats!
-alan
I am doing fairly well here, thanks to 2 years worth of accumulated long underwear, lined pants, sweaters, and gloves. But I must say, you know your school needs an indoor gym when you look outside at basketball practice and see girls practicing in wool peacoats!
-alan
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Back in the 'Du
Christmas break is over, and we are back to work. Jetlag hit us coming back to China, as we woke up before 5am on Monday morning. At least we are well awake and ready to go to work, rather than being super tired. We'll see how long this adjustment lasts.
30 minutes until the kiddos arrive! What the heck am I doing today??
-alan
30 minutes until the kiddos arrive! What the heck am I doing today??
-alan
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