100 Most Commonly Used Words - how many can you guess?
only 72, but this was fun
One of my fifth grade girls after class: Caitlin, look-
(shows me a picture of her, her dad, and a drag queen)
Me: oooo, where's that?
Student: In Hainan. That's a man.
Me: Doesn't he look great?
(best drag I've ever seen)
Student: He's a man!
Me: Yeah, isn't that cool?
All the girls: But, he's a man!!!
Me: Isn't that cool?
The girl just looks at me.
Another girl: Teacher, it's a man!
Cal, Eric, Eric’s coordinator, her friends and I all went to this park outside of Shanghai to BBQ on Sunday. Our grill? Made in China.
m.i.a.
So because I’ve been out for the past two days of school, Cal has had to add my kids into his classes -so, basically just doubling up with these kids. Apparently, Cal is a bit scarier than I being a) much taller and bigger than most men in this area, B) male, and C) white. Apparently, one of my kids who acts “tough” in my class (he’s a good one though, I like him) started crying when all Cal did was ask him to move out Michael’s seat. I wonder if they miss me yet?
I visit a hospital
So I finally had to go to the doctor. After two days of on and off again fevers, I thought it was time. I think what I went to is what the conservos back home think, or at least want us to think, we - americans - could end up with if the government ever truly wised up and got crackin on things. It really wasn’t all that bad, and honesty I think it was more of a “China” thing than a socialist thing.
For one, I was immediately given a thermometer when I got to the front desk that was probably in a couple other people’s mouths that day. A little disheartening, although it had been soaking in what I assumed was some kind of sanitizer. Two, the doctor is in this little room off of the waiting area, but you know as I said I’m in China, everyone next in line is in that tiny little room right with me while I explain to the doctor what’s wrong. This is where I later brought my x-rays too, and of course, five other people were right there with me. It was a little strange having people look at my lungs, but there’s nothing to hide really. These people were also bringing their slips of paper in from other kinds of check-ups and placing them on top of my slips as if that would make my turn go any faster. I wanted to say, “It is myyyy turn now, thank you very much,” and then proceed to stick my tongue out at them. However, living here for three months now, I only expect this kind of stuff.
Three, eee, three.. in the room where I got my x-ray taken, there was this curtain in the corner and of course I looked behind it.. there was a bandage with blood on it just sitting on a table there. And then I looked in the open trash bin and there were more bandages with blood on it. You know, just sitting there. It was weird. I guess not too threatening to my life or anything, just more of a shock. I think this year here is going to harden me a bit, probably something I need, though. However, no amount of large strange bugs I am exposed to here will probably ever harden me against “bugs” in general, sorry Dad.
Yet, for the visit, the x-ray and my American antibiotics, I paid at most a whopping $30. Shit, back home with insurance I paid $40 just to see a doctor, let alone medicine and the like. Get with the program, America, I’m coming back soon enough.
Whispering Forest by Violet Kleinert
Port Moody, BC, Canada
I think a fairy lives in there, somewhere
(via dorkvader)
(speaking of which, I need to go out and start using my camera more often. step one: charge)
I admit, I should have known the ice cream was plastic.
[at one of those conveyor belt sushi places]
me: Oooo... green tea ice cream.
(I take off the protective covering, and try to dip my spoon in)
me: Damn this is hard, is it frozen? Natasha, I can't get my spoon in.
Natasha: Let me try...
Natasha: Try your chopsticks.
(I push my chops sticks all the way down to the cup's bottom, the ice cream pulls with it)
me: This is like rubber; I don't want to eat this. Can I put it back?
Natasha: Yeah, no one will know.
Matt: NO, don't do that. Your spoon was all over it. You two touched it with your hands.
me: But I don't want it.
Matt: Well, I wouldn't want someone touching all over MY food.
Natasha: Just try taking a bite of it.
me: Fine..
(I pick it up with my hands to bite it)
(The middle is hallowed out. The ice cream is plastic. In my defense, China is better at replicating their fake food than their fake Dolce's).
