Halloweenie

Sometimes the Chinese students pick strange English names. I just started co-teaching a class on Photography, and there is a girl who choose Weenie as her name. I haven't had a chance to talk to her yet to find out how that came about, but I will surely recommend that she change it!

So you didn't know that I was an expert in Photography, eh? Well, it so happens I'm not. But we started teaching these extra-curricular activities and I choose Frisbee - but it isn't being offered this term so I have to team up with someone else in their activity. Lukas, an Economics teacher from Poland, is an expert on photography and he's really teaching it - I'm just sort of tagging along and helping. So we've had a couple classes and it has been interesting so far - maybe I'll get a new hobby!

Halloween is next weekend. You do see a few things around that acknowledge it - usually in a store or mall. But it is not really celebrated here and the idea of trick or treating would never fly... But there will be a few parties around, mostly ex-pats I imagine. Many Chinese think that you must dress up in something scary and don't know that you can really be anything you want...

The weather has really taken a turn towards winter this weekend. It feels like we haven't had any significant rainfall in a few weeks at least, but this weekend it's been raining and cold the whole time. It helps clean out the air! In about 3 weeks they'll be turning on the heat, which hopefully will be about the time we need it. Until this weekend, the temps have really been nice and mild...

I spent last weekend in Guangzhou at an AP Conference. As usual, there really wasn't much time to go out and do some exploring. We did go to a restaurant that was recommended, but we had no Chinese people with us and we had no clue what to order. So what we ordered was not very good and I decided I would've been happier visiting the McDonalds next to the hotel. (I actually did go the 2nd night - the very first time I went to a McDonalds here in China - and I must admit it was tasty...) It does no good going to a good restaurant if you can't order the good stuff!! Guangzhou is a huge city (3rd largest in China I think) and is known as a place to go for work. There really isn't much touristy stuff there - there's a TV tower (which is 2nd highest in the world or China?) - but how much of an attraction is a tv tower - and there are some ferrys you can apparently take around the rivers through Guangzhou. Anyways, not on my top 10 list of places to visit again...

I'm trying to get my pictures sorted out - hopefully next time I'll have a few pics to throw in here!
Boo!