No, I don't eat competitively.

(Chris)

This week is turning out to be my most enjoyable so far here in Hangzhou.  In addition to visiting English classes and giving my little presentation, I (along with Ryan, Colin and Lizzy) have been invited to other classes and clubs.  The other day, we were all invited to an after-school party.  We were the guests of honor for a club that has the kids playing a bunch of games to practice their English.  

We played Charades, sang some American pop songs and competed in an activity similar to that game show we have in the U.S. where you have to finish a song to win prizes (I can’t remember the name of it, but I think Wayne Brady hosts it).  The party was so well planned - the kids really put a lot of time in putting together a nice presentation for us. 

Teachers and students have also been inviting us to random classes just to chat and be interviewed by the students. I’m really enjoying these ‘question and answer’ sessions.  I’d like to share with you some of the questions I’ve been asked over the past week or so:

• Do you eat competitively?  (We figured out he saw a hot-dog eating contest on TV recently.)
• Can I touch your beard?
• Do you like your beard?
• Do you know X-men?  You look like Wolverine’s cousin.
• Do you have a girlfriend?
• What do you think of Steve Jobs?
• Can you lift weights and do you like lemon tea?  (All in one question)
• Do you like the movie Saw?
• Can you give me a name?  (I named her Sunshine.)
• How old are you?  (I asked her how old she thought I was - she said 22.  She’s my new best friend.)
• Have you ever been attacked by a bear?  (I told them how I saw a lot of animals growing up in PA.)
• Did you ever wake up and have an animal on your bed?
• What is the most important trait you look for in a person?  (Is this a first date?)
• Do you have a gun?

In addition to these comical questions, I’ve also been asked some very good questions about American culture, politics and schools.  I’m absolutely amazed at how stellar their English is.  As a language teacher, one of the biggest struggles is stressing the importance of mastering another language.  When I was growing up, very few kids stuck with a language all the way through the program.  Most dropped it their sophomore year of high school because they had fulfilled their foreign language requirement.  However, the way I see it, things are changing for the better.  Our community recognizes the importance of language learning - which is one of the reasons I enjoy teaching at DS.  Thestudents here don’t have any options when it comes to learning a 2nd language - they all have to study English. They’re amazed when I tell them that our students get to choose from 4 languages.  Part of my presentation is telling them why Spanish is such a popular language to study in the U.S.  One thing I try to get the students here tounderstand is that the U.S. is so diverse.  It’s one of the greatest things about our country and I want to make sure that the students know this before I leave.

They’re very knowledgeable about American culture.  They watch a lot of American movies, listen to American artists (Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Lady Antebellum, etc...) and they’re obsessed with the NBA.  I’m learning that most are Lakers and Heat fans.  Very few are Celtics fans.  It's amazing how influential and popular our pop culture is around the world.  I need to investigate and find out who some of the popular Chinese artists are and listen to some of their music. 

This afternoon, we’re all being interviewed for the school’s radio station.  Our session is going to be pre-recorded and will be played on a future broadcast.  If I’m able to somehow save the recording and send it, I’ll be sure to do so.

After this week, we only have 2 more weeks here.  It’s going quickly - too quickly.  We’ve decided to go to Shanghai next weekend (18th to the 20th).  I’m pretty excited about visiting this city - from what I hear, it’s just humongous.  The following weekend we’ll be heading to Beijing and then back to Boston.  It’s pretty crazy to think that we’ll be visiting 2 of the biggest cities in the world in the next 2 weeks.

For those that inquired, I’m feeling much better.  I was pretty sick last weekend.  I don’t know if I had food poisoning or what, but it took me a good 4 days to get my appetite back.  Last night I was ravenous, so I went to Papa John’s and finally had a pepperoni pizza.  Don’t judge me.  I’ve been good...I’ve tried everything from smelly tofu (that's literally what it's called and it was pretty darn stinky) to Twinkie-like-pastries topped with pork shavings - I deserved it.  ;)