The Newspaper

It's no wonder the newspaper business is sinking. Just look at how we read the paper. One copy for the whole campus!

Everyday this scene is repeated.
















On campus the newspaper is put inside these
glass containers with what I assume is most of the newspaper. And everyday one will see the multitudes reading the paper.
Doesn't quite seem as fun as sitting down at the table with your cup of tea and paper.

Food in Ya'an

This is for u Mike. A quick video of some local delicious food.

My restaurants from jimd on Vimeo.

Umbrella Day

It was Umbrella Day again in China. Some of you may not be aware of this special day.
Notice, it's Not raining.

Everyone...strutting around showing off their umbrellas.

Sometimes one will take a friend.

Perhaps a grandchild.

Even the men folk get in on the day...or are forced to, who knows?
And yes, why not take your umbrella for a bike ride.

That's right. We care about Skin Cancer!
But really, the women here have a high regard for the perceived beauty of white skin.
But hey, you white folks already knew that, eh?

April Fool's Day

As April Fool's Day approached, many of the students seemed to be aware of what the day was about. I believe another teacher even showed many of my English students some of the most popular April Fool's Day jokes that had occured in the past. I even started to hear a few warnings from my students to watch out for myself on that day.
No problem...I thought. I can handle these kiddies.
So I started to spread the rumor of a big surprise test coming up.

On the big day, I had a knock on my door. I heard a rattling of a can outside my door, and thought...uh oh. I slowly cracked my door open when an arm with a can of Silly String Spray came through the narrow gap of my opened door. I, just like Jason Bourne ...slammed his arm against the wall as he unleashed its contents all over my wall and floor. Amidst the loud giggles and laughs from his accomplices, I had won the battle! They missed me completely.

Then, they had the nerve to say..."come on out, we want to buy you lunch"....yeah, i am sooo stupid. So i said "sure, just wait downstairs for me while i use the restroom."
Ha...they actually waited for about 25 minutes....Suckers....

After that I had lunch, and as I was walking back to my residence an old man was ahead of me and I thought," good chance to practice my Chinese." As i started to catch him, he stopped, walked to the side of the road, and a stream of liquid started to hit the ground. And I thought "hmmm..., I better cross over to the other side...", which I did. So much for practicing my chinese. Now that, is a good April Fool's Joke, except he wasn't making a joke...just taking some liberty.
And people say this country has no Freedom!!! ha!!

I would say that my students didn't quite actually get the concept of April Fool's Day. But don't worry, I englightened them with some really hard pop quizzes that they had to do.
After giving them the instructions of an impossible test, I would walk out of the classroom, and return in a few minutes. I then started to write April Fool's Day on the board. Slowly, one by one, the students stopped writing, started to smile, and even a few giggles came out.
But Not everyone, so I had to explain what was going on.
EVEN AFTER THAT, wouldn't you know it, there was a couple of students still feverently writing....Oh man, my students...
So that was my April Fool's Day.

BTW....a little update
Youtube has been blocked now for a few weeks now, ever since the tee betan videos of the police beatin some m*nks down made it on there. They used to just block those videos...now I guess they are punishing them.
And, my X-ray to make sure i didnt break my ankle a couple of weeks cost about $11 dollars, and less than a dollar to see the doctor. Not bad, eh?