I guess I'm a model

Let let me do a recap of events from the last few days:

Saturday evening I get a call from my friend Susan asking if I could help do something in a few days. She mostly asked me if I was free on Tuesday (I was) and she said she would give me the details later. As a foreigner in China, this seems quite typical; often we are asked to do things and details are rarely given. Often we meet with others to tutor English, do school events, or just show up to an activity as a foreigner (which I am pretty good at considering that when I am in China, I am quite foreign). Susan is one of the first people I met here in China and has had me do a few things; usually just help with a few English things, or help tutor someone. I assumed what she wanted me to do on Tuesday would be something of that nature.

On Monday night, Susan sent me a text saying that "someone" would meet me "somewhere" near the school at 7:10 am and that I should wear jeans, a grey shirt and leather shoes. Those are the details I was given. Considering the dress standards, I now thought I was probably going to a show or meeting with other people wearing a similar uniform. Perhaps I would hand out fliers or just talk to people at a booth or something of that nature. Susan did tell me that the person (assistant) who would meet me would give me more details. I did find out though for the event, I would get paid 600RMB (almost $95 USD). Good enough for me.

Winning some nice shades

First of all, I might as well say that I don't wear sunglasses. Never have. Not really a fan of them. I look like a goober as it is, so I don't need the extra help that sunglasses seem to give me in that department. That being said, here is the story of how I won some (apparently) expensive sunglasses.

The Coolest Water Slide Ever!

A water slide with a loop in it. Found in Zhengzhou, China in the middle of nowhere. 

Recently I hopped on my bike and went adventuring! I found some pretty cool things here in China.

Yay for bathrooms!

Sadly, this is not even close to the worst bathroom I have seen here. You should notice something a bit odd if you look at the urinal second from the right. Yes; people will make the mistake and still use it.

Making Banana Bread Chinese Style

Recently I have been on a bit of a banana bread kick. I have been eating it every day for the past month or so. It is cheap and easy to make. I just make a large batch and freeze it. I have been experimenting with different ways to make it and cook it. I finally concluded that I can make it most easily and fast in a blender, then cook it in a rice cooker.

I posted how I do everything on my other blog:

Recipe for Blender banana bread
Recipe for banana frosting
Instructions for cooking banana bread in a steamer

The joy of Chinese people choosing an English name

One thing that you will come to notice right away if you are an English teacher in China, is that students often will pick unusual English names. Now I don't mean that one or two students will pick a name that seems slightly odd; I mean MANY students choose names that I just have to wonder how on earth they came up with a name like that.

So I decided to do something about it. I gave all of my students a homework assignment. They were required to tell me what their name is and why they chose it. Here are some of the names I thought interesting.

The Great Wall of China and Forbidden City in Beijing

On my latest adventures, I was able to go to Beijing! This was perhaps the first time in my life that I have felt like a genuine tourist. I was. Along with the thousands of other tourists that actually made me feel a bit more normal (like when I was wearing shorts.... apparently only Americans wear shorts when it is not freezing cold).