I see you baby...

I spend a lot of time at the gym here. Around 10 hours a week usually. Most expats do. This doesn't mean I'm in shape or look good or anything, there's just nothing else to do. In fact, according to a recent self-assessment, I'm the worst I've looked in about four years. Which, coincidentally, is the last time I was in China. But I'll leave here one day and get tan and good looking and happy again.

When my friend was visiting she was looking through my pictures from last year. We came across one of me in a bikini smiling on a beach. Her response was, "Wow, you look so tan and happy." I was.

Anyway, the gym in China is a great experience. I'll start off with describing the locker room. Whatever modesty exists in China goes out the door in the locker room. You immediately enter a sea of naked bodies. Women are sitting naked everywhere, chatting, putting on various oils, eating food, it's a little shocking. I go in the mornings, so that means I run into a lot of Chinese house wives. They all have scars across their stomachs. I think it's from c-sections, but they're all pretty big, and really not very attractive. A friend of mine also pointed out that a lot of chinese girls have dark circles on their butts. I don't know what that's all about. I don't really feel bad talking about Chinese bodies, because they all just sit around naked and talk about how pink my nipples are and how big my hips are. Yes, I understand what you're saying.

So there are signs posted all over the locker room that are completely and totally ignored. For example, outside the steam room and sauna there are signs for no eating, putting on lotion or hair oil, or talking loudly. The talking loudly one is clearly broken immediately. I don't think there's such thing as an 'inside voice' here. The other day I entered the steam room. I couldn't tell how many people were in there because the steam was pretty thick, but through the mist I heard a women biting into an apple and slowly chewing. The same goes for lychies, peaches, oranges, etc, etc. The sauna is pretty much a salon. People are always putting on lotion and hair oil. Always. So much for signage. I haven't been in the men’s changing room yet, but my roommate tells me there is a sign 'Hair dryers are for the use of head hair only." As he was puzzling over that one day he looked across to see some guy drying his crotch. So that's the changing room.

For some reason Chinese girls like to wrap themselves in saran wrap before they work out. That seems amazingly uncomfortable to me, but so do most of the work out clothes worn. Ski pants are pretty popular. A lot of women walk around in their heals and take them off the stretch and sit on the machines with their friends. A lot of guys where tevas and black socks. There are a lot of black socks. Also jeans, nice tank tops, converse, and carpenter pants are popular.

I think about three Chinese people know how to use the machines correctly. The rest is just an abuse. Sitting on them backwards, thrusting, pushing, it’s crazy. They'll hurt themselves like that. A lot of people like to walk backwards on the treadmills. I don't know what that's about. Also a lot of people put the treadmills at about speed 7.2, which I normally have to jog at, but they walk, holding onto the sides for their lives.

It's hilarious, it really is. The classes are pretty good too. A lot of aerobics and 80's style workouts. It worked for Jane Fonda.

But I have to go to the gym. It's my release. If I didn't I'd have way too much pent up energy. I'd be shoving Chinese in the streets and pushing them off bicycles. I just get on the treadmill, put on my music, think about what pisses me off, and run, run, run.

Who is gay in China?

So apparently there's another 'mystery bug' spreading around China and killing people. Unfortunately for me, and probably everyone in China, all the information concerning it is on BBC news, thus I am unable to access it. Should be interesting. I'm insured.

So I was teaching my Chinese MD last week. We started talking about the state of the world and what not. Anyway, he started laughing (actually leaning back, holding his stomach, laughing out loud) about the bombings in London. The first set he was indifferent to, but the second ignited something greater in him.

"Britain is supposed to be a world power! hahahaha! But they've been bombed!!! hahahahaha! Twice!!!!! hahahaha."

I said nothing and just sat there and looked at him suppressing every desire to say, "Millions of Chinese die in industrial accidents every year. Your government suppresses uprising due to problems relating to excessive industrial and economic growth. All your government officials are corrupt and embezzle from your own state banks. Yet you call yourself a developing country. You'll never get the -ing changed to an -ed, unless there's an under in front of it. You're growth bubble will burst and you'll all drop like flies. And we won't even laugh at you - well I probably will - but the other countries will help you." Like the Chinese, I'm not British; however, unlike the Chinese, I am human.

Anyway, of course I didn't say any of that because he probably wouldn't have understood it anyway. So I assigned Churchill's Iron Curtain speech instead. Back in the good old days when it was okay to talk about the English speaking countries binding together to control the world and China was referred to as Manchuria.

Anyway, this is just a bitter Chinese rant. I was actually having a 'like China' week last week. I don't remember why. I think because I was watching "Farwell My Concubine" and it sort of makes China look interesting. Which leads me to another story. My MD gave me FMC to watch and practice my Chinese. He was telling me how one of the actors had killed himself because he had a mental disorder. Later that week I was reading the City Weekend which had the article 'Who's Gay in China?' (apparently everyone.) Anyway, according to the article the actor killed himself b/c of the gay rumors going around about him. Go China!

i-a

On Wednesday I went to a bar called Tang Hui. I'm there most Wednesdays because my roommate and his blues band play there. It's all dim and red inside with bed like couches and posters of Bob Marley, The Doors, and Che Guervara among others. I was sitting at a table with a PhD student doing his dissertation on post 1949 Chinese film and another student on a grant doing research on corporate ethics. The PhD student did his undergrad at Harvard, but was now at UC San Diego because of the Chinese studies. He normally lives in Beijing but is down in Shanghai on research. He is also working on translating the 'Chinese Odyssey'. The other student had recently returned from a conference on corporate ethics in Moscow. The PhD student brought up how he had run across recently released archives on American journalists living in Shanghai in the 1930's. Although America and Europe was suffering from the depression, American's in Shanghai lived in obscene houses with affluent lifestyles and spent most their time in pubs separated from the Chinese populace. We all noted how the situation was very similar to Shanghai today.

On Thursday I went to dinner at a restaurant called Element Fresh. I had a duck sandwich with slices of apple and split a bottle of South African sauvignon blanc. I was dining mostly with a bunch of undergrads that were in Shanghai for the summer on internships. A little idealistic and optimistic but the food was good. One of the girls was visiting a friend who was out here. She had recently graduated from university and was planning on moving to New York once she finished traveling in China. Although she majored in American History she wanted to pursue a career in dance and was planning on auditioning at a bunch of companies in the city. So sure and full of hope, it just makes you want to burst. We grabbed an after dinner drink at the Ritz Carleton's Long Bar. We sat next to a bunch of WASPs who had just arrived in China and were complaining that cab drivers didn't know addresses. I ignored them but my friend explained to them a service here where you can text message where you want to go and it will instantly reply with the address in chinese and english. Their response was, "You're sober enough to text message?!"

On Friday night I went to see the hip-hop group Far East Movement. They claim to be the only all-Asian hip-hop group from America. When we arrived at the club there were a bunch of 15-16 year old Asian Americans standing around. Two girls got in a bitch fight and were pulling each other's hair while the guys were walking around going, "yo, where we at to next, yo? what about the show, yo?" The even more affluent lifestyle of an American teenager attending American School in China. The Far East Movement debuted their first show in China with the song "Let's give a shout to the Californ-i-a yo!!!! repeat repeat repeat " Everyone was ecstatic.

Last night I was feeling a bit tired so only went out for a proper Shanghai dinner.

I woke up today to go and meet the Shanghai Boat and Yacht Club. I spent the day sailing on a man made lake 45 minutes outside of Shanghai. It was fun. I met a guy who had designed "The New Chinese Yacht." It sleeps seven (which is necessary on a small man made lake.) He hopes to get at least half the population of China interested in sailing and buying his boat. I'm sure that will happen. It was a pretty ridiculous boat actually.

So anyway, that was my week. I don't plan on doing anything this week. I may buy the pirated box sets of Desperate Housewives and Six Feet Under and watch them until my brain starts to ooze and social interaction seems painfully necessary again. There's also an art exhibit entitled Electrospace I may go zone out to for a bit.

I don't have any silly Chinese stories for you today. I thought I'd focus on the ridiculous expats instead. I should probably leave this country soon.

hooters

Yeah I know it's been a while but I've been busy. Seriously. I think I'm developing a life. Or just good dillusions.

Anyway, terrible about London. I really can't believe it happened. It was hard to get news here. The top story on CCTV was how the weather was effecting Chinese consumers. I was here during September 11th. The Chinese reaction to terrorism is extreme indifference. It's just part of being Chinese. The managing director I tutor said terrorism is because of class differences. I told him that most of the terrorists were pretty wealthy. His mind was set. It's all because of the gap between rich and poor.

I kept falling asleep in class today, which is impressive because my largest class is only 3 people. When I was a student I always hoped my teachers would call in sick, I never thought the teachers hoped the students woul be ill. My students taught me how to write my name phonetically in Korean characters. It's pretty cool. I think I'm hooked. I think it even looks cooler than my Chinese name. Maybe I'll start taking Korean. Ha. They've also convinced me to go to Korea. They tell me it's much cooler than China and their main reason is that there aren't as many Chinese around. I'm convinced. It may be a bit on the cold side though. I don't like being cold.

I'm trying to go off MSG. I think it actually is screwing my body up. And my dreams were getting just bizarre. As far as I know I don't think I've had any for about 4 or 5 days, which is really impressive. Of course that means not eating any Chinese food, which is a little expensive, but it may work out for the better.

WSJ just IMed me. Apparantly there's anti-Chinese sentiment in Congress. And I thought I had no respect for the senate.

Anyway, what I was about to write was that I went to a diner on Sunday. There motto is 'no chopsticks required'. I had a taco salad. It was so wrong for so many reasons. The manager was from southern cali and used to work at Shanghai Hooters but decided the diner was more interesting. Yes, communist China has a Hooters. Little asian girls with enormous tits. Actually, I don't really know that, I haven't been yet. Maybe next Sunday.

hot

It's really hot here. Supposedly record temperatures. I"m not entirely sure. I haven't worn pants for weeks. I just walk around in shorts, skirts, and small tops, glisten with sweat, and strip as soon as I enter my house. It's even hot in the middle of the night. I wake up in a pool of sweat every morning. Our electricity bill is going to be through the roof b/c our ac is always on. I'm waiting for the power to go out. That should be good. I'm constantly drinking throughout the day. I've been spending copious amounts of time at Starbucks and other coffee shops just to keep cool. But it's not so bad.

I don't really mind the heat. I'd rather be hot than cold. And a burst of ac when you walk inside is always nice. But it's fighting weather. People are more confrontational in the heat. Or at least I am. Something may happen walking around this mug of a city.

There are a bunch of people with whistles at major intersections that are supposed to control traffic. They're mostly just annoying. Today I was waiting to cross the road. I took a step into the street and the guy started blowing his whistle at me. I wasn't planning on crossing, just wanted to be ahead of the crowd. Anyway, I didn't move. He just sat there blowing his whistle at me and waving his arm. Finally he walked up to me. We stood about a foot apart just looking at each other for a couple seconds. Finally I said, "What?"

He just looked at me with his whistle in his mouth. We were daring each other.

Then I went, "Oh, you want me to step back?"

We both smiled and the light changed and I crossed.

I don't know why I did it. I'm telling you, it's fighting weather.

human nature.

I would like to give you a quote from Uncle Bunny's Big Book of Stories. One of my Korean kids is reading from this:

"That is called growing up" I said. "Some of us change a lot, the way you did. Some of us just become a different size. I used to be a little bunny. Now I'm just bigger.
"Growing up is fun, Uncle Bunny," Angel said. "I'm glad I learned to fly."


Angel is a butterfly by the way.

Wow, they tell us from an early age that we're just going to become a different size. And yet we aspire.

Remember when we were kids and we used to pull our eyes into slants and say "me Chinese" and everyone laughed until we realized it may be racist. Well, my Korean kids were doing that today. It's not racism, it's just part of human nature.

I learned a lot in Kindergarten

I'm not sure how wide spread this was in the news but John Walton died in a plane crash the other day.

This actually managed to coincide with a class I'm doing tomorrow on an article entitled "WalMart - Strategies for Market Dominance". Not the Koreans but this other guy I give private lessons to. I promise you I didn't plan it that way, it just worked out like that.

My student also wants me to give him a 10 minute run down on the issues in America and Americans and Bush. I got online to try to find some non-biased information on that subject but ran across this website instead:

http://home.capecod.net/~tpanitz/ejoke/j10.html

I can't really talk about this subject without bringing my own opinions into the matter, but I've already told him that.

In our last class we talked about the differences between Chinese and Western employees. How the Chinese always need one strong leader to lead them. We were studying an article released by BAH on the Chinese organizational DNA in corporations. How companies run better in China with one strong leader, but once that leader leaves or dies they all fall apart. The guy I teach agreed with that completely.

He then asked me about the corporate make up in America and I started telling him about teamwork and stuff. When he asked me about what defines co-operation I started talking about listening to others opinions, not rejecting other ideas, working together for a final solution, and all that jazz.

He replied that co-operation could never exist in China. The Chinese don't listen to each others opinions, they reject other peoples ideas right away, and they never work together. And he was born and raised in China. They don't even like themselves.

His final question was how we could manage co-operation in the west. I told him we were raised to work together in groups, share our toys when we were young, say please and thank you, not cut in line, etc, etc.

He couldn't believe it.

I'm not making any of this up.

So. Onto WalMart and Christian fundamentalists tomorrow. Can't wait.

ars

A much better Shanghai blog than mine:



I think I have some kind of acute respiratory syndrome. I'm all stuffy and coughing. It sucks. So I've been trying to stay in and get better. And it's been really hot here. I hate being sick in the summer. It's shit.

alive? again

This city is fucking fabulous.

I bet you all thought I was dead. And really, even I'm a little suprised I'm still alive. I keep looking down and expecting to see my body bleeding profusely or have a limb missing, but I seem okay. It was a bit of a crazy week. It was just mad. I didn't think I had that kind of blind stupidity left in me but apparantly it's alive and well.

A good friend of mine was in for the week so we went all out. I hadn't seen her in about a year and a half. And since she doesn't know how to access this blog, can't because she's in China, and doesn't actually know what a blog is, we can talk about her. So here's a secret note: I sent out an email to some people last week some time and for the picture of the 'dude' look at the top of this blog.

Maybe that note wasn't so secret.

I went to a beach bbq last sunday (like a week and a half ago.) It was pretty good. It wasn't so much a beach as a strip of sand near the airport near a swamp. I got sunburned. I was at a gay bar Friday night/Saturday morning. Chinese queens are bitches. I think there were a lot of tequila shots throughout the week. I hate tequila. And I know that too.

The Chinese have just become annoying props in my life. I don't speak Chinese unless I'm telling a cab driver where to go. Whenever I go out I'm surrounded by 'foreigners'. I even teach Koreans. It's brilliant.

Let's see what else...

A couple of months ago I told a good friend of mine that every time I think I've lost all my innocence something happens to remind me I had a little left. I don't know if I feel that way any more.

Shanghai baby. Shanghai.

hello

"The internet has profited many people, but it also has brought many problems, such as sex, violence, feudal superstitions and other harmful information that has seriously poisoned people's spirits."

I actually agree with this. I think my spirit has been poisoned by the internet. But I guess there's no way of testing this since I've been online since I was ten years old.

Here's one for you: I don't go 'in chat rooms', or haven't since I was like 14 years old. But the only time I was ever propositioned for sex online was when I was 12. And I'm guessing my little friend on the other side wasn't. Thank you AOL.

There's this guy on my street who yells "Hello" at every foreigner who passes. He will actually stop what he's doing and run across the street, or down the block to say it. I've never replied but he keeps saying it to me every time I walk down my street. I've talked to other whities in my building and they say he get's them too. Today I saw him almost get hit by a car trying to run up to a group of four walking down the street.

I like to think he has a mental disorder, but sadly I don't think he does. This is Shanghai and I live in a pretty foreign area. The luxury of seeing us has worn off everyone else, I don't understand why this guy is still so fascinated. Maybe I'll stop and have a conversation with him some day. Probably not.

the force

Darth Vader was my favorite superhero growing up. He was actually probably tied with Superman. And Bazooka from GI Joe.

Anyway, I was having a conversation about the new Star Wars today. This guy was telling me about how it shows how Anakin switches over to the dark side. I said how I would join the dark side if given the chance. Everyone laughed but I was totally serious. I've tried several times but something keeps holding me back...

So as I was walking home I stopped to flip through some pirated dvds being sold on the side of the street. As I was going through the piles of Korean soft-core porn I caught a glimps of Star Wars III, so I bought it. So all you people bragging about being the first to watch Star Wars in the theaters, well fuck you, I own it.

It was okay. I actually never saw the second Star Wars but I picked up on the plot pretty quickly. I don't like Luke even as a baby. And the Emperor pisses me off too. If I were on the dark side I'd run it the right way. Darth Vader is still my hero. Except in that moment of weakness when he saves his son. Loser.

I'm not sure about the whole political aspect. Is John Kerry Obi Wan? Or Yoda? And if Anakin is supposed to be bushie where's the lesson there? That in twenty years when Jenna tries to take him over he'll all of the sudden turn good? That's not a good story. And anyway, I always figured Lucas as a closet Republican. Or at least someone with a strong uniform fetish.

I went to bed at 5 am this morning and woke up at noon when my Ayi came to clean. I'm a little tired. I joined a gym and have to wake up and work out tomorrow. I'm excited. I got a free facial for signing up.

newly narcissistic nicole

This city is spectacular. I've had at least one cheese product a day for the past week.

So what am I doing here? Well I'm currently teaching Korean students and a couple of other private tutor sessions. Hopefully temporarily. Until I take over the world. It's in the works. I have to say Koreans are significantly more intelligent than the Chinese. One of my 12 year old students on his peer Tom:

"The last teacher called him 'Tiny Tom'. He used the alliteration."

I don't think I could say that when I was 12. Fuck, I'm not entirely sure what it means now.

Anyway, I don't know what I'm talking about right now. I've been drinking scotch and snacking on a baguette with balsamic vinegar and olive oil all night.

Did I tell you I love this city?

I mean, of course it's still a little bit China. Like sometimes you're walking home and you have to walk through a wet spot on the street because it's unavoidable. And as you're walking through it it's a bit slippery and squishy under your feet, and you're hoping it's not what you think it is, but know that it probably is. Then you just have to turn up your iPod, try not to breathe, and think of the cheese sandwhich that's waiting for you back at home.

I've put up pics of my new place. My camera doesn't do it justice but my room is pretty nice and big. It's about half the size of my entire apartment in Lin'an. And I have hot water all the time. And an Ayi that comes twice a week. I don't even have to do my own laundry. Or clean at all.

This city is great.

上海

As you can see there have been some changes to MSG FX. That is, if you've been here before. If this is your first, and probably last visit to my blog, trust me, it was different before.

Anyway, tell me if it looks like crap. If there's some harbor stuff floating around like pictures of boats and rocks let me know. I don't trust my preview, and as I've mentioned before, I can't actually access my blog either. Although my technical and design staff claim they to know HTML on their resume, I think that's actually just a comparison to most the people jerking around in cyberspace. Comparatively, I understand how to make a webpage more so than other people.

This change was spurred on because I'm no longer in Lin'an. I thought I'd leave the darkness and black of my old blog as I moved into the light of a new location. Shang to the hai. That's right, I am now living in Shanghai full time and it's fabulous.

Friday night, my first night here, I went to a 1970's roller disco party. Oh yeah. I was wearing argyle socks and the shortest skirt ever (probably because I borrowed it off my much shorter and smaller roommate.) It was spectacular. I haven't skated in a long time, but I did alright. My worst fall was when I was standing absolutely still talking to someone. The skirt flew up, my ass was smashed, and my drink was everywhere. I blame the alcohol. Maybe I wasn't standing absolutely still.

So anyway, this is good. Right now, I'm loving it here. And the French ruined Europe.

just relaxin'

"So I am constantly torn between extreme emotions. It is a place that is under my skin. If I don't go back for a long time I miss it and become restless. But it's not a place to relax."

Anyone who has spent any amount of time in China feels this way. It's a cult and somehow I've been sucked into it. I don't know when I was fully dragged into China, but when I read Wild Swans at 15 I was already hooked. So of course I'll probably read this Mao book. And I've read about Mao. I know about Mao. He's not a good guy, but he's the only thing close to a God the Chinese will ever have, and that should say a lot.

When my Mom and I were up in Beijing I overheard a conversation of some Americans speaking to a Chinese guy at the table next to us.
"I'm sorry for my ignorance, but is Mao still in charge?"
I wanted to throw my drink at her and yell at her for being such a Moron. We should exile these people to an island somewhere. They can afford a five star vacation in China but won't take the time to read a little history (or current events) before they get here. There is just so much wrong with that question I just don't even know where to begin.

"...is Mao still in charge?..." What a fucking idiot.

I am part of a cult.

when you don't recognize your own face

Occassionally when I'm out and about I catch a glimpse of my reflection in a store window or passing bus and realize how much I actually do stick out here. It's always a little surprising.

A little while back I ran across a quote by some terrible British politician visiting some UK students studying in Shanghai. I was going to post it but I can't find it now. It was something along the lines of, "Don't stay here too long or you'll go all slanty-eyed." I don't know the exact words, but 'slanty-eyed' was definitely in there.

Only on the inside my obsequious friend.

Anyway, I don't have much to say about China right now. It's actually almost lovely in the Spring. Almost.

They have this fruit here that looks like rasberries but are bigger. And a little more tart. I don't know what they're called, but they're yummy. Especially with Lychies.

bird flu in china

I did see some very suspicious looking birds today. Remind me not to eat chicken, or any other kind of bird. That is very, very difficult here. And I'm a vegetarian. Maybe I'll just get hepatitis.

It's come to my attention that the FEC is trying to regulate internet, particularly blog, political content in the US. My blog may be blocked in the People's Republic of China, but this is fucking China. Not to sound like an over zealous Republican, but what about the First Amendment? I know it died with the Patriot Act, but this is the internet for Christ's sake. From what I've read, the FEC is going to hold blog sites responsible for political content and enforce through fines.

Anyway, you can get more information and find out how to submit your public comments (June 3rd deadline) at this site: http://redstate.org/story/2005/5/20/122244/721 or http://acbonin.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/16/113540/339

Before coming to China I dealt with public comment letters sent in regarding an environmental policy. It was depressingly entertaining and a great thing to convince me that leaving America is the right choice. Unless you want to be laughed at, ignored, or photocopied and stuck in every cubicle, try to understand what you're writing about first and sound somewhat intelligent. Like, what I wrote above wouldn't be acceptable.

I haven't actually ever sent in a public comment, but I respect people that do. One day I might, and that day may be soon.

*note - It took me awhile to publish this post. 'They' wouldn't let me. 'They're' already on to me...

soakin' up rays

I was out walking yesterday and somehow managed to get sunburned. Apparantly UV rays can penetrate lead infused air. Since I was wearing a t-shirt I managed to get some very unattractive tan lines. So today I decided to do something about it. I put on a skirt and a little sleeveless top and went and lay on the grass. I wanted to just go out in my bikini, but I thought I'd lighten the shock load.

I found the most isolated spot on campus, so only about 50 people passed as I was lying there. A little kid stood over me for about two minutes eating his icecream and dripping on me until I told him to move. Then he stood with his mother about 3 feet back and they both stared at me, sucking on their popsicle sticks. A guard came by, passed, and then returned.
"Why are you lying there?"
"I live here. My apartment is right there."
"The sun is going to come down and hit you."
"Yes."
"All the sunlight is going to come down on you."
I turned my head and pretended to fall asleep and he left eventually.

I know where he was coming from, since at the slightest hint of sun every Chinese person is walking around with an umbrella. Very Victorian. They even ride around on their bicycles with the umbrellas up. But this is a country where whiteness equals beauty. All the skin creams and face washes are for whitening. Just like our toothpaste.

The tanning wasn't so bad. Now I think I have a more even burn. I was okay with being pale too. I didn't need a tan. I was going to let my skin rejuvenate from it's sojourn in the Southern Hemisphere last year. And if my neck and forearms hadn't burned yesterday making me look like in idiot in anything but a t-shirt, it could have.

Lychee

It's finally Lychee season in China. This is the real reason I'm here. I've been eating them all day. I think I'm going to go on a Lychee only diet. With cheese and tomato sandwiches. Yummy.

A student told me a joke today involving Indians and Chinese. I didn't laugh because I didn't understand what she was saying, and I didn't want her to repeat it so I just told her that I'd heard it already.

The speeches went all right. One student just took the women's suffrage speech from the 1920's. It was a guy, standing up and declaring, "We have bowed to the white male for too long!" He wasn't supposed to plagiarize like that. I'm giving him a low grade. I hope he didn't think I wouldn't notice it was the women's suffrage speech from my own country's history. I feel bad giving a low grade, which probably makes me an awesome teacher, so most of my class will get high grades. Also I don't want to deal with people complaining about their grade.

Alright, I'm bored. I should have gone to Shanghai today, but I missed the bus, so I'm stuck here for the weekend. I'll probably go Monday though. My room is practically all packed up. I'm just waiting now.

hand to mouth... on a higher plateau

I'm not sure if you've been following, but the NY Times is doing a segment on class in America:

"I have the most amazing safety net a person could have," he said, "incredible, loving, involved and wealthy parents."

Fucking brilliant.

So I'm not entirely sure if it's how I look, or my name, or a little of both, but I'm mistaken for being French pretty regularly. I don't really mind. In the past week it's happened to me twice. Both times by French women.
"You're French!"
"Actually, I'm American."
The expression of suprise, disgust, horror, and shock that simultaneously crosses their face makes it all worthwhile.
"Oh."

That is also fucking brilliant.

I think my new career goal is to become a philanthropist. Now all I need is a lot of money to give away.

So what do American kids with too much money, being mistaken for being French, and philanthropy have in common? Probably nothing, but Sex and the City is almost tapped.

fosil man

I was in Shanghai for the past couple days. I found an apartment. Inexpensive, wireless internet, 17th floor, cool roommates. I'll just do a little side by side comparison of my views - Shanghai and Lin'an:



Yep.

In Lin'an I'm having my students give speeches they've prepared tomorow. I had them hand in their topics last class. I said they could speak on anything. Here's what I'm looking forward to, verbatim:

The Future Is Now
Don't let our tears be the last drop of water on earth
Traditional and modern culture
Tomorrow is another day
key Factors to Success
HAKUNA MATATA
Friendship
To Taiwan issue, what should we do?
The English Language
Music
Poet Is Dying or Not
football
Badminton Game
Stress
Communication
Beijing Olympic Game
Protect our environment
lessons from Rain forrest
eco_tourism
Across old Age
globalization
Finding fosil man
Bats
Support domestic products. deny Japanese products
My college lives
Take care of nature.
follow me
friendship
Health
Love and Take care of Nature
If There were No After Life
A little girl held hostage rescued

The next thing I'm teaching is the Socratic seminar. That should be good. Any suggestions for a short text or poem to talk about? I'm thinking maybe some Robert Frost. I haven't fully decided yet.

In preparing for my section on speeches I had them present a famous historic speech. One of my students got up and talked about how Hitler was the greatest speaker of all time because of the amazing way he motivated his troops and led them to victory. If I had said the same thing about the Japanese I probably would have been killed right there.
These are the people that like America.