"You look tired, chief"

If I've been quiet this week, it's because I don't really have anything interesting to say. I'm just trying to adjust to life here, and I finally feel like I've reached the point when things are beginning to feel normal, with my days blending together in the business of work and life.

Three different people told me at different points this week that I look tired. (Why do people say things like that? They might as well tell me I look like a truck ran over me. It's almost as bad as the almost-compliment of: You look like you've lost weight.) Anyway, I guess I am tired. I don't know if my initial China adrenaline is starting to wear off or if it's because I'm teaching an extra class, but I have been tired all week.

I got an email last week from PC, informing me that all the China 12s in Gansu were getting flu shots. So they brought all but two of the Gansu volunteers to Lanzhou so we could spend an hour touring the hospital and to receive the injection. It was great seeing everyone again, especially since we had all assembled in town during the National Holiday weekend. And unlike the last time they were in town, all the China 11s were in Lanzhou, so we all gathered at Ben's (China 11) apartment for a Pink Party. And yes, I did wear pink and I looked fabulous. I went as a pink superhero, wearing pink thermal underwear, a giant pink plastic bag Emily converted into a cape for me, and superhero-ish pink sunglasses (my favorite accessory). I didn't think I'd have fun with the pink theme, and before I came to China I didn't even own anything pink, but it was a blast.

Teaching's going pretty well. I keep thinking I could be a better teacher, but I'm still trying to figure out this whole "Listening and Speaking English" class. It's difficult to find new and interesting ways to keep my students engaged while challenging their English ability. It's unlike anything I've ever taught, and it's forcing me to be more creative than I've ever had to be before. But my students still seem interested. They think I'm funny, anyway, which is probably why they keep coming back (they're taking this class as an elective). I think I completely shocked a class by falling to the ground playing dead. I don't think they've ever had a teacher do that in class before. I'm always looking for ways to surprise them and keep them off guard. They all think I'm a good actress, which I find hilarious.

Tonight I went to my first English Corner. English Corner is a bit of a Chinese phenomena, where a group of people, usually students, as they often take place on college campuses, gather to speak English. One of my students heads up the weekly gathering and invited me to attend. Though I was less than enthusiastic to spend my Friday night (7:30-9:30) at an English Corner, I knew I should go. It was a bit strange because it's the first time I've felt like a celebrity. Students clapped when I entered the room, and many of them pulled out their cameras and phones to take my picture. The organizers rotated me from group to group, giving each small cluster of students a chance to speak to the foreigner. And then at the end of the night, I was asked to give a short speech. I've never been good at improv, though I have improved after nearly four months in China. It was a good night--much better than I had anticipated. I was actually humbled by these students' eagerness to learn English, sacrificing their Friday night to the cause.

Afterward, Bob (my student) invited me out to try milk tea, since we had talked about it in class on Tuesday and I had not tried it. At the shop, the customers and proprietors kept staring at me and smiling, which I've come to accept as normal. But there was a group there playing the guitar, and since I have guitar disease, I asked Bob to ask them if I could play. After tuning the guitar, I played a bit of a song, singing for the crowd (Kristen, Nicole, Kim, Linsday--I guess you were right. I am an attention whore). They clapped when I was done, and that was the end of my night and the end of my week.

Hopefully my next update will be a little more exciting.

a Chinese wedding

On Saturday night, Amy (from the FAO) called me to invite me to a wedding on Sunday. Turns out the groom, a coworker of Amy’s boyfriend, wanted foreigners to attend his wedding, and Amy made it happen. Knowing full well I was being used for my foreigner status, I decided to use them right back for a cool cultural event with, no doubt, amazing (and free) food.

The wedding was beautiful. The bride and groom entered the banquet hall, walking through a sparkling pyrotechnics display towards the stage, where an MC entertained the crowd by telling funny anecdotes about the bride and groom and forcing them to do a series of hilarious, and perhaps embarrassing, things for those in attendence. But other than the signing of wedding certificates, there's no official ceremony, per se.

Chinese weddings last a couple of days. On the first day, the bride's family hosts a small function, but as I didn't attend that part, I can't comment on it. The next day is the groom's family's function and the final part of the festivities. The groom's event is often larger, so more family, friends, and foreigners are allowed and encouraged to attend.

After signing certificates, they're proclaimed as man and wife, and the couple exits and we are served a copious amount of delicious banquet food. The couple re-emerges (and the bride has changed out of her wedding dress and into another, less official looking dress), going from table to table, toasting their guests. They even came to our table, and I took advantage of the situation by having a photo op with the gorgeous couple.

The wedding was actually quite the event, as the who's who of Lanzhou were in attendance. The bride is a successful business woman and the groom is a TV announcer. The MC was a local TV celebrity, and the mayor of Lanzhou and the governor of Gansu were also there. And, let us not forget the three foreigners: Gary, Paul, and Angie. I should really allow myself to be used more often. I had a blast! And the food was amazing, too!

left to right: Paul, Groom, Bride, Me (sporting my new Chinese sweater), and Charlie (the best man, who also works for the FAO at my school)

establishing routines

It's the end of my week-long, National Holiday break. Tomorrow (Sunday) I have to teach two classes. And then it's work, work, work until the semester break (sometime in January, I believe).

Autumn has been gorgeous here. The days are sunny and usually warm, especially if you're standing in the sun, and the nights are cold. The chilly nights are a reminder that winter is around the corner, and I don't know if I'm quite ready for that. They say it's the hardest time for PCVs in China, as the weather is unwelcoming, the honeymoon period is officially over, family and friends are celebrating holidays at home, and China remains China for better or worse. But I'm not there yet, and being in China continues to feel like a dream to me.

I'm slowing beginning to establish routines. I usually get up mid morning (no thanks to the night schedule I'm on), drink hong cha (red tea) and eat something breakfasty while I surf the internet. Then I work on Chinese or lesson planning, whichever has the priority at the moment, for a couple of hours. When I get hungry again (about 2:30), I walk to the Muslim mian (noodle) shop right outside my gate and eat a giant bowl of niurou mian (beef noodles), which I have never managed to finish. But I love going there because the food is amazing and they know me by name (An Ji, my Chinese name). Then I head back to my apartment and finalize lesson plans and then teach for a couple of hours. When I get home, I eat dinner--usually leftovers or if I've been to the market, something I can throw together--and watch a movie. This routine varies by the day. Sometimes I teach late at night; sometimes it's mid afternoon. A couple of times a week I teach in the morning, and Wednesdays are so busy and disjointed that a routine hasn't been established.

I'm also feeling more comfortable around the city and am getting to know the bus routes more each day. Much of my time is spent on public buses going downtown. I find that the bus is a great way to practice my listening comprehension, as they're usually crammed with people also taking the bus across town. [Note: Lanzhou is a long city. It is surrounded by hills/mountains on both sides, which means the city grew east-west. If I want to visit friends in another district (Lanzhou has four districts), it's possible that the trip will take two hours.]

Not much else going on here. I've been in Lanzhou for a month now and it's beginning to feel like home. I guess I won't really know until I go away for a few days, but otherwise it feels comfortable.

Some of my most recent adventures

A night of western food (this was actually two weekends ago). From l to r: Kristen, Niffy, Thomas, Me, Pierce, Simon

The following pictures are from the National Holiday Weekend
Michelle, Emily, Cayce (my sitemate), Niffy
Far in the background: John, Derek, Michelle, and Thomas' back. In the foreground: Kristen, Ben, Pierce
David (one of my new Chinese friends), Me, Cayce