Party Time

I am so blessed. For as difficult as this year has been, for the (many) times when we did things beyond what this program expects or advertises for, and for the sacrifices of missing weddings, graduations and celebrations that come with living abroad for a year, I still have the joy and ability to proclaim to all the world that I am blessed beyond measure.

Part of that whole being-asked-to-do-more-than-what-is-advertised incorporates the fact that I spent my entire time every week with 80 wonderful students. While other teachers in this program see their students for 2 hours a week, I saw mine for 6…and then some. That means some awesome time to build relationships, a deep familiarity with one another and many many inside jokes, giggles, and routines. You may think that 6 hours a week isn't a lot. Consider this: the average high school teacher sees their students only 3 3/4 hours a week. Yes, I have more student interaction teaching in China than I would in an American high school. This works out perfectly for me because through this entire experience I've discovered one critical truth: I'm passionate about students.

Really good students and really good times leads to really good closure. Closure looks like being handed a balloon and being forced to do whatever the paper inside the balloon says, be it "singing", "joking", or "dancing". Closure means at-the-ready with camera and video, and having a performance piece in your back pocket at all times. Closure means making up the words to Justin Biber's "Baby" and dancing as crazy as you possibly can.

Really good closure means surprise performances, not only by you but also by the students. It involves that discovering the quietest, mildest and most well mannered student in the class has a huge and vibrant voice [see: Catherine]. It involves having "You Raise Me Up"  dedicated to you by the student who failed 2 of their four classes with the foreign teachers [see: Tracy]. It involves being creative with the extra frosting that lying around [see: Simon]. It involves being forced in the middle of the circle and having every student speak their heart to you before their entire class, and a outpouring of tears between teachers and students alike.

My two classes and one of Laura's classes decided to throw end-of-the-year parties. Laura's class wanted a cake party, in which they decorated cakes and ate them [brilliant idea, right?]. My classes parties were… well, you can watch the video and see for yourself. (Laura's cake party is also featured on the video).

Kayla's Chinese-English Dictionary

 Dear World:

I would like to apologize in advance for the Chinese phrases I will continue uttering the rest of my life. I thought I would help you out and compose a reference guide, your very own, personal Chinese-English Dictionary for the stuff that really matters (that is, the stuff that I know how to say).

Of course, I perfectly understand that you may not have this reference on you at all times. In that case, just give me an awkward stare, allow a three second pause for my mouth-brain registry, and then allow me to fill you in. :)

Sha? What?

Shenma-shenma yadda-yadda

Zei hao Very good!

Kan kan look

Mei shi it's fine

Ke yi/ bu ke yi it's ok, it's not ok

Due bu qi I'm sorry

Zhen da ma? Really?

Xiang xiang I'm thinking...

Zai nar? Where?

Wei shenme? Why?

Wan le! I forgot!

And our team's (and students) personal favorite:

Bi shu de...it must be!

Double Trouble

Two Peas in a pod
Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum
Partners in Crime

Choose your title, all are appropriate to describe Joy and Haley, two of my beautiful and hilariously entertaining students. Joy and Haley have been attached at the hip from day one. Within my first three days of being a teacher, I received a text message from Haley, asking if I happen to own any Japanese clothing she can borrow. A few days later, I found out why.
Laura and I had ventured to the auditorium where we came upon a massive performance of the freshman class. This is where we saw Tracy perform various singing acts and other students of ours in extravagant dancing routines.
Next on the stage pops Joy, dressed in a slick black suit. We were quickly able to piece together that she was a part of a comedy act, taking place in the front of her entire freshman class. She was accompanied by other favorites of ours [Leon, Arthur, and Alan…check out their video here]. There was Kung Fu, laughing, and costume changes, and then onto the stage pops Haley in a Japanese kimono. Between the five of them, the entire auditorium was roaring in laughter, including Laura and myself. Despite the language barrier it was evidently clear that these two were something special.

Haley and Joy, like all of my students, have experienced a lot of growth throughout this year, both in their English and their development as humans [beautiful humans, I might add]. As the time has passed, their looks have changed (see below) as have their English abilities, albeit they still have quite a ways to go. This makes for even more fun miscommunications. Joy is a pro at miming anything she tries to communicate, and truly, her English name couldn't be more fitting for the amount of delight and gladness she brings into the lives of everyone she meets. One of my absolute favorite class memories is when I asked each student where they would take a vacation to, if given the opportunity. Coincidentally, Haley and Joy are right after one another in the roll call. Haley answered with Syndey, Australia. Perfectly normal response. Joy took her turn and began "I want to vacation to…"
"the W.C. [water closet aka, bathroom]" piped in Haley's voice.
--Insert class erupting in laughter, including teacher.--
Joy, realizing the fault in her hesitation quickly agreed to this. "Yes yes, I will vacation to W.C. and Haley come too. She will see my big… my big… poop!"
--Insert teacher doubling over in laughter, shedding tears and losing all control of the classroom.--
(and yes, if you were wondering, I taught them that vocabulary word last semester. No shame.)

Needless to say, these babies have come so far.

Joy & Haley, October 2011, Halloween snicker-doodles

Joy & Haley, May 2012, both proposing.

If you had the amazing opportunity to experience this in class everyday, you wouldn't want to leave either. As I gave pronunciation exams this past week, I put the students in charge of my video camera to give them an opportunity to say anything they need to say. Prepare yourself for laughter and for a glimpse of my daily delights. This won't be the last time you see them. 

Photoblog: The Last Class

I will never get tired of looking at their faces. For the past year I have looked at their {beautiful} faces for at least six hours a week. Their faces will never fail to bring me joy, will never fail to remind me that our world is so diverse, and yet filled with humanity. They will forever bring to life that He "loves the little children, all the children of the world."

Their faces.

Delight & joy. 

Their beautiful faces each have a story, a personality dwells behind those eyes. 
Enjoy the captured moments of "the last class."
Try to ignore my presence in a lot of the pictures; I allowed them the opportunity to have a photo shoot with me. The poses I was positioned in were...quite a sight. I decided to spare you some of them.

Candy.

Gaga

Stampede.

Smart Dolphins, Class 411

Friends always & forever

Cute Dogs, class 409

Tik-Tok

There is a large part of me that really wishes the title of this blog post resulted in a music video remix of Ke$ha's million dollar success song. Alas, it's not. Simply, it's more a blog post of the reflective nature as the concept of time is an ever-lingering pulse that sustains the days here.

Read any self-help book: they'll tell you all about the stages of grief and the closure process, things that are "normal", red flags, emotions you may be experiencing through times of this and that. And although I am one who has done reading and research, I can't help to admit that I find it all quite funny, mainly because I'm sure that none of those people did what I have just done. Even if they did, we'd be experiencing emotions of different natures, as we'd be coming from different experiences as it is impossible for anyone to have lived and experienced all that has happened this year. 


Eating alone was something I did often in college. Finding a table in the dining hall and taking time to eat, reflect, think, study, to do what I need to do. Eating alone is something I have not done in China...all year. That is, until this past week or so. So tonight, as I was people watching and eating my gong bao ji ding gai fan, I was feeling really pensive and reflective and starting the rest of this blog post in my head.

I live in China. That means that I live in a land where boyfriends and girlfriends wear matching outfits to publicly identify that they belong together, as if the excessive hand holding and cuddling wasn't a big enough clue. I live in China. That means that I live by playing the game of "name-that-liquid" every time I walk on the street, avoiding having the substances tested on my shoes. I live in China. That means I live in a land that doesn't speak my language, as eavesdropping is a skill and talent of mine that has lacked in practice throughout this past year. That means that communication with the cafeteria worker, or the shop keeper, or the tea couple, or the waitress, or the taxi driver is short, strained, and usually very one-sided, with the ability to build relationships frozen past the point of "what is your name?" I live in China. That means I live in a country with a love language of physical touch. That means we have one language in common. I live in China. That means I have essentially beam a vegetarian, not by choice, but because the portions of 'meat' in dishes is basically microscopic. That means that 'la jiao' [those spicy red pepper flakes] is automatically added to anything that enters my mouth. I live in China. That means I live in a country where sharing a song from your heart is more meaningful than any amount of money you could spend on a gift. I live in China. That means I can take public transportation basically any-freakin-where I want to go, mostly for the equivalent of fifteen cents. I live in China. That means that there are fireworks exploding on the street at all hours of the day and night. I live in China. That means that my [pasty] white skin is adored and touched everywhere I go, and I am flooded with coos of "You are so white!". I've had to learn to take that as a compliment. I live in China. 

These have nothing to do with being a teacher, nothing to do with relationships or connections, simply, just being a part of the culture of the wonderful country that is currently hosting me. And I am ever so grateful for it. I love China
我爱中国 
Wǒ ài zhōngguó