10 Things

This week is the first week of winter camp classes, so I apologize in advance for having little to say and not much time to say it. Chinese schools are out for vacation for 3-4 weeks for Spring Festival. Now, what this means at my company is that we have special intensive classes on weekdays for three weeks. Students come for 3 hour classes four days a week. What this means for us teachers is that we have one day off  instead of two, and 12 extra hours of teaching per week. Ah, well. It is the job and I will do it. What this means for you (three? four?) readers is that this week's post is basically just a list of things that I've thought about writing here but haven't really had reason to include. Next week, we do have a week off for the holiday, so expect some lovely pictures of Chinese New Year next week.

10 Things You Don't Know About My Life in Guangzhou

1. People sell things from blankets and little stands on the pedestrian overpasses. Today for sale: calligraphy supplies, pencil cases, slippers, Spring Festival trinkets and decor, "traditional" bric-a-brac, roasted sweet potatoes, scarves, and cell phone minute cards.

2. My students, of all ages, say "oh my Lady Gaga" instead of "oh my God." It's up there with "no why" and "so-so" as phrases they use every day that I'm not sure they're aware that native speakers don't use.

3. The streets currently look like an orange grove. Apparently, Guangdong's tradition for Spring Festival is to have an orange tree (much like we have Christmas trees). Because oranges resemble old copper money, they are a symbol of money/wealth, thus orange tree=money tree. But, they die after a few months and my students tell me it's a major trash disposal problem for the city.

4. The air quality is bad, but you don't really notice it after a while.

5. It's the light pollution that is the worst.

6. Going out for dim sum is really fun but it takes about three hours. You just don't notice the time passing, you're having so much fun with a big group of friends.

7. You can watch the Daily Show and the Colbert Report online without a VPN for free. You can also watch WCSH6's weather report, if you're really curious about Maine's winter weather forecast. Have you ever noticed how much of a Maine accent Joe Cupo has?

8. Students and foreign coworkers alike are fascinated by American gun laws.

9. The thing I love most about living in the city is all of the children. Especially today, when the weather is nice and they're on vacation, our courtyard garden is full of children playing. Badminton, little bicycles, soccer, tag, the indecipherable games kids make up that only make sense to them -- you name it, they're doing it. They're cute. It's heartwarming.

10. I am taller than my showerhead. It's awkward.

Well, that's about all I have to say. My vegan chocolate cake (made in a pie tin-that-isn't-a-pie tin) has just dinged in my little tabletop oven and I really want to try it.