Highlights and...

I just realized that my last posting might have given the impression that my stay here has been rather lackluster. So, just to briefly illustrate that it has been otherwise, I put together a short list of the highlights (and low points) that have occurred over the last several weeks…

- Discovering that the piano hall is in the building next to my apartment, which delights me to no end.

- Sampling everything from chicken feet, pig ears, turtle, snake, fish head, duck head to whatever they dish up next in the cafeteria.

- Giving a salsa-dancing exhibition (with one other female teacher) on stage for Teacher’s Day.

- Realizing that the ‘underground room’ at a Chinese youth hostel is not as cool as it sounds.

- Taking a solo 20-hour bus trip (each way) to the city of Xi’an for a recent weeklong national holiday.

- Getting splashed in the face by pond water with a dead dog in it.

- Receiving a Chinese name that means pure and noble flower and tree.

- Ending up in a ‘taxi’ with what turned out to not be a real taxi driver, then literally getting rescued by a real one…a bit scary.

- Visiting the Terracotta Warriors and other incredible archeological sites in Shaanxi Province.

- Eating the green skittles…yes, I consider that a highlight.