East is Relative

Today’s ten thousand things

- Before class, one of my students asked me what my Chinese name was. I said it, but told her I didn’t know the characters. She tried to write it down, but we couldn’t find the character for the last word. In the middle of class, when students were returning to their seats, she gave me a small piece of paper with all 3 characters on it. At the end of class, she gave me a rolled up piece of paper. I took it with me and on the way to the next class, opened it. It was the characters of my Chinese name, and then a progressive demonstration on how to write the characters (the stroke order). It’s the sweetest thing that’s happened to me since I got to China.

- I high-fived a kid in my class today because of his answer. Students had to tell me in a complete sentence why they liked or did not like a song; he gave me three sentences. “I like Michael Jackson. This song reminds me of Michael Jackson. I like this song because it reminds me of Michael Jackson.” Hilariously, the song in question was Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line.” But A+ for the sentences and the logic train!

- I think I’ll be able to write at least two, if not three lesson plans tonight. These lesson plans associated with American culture are easy to write and intuitive, and so far the music lesson is going well.

- I think part of the problem with this situation is that I teach the same lesson 15 times. I’m sure that my attitude towards the lesson must go down after Tuesday or so, so Thursday and Friday are usually less successful. I’m not exactly sure how to combat that – I know I’m supposed to teach it like it’s brand new every time, but that’s very difficult. Hey, maybe that’s why I hate acting…

- I was told that in traditional Chinese medicine, oranges dry your lips out. I did, as a matter of fact, have serious chapped lips until about a week ago, after I finished the last oranges in my fridge. Hm.

- Christmas is coming. I listened to Christmas music while I did some of my work over the weekend. I will probably do that once a week. I never ever thought I would say this, but I miss hearing Christmas music blaring over the speakers in every building I enter for a solid two months.

- This should not be misinterpreted to read that I miss the cold, because I absolutely do not under any circumstances miss the cold. But it was strange listening to Christmas in December when it hasn’t really been brutally cold once. It’s been chilly some days (and it’s always cold in my apartment; the cement building can’t seem to warm up no matter how sunny it is), but it hasn’t been cold. And it really hasn’t snowed (except for a little drift overnight during a cold snap last month, and that was gone by lunch). Pair this climate with central heating, and I’d be set.

- I’ve been ripping through books and audiobooks lately. Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and listened to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein, and listened to the first two books of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (which I’ve read before, but it’s nice to listen to while I’m knitting – I forgot how much I miss that story). I’ll move on to the third book tonight after I finish lesson planning. I’ve also started the introduction (by Hayden Carruth) to Jean-Paul Sartre’s Nausea. I don’t know much about the book, but I’ve always liked going into things blind. I know Sartre was an Existentialist and wrote a bunch of plays (which I haven’t read, shamefully), and I know this isn’t a play. Other than that, I’m going in without prior knowledge. Wish me luck.

- I’ve also been logging my book reading on goodreads.com, and I totally dig it. Check out my profile to see what else I’ve read or want to read in the future. You have to sign up for an account to see detailed info (and if you do sign up, add me as a friend!).

- I’ve become social network insane. I’ve been linking so many things to my facebook and myspace and twitter and tweetdeck and LinkedIn and goodreads and all that stuff that soon, I’m going to create a hole in the space-time continuum and the Department of Temporal Investigations will come after me.

- Bonus cookies if you get the nerd reference in the previous item.