Where did August go?

So I'm not entirely sure where the month of August went. Somehow I've been back in China almost a month already. And school is entering its third week. In the midst of all this, I'm alive and loving it. The transition back has been smooth and the start of school hasn't been too overwhelming or paralyzing. The past week was quite full with Open House and other meetings. Open House went great and it was really nice to meet over half of my students' parents. Below is another picture-filled post about my first month. As I was putting together this post, I realized that it doesn't describe life in my new city very well. That will be another post for a later date--familiar places around town. Also, coming up too quickly is Fall Camp and a volleyball chaperoning/coaching trip to another province :)

But for now, this will have to do. A friendly reminder--you can click on any picture to enlarge it.


Part I: Random pictures from the last month--


The day after I arrived the children of our company had a huge water fight in the park outside our housing. It was a great way to cool off!



The beautiful bouquet of flowers that greeted me in my bedroom when I arrived.



One of my priorities was buying a new bike because I had to leave my old bike at my school in Wuxi. This is the bike market where I got my new set of wheels. Sadly, the one picture of my bike was blurry, so just picture an awesome dark green Japanese bike with a cool black basket.



We did get Sara's green Alice (seriously, that's the name--like the brand-- on the bike) fitted with a kid seat for Hannah.



The middle school hall is on the 4th floor and blue is the theme.



One day, I was coming out of school and saw this beautiful flowering bush on the side of the street. I took this picture because naturally beautiful things are hard to come by usually.



Same thing can be said for sunsets--the way the clouds lit up reminded me of sunsets over the mountains. Sunsets over buildings, sunsets over mountains, eh--one in the same, right? ;)



The sweet Kennedy girls out shopping after fellowship a few weeks ago.



To celebrate our first full week of school being finished, a bunch of us went out to an Inner Mongolian restaurant. They had musicians who were playing a 2-stringed instrument--one even came over and serenaded our table later in the evening.



The middle school girls opened their soccer season by playing our in-town rivals on Thursday. Here are some of players during halftime.



We tied 1-1.



After fellowship today, a bunch of us went out to Pizza Hill, a very good restaurant that even delivers to our neighborhood. Delivery takes on a whole new meaning here in China. This is their fleet of electric bikes that deliver pizza throughout the city.


Part II: A month's worth of awesome Chinglish--


From a sack of rice: "It always is a symbol of the best dessert for your own satisfaction."



The packaging from a pillow: "Anti-extruding" and "non-poisonous"
I sure hope pillows are non-poisonous!



The same pillow also apparently is able to "ventilate,moisture-absorbency" and "take in fresh air"
I want some fresh air also ;)



This is the top of my jewelry box, the middle is complete with a nice little angel picture too, just FYI: "Although wegot off to a rocky strart it/sure is nice to haveyou around" Hmm, not sure what that has to do with angels.



This is the packaging from a set of hangers I bought: "Routable hook and haning bar/Widely used in family/Durable plastic/Transform, damage, collect, and keep the function not easily good:" I couldn't have said it better myself ;)



"The quality of the Lilybell Cotton is very meek." Apparently cotton now has the human characteristic of being meek...What else can be meek? Towels? Shirts?



Paper products (journals, etc.) are one of the best sources for Chinglish. I didn't actually buy this notepad, although it claims that you will "enjoy your/writing with ChangJiang products/fair as a star when only/one is shining in the sky." BTW, Chang Jiang is the name for the Yangtze River--which was also the name of my street in my old city.



Somehow all of my 7th graders have great journals--I'm not sure how this happened, but I was humored: "Because it's where the wind stays"



"Commit to memory that an important matter"



Did you know? "People die when they are given the wrong blood type..."



For some reason, I feel that Disney didn't sign off on this notebook. "Feel the weather very cool last night, oneself return without heat/preservation, deliver message for him to tell him, the side of the/weather will is cool tomorrow, noticing the body to wear some" I'm curious what that was trying to say.



From Pizza Hill this afternoon: "Please take care of gout belongings/This premise is kept from the consumtion or pizza hill produsts"
So close to English, but yet, so far...



Pizza Hill's menu--Do you want to try some "ice sweet red-beans"? I know "your first choose of summer, is cool"
The others are just as funny!



Sara came back with this special, special present this afternoon. "Floral water snake bile" is apparently a body spray that repels insects, among other things. I'm not sure how snake bile helps with insects, but who doesn't want some flower water--too funny!


Another full week is ahead. Inservice tomorrow. Staff meeting Tuesday. A friend from MI arrives on Wednesday. Scipmylo (Olympics backwards=Field Day) Thursday. Great Wall on Saturday.

I'm still trying to figure out how to teach on 40 minute periods and what the language levels of my students are. I continue to Ask for patience and strength in the classroom and in my planning.

In the name of Love,
rpm