Trick or tease!

To paraphrase Vincent Vega, it's really the little differences that make you smile when you're in another country.  For instance, a number of my students wished me a "Happy Halloween" today, but one wrote "Trick or Tease!" as a comment in their journal.  Too cute.  But I get teased enough already, thanks.

I was really annoyed with them today because they wouldn't stop talking and they still aren't learning their comparative adverbs and they made stupid mistakes on their video projects even though we've been through the directions many times in the past few weeks.  But I can't stay mad at them for long.  (I usually can't stay mad at anyone for long.  If I'm mad at you for more than a week it means you've really done something unkind.)  The quietest boy in my class wrote in his journal today that he thought my clothes were cool.  How could I be mad after that?

So I didn't wear my wig to class today as I had intended.  Sorry to disappoint you, Becky.  I'll try to find another opportunity, but I don't feel secure enough in my professionalism yet to do something that wacky.  And honestly my students were riled up enough as it was.  I would blame Halloween, except that you would never know it was today.  Although we saw a lot of costume pieces and decorations in stores, I have not seen one dressed-up person all day.  I have no idea who's buying this stuff or for what purpose.  I asked a Chinese coworker if she was dressing her son up for Halloween and she looked at me like I was from another planet.  Nope, just another country.  Never mind, Sheryl.  :)

The last couple days have been totally hectic and I have almost nothing meaningful to share.  Here are the highlights.

1. On Sunday I successfully ordered my McDonald's breakfast in Cantonese for the first time.  No pointing.  Hell-to-the-yeah!
2. I also got some quality Skype time in with my folks and two of my besties. xoxo
3. My hair turned out well after dying it myself on Saturday night.  (Photo below.)

That's it.  Sooooo boring.  I guess one of our admin staff asked Angie what we do on weekends and she was like "Ummm, grading and lesson planning?" and Ming told her that our predecessors took a lot more weekends to go to the mainland for karaoke.  What are we doing wrong?  This blog would be a lot more exciting if I was carousing in Zhuhai every weekend, that's for sure.

Luckily I have some photos stored up in the random pile, so that will have to do.

People load all kinds of dangerous stuff onto their scooters, but I think this takes the cake so far.  A full length mirror.  And the passenger is just holding it on the side.  Can you see that?  I can't believe they are even pretending that will work out.  Similarly, an unnamed person of Malaysian heritage who lives with me drove back from Taipa on the back of Carol's scooter with her guitar between Carol's legs.  So Carol was driving while said person tried to hold the guitar out of her face from behind.  Again, I can't believe they even tried it.  I will certainly remember this incident the next time she tells me I'm doing something unsafe.

And speaking of motociclos, as they're called in Portuguese, here is the row of bikes that's always parked across the street from my house.  They're everywhere.   I really miss mine.  (sigh)

And speaking of Halloween, here is one of many decorations we saw in Dog One Life, Beth's favorite pet store.  As you can see, this enormous red fuzzy spider is crawling up a cat tower.  Proof that I can like anything if it's red and fuzzy.

And speaking of bookmobiles...
Well, I guess we weren't but isn't this cool?  A bookmobile in Macau!  I totally shouted and embarrassed myself when I saw it.  The bookmobile was one of my favorite things in the world when I was a kid.  I guess it still is.

And finally, look what I found at MamaCare!!!  (MamaCare is a chain of stores that caters to - you guessed it - but they also have a large grocery section at this one.)  Unfortunately it's paddy rice from CA, so it will only be a shadow of the greatness we get from up north, but I'm excited anyway.  Now I just have to find some celery salt...