It's all gravy

The opening line from the mix reviewed show "Portlandia" claims that Portland is where young people go to retire. If that is the case, Rongchang is where young folks go for sabbatical. I've contemplated starting a mandala with the amount of free time I have acquired. Our 12 hour work week has shrank to 8 as our freshman students start cramming for their exams next month. At our University, Kassy and I do not do any kind of grading, we are resources for the students to practice English outside of the classroom. Although we are truly fascinating (our students assure us), recreational English isn't a priority during crunch time. Our night classes frequently overlap with mandatory gatherings for all freshman. Yes we still are teachers, but a better label for us would be mascots whose purpose is to boost campus morale. Students still get very pumped up to see us and picture taking has not has not ebbed in the slightest.

Our free time has not been filled with idle hands. Kassy has gotten a gym membership where she practices Eastern yoga which is apparently a much different style. I have used the time trying to improve my Chinese sporting skills. I have had varying levels of success. I am currently playing the best ping pong of my life, which means I can contend with a beginner class at an elementary school. I have become somewhat of a presence on a basketball court (mostly on rebounds), however from lack of practice over the years, my left hand has become completely defunct and is about as much use as Nemo's little fin. By far, my favorite sport to play is badminton in which I have managed to obtain sensei status. As of right now Danny Almonte like things are being done to my citizenship documents so I can hoist up the China flag at the Brazil Olympics. Some people have taken to calling me Li Dan.

One of my favorite quotes from the novel "Slaughter-house Five" is "No matter where you go, people are people." On a whole, I agree with Vonnegut, but its meaning is over simplified if taken literally. I would modify it by saying, no matter where you go, children are children. Our streets are "chalk full" of children running around and playing red light green light, follow the leader, and hop scotch. The only difference is that Chinese children are cuter. Each day I get a huge wave of happiness as I am greeted by two adorable little girls that wave and shout hello. I usually respond by doing some sort of mimery that elicits rave reviews with clapping and giggling.

Some people say that love is the universal language, geeks say it is math. Really the only two things in this world that can tie everybody together, is the song Gang Gam style and the movie Titanic. Peace conferences should keep this in mind as conflict rises in the mid-east if they are trying to find grounds to agree on. Chinese people still have tears stream down their eyes while they talk about Titanic. The song "My heart will go" is still in the top 40 hits and is a staple at all KTV's. I have also gang gam styled with people between 10-55 years of age.

China has a version of black Friday that takes place on November 11th every year. It is called singles day because it is 11/11 on a calendar. It is a big day for sales without trampelings. We have been teaching about Thanksgiving for our classes this week. The "turducken" has taken quite a bit of explaining and has been met with some very quizzical looks. I try to explain to them how quintessential it is for the proper American meal. We also had them give persuasive speeches where they were turkeys and we were farmers and they had to give us reasons for why we shouldn't eat them for Thanksgiving. One of our students looked up the holiday on his phone and said that he was pardoned by president Obama. Tomorrow we will go to Bei Bei to feast with the other westerners. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and that the Cowboys lose.