As is the trend in China, time some how plays little tricks on me. About three weeks ago I arrived to begin my second year in China. It seems as if I have been here much longer than that, and also like no time has passed at all. This might because these first few weeks back are always a jet-lag zombie blur of time changed into a whirlwind of activity. I can hardly remember the first few dinners while we were back in the country, except for one in particular. Newt, my boss and the director of IECS was sitting next to me at dinner. At one moment he was talking away about baseball, and paused to think a second, and down....down.....down went his chin and he was off in sleepy land. "Newt, are you awake?" we asked. Up his head popped, and less than 30 seconds later he was off again talking away. Luckily, this stage does not last too long.
A lot of things this year are similar as last year. I am still at Hebei University, in the same room, teaching similar things, with a lot of the same friends. But, a great more are a little different. In Baoding, the team looks a little different this year. We now have two new girls, Bethany and Kerry. As Emily has decided not to return for a second year, this is a huge blessing! I already love both of these girls and we get a long so well. My only fear right now is that we are too a like! It is fun to watch the girls reaction to adjusting to China as someone who has been here for a year. At a different dinner one evening, Kerry had quite a shock. The resturant worker went behind her with a bucket, and a second later...plop! "AHHH!" shrieked Kerry as a huge fish plopped all around the floor of the restaurant struggling to escape the doom of dinner. Unfazed, the restaurant worker scooped up the fish in one sweeping movement as if this happened everyday. In China, at a nice meal, they will show you the fish before they cook it to let you approve its quality. Overall, I'd say the girls are adjusting really well.
For a while too, our team was not complete as Jon could not come until about two days ago. He had some problems with his Visa and had to get some paper work redone. The great thing is he is finally here and our team is now complete. Jon, Bethany, and Ryan teach at Hebei Financial College. Last year, Jon and Ryan taught there and lived close to those of us at Hebei University. This year though the team at that school is going to live on their campus in a sweet new apartment. It is great for them to be so close to their classes and students, but also going to take some adjusting time. Their campus is about 30 minutes away, and it can be a little hard to arrange times to meet. This year we are going to have to work a lot harder at seeing one another.
I am hoping my friendships here don't change too much, unless it is in a good way. I have really enjoyed seeing all my friends I left for the summer. At training, one of the other teachers, Steven, kept doing this hand gesture where you put both hands on your head with them cupped back and pull out going: wooo woooh! as you do it. In Baoding, we do it some times now as a joke, and to be fun. The other night we did it as dinner with a lot of our students. Later, when Bethany was hanging out with a student, Bea, she turned to her friend Albert, saying, "Look at this new gesture I learned." And totally did it. Great stuff!
Below are a few photo high-lights of time so far in Baoding! Enjoy!
