The Past Week

Teaching:

So somehow it's already Friday and a whole week of the new Summer English Camp has gone by. This group is significantly better behaved than the previous one (meaning I haven't been bitten or hit or screamed at). This camp is at a different place, too. It's in a community center of sorts just within the South Wall of the old city, so it's much closer than the old camp. We have about 22 kids ranging in age from 7 to 15. Their English-speaking abilities vary just as much as their ages. I read them a Dr. Seuss book yesterday, but apparently they weren't too thrilled by it--they wanted a "fairy tale" rather than One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Today we played some games. We divided the class into four teams, but since there were only 22 today and not 24 I had to join a team. We did a three-legged race, holding a balloon between your backs, and a toilet paper mummy event. I tied my leg to a boy named Kevin, who does the most incredible impersonation of a horse. Needless to say it was a bit of a challenge for us to walk together. What was even more entertaining was when Katie, this shy, 8 year old girl, and I had to hold a balloon behind our backs. She was, obviously, about half as tall as I am--so it was a sight.

Miscellaneous Fun Facts:

Wednesday night we had a guest speaker on traditional Chinese medicine. Via translator he spoke about acupuncture and the value of the 365 pressure points on the body. Following the lecture we had the opportunity to have needles placed in some of the more inconsequential pressure points. Naturally, my hand shot up to volunteer. The first one went in my lower leg, which apparently--if applied frequently--helps you gain weight. We had heard that you could get needles in the head, so I signed up for that one too. I thought that it would be in the top of my head somewhere, but he came at my face and I was a little frightened. It went right in my forehead...just at the hair line. It didn't bother me until he took it out--when it felt like my forehead was coming with the needle. I think we're going to try to get a real appointment for acupuncture and cupping some time this weekend/early next week.

The other night a fellow volunteer, who is from South Korea, wanted to take us out for dinner at a Korean Restuarant. More than a dozen of us went to a Korean bbq place and had a delicious dinner. As we thought we were finishing, someone found "dog" on the menu. The question was quickly passed around as to whether we wanted to try it. Despite being conflicted about eating a dog, who just as easily might have been my own, we decided that when in Rome...The plate arrived and several of us shared the dish. Although it was tender and succulent and tasted like lamb, many of us could not help but feel horrible. Apparently the dogs used are mutts that are raised for this purpose, but that still has not helped me get over it--and this was Wednesday night.

Yesterday afternoon there was an earthquake in Sichuan Province...where I'd been last weekend. Apparently it was only a small aftershock from May's devastating earthquake, but it was felt here in Xi'an. I was completely unconscious on a couch in one of the apartments, so I knew nothing of it until someone told me about it. It was very, very small, so please don't freak out about it--nothing to worry about.

Last night (Thursday) we were returning from going out and were trying to find enough rickshaws to bring the group back, but were not being successful. We stumbled across a group of men with scooters (think Vespa fueled by a battery...and significantly less glamorous), who agreed to take us back to the apartment for 8 kuai (a little more than US$1). Being A) a ridiculously great deal, and B) an awesome way to get back home, we hopped on and were on our way. I had not been on a scooter yet, but it was very fun and entertaining. Thankfully it was late enough that traffic was significantly lighter...otherwise it would've been slightly unnerving. Even more exciting: when we got back you could see the MOON! I hadn't seen the moon in Xi'an once since I arrived, and had only seen it once in China--when we were in Chengdu. A bright, half moon was a nice touch to a great, entertaining night out.

I'm not sure what this weekend's plans are, so hopefully I'll have some stories come Monday. Only 2 more weeks in Xi'an...I can't believe I've been here for 3 already.