Blog Archives

March 30, 2014

3/30/2014

Today Emily, Nena, and I took the 45 bus downtown to the end of the line. Our goal: to go to the yarn market. While Emily, Nate, and I went in late August, she had not been since I discovered the faster route and greater number of stores. Each time I learn something new about the yarn market and this trip was not an exception to the rule.

On my first trip with Emily and Nate I discovered the yarn market. On a return trip with Sandra I discovered that there was much more than the few stores we saw originally but a great big courtyard of yarn and knitting supplies. On this trip I discovered there are crochet supplies to be purchased there as well. I got two new crochet hooks and to new place holders. I didn’t get more yarn as I think my yarn box overflowing is proof that I don’t need more yarn but more time to work it all up into yarn creations!

March 27, 2014

3/27/2014

Spring has sprung in Zhengzhou. Emily (Wei Li Ping 位丽萍) a student, took me around the campus to view the flowering plants. We walked over to the playground (sports field) and had a look. We also saw new plants near the basket ball courts.

March 20, 2014

3/19/2014

March 20, 2014

Well the update since last time. I got to spend a lot of last week with my new friend before she went back to the UK. I did something that I’ve always wanted to do but never had the nerve to try it; we went square dancing at Einstein’s Statue. In the warmer weather you will often find groups of women who dance in parks through out the area. We were unsure as to how they would feel about two westerners joining in but there was no need for concern. We didn’t know the steps but some of the Chinese women there also didn’t know the steps. Sunday she left and some new EduLink teachers came. My friend Amos who introduced me to Sandra is back and there is a gentleman named Damien. I’m sure there are others but EduLink teaches intense classes and for short periods of time so the teachers tend to stay to themselves a bit more. There are exceptions; Amos, Sandra, and Damien are wonderful examples of that difference. Monday was just another teaching day but with a twist I had been working on catching a cold the whole winter turns to spring turns back to winter thing here. Teaching and having to talk hasn’t been doing much for my cold and for most of this week I’ve had to ask for another teacher to cover my classes. I taught on Monday, Tuesday is my day off. Wednesday and today Thursday I’ve had some one cover my classes. Emily and I will have a Chinese lesson tonight. I am not sure if Nate is going to join us or not.

I am getting along better in Chinese than I thought. I can now go to the second dining hall and order potatoes and meat (chicken, beef, or pork) in Chinese. The first time I ordered in Chinese the worker looked at me like, ‘She’s a foreigner, how can she be ordering in Chinese?’ Now it is an accepted thing.

I’ve been working away at my piano as well, love my Beethoven Sonata, and all the different types of Chopin piano pieces I am doing.

March 12, 2014

3/11/2014

March 12, 2014

Time flies when you are having fun! Last week my students read in class and this week they have to describe something by just holding it and not looking at it. Here’s the catch up on doings in China.

March 1 Saturday was Sandra’s birthday and she had a party at KTV. So after my piano lesson (I didn’t shine at it this week) I dashed home so I could be here to go to Sandra’s party at KTV. Sandra’s loads of fun and I love singing at KTV.

March 2 Sunday saw Carol teaching both Emily and I spoken Chinese. The class was fun, Emily and I just need to get together so we can practice our words before our next lesson. I didn’t want to cook so dinner was McDove’s and there was a Chinese couple who wanted to take my picture. My rule stands that if you get my picture then I need yours. I took their picture too.

March 4 Tuesday OUTINGS

Nena and I have Tuesday’s off from teaching so we usually go out together exploring. Normally we start by getting neck and back massages at the university ‘hospital’ and then off on some adventure. This day had us going to Wanda Plaza where we bought a lot of neat clothes had lunch in a little café and then went to Wal-Mart. It was in Wal-Mart that I saw the many different masks and took pictures to share. I also found zipper top storage bags and got Rick another teacher some aluminum foil.

March 6 & 7 there was a large street fair in front of the university.

March 8 Saturday I redeemed myself and had a wonderful lesson. My teacher was very pleased with the progress I had made on the Beethoven Sonata that I am working on. Back at the foreign teacher apartment building all was very still. Sandra arranged for a day trip to Lou Yang a city about 2 hours away from here. The trip was to go to see the Buddhist temples and grottos. A good amount of teachers went leaving only a few of us here in the apartment.

March 11 Tuesday OUTING

Nena and I were on a mission to get yarn so we went to the yarn stores that I found with Emily and visited with Sandra. After getting some beautiful yarn we got lunch at the baozi stand near the store. We then walked to Gong Ren Market where I bought yet another backpack. I started my latest crochet project, a sweater for me using the yarn I had gotten at the market. We also found a silk yarn and since Sandra also wanted silk yarn I got her some. All three of us crochet; think we need to start a club! Last night after dinner I noticed the local eye glass store is selling a brand of frames and using the name Helen Keller for the collection. That caught me funny as Helen Keller was blind and glasses, no matter how good or cute could not have made her see.

March 30, 2014

March 27, 2014

March 20, 2014

March 12, 2014

Toni McGuire

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