You know, whenever there is a natural disaster we always see real-time pictures and video over the drama that it wrought. But we hardly ever see the after pictures or any of the clean up effort outside of the first few days. So how does a major natural disaster change
Seeing the Chinese Military Makes Me Nostalgic
Five years ago I wrote about military training in China, and how it is mandatory for all freshman college students before classes begin. I originally wrote about how it felt a little intimidating, but over the years my feelings have changed. Now I find it a symbol of the changing
Surviving the “Biggest Storm in the World!” (This Year, So Far)
Typhoons are just a part of life here in southern China, but I have never been worried about them. That’s because after two years and probably a dozen typhoons, nothing has ever happened. Sure, the media freaks out, trains and planes are cancelled, boats are called back to port, and
What it’s Like Taking a Intensive Chinese Class
So I just got back from a four-week intensive Chinese class, the second time I’ve taken one of these, and for those of you who are thinking of doing the same thing, I thought I’d write about my experience so you can decide for yourself. Four years ago I was
Back from the Paradise of Yangshuo, China
So I’m back from my summer holidays, and even though it’s a luxurious two months, it still seems to go by so quickly. I was in the small village of Yangshuo in Guangxi which is in southern China, studying Chinese. I’ll write another post about what it is like to
Being the Token English Speaker
“Becky, I think I made a friend mad,” a student wrote to me out of the blue. “What happened?” I asked. “I asked one of the foreign teachers for some help looking over my resume and he refused and was angry,” she said. “What did he say?” I asked feeling
Class is Over, Time to Hit the Road
Final exams have been given, grades submitted, and lots of selfies with students have been taken. The semester, and subsequently the school year, is finished! Boom. Add another notch to the belt. Year seven complete. So what to do now with my 2 months of freedom? Well, when you live
A Little Update
So a few things have been going on lately I wanted to mention. First, go over to Travis Lee’s blog to check out an interview with yours truly. He asked some good questions about my time in China and the changes I’ve seen. It’s kinda nice to remember how things were
The 2016 Becky Cup Badminton Tournament!!
This weekend was the 2016 Becky Cup! The event I have been planning and thinking about for months. How did it go? I’ll let the pictures do the ‘splaining: If that wasn’t stressful enough, at night I arranged a party on a rooftop of a local microbrew. So despite being
Teaching English in China–Final Exams!
Three years ago I came up with a great idea for the final exam in speaking class: each student has to teach 20 minutes of class. I did it once, three years ago, and haven’t had the opportunity to do it again…until this semester. With thirty students in a class