There’s no getting around it: my campus is one of the most beautiful in China. The college is nestled in the foothills of Lin’an, and while we have a dirty, fast moving city to the south of the college, the north is entirely wild with mountains, footpaths, hidden lakes and
My New Teaching Policy
The Chinese school system is pretty strict when it comes to attendance. If a student needs to miss a class because they are sick, or have an appointment, or need to catch a bus, they always ask for permission beforehand. My personal policy is “no biggee.” I don’t keep track
The One Time I Leave my House Without a Camera….
I got suckered into being a dancing monkey speaking english for 30-minutes to a group of 3rd graders at our library. before I left the house my hand hovered over my camera. Should I? Â I decided naaah, it was just a bunch of snot turkeys little kids, and I was
This Explains a Few Things
You might have noticed I’ve been a little light on the blog posts lately. I typically average 3 posts a week, but for several weeks I’ve only managed a paltry 2. That’s because I’m busy. Crazy busy. This is the busiest semester I’ve had since coming to China. And I’m
My Commute
I’ve lived and worked in a lot of places, all with different commutes. When I lived in New Hampshire and worked at a local stationary store, my commute was a 10 minute walk along a river. Once I saw a moose. When I lived in L.A. I had one of
I Thought it Would be Fun……
My writing students keep a weekly “adventure journal.” Every week at the start of class I tell them a new adventure to go on some point during the week. Previous adventures have included keeping a dream journal, having a conversation with a tree, and trying a new type of food.
Chicken, Worm, Bunny and Cops: The Many Shapes of China
Recently, the China Daily Show had a funny article about the importance of Tibet and Xinjiang not because of political or economic reasons, but because of the shape. A senior Ministry of Interior Affairs official has claimed that the principal reason behind China’s annexation of Tibet and Xinjiang was to
Horrors in the Lunch Line
Sometimes I’m busy and just don’t want to deal with going to a restaurant and wasting my lunch break. So I eat at the school cafeteria. The quality is just as dismal as you might think (lukewarm food, prison issue metal trays) but they tend to have a wide variety
The Bank of Becky's Class
I’m teaching history this year, which is not my field of expertise. In fact, you could call me a history dummy. Oh sure, I know about, say, Lincoln’s assassination, but if you asked me the date of when it happened I have no idea. I’m not into things like dates
Is China Preparing for an Attack?
I’m awoken at 6 am.m by the sound of marching feet and screaming soldiers. “One, two, three, four,” the officers shout. “One, two, three, four” the soldiers shout back in unison. What’s going on? Are we being attacked? Is there a national crisis? Has the sleeping dragon woke? Nope, it’s