Over already? To and from New York, New Jersey

Remember when I said I would have plenty of time to catch up on posts, finally get around to the second Tokyo trip (amazing), and maybe a few others that have been left to linger on the dusty back shelf?

Well, I lied.

The time is gone, and now all of sudden, we're back, but not really. I'm staring out onto a harbor dotted with islands. Next to our (temporary) apartment is a fish market, and from our modest 11th floor window in Aberdeen, I see small boats weaving around one another, workers lumbering among trucks, and an ever-changing sky. It's sticky, humid, and hot. Any second may bring a deluge of rain. Across from us is our probable future home, Ap Lei Chau (Duck Tongue Island), a tiny island almost completely covered by high rise buildings.

That's right, we made it. We're in Hong Kong.

I can feel my brain rewiring to the sounds of Cantonese. I imagine these as slight indentations located somewhere in the back of my brainstem, where the scraps on my 2nd language skills try to claw its way to occupy a useful place. All of a sudden, I'm back in the majority, barely worth a second glance (though that is true of home too).

Before I get into Hong Kong (after all, this is our first day here as real residents), I should talk about home first.

(A brief layover in Vancouver. Canada, we hardly knew ya).

Allendale, New Jersey--Manhatten--Queens

These were the places we split our three weeks. Our first week back was a haze of freakishly nice weather and a steady prescription of turkey sandwiches at our favorite deli (Lotitos in Ramsey, NJ) and naps (taken when needed, and often).

I had honestly forgotten the beauty of a blue sky. Throughout our stay at home, I would be constantly amazed by the layers of white clouds.

Our welcome home barbeque. There's Uncle Bill.
Remember us, new york?

One of our most memorable trips was a visit to the Cloisters up by Washington Heights.




We liked it.

Herbs.


My other mom and dad. Thanks!

After the Cloisters, cole and I decided to go downtown to the High Line Park, which was still under construction last time we were home.
The High Line Park at the moment runs from 20th to around 9th street along the west side, kinda around the West Village, Meatpacking District, and Chelsea.

I'm not sure why I love the grit of New York, especially when I don't like the grit of say...Xi'an, but I do.

It was a bit strange seeing American flags. Part of the reverse culture shock we had upon arrival (so so many white people, can't figure out suburban town life) which only alleviated when we were in nyc.

After the High Line, cole mentioned that she wanted an egg tart and milk tea. Ok Chinatown it was, except Chinatown was ten blocks down and maybe nine avenues over. Heck, we were in the city, we walked it.

We stopped at possibly our (new for us, not so much for everyone else) favorite bookstore, Jackson McNally on Mulberry and Prince.

Yes, I bought some books.

Well, I'll end this here. For some reason, I didn't take that many photos while I was at home, and thus missed documenting some great meals, including a week where I hunted down all of the simple favorites I wouldn't be able to get soon. (pizza at grimaldis, cannolis, nathan's hot dog, carvel, baked ziti, cheesesteak, etc....nothing fancy here). The only thing I didn't get to was a good knish and matza ball soup. Oh well, I hear there's a Jewish deli somewhere in Hong Kong.

Other things happened. The DMV, family gatherings, a short stay in Brooklyn, various Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese pig-outs, the All Points West Music Festival in Jersey City (rained on us all day, but the National and Yeah Yeah Yeahs were incredible. Vampire Weekend was ok. Jay-Z? Skipped out before he got on).

But for now, I'm going to head down in search for my first pork bun since being back.

See you later.

One week left

Just wanted to come out and say hey. Just one week left! The kids have been strangely well-behaved, maybe it's because they know we only have a few days left together. Most of them have accepted that I'm leaving after this year, but a few still tell me everyday not to go, (by tell, I mean moan in a zombie-like way "noooooo, don't gooooooo."

Anyway, this week has been mostly about reviewing for the final and signing yearbooks. Now, I'm not exaggerating by saying that our students have taken yearbook signing to a new level; it's basically an artform. Not only do they write messages, they form intricate shapes, draw amazingly fun pictures, and sometimes, even create entire new inserts when there isn't enough room left in the yearbook. I'll have a few kids sign mine and see what comes of it. I'm already feeling the pressure to make my messages to them meaningful yet visually interesting as well.

Our apartment is half-packed, as are our clothes. Everything is slowly coming to a close. Then, it'll be time for Japan again, then home, then hong kong.

Posting should be much easier soon, so the updates will come more frequently. Until then.

-d

With two weeks left, peeking out from the firewall

Hi there, I know it's been awhile, but lately it's been pretty hard to do anything internet related. With only two weeks left of teaching though, I thought I should post a mini-retrospective...in list form (because laziness is catching up with me).

Oh, did I mention that last Friday there was a hail storm? Yes, a hail storm in Shanghai in JUNE. I got one right on the noggin too, right in that soft spot of my skull that never closed, which might explain why most of my mental processes this year...have...um...what?

Right, lists, or hailstorms. No, lists.

5 Things I wish I knew before I came to Shanghai (also written in advice column format)

1. That I should have brought much much much less stuff. Really, pack as light as possible.
2. That the restaurant with the green sign across from the school? the one with the glowing fish--is awful, and they charge foreigners extra.
3. That I would end up worrying about my kids so much. Seriously, some of the things that have been happening this second semester are crazy. Hmm, I would go into it, but not really my place to broadcast these events.
4. That living in Shanghai, although challenging, really does dull the senses. Keeping outside interests is key, (and by that I don't mean going out to every bar) otherwise you might literally feel your mind slipping away.
5. That living with and working with those very same people takes some getting used to (what is this "being social" thing you speak of?)

Top 5 things I will miss
1. The kids
2. Hypocritical I know, but, working five minutes from where I live (with free rent)
3. Everything being 1/4 to 1/2 the price of things at home
4. The French Concession
5. Being with cole all of the time

Top 5 things I'm looking forward to during our one month stay back in ny/nj
1. Seeing friends and fam
2. Being understood when speaking/understanding when spoken to
3. People that don't look that similar to me
4. FOOD!
5. Being back in nyc/museums/concerts

Eventually,once we get further away from this firewall. Pictures of Korea and Suzhou (China) will pop up, along with some I've took of the kids and various outings we've had over the last few months.

Alright, sorry about typos, but at least I posted right?

blogger denied

oh middle kingdom, why don't you like blogs? just wanted to let you all know that blogger/blogspot is blocked, making posting super convoluted and time-consuming.

so it'll be a bit quieter than usual in these parts. hope to post more soon (I already uploaded half of the korea pics too!).

wacky kids

Here are some pictures of my kids and their posters. Most of them are from an project I gave them where they had to create a new invention and then present it in TV commercial format. This is my new Japanese kids group: Yuna, Rin, Masaya, and Ikumi.

This was their invention, a mask that enhances the natural senses of the wearer. For being my newest students, they did a great job; they even made a real mask.

This one is from Helen, June, and Soohyun. They had a magic door that could take you anywhere in the world. Note the penguin interface. In a total coincidence, I saw Helen in a random bookstore when I was in Seoul. Then I visited her grandmother's museum. I'll give you the full details in the Korea post, but it was a kinda amazing experience.

Battleship Yamato from Chie, Takashi, JH, and Rex. Who's going to buy this, I asked them. Anyone! they responded. What about terrorists? Sure! We'll sell it to anyone!

My blog is doing that annoying thing again where the pictures won't post correctly, but this is the Lazy Chair from Andrew, Leo, Joyce, and Jenny. It has a speaker, tv, arms to help you do homework--the works.

A time travel clock (perhaps lifted from the Treehouse of Horror Simpsons episode I showed them a few days before).

This is from my Korean boys, and I still can't figure out what exactly it is. They tell me that it can turn into anything. "Anything?"
"Yes, it can turn into another Mr. Wong to teach us!"

Ah, the Nick Key. A key that will open any door.

Hayabusha, a hovering bike that you should not ride unless "you want to suicide yourself"

The Help Driving Robot, from Korean girls Betty, YeSeul, and Stella

Hmm, a strange-looking pen from what's left of the Japanese Triangle: Maki, Rika, with hong kong girl Judy added on.

This from another Jenny, a drawing bunny.

Actually from my ecology & evolution class. A poster from four Japanese girls depicting Darwin's theory.

JiYoon. He got a 96 despite bad handwriting.

Shone (he of "emission" fame). He did manage a 91.

School lunch and Joyce bread

I get some questions now and then about what school lunch is like. Also, remember Joyce? I mentioned awhile back about how she's always eating some kind of bread in my class. Well, here then, is a week's worth of lunch and Joyce bread. Enjoy.

The lunch line.

Monday
Sweet and sour (chicken?), random cooked vegetable, and eggplant. Doesn't look appetizing, but this is one of the better combinations. The sweet and sour chicken is usually heavily breaded and fried, but when compared to typical US takeout, it's actually solidly good. The eggplant is mushy MSG goodness. The greens? Pass.

Joyce bread: some kind of pre-packaged ham and cheese sandwich.

Tuesday
Ah, random balls, taro perhaps? Hard to tell, even with one in your mouth (that's what she said). The brownish stuff is curry chicken (cole's staple lunch choice), which is next to a celery pork mix. Eh.

Joyce bread: two, two tuna sandwhiches. tuna was a theme that week.

Wednesday

no lunch? Actually, I'm pretty sure that we got fed up that Wednesday and went to the nearby Shanghai South Station for lunch instead. If you are reading this and will be living on Baise Lu someday (first, really? are you sure? secondly, think it over...hard), the South Station will be your closest haven of edible food.

Joyce bread: different roll, but still the same tuna/corn/carrot filling.

now remember, Joyce is sneaking bites of this during class!

Thursday
Oh, finals chicken, why are you so good? A bit of history; during our finals last semester, we received actual chicken breasts (what no bits? no. bones? yes, this be china). and they were tender, and tasty, and amazing. From then on we dreamed of finals chicken. Occasionally we would be teased by finals chicken; we would see a few people with it, but by then it would be all gone, or they would bring it out after we had finished lunch (it would be for the next lunch period). Yet, on the rare rare lunch day, we would have finals chicken. This was such a day, and it was good. Try to ignore the clear tasteless soup and mushroom fiesta combo.

Joyce bread: more tuna, but on a different roll. the drink is chocolate soy milk. you would think that with all this bread that joyce would be a bit big, but she is a little Hong Kong girl.

Friday

One of the only things worth looking forward to. Cole is not a fan, but Friday soup is a bit hit with us foreign teachers. Like a sweet campbells tomato soup, with cabbage thrown in, Friday soup has a tangy zing with a ketchup bouquet. I like mine with a dollop of rice steeped within it. Next to that is the famous Shanghai pork dish that consists mostly of a thick layer of pure pork fat. Not bad, but I'm a bad Chinese person--I rip off the fat with my chopsticks. And, immediately adjacent to the pork is my favorite tofu dish. Basically spicy tofu. Oh, and some balls, what's a lunch without balls?

Joyce bread: not positive, but this is either filled with banana or pork. next to that is regular soy milk

And that's it for this post. Anyone up for a tuna sandwhich?