I've been busy the last few days as I've been preparing and presenting a bunch of classes. The freshmen and graduate school classes started this week which added an additional 8 hours of class time to my schedule. Mondays and Tuesdays are by far the busiest but so long as I stay on top getting copies made and preparing plans in advance, I should be just fine. I introduced public speaking to my classes on Monday and amazingly it went really well. My students get a kick out of watching me "perform"...when I got to talking about delivery and good presentation body language, they were all giggles. They think I'm hilarious. I also performed a "good speech" and a "bad speech" and had them critique me. They were all about telling me exactly what I did wrong and counting how many times I said "um" and all of that. I was thoroughly entertained and pleased to see that at least they understood the concepts. Actual speeches by them start next time so we'll see how much the ideas stick and if they can apply them to their own speaking.

I'm really enjoying teaching this week. Last week, I wasn't as much. I think the key is preparation. I'm an organized person and it kills me when I'm not ahead of the plan. Good learning experience, to be sure.

Yesterday was a long but fruitful day. I had two freshmen classes in the morning at the new campus (about a 40 minute bus ride) then had to come back to the old campus for a grad school class, then had to go BACK to the new campus to meet with my Chinese tutor. Too much commuting and I have to use the public bus in the afternoon because the timing of the school bus doesn't coincide. Public bus is ALWAYS crowded and a little exhausting, but it's not that big of a deal, just a minor inconvenience.

I got off the bus about 6:30 last night and was walking to find some place to get some quick dinner when all of a sudden some jackass on a motorcycle comes up behind me on the sidewalk and starts blaring his horn. I glance back and move as is the protocol around here when I hear him yell "get the f*** out of the way" I was like wait a second, the Chinese don't yell at people, they just honk incessantly...turns out it was Stephen, my friend from Boston, passing through on his way to dinner with a friend. (It's ok, he was just joking, of course) He asked if I'd eaten and wanted to join him and I was like sure. And then he asked if I was comfortable on the back of a bike...Mom don't read the rest of this paragraph...and I said heck yes! and jumped on the back and scooted through town. Motorcycles, I have decided, rock my socks and Stephen offered to teach me how to drive when he found out it was my first time to ride one and I wasn't scared. *happy dance* Ok Mom you can start reading again now.

We went to an amazing Korean bbq place that is impossible to find, down a bunch of back alleys at the end of this dead end drive. It's a tiny hole in the wall place but is always jam packed and is better than anything you could get at some expensive restaurant in Korea town. Lucky me!

Had a very productive and illuminating conversation with Weige last night about some important issues. He's still not back from Guangzhou but should be returning within the next two weeks. To be continued...

Oh, something I thought was interesting/flattering. A few of my students have taken to giving me pictures of themselves with the hope that I will remember them forever. It's very sweet actually. It was funny too, I always take a picture of each of my students the first day so that I can use it for grading and stuff. Well yesterday, my second class thought it was only fair for all of them to take pictures of me. The paparazzi out en force: