The weather here is starting to get steamy.  It gets ridiculously hot and humid here and on top of it, sometimes it rains.  I might have mentioned this before, but a funny thing happens in the streets of Shekou during this time.  Because of the sticky weather, the men pull up their shirts halfway and walk around like this.  Now, look, I am not one to judge – okay, even I had to laugh at that one – but as far as different cultures, I usually just try to go with it.  It’s a when in Rome type thing.  However,…

Being an upper grade teacher usually involves field trips.  For me, it’s akin to going to the gym.  I don’t like the preparation, but once I am there, I am usually glad I went. This was the case for my most recent overnight field trip on Lantau Island. As a rule, I try not to talk about my job too much.  It seems that some teachers tend to talk about their classrooms just a bit too much for my taste.  I mean, as a teacher I don’t usually want to hear about it; I can’t imagine how boring it must…

English translation: You love your cell phone. What’s surprising to me is that the Chinese language isn’t that difficult.  The grammar is actually very straightforward.  For instance, if I am going to Hong Kong tomorrow the structure is ‘I tomorrow go to Hong Kong’ – subject, time, place, verb, object.  I am simplifying it, but that’s the gist. For me though, there is one aspect that makes it very challenging: Pronunciation.  Sure, some of the words seem similar -natian, jian, tian- but take for instance the word ‘nali’. Depending on how you say it, it means two different things. One…

There are two Chinese men in my apartment and one is half-dressed… it’s not as scandalous as it sounds, unfortunately.  They are the workers I hired to paint my place.  And you probably thought things were just getting interesting for me over here! I have been sticking close to home lately, just working and hanging out with friends.  It’s been an introspective time for me personally.  I am really looking forward to coming home this summer.  I literally can’t wait to hug my nephews and have my mom make me a sandwich.  I do love my mom.  Oh!  And head…