Stephen

Ramblings of a seriously bored person in Hainan, China

Wow, 12 grand hits.

Well, it seems that in the last couple of days, my website has passed the 12 thousand hits mark.. I guess SOMEONE is reading this at least. :) Thanks everyone.

Well, today, I experienced the first PTM (parent teachers meeting) in my class today. We had the last class before October Festival today, and then afterwards, all the parents and our principal got together in a little classroom to have all the parents enroll their children for our next 'semester'. Due to there being over 40 kids, it was obvious we had to split the kids into two different classes, because I sure as heck am not teaching a class of 40, although all Chinese teachers do. The problem in that lies in that I am the only foreign teacher for the Branch School that I work at.. so there will not be another foreign teacher to teach the other class. Most of the parents are ok with this though, because my translators English is also very good, and they opted to split them into two classes, one being with me, one being with my translater. There was only one problem, I had 35 enroll for my class, and 5 enroll for hers. I wasn't there afterwards to figure out how everything turned out ( I went outside to keep the kids quiet) but I guess I will be finding out after the holiday.

Well, i'll be going back to the States in about 5 months. I will miss my 127 students here a lot. I will miss being called 'elephant, lizard, eleven,' and all those fun names...

Today and tomorrow a decently powerful typhoon is supposed to be coming through Hainan. The winds are picking up rapidly outside even now. A few friends and I had signed up to play in a basketball tournament this weekend, but it doesn't seem like that will work. Too bad. 

Besides that, nothing new. Write more later.

 

--Stephen

posted by: stephenthegreat at 19:31 | link | comments (13) |

Help..

Would someone mind telling me if  my side panel picture loads when you visit here? It doesn't for me..

 

Thanks

--Stephen

posted by: stephenthegreat at 08:57 | link | comments (12) |
china, hainan, haikou city, teaching english

Life in Hainan These Days

Well.. I figured since it's been a while since my last post.. I would write a little bit of life in Hainan these days.

The other day a couple of friends from the States came over, they will be staying for a year. I was out taking them around Haikou, showing them all of the good shopping areas and other stuff... when we say a place to make t-shirt. I guess you could say we are cut-ups, so we couldn't let this opportunity to make ourself look like stupid American tourists pass us by. We decided to make two shirts that said "Shuai ge" on it... Which translated means basically handsome devils or something like that. Because one of my friends was Irish, he put a four leaf clover with his.. So now we have two Americans walking in town with "Shuai ge" (in Chinese characters) written on a shirt. A foreigner in Hainan is already stared at, but now with this, it's just plain hilarious. We both wore our shirts to English corner tonight... I don't think we ever heard the last of it.. from "vain", to "I like it", to "sexy", everyone definitely spoke their minds. Quite funny.

Lately, there's also been a trend that I have posted about before. I play basketball here at the college every day. Jamie, (www.doominchina.motime.com) used to be at this college also about 2 years ago. At the time I was a 14 year old who.. well.. sucked at basketball. Now, though, I've gotten taller, bigger, and better. Anyways, everyone who plays basketball, (that previously knew Jamie) tell me almost on a daily  basis, "Wow! Are you Jamie's little brother??" "You look JUST LIKE Jamie!" (Jamie, remember the art teacher? He swears i'm a clone of you!)

I in no way come close to remembling Jamie. Jamie has short blondish curly kinda hair, I have brown longer straight hair. I don't know how to explain.. but we in no way look alike. I'll have to post a picture of me and Jamie on here.... but yes, they swear I am Jamie's twin/clone. Either one, they say. Jamie DEFINITELY could not put on one of these "Shuai ge" shirts, unlike me. (j/k Jamie)

I started school, (My junior year, only one more left!) and I start again teaching at the kindergarten very soon also... so things are gonna start being hectic again! I wish the summer would just come back....

Well getting late, have to wake up early in the morning for school.

 

--Stephen

 

posted by: stephenthegreat at 00:19 | link | comments (3) |
china, hainan, haikou city, teaching english