observations and randoms.

It's that time of the semester where everything is spinning.

I take the HSK next weekend so panic has officially set in. Like - can't sleep, awkward sweating, losing things in plain sight...panic. Bah.

Next week is finals week and so all my classes are wrapping up. Many of my classmates are checking out early (skipping exams, lucky ducks) to go travel before returning home, so there are a lot of goodbyes going on.

But what's most recently been going on in my brain is disecting my interactions at work.

Last night at the hospital we were doing a speaking activity I not-so-cleverly named, "Talk Three." Basically, I ask a question and students must respond with 3 answers. Like, "what are three things you can't do?" Then a student responds with, "fly a plane because my eyesight is too bad, go to bed wihout washing my feet, and lie to my parents." (actual answers).

One of my pre-planned questions was, "What are three things you like about yourself?"

Homeslices could.not.answer. this question. Like, it was a good 15 minutes of awkwardness and quietness and misunderstanding.

I gave them the example, "I like my hair. I like my ability to learn languages and I like that I am sentimental."

Sweet doctors and nurses just could not do it. I got a lot of responses like this, "I like sports. I like cooking. I like when my son hugs me."

I would explain over and over that it is not things they like, but rather things they like about themselves. I explained it in Chin.ese. I explained it in English. But they could not answer correctly.

Finally one outgoing female doctor raised her hand, "I like my small eyes. I like my strong body (she is bigger than the average girl here). And I like that I can swim."

BINGO.

I have several ideas about why this was so hard for them. Still processing those.

In other news, I've been given the task of giving English names to the hair washers at my hair place. So far we have my two hair-washer besties who are now known as Glen Wu and Joey Chen. ahha. Names are serious business. But giving names to people who don't know the least bit of English is funny. I keep leaving them messages online, but then I get phone calls soon after with them proclaiming, "How do you read that name?" hahahaha. Sweet souls.

Well, another random update complete. There's just too much going on. I'm sure you can relate.

Here, have some pictures for sitting through all this randomness!

me and TingTing, my friend turned listening class teacher

one of my fave fast-food meals. fried egg and veggie noods. yummy yummy. This whole bowl of warm mushy sometimes-diarrhea-inducing goodness for only $1.75.

walk slow. xoxo.