Leisure Time

Classes are finished. Matt's grades are turned in, and Amy is finishing up grading. And... we still have a week and a half to go, which means free time! We are doing lots of good-bye lunches, some packing here and there, and enjoying some of our favorite China things for the last time!

Last weekend, we hosted a big dinner for many of our good friends. It was great to get everyone together in one room.

Like we said, we've also had some free time, during which Matt finally learned how to play Chinese Chess.

Indoor Yard Sale

In America, there are yard sales happening on nearly every street this time of year. But in China, not so much. Until recently, second-hand goods were very taboo, as it was thought that evil spirits could live in the objects and be passed on to the new owner. These days, atheism has pretty much nixed the belief in any spirits, but second-hand goods still haven't taken off too much.

When I mentioned having a yard sale in my classes, though, my students were pretty excited. The indoor yard sale (it's too hot to do it outside) began at 10am this morning, and we had students waiting outside even before then. It was a much bigger success than we could have ever expected and, more importantly, a lot of fun! We were even able to hand out some good materials at the event.

A Bit Overwhelmed

This week has been a bit crazy, as Matt is finishing his final exams and I am giving my last week of classes. We're feeling a bit overwhelmed these days and are having a hard time figuring out how to balance our time, a feeling which (to be honest) could easily lead to giving up and spending the evenings doing not much of anything. Please continue to lift us up. We have only 17 days left here, and we really do want them to be meaningful ones.

Despite the three-day holiday promising rest and relaxation, it has been crazy here lately! We are trying to hang-out with people, wrap things up, say good-byes, pack, finish classes...

It's a bit overwhelming, but to prove to my dad that I am not procrastinating on packing, here is visual proof of my efforts (during the holiday, no less)!

Weekend Photos

Paparazzi

Having lived here a while, we have come to appreciate celebrities' complaints about the paparazzi. Seriously, just let people be! Although we are, by no means, celebrities, the Chinese like to take sneaky shots of foreigners on buses, in restaurants, everywhere. We've gotten pretty good at averting these photos--turning our heads, lowering hats, etc. But occasionally, we get caught. This one was shot by my student last week.