I'm not Chinese, I'm American!‏

Hello friends and family!

It feels like it's been ages since I've written to you guys, but in reality it's probably been a week. China time is really weird. It feels like I've been gone for 6 months, when really it's been two months. Life in America really seems so long ago. I try to remember what it's like, and I usually just draw a blank. How weird is that? The other day I had a momentary freak out when I was given a fork and I couldn't remember how to use it. Janae looked at me like I was crazy and showed me how to use it. Talk about embarrassing!

Life in Guzhen is still crazy as ever. It's the Lighting Fair, which is apparently a big deal, so we have people from all over the world coming to Guzhen to buy lights. We've even cleaned up our streets and decorated a little bit for the occassion! There's not nearly as much trash in the streets. Someone finally picked up all the food garbage in the tunnel that had been sitting there for 3 weeks. It's about time!

I met a couple from Lebanon who had come to Guzhen to buy lights, that's really the only reason any one would ever come to Guzhen. It took everything I had to talk to them. It took about 5 minutes to determine that they were speaking English and then to muster up the courage to talk to them. I'd never been so nervous in all my life! Apparently I've lost my skills to initiate conversations in the English language. Which is weird, because I talk to the Chinese people in English. It's so strange. Once I got the ball rolling with this couple, the conversation flowed nicely. It was the womans first time to China and she hated it. She was apalled that when she ordered chicken it came to her with feathers and a face. I agreed with her that that was a hard thing to overcome and I had just about given up meat completely. She was amazed that we used squatters and was trying to think of every possible way we could build a toilet in our apartment. I think she was about ready to go buy us a toilet she was so disgusted. They were a very nice couple, I hope she left China with better experiences.

We had Amanda's birthday party on Sunday. Alice wanted to throw a party so she invited all the Kindergarten teachers and our headmaster. Amanda and I thought we needed to liven the party up a bit and decided to invite Bank man and post office man. We had Alice write up invitations and we delivered them on our weekly visits to the bank and post office. Both said they would come, but who really knew. So we had the party on Sunday and it was great fun. We made dumplings with the teachers and the head master. The process is rather disgusting, but they actually tasted pretty good. To our surpise, Bank man came to the party and had even brought a friend. Post office man never showed. So Bank man, Zhang Ming, was there and things got a little awkward. Our relationship had only previously consisted of bogus emails where I usually had no idea what he was saying, and random conversations at the bank with a piece of glass between us. Now we were on a date, and everyone knew it. Alice was so giddy, it was the strangest thing. Poor Bank man. I think I was far too forward for him. We watched the fireworks (by the way, China fireworks are way cooler than American fireworks) and had even linked arms! Things were getting way serious fast! He even let me hug him goodnight! It was an awkward hug, but a hug none the less. I thought I had blown my chances with him, I had been extremely bold and overbearing. I was afraid I blown everything! But then, he emailed me TWICE! I couldn't make sense of either of them, but I'm taking that as a good sign.

My relationship with Alice has evolved into something very peculiar. Things started to get weird about a month ago when she said she wanted to adopt me. I thought that was just Alice being her typical crazy self and thought nothing of it. But then this week, things got shady fast! The other day she wouldn't stop starring at me, and when I told her to stop she told me she couldn't because she was "attracted by me" and that was slightly creepy. Then later that day she told me she loved me and wanted to "put her heart in my heart". I don't even know what that means. But it creeped me out a little bit. Then last night she proposed to me! I turned her down. I don't know what she's thinking. So while Alice is falling in love with me, I've discovered great joy in scaring her. Last night we were at the school decoarting the classroom for Halloween and I hid in the backroom with a witch mask. I jumped out and she screamed! It was great. Other times, I try to scare her and she looks at me like I'm the biggest fool ever. She's plotting a revenge, I can tell. The other day she scared me pretty well, not even trying and she told me "I revenge". That was slightly creepy. Oh Alice. What a crazy one she is!

The kids are doing really well. I love them all and we have great fun together. Yesterday Davy got his head stuck in his chair, it was a little stressful, but I finally got it out. Devan is still dancing his heart out. I love to watch him. He's such a flamboyant boy. Leo and I are planning a way to get him back in the States with me. We've been practicing "I'm not Chinese, I'm American". He just needs to memorize it and drop the accent, and we're home free. I just hope he doesn't say it at home. I've been a bad teacher, I break the number one rule, No Chinese. The kids think it's so funny when I say something in Chinese. Today we were counting in English and then I just started counting in Chinese instead. Addison is always the first to catch on when I do it, and the most persistent in making me sit in the Chinese chair. The kids really are so cute and it's going to be so hard to say goodbye to them.

My ELE classes are going pretty well too. With Julia leaving, I had to take an extra class. Her kids are so smart. I haven't bonded with them yet, so it's not as fun to teach them. Give it a week and I'll be in love. My regular ELE class is so crazy! I love those kids! They always swarm me with hugs and high fives when I'm leaving their class. The other day in their attempt to do so, I guess one of the kids tripped and fell and knocked over all the other kids. I look down and there's a pile of 15 kids on the ground. It was the most ridiculous thing. I laughed so hard. That poor kid on the bottom. He seemed okay the next time I went to that class. Even my screaming babies are getting better. I had a good portion of them singing Popcorn Popping about a week ago, but I lost them again. So I'm back to only 6 kids singing with me, while the rest just stare at me. At least everyone wears pants now. Well, most of the time. And only one or two babies cry. I'd much rather have two babies cry than 30. But I'm keeping the faith! By the end of the semester, all 30 babies will be singing Popcorn popping, if it's the last thing I do!

This picture is of my original homeroom class, before everyone was switched around! I miss my old group, but my new one is good too. Leo is sitting next to me, then going around the table is Davy, Josh, Kevin (who apparently didn't get the memo we were taking a picture and didn't move his head), Maggie, Lily, and Carol.

Well friends, I believe that is all for now! I believe someone counted down and we only have 58 days left. That really saddens me. But that's good for you guys! You'll be seeing my bright and shiny face again! I love you all and hope you're doing well!

Cami