BTW, those are lady bugs on the pants.

Happy Guessing!

And I saw a Chinese pup sporting it on the street.

It’s so stinkin’ cute!

Can’t wait to dress my pup up in it!

seriously, it’s just tacky.

Julie (One of Momma Seip’s BFFs)

And the leading lady herself…

General Ma Dukes

She’s such a classy lady.

And I’m kinda tearing up at the thought of being able to squeeze the life out of her hug her in like a week and a half.

A WEEK AND A HALF!  AHH!

I’ll be making a list of everything I need to clean and prepare for their arrival, because that’s what good hostess does.

And I’m a good hostess

Also, highlight of the week:

Making a trip to IKEA!

Yay!

I’ll be picking up these bad boys:

A handy dandy garlic press.

(I eat so much garlic that it seems fitting.  And honestly, I’m sick of cutting my cloves into teeny weeny pieces and having them fly all over the counter and floor because I’m THAT uncoordinated.)

AND

A coffee press.

I must like things being pressed?

(The General and BFF will want some coffee to keep their anxiety down and spirits up while they’re soaking up this wonderfully different culture.  And since I’m allergic to caffeine (insert booing here) it’s a necessary buy for their visit since I’ve been sans one for a while now.)

Boo to caffeine allergies.

And YAY to moms coming to visit their favorite daughters in China!

Side note: Most of the students who are late are males, so I really don’t feel bad about making them sing (or mostly mumble) a few lines to their choice of song (see, I AM nice, I let them choose their own song!)

Most of the time their little faces turn red when I announce to the class we’ll have a short performance in honor of their tardiness.  This is generally followed by a pleading look of “please don’t make me do this” on the soon to be rock star’s face.  I don’t relent.  Then comes:

“Wo bu hui chang ge!”(I can’t sing!!!)

Me: Ni hui chang ge! (You can sing!)

Them: BU HUI chang ge!

Me: HUI chang ge! (Insert unsympathetic smiley face)

At this point I’m forced to give them some suggestions, and we all wait for them to realize I’m really not kidding.  Eventually (3 minutes later, I like to exaggerate) they start their ascent into stardom.  They finish their song and jet to their seat with a flushed face.  “Thank you”, I say, and remind the class that this is what happens if they’re late… or I see them on their cellphones… or if I hear them speaking Chinese in class…. or…. hmmm, maybe I AM a mean teacher

Here’s a video of a student who was late this past week.  Every once in a while you get a real gem up there singing…

This is what happens when you’re late to my class… from Bethany Seip on Vimeo.

Yep, you guessed it, I’m teaching freshmen this semester!  On top of 5 classes of Master’s students, I’ll be teaching freshman English majors on a sister campus of Nanjing Unv. of Sci & Tech.

I’m super excited!  Why?  Well, because they’re young and I love the excitement they have.  And it turns out I’m the first foreign teacher they’ve EVER had.  Which results in situations like this:

They all took out their phones to grab a picture of their crazy new foreign teacher.  So, I gave ‘em a little show… a pose here, a twirl there, and the crowd when nuts.

I LOVE freshmen!

I wanted to write a blog about how crazy Chinese IKEAs are but I never got any pictures of the action.

Here’s another person’s blog who took pics.  Yep, I’m stealing with zeal!  Enjoy!

http://techtravelandtuna.com/2010/10/20/beijing-china-the-people-of-ikea/

Setting:  A classroom of a fellow teacher’s English corner for his double-major students.

Characters: Me, Brian, and four other Chinese students.

Conversation:

• Me (facing Brian):  Hey guys, my name is Bethany, what’s your English name?
• Brian (with perfect English):  Hey, what’s up, my name’s Brian.
• Me (noticing he has on a Dallas Cowboy’s jersey):  Oh, you’re a Cowboys fan?
• Brian: Yea, what state are you from?
• Me: Uh, Pennsylvania (secretly wanting to ask him what state he’s from).
• Brian:  So, you’re an eagles fan.
• Me (thinking ‘what?!’):  No, I’m not actually, but I like the Phillies (hoping to stump him with the sports change).
• Brian: Really?  Well the Rangers beat the Yankees this morning.
• Me (really confused):  WHO are you?!

Setting:  Me talking to another group of students about how different regions in America have different accents.

• Me (across the room from Brian talking to other students):  Ok, so this is an example of a southern accent, “How y’all doing, would y’all like some sweet tea?”
• Brian (shouts across the room):  Your southern accent is uncanny!
• Me:  Seriously, WHO are you?!

Weirdest hour and a half of my life.  Are you Chinese?  Are you American?  Why do you have on a Cowboy’s jersey, Texas A & M hat (on backwards!!!) and a Jansport backpack?  How am I able to talk to you like you’re an American, but your other classmates are struggling to string a coherent sentence together?!

Brian told me his dream job would be to act on Broadway in New York.  I really would like to ask him if he struggles being Chinese.  This kid is American.  I mean American. Hardly had a hint of an accent.  Carried himself like an American.  Said American things.  How do you fit in in China?  You’re wearing American clothes, acting like one, and speaking like one.  Do you shut it off when you get back to your dorm? How do you relate to your peers?

Next time I see that kid, I’m gonna have a list of questions for him.  I’m still confused by him.

Here’s the list:

1. Eating cold duck. I don’t normally eat cold meat.  Too many germs.  I like my meat to be at lava temperature to ensure I don’t ingest other proteins such as worms or parasites.
2. A woman driving her car with a Cockapoo (cocker spaniel/poodle mix) sitting on her lap.  It had bows on it’s ears. Ummm, what do you think this is America?!
3. I ate a Jujube. While eating this tiny fruit, Rachel and I were at a loss for what we were actually eating.  Thank you Chinese/English dictionary for clearing this one up for us.
4. Our Chinese friend said she wants her son to study and then possibly live in America. This one blew my mind.  Most of the students I talk to say they would never leave China permanently.  Too much Chinese pride.  This woman was eager for her child to leave China.
5. She also said she doesn’t want to live with her son one day. I’m starting to think this woman isn’t actually Chinese.  Maybe she’s really Korean.  A Chinese mother who doesn’t want to suffocate her son and daughter-in-law with her presence and opinions?!
6. I made two 13 year old Chinese boys blush like little school girls. I asked them if they had girlfriends. Apparently that isn’t something  they’re use to being asked.   Or maybe 13 year old girl have cooties in China.

The biggest difference between Nanjing and Nanchang?

Nature.

The closest we got to nature in Nanchang was a random bird who lived in our kitchen vent (which we thought would actually make into our kitchen one day) and the occasional roach that we slaughtered with a blunt object of choice.

Today, I actually stopped and stared at a slug moving its way up a tree.  “Seriously?”, you may ask yourself.  Yes, because there are more trees on my new campus then in all of Nanchang, and I’ve been nature starved.  Here in Nanjing, we have beautiful birds colored with deep blue and green feathers, dogs that don’t have mange, all kinds of insects (ask me about this one in a few months), and lots, and lots, and lots of trees.  There are so many that they almost trick my lungs into thinking China isn’t single-handedly destroying my lungs.

Special shout out to Andy C. who keeps my blogging dreams alive.

The slug I stared at.

One of our many tree lined streets on campus!