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avant-garde_chauvintist wandering through the garden of ideals

San Witkowski

CHINA | Wednesday, 26 Dec 2007 | Views [1419] | Comments [1]

In less than a 24-hours, there will be three (3, tres, san, THREE) Witkowskis wandering around the Asian continent.   Looking past the gigantic need to wash dishes, finish buying/wrappying gifts, and wash clothes, I could not be more excited about the ... Read more >

Tags: Adventures


Another day completed

CHINA | Tuesday, 18 Dec 2007 | Views [678] | Comments [1]

There was another young Chinese girl crying today, and this one was my fault. I gave back the presentation grades.  She's an excellent student, but she didn't do that well on the presentation.  She screwed up the group work portion and lost lots of ... Read more >

Tags: Work


Snow daze

CHINA | Wednesday, 12 Dec 2007 | Views [502]

I woke up Monday morning to snow. I was late to class, sore from climbing a mountain, and slipping all over the place in ice and snow. I wasn't even wearing a scarf because I was so late... My hair was wet with snowflakes by the time I made it to ... Read more >

Tags: Snow


I've never been this high in my life!

CHINA | Monday, 10 Dec 2007 | Views [610]

No, I haven't acquired an addition to opium -- although, every street vendor in China has opium pipes. This past weekend I climbed to the highest point I have ever encountered outside of an airplane! Case, Mario, and I decided that an escape from ... Read more >

Tags: The Great Outdoors


Gallery: Taishan

CHINA | Friday, 7 Dec 2007 | Photo Gallery

Climbing Taishan
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Thirsty for freedom

CHINA | Thursday, 6 Dec 2007 | Views [684] | Comments [2]

When I signed up to work in China, I had a singular mission: to see China. I prettied this up for my interview by saying as a journalist, it is important to understand different groups of people in order to report more accurately and fairly. But, ... Read more >

Tags: Culture


Beauty school

CHINA | Saturday, 1 Dec 2007 | Views [925]

Living in China, for me, is like going to a really ethnically singlular hair cutting school. For years, I've been cutting my own hair. It started after spending countless Saturday afternoons getting washed, cut, and styled...only to return home, ... Read more >

Tags: Relaxation


They weren't lying...

CHINA | Friday, 30 Nov 2007 | Views [500] | Comments [1]

...when they said you'd eventually use the math classes they force you to take.   Years of complaining about my potential as a starving artist being wasted away on pointless math classes has finally been proven wrong.  I just used every single bit of ... Read more >

Tags: Work


Giving thanks

CHINA | Tuesday, 27 Nov 2007 | Views [735] | Comments [2]

While it was nearly a week ago, I'm still dwelling on my Thanksgiving festivities. A summary: Case, Mario, and I, realizing that we're the only family we've got in this city, decided that having a proper Thanksgiving celebration was a definite must.... Read more >

Tags: Party time


Reading and writing

CHINA | Wednesday, 21 Nov 2007 | Views [554] | Comments [1]

I just finished a book by a writer.   What a novel idea, you might be thinking.  A book...written...by a writer? I know, I know.  It seems kind of silly.  But this book wasn't just a novel.  It wasn't just a non-fiction piece on some interesting ... Read more >

Tags: Relaxation


Expectant?

CHINA | Tuesday, 20 Nov 2007 | Views [515]

After realizing that my jeans are more than "there are no dryers in this country" loose and finding Chinese clothes that actually fit, I decided to do an inquistive weigh-in at the local Wal-Mart.  First I thought that gravity must have a different ... Read more >

Tags: People


Eastern emotions

CHINA | Monday, 19 Nov 2007 | Views [579] | Comments [1]

My observational abilities force me to see the stereotypes of this nation.  I witness the Chinglish signs and laugh to myself, I see the short little Asians constantly wearing heels, and I hear the now all too familiar out of tune piano sounds of Chinese.... Read more >

Tags: Culture


32 and 40

CHINA | Thursday, 15 Nov 2007 | Views [567] | Comments [1]

I was completely intimited by shopping in China.  Surrounded by the Asian shape that allows for squat toilets to be comfortable, I was convinced that there was no way under any circumstances that I would ever find any pants or shirts or shoes or anything ... Read more >

Tags: Shopping


Seasonal depression

CHINA | Wednesday, 14 Nov 2007 | Views [587]

One of the first people I met in Beijing was Johanna. She is a diplomat from Belgium, but she works at the Luxembourg embassy. The tales of her border crossings with a Luxembourg passport claiming her nationality is Belgian, comparing life stories, ... Read more >

Tags: Culture


I finally met a good one.

CHINA | Friday, 9 Nov 2007 | Views [614]

My days recently have been completely consumed: sleeping, eating, teaching, sleeping, sleeping, sleeping. In an effort to ward off the sickness that is trying to envelope my soul, I have taken to sleeping every single second that I'm not working or ... Read more >

Tags: People


Match making

CHINA | Tuesday, 6 Nov 2007 | Views [504]

I think I created a couple. A few weeks ago, I broke my students into groups and made them do presentations together. I didn’t think that there was a chance that these students didn’t know each other; they have all their classes together. But at ... Read more >

Tags: Work


A Friendly Debate

CHINA | Monday, 5 Nov 2007 | Views [534] | Comments [2]

All the rest that I achieved yesterday in lieu doing anything else must have paid off. Class today was amazing. I had briefly prepared a few things from the book that I wanted to cover but most of it was boring. And I knew that. But being occupied ... Read more >

Tags: Work


Another day in China

CHINA | Monday, 5 Nov 2007 | Views [794]

Today was typical.  It was life in China as I live it.  There is nothing particularly interesting or amazing to tell.  It wasn't a blah day.  But it wasn't an incredible day either.  I woke up around noon at Case's.  He and I chatted for a bit.  Then, ... Read more >

Tags: Relaxation


Gallery: Lama Temple

CHINA | Friday, 2 Nov 2007 | Photo Gallery

A day in enlightenment
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Hanging ten

CHINA | Friday, 2 Nov 2007 | Views [523]

Exactly one week since my first couch surfing experience, I will enjoying my first hosting experience. So it's not really strangers; it's Case and Mario. And, yes, they live in Beijing. And maybe they're freeloading to avoid paying a ridiculous ... Read more >

Tags: Work


Temples and temperature

CHINA | Thursday, 1 Nov 2007 | Views [503]

Wrapped in two jackets, a scarf, gloves, a sweater, a hat, socks, and sneakers, I set out to find enlightenment. I visited the Lama Temple today. I only have one class on Thursdays, and I've been meaning to get to some of the sites I haven't visited.... Read more >

Tags: Sightseeing


It's happened twice now.

CHINA | Wednesday, 31 Oct 2007 | Views [637] | Comments [1]

It's embarrassing to admit. Stories and warning are constantly shared about it. I don't even like tea. I've been scammed for tea twice. The first time I was shopping at a bookstore in a particularly touristy part of Beijing. This girl scared ... Read more >

Tags: Scams & Robberies


Gallery: Shanghai

CHINA | Tuesday, 30 Oct 2007 | Photo Gallery

Birthday fun in Shanghai
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Clogged Part II

CHINA | Thursday, 25 Oct 2007 | Views [586]

No longer issues with toilets.  Today, the adventures of living in China episode surrounds central heating.   Central heating doesn't currently exist in my apartment.  And this Louisiana girl is feeling it in the cold autumn tempertures of a higher ... Read more >

Tags: Adventures


Home remedies

CHINA | Wednesday, 24 Oct 2007 | Views [609] | Comments [1]

I keep forgetting that little thing about Third World Countries and toilets.  Like, the fact that you're not supposed to flush anything down them.  Because my foreign mind cannot remember the trash can next to the toilet serves a purpose, I just experienced ... Read more >

Tags: Adventures


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