I always like to have a little fun with my students. So, naturally, I decided to scare them all in class by telling them, "I decided the final would actually be TODAY!" It was absolutely hilarious. The students just stared at me with completely blank faces and some just yelled, "NOOOOOOOOO." Then I finally told them I was kidding and that it won't actually be for a few more weeks. Some laughed, some sighed in relief, and I'm pretty sure some still want to kill me.
There really isn't a whole lot to blog about, so I'll be keeping this one short and simple. Also, I plan to talk about my upcoming plans which will definitely result in some future, EPIC, blog posts. So, get ready for that.
My Hair:
Still no hair cut…. I got a hair cut the day I left America (August 9th). You do the math. My hair has never been longer than it is right now. And I must say, it's getting a little out of control…
Yeah, pretty damn long… (Haircut scheduled for early January….)
In other news, I did just take a final for my Chinese class. It actually went very well. I did really well on my final and the teachers were impressed. I have come so far since I first came to China. My tones have improved dramatically and my vocabulary is becoming much more extensive. However, this does mean that my Chinese classes are over for the semester… I will have to practice on my own until they start again next term. I definitely plan to do that by using various websites as well as meeting with students who are willing to help me practice my Chinese.
Vacation time is almost here!
We have a pretty epic vacation planned. We just recently bought our flight tickets to Thailand. James, Devin, and I will be going to Thailand in mid-January. We originally planned to travel to Thailand in the most awesome way possible; unfortunately, it didn't work out…
Our Original Plan:
- 18 hour train ride to Kunming. 2 days of exploring and living it up in Kunming
- 7 hour bus ride to Xishuangbanna. We planned to ride elephants here for a day
- Get on a boat, 12 hour boat ride on a river through Laos and eventually into Thailand.
- Arrive in Chiang Saen, spend the night
- Take a 5 hour bus ride to Chiang Mai and spend a day or two there
- Then take a 24 hour train ride into Bangkok
Unfortunately, this did not work out. Because of our complicated visa situation (I still am using a tourist visa and need to leave the country every 90 days) we would not have been able to get out of China in time for this to work out.
Our New Plan:
- 5 hour plane ride to Bangkok
Not nearly as cool of a way to travel. But, this does allow us to do a lot more in Thailand. We plan to spend a few days in Bangkok, where I can visit a friend who is teaching just outside of the city. We will then spend the next two weeks traveling south, by train, to various cities and beaches. We will travel all the way into Malaysia. I will then fly out of Kuala Lumpur to meet my mom and dad in Beijing.
I'm pretty excited to finally see my family. Not only that, but they get to see China! We plan to travel throughout China, including; Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, and Hong Kong. I'm pretty stoked.
I will not be able to blog for about a month while I am traveling; however, you can expect some pretty awesome blog posts once I come back.
More blog posts to come before I leave for vacation, don't worry.
Jono
