Jupe

This is me signing off folks! My new blogsite will be at the following location: http://elchinoamericanexpat.blogspot.com/ I have already posted an entry there to welcome you all. Please e-mail me at darbyji@gmail.com if you would like to be added to my new blog list.... read more

So yes, this is possibly my last entry to those of you avid readers of mine (if I have any). It was suggested to me that I continue writing, however I have previously decided that I am no longer a traveler and that this particular blog site may not be suitable for me. Don't worry I will let you know when I select a good blog site for me what my new page is. Also I have recently discovered that the writing on this page is too tiny and very difficult for me to read (as I write). 90/60. I heard a slightly sad "joke" today in class. I was in a business intermediate class talking to the students about media. One of the students had already brought up the Carrefour incident. For those of you ... read more

I love the fact that my ipod is filled with songs of different languages, embrace the fact that I can speak other languages, love the idea that my children will be able to speak more languages from the beginning (unlike myself or my husband did when we were growing up). These are things that are a part of me. I have to deal with the fact that English is becoming a universal language but I can fight it in my own ways. I get fed up with Chinese people who randomly speak English to me after I've asked them something in Chinese. How do you know that I can speak English? I know many people in Dalian who are Americans, Irish & English people who would interrupt the person with "excuse me, what did you say, ... read more

"Mom, Can you tie my shoes?" You look down at your seven year old kid holding out his shoe to you. "Sure, sweetie, I'd be glad to." My conversation with student 1 (a mother of a 2 year old son) "How do you teach a child to do something? You know, they have to have interest in something before they do it." "Of course, they do, they're a child. So you just make everything into a game or a song and praise them when they do it." "I do that but after they master it their grandfather just takes them out to play. The next time they just go out to play again. I don't know how to make him continue doing it." "You mean your grandfather is teaching the child it's OK not do whatever ... read more

My fiance told me a really interesting story last night of his grandfather. I asked him why his grandfather didn't seem to enjoy talking too much and he told me that his grandfather was an extremely smart man who really enjoyed to read, talk about politics and culture. He said that his father used to work for the government but during the cultural revolution he decided not to work (as his job during that time was to beat down and hurt all those who had cultural jobs). I told him that his family should be really proud of him for sticking to his opinion and doing what he thought was right (and what I would have done too). But he said that instead his family had always been upset with his grandfather for not continuing to ... read more

I have set up photo albums for my Lao and Vietnamese travels at the following sites. Laos http://denison.facebook.com/album.phpaid=2024775&l=a4003&id=28502265 Vietnam 1 http://denison.facebook.com/album.phpaid=2025150&l=6565a&id=28502265 Vietnam 2 http://denison.facebook.com/album.phpaid=2025151&l=0d77b&id=28502265 Let me know if they work.... read more

Sometimes it's really tiring being me. I often have to fight with other people because I'm American or because I am so young or because I am a woman, who knows all the reasons people seem to pick on me. This time a Swiss man (Lawrence) and I had a fight because he insisted that America has no true American food (an extremely common argument). He had been to New York so he thought he knew everything about America (also common assumption) and what he found out was american food is just Starbucks, hamburgers and fast food like McDonalds. I did my best to explain to him that America does have it's own food - like Southern, TexMex and Cajun styles but he didn't understand (as he's never tried those). Anyways, I just argued with Brigitte ... read more

I just had a dream about Cam. I went to his Salon but his employees were all gone, there were only customers there waiting to get their hair done. I went into the Salon to look for Cam and they all told me where he was. All of the Salon employees were in a coffee shop cutting hair. On my way over to the coffee shop I ran into Leason and he could also speak English, I told him his English was really good and then kept on walking. When I got into the coffee shop I thought I saw Kast so I went over to say hi but when I got there it wasn't him, it was a customer with his hair in a similar fashion to Kast's so I went further into the coffee ... read more

Today five of us woke up really early to go to Muang Sing to see the morning maret. I really enjoyed the food market as it was the most different from anything I've seen before. The vegetable market was selling some interesting things that included some sort of noodle jello, Lao popcorn, the biggest bunch of garlic I've ever seen, as well as some Lao vegetables and snacks (that I have no idea how to say in English). There were so many Lao people there with such energy! The majority of the people had on every day street clothes but there are some older women who have beautiful sarongs, wonderful shell bracelets and head coverings that they wear as they walk around and sell them. I think what really blew me away about the whole trip ... read more

I seem to adjust to people I talk to. "Xishuangbanna is a great place" "What do you mean by great place?" I want to say whatever you think a great place is, that's what it is, but I just describe the kind of place he wants to hear to him. I picked that place simply because I know he will like it. I love watching people smile, love listening to people laugh and love when others are happy. I just talked with a bunch of Europeans (German, English and Belgium) about why they're here, what they're doing here, how did they come here, it's the same conversation every time but it's new and interesting every single time. It's truly amazing to discover these things about people and what they think of the world, it's life changing ... read more