Act II. Everything couldn't have been going better. Beautiful weather, just enough breeze to remind you that you at the beach, long inviting beaches, friendly faces! We were conquering Bali one shop and one venture at a time. Our barter skills were mad! We would stand our ground so definitely that not even the shrewdest shopkeeper could not succumb to our sweet smiles and batting eyelashes. We were in complete control and enjoying every minute of it. So when day three approaches and we (maybe a little more of me than we, but whose counting now) wanted to rent a motorbike [View Full Entry]

---

---

ACT 1 - Everything Fallen into its Puzzle Place. How, Mary and I asked ourselves for the first 2 days, did we end up in Bali, Indonesia? Not 2 days prior we had be seating in her room in Shenzhen, China without passports, without plans, without hope for any excitment beyond another bowl of rice for the next 7 days. But luck happened in a big way. Here is how it started. Miracelously, Mary and I both got our passports and new, multi-entry visa's (the problem before was not leaving china, but being able to get back in). Mary didn't think [View Full Entry]

---

---

Well, he is not in Bali, Indonesia.....I have searched the island high and wide. But here is what is in bali -real toilets -ketchup -omelets -english speaking people -flip-flops -flip-flops that are actually in my size - lots of motobikes - a nice breeze at every moment - large, XL clothing - beaches - more beaches - many more beaches - cheap everything - did i say flip-flops - many temples, lots of incense, constant prayers for good luck - people struggling to make it because tourism is way down. - people happy and laughing even though in a month they [View Full Entry]

---

---

Having not being able to wear an outfit for more than a few months, keep a hairstyle for longer than a season, find my keys after a few moments, stay at a job longer than 2 years, and remain in a city for more than 3 years.......it is a great wonder that all my life I have been surrounded by two of the most dedicated and committed people I know. It must be the security that they have created for my life that allows me to change my hair color, pierce my nose, and flying across to the other side of [View Full Entry]

---

---

Have you had this experience? You are sitting at lunch with co-workers and one of them leans over to, I guess, remind you or in my case to inform you that tomorrow - the middle of the week - you don't have to work!!! Out of no where.....you all of a sudden have the day off. What was once planned, is now no more! That is china. I was suppossed to teach on Monday, but no....something came up. I was suppossed to teach today, but here I am at a friend's computer, definitely not teaching. I swear, sometimes, everyday in china [View Full Entry]

---

---

A rented van with room for 7 people in which we squeezed 9 people = 250 R.M.B 12 bottles of Chinese beer, dried squid, american style egg rolls, a bowl of popcorn and some peanuts = 191 R.M.B. Admission to the beach = 10 R.M.B. per american Spending the day playing in the water, laying on the beach, feeling the breeze, eating, drinking, having a chinese friend translate everything correctly, making memories = priceless. [View Full Entry]

---

---

I think living in China, could at times, be food for the soul....or maybe just fuel for the ego. After not one, but two separate classes today was I almost knocked over by a heard of fourth and fifth graders. And this has happened before. The first time, I almost fainted the first time I saw 50 ten-year olds racing at me as if I was in Spain during the bull run and I had been wearing red. But then I saw books and pens and thought, "oh! they must have forgotten their english names that I gave me." Well, the [View Full Entry]

---

---

yesterday, i missed my students back in the chicago. It just felt like every class, every student, every chinese person was against me......obviously not really, but after having four classes and have to get a teacher every class to either come into my class and yell at the students or have a teacher remove a student, or have to take students who cut class to the office.....it was just tiring. I didn't come here to babysit....and yesterday I felt like a babysitter to an extremely large and very active and immensely annoying 8-month old baby. It just seemed like nothing I [View Full Entry]

---

---

Who doesn't like long walks on the beach or a table filled with some fresh seafood or watching your principal, slightly intoxicated, belt out a chinese love song. It is needless to say that Friday night was as unexpected and delightfully enjoyable as that christmas gift that you hadn't asked for but somehow was exactlly what you wanted. Being the only foreigner in a several miles radius and especially at this school, any opportunity (even if its sitting at your empty desk for hours) to bond is like candy to me. Friday afternoon, night and saturday day were to be dedicated [View Full Entry]

---

---

Can you guess which is my picture? Have I made it clear that I stand out here in good old china. [View Full Entry]

---

---