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Published: September 17th 2009
Doufu!
Yummy tofu with cute lil wifey in the backgroundCelebrating holidays and celebrations overseas was something Staci and I knew would be hard, especially away from family and friends.
Today, I celebrated my 26th birthday.
As much as I missed being with loved ones, the day actually was quite special.
I woke up with the most beautiful little face next to my side--Staci.
(Alright, alright, I wont make this into some sap story full of nerdy, mushy cuteness).
As we walked to our office, I started hearing students call my name, running towards me. "Happy Birthday teacher", "Happy Birthday Teacher Martin!"
It put a smile on my face, one that didn't go away the entire day.
In our office, several more students shyly popped their heads in, asking if they could come in. Surely, the answer I gave them was yes, and they quickly marched into my office wishing me happiness on my special day.
One girl student gave me one of the most unique gifts I have EVER received as a gift on a birthday. An egg. Yes, she gave me a hard boiled egg with a little note, that read:
"Hello Martin: Happy Birthday to you! I hope you
Gong Bao Ji Ding
You may know this dish as Kung Pao Chicken. can happy every day! At last, I hope you like the egg although it is not beautiful and not valuable"
I haven't eaten the egg yet, but it will be the best hard boiled egg I've ever had on a birthday.
Soon after the egging, it was off to class.
Senior 2, Class 12, period 5. As soon as the bell rang, and I walked up to the teachers podium, the entire class serenaded me with a beautiful rendition of the Happy Birthday song. What a great way to start class!
The class itself went alright, but my students have not mastered the art of working in groups and being quiet when other groups are sharing their work to the rest of the class. Something I will surely have to reevaluate for my upcoming lesson plans.
During my next two classes, many students came up to me, wishing me a happy birthday. I received more gifts, including lots of candy, some cards, a magazine, and soy milk.
Having so many students wish me a happy birthday, erased a majority of my loneliness from being away from friends and family. One thing about the students
Egg
one of my birthday presents. at the school is that a lot of them are so generous and kind, which makes a world of a difference when you are so isolated.
Staci and I knew we wanted to venture out on our own to find a restaurant to eat at for the special day. We knew it could be a challenge ordering food, and keeping some of it vegetarian with the language barrier, but we couldn't have asked for a more delightful experience!
We found a cute restaurant across the way from where we ate with one of our contact teachers when we first came to the school. The place was not crowded at first, but looked nice with many servers and beautiful tables. Like everywhere we go, the stares and giggles cannot be avoided, but we were given a table in the corner that felt fairly private.
One of the differences here while dining, is that once you sit, the servers stand right at your side waiting for you to order. I'm sure you can ask them for a few minutes to think, but we don't know how to indicate this. Luckily, one of the servers spoke a bit of English
26 Today!
One of my classes made me a bouquet of flowers and helped as we stumbled through ordering.
We ended up ordering the following:
-Tofu
-Eggplant
-Shredded Potatoes
-Gong Bao Ji Ding (Otherwise known by many of you as Kung Pao Chicken)
The food was great, and spicy (except for the potatoes).
The service was friendly and helpful.
Total price: 76 yuan, which is a tad bit over $11.
We ended up needing several boxes for leftovers as well.
On the way home, a grandmother and her grandchild waved and smiled at us. A bit further down the road, an older man selling books, with a huge smile, said hello. It was quite the pleasant surprise, as usually people just look or stare without any warm embrace.
We got back to our school where the students were taking a break from studying, several of them yelling down from their class windows "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARTIN" in unison.
As much as I missed being near many of you, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day shared with Staci on my 26th birthday.
Till next time folks,
Martin.
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mama clare
non-member comment
joy
It warms my heart to know our son had such a special day even spending it miles away from "home". It sounds like you are becoming very beloved to your students :)