I've been saying since day 1 and i'm gonan keep on saying it...Chinese people are FEARLESS. The will eat just about any animal product theycan, they buy fish that's been sitting on a tarp in the street, despite having sidewalks, only walk in the street....and love to leave open manholes everywhere. But last night was rthe best thing i've seen so far. A few of us happen to go to the beach at night and there are a few chinese guys there plaing with a football. now the season seems to have changed quite quickly here and it was a bit chilly out last night, and the water was very cold. well these are are tossing the ball and it ends up in the water and is quickly going out to sea. One guy rolls up his pants and goes in, buit the water quickly reaches his knees and defeated he turns back. So some other guy gets the brilliant idea to strip naked and head into to the super cold and dark water. Everyone on shore is yelling at the naked guy not to do it, that it's too dangerous. By the time it was over there were two of them in there butt naked tossing this ball around. Priceless.

People keep asking me if i have expierenced culture shock. i don't think i have....i can understand how people ould find it very hard here at first, especially with the language barrier, but so far i've just been trying to keep a sense of humor about alot of it. Because at the end of the day some of it really is quite funny.

There is a veyr old man who works in my building...and the funny thing is it is the international service building, but no one speaks english. definitly not this old guy. he's kind of like a handy man, and at night he lets people in who come in after curfew. Since my first day here this guy has insisted on talking to me almost every day even though he knows i don't speak english. it's been about 3 weeks and i have no idea what this guy has ever said to me. so this week i decided taht if he is going to this to me, it's only fair i do it back. So i've been making up in my head what he's saying and replying in English.... this is basically how it went down yesterday....

Old guy : really mumbled chinese words

Me: oh, hi..

Old guy: More crazy mumbled talk

Me: fine thanks, how are you?

Old Guy: mumble mumble mumble

Me: oh, ok....Bye now!

I think by the end of the year we're going to be friends

My non-asianess is still baffling my students. On friday a girl stood up and asked if i was "a mixed blood". Jess asked on of the students who helps us, jason, if i looked chinese to him. he said i did because of my eye lids, how small my nose is and aparently when i talk he said it sounds like a " slight chinese accent"...whatever that means.

Dale, jess and I made a day trip to Penglai today. It was soooo beautiful....I have TONS of pictures to share.....but that will probably have to wait until tomorrow.