Last week my freshman classes started and went pretty well. The kids are great. Lots of fun. For most of them, i'm the first foreigner they've ever met, let alone had as a teacher. So they had a great energy and were really enthusastic. In my tuesday class, i was in front of the classes speaking and all the sudden they all start raising their hands, and suddenly i realize that they were all taking my picture with their cell phones. Now the room that i have this class in is on the first floor of the building i'm in. In the room it was rather stuffy so i opened the windows. and probably only 20 minutes after i had to ask them to stop taking my picture, i look over towards the window and there is a small group of people standing outside listening in. The class is HUGE. There are about 50 kids all in this one speaking class and a group of them aren't even supposed to be there, they just saw me in the class room as they walked by and decided to join.

In my other freshman speaking class on thrusday, i again had to stop them from taking pictures during class. so this time i offered to take pictures during the break. I spent the whole 10 minute break posing for photos. and many of them told me they couldn't wait to send the picture to their parents. You can really do no wrong in the freshman's eyes it seems. When i had them introduce themselves i had one boy tell me that "i love my home town.....and i love you"

Most of them didn't have english names, so more naming went on... it makes it so much easier to remember them when they pick names of my friends and family.
I now have a marian. the girl wanted to know my sisters name and then wanted to be called that. I also have a phoebe now as well, as a Jean, another Tony,Emily, Zoe, Linda, and lots of Maries. One girl stood up and told me she had one english name in middle school, but it highschool it was changed to....of all things....Barbara. Yeeaaah. the younger students really do love to try and flatter you as much as possible

This weekend was spent in Weihai and then a rather crazy, but loads of fun, saturday back in Yantai. Which did include my first venture into the world of karaoke. good times. but now it's back to work. and tonight will be filled with catching up on all the lesson plans i didn't do this weekend.... but that's what i mondays are going to consistantly be for i think.

I know i am behind i e-mailing many on you. i promise i will..but just because i don't get back to you quickly doesn't mean i'm not thinking of you.

A couple shots of Weihai

Weihai is kind of small, but it was very pretty and nice to get away from yantai for a bit.
We found this place with AMAZING deserts. soooo tastey!

jess and i found these "for men" and "for women" wipes in our hotel and found them rather amusing.

Prevents any infectious diseases...pretty impressive huh? hahahaha