12 Days of Christmas

First off: Beyonce released a new album this past weekend. And it's amazing. It's become the soundtrack to my life as I work in the office, it's stuck in my head. I can't escape. As you read this you can listen to this so you know what it's like to be in my head right now.

Now on to business.

This past week I taught a 12 Days of Christmas lesson. The first half of the week I had the class split up into 12 groups and as we sang each group had to act out their day of Christmas when it was their turn. They soon figured out that the twelfth day group were the lucky ones haa.
Although the ten-lords-a-leaping and nine-ladies-dancing never disappointed. I made them jump and dance and we didn't move on until everyone acted, which they thought was hilarious until it was their turn to act haa. I acted with each group to show them I'm a team player :)

The kids have learned the past few months that I have no issues being/looking ridiculous.

We also made snowflakes! They liked that a lot. And while I was showing them how to fold the paper, I liked to tease them. 

The first step is to just fold the paper in half, super easy. So I told and showed them what to do, and after they all did it right, I would say "So smart! What a clever class!!" 

And first when they heard me say it, their faces did:

BUT then I saw the gears working in their heads as they really took in what and how I said it. And their faces did:

And me in the front of the class:

Every class I laughed so hard. Their faces always got to me!
Maybe I'm a bad person, but honestly-
who doesn't like to make fun of teenagers? I know I love to.
It's my new hobby.

Teenagers are universally hilarious. :)

The other half of the week, instead of acting out the twelve days, we brainstormed our own list of 12 things. Every class had generally the same list. But Class 7 really nailed it:

12-computer games

11-lots of money

10-Ipads 

9-pairs of Jays 

8-No homework ever 

7-No gao cao ever (which is their SAT --- only worse)

6-fancy cars

5 days off school

4-Ipods

3-a huge palace

2-books to read

1-And every boy in class gets a girlfriend

They really liked to sing day one nice and grand-like: ANNND EVERY BOY IN CLASS GETS GIIIIIIRRRRRRLLLFRIIIIIIEEENNNND!!!!

This past weekend the Year 3 teachers traveled to a college to attend some lectures about the Gao Cao and how to be a better teacher, blah blah blah. But I got to go along! Yay! It was nice to hang out with some teachers I don't see a lot during the week.

Me and Confucius

Night market!

This is dog. :(

The dog they put in front of me and I was all:

But they would literally not give it up. They wouldn't stop nagging until I tried it.

I was like guys. No. Ha ha, but no.
I'll take your squid, chicken feet, turtles, rice wine, pig intestine, duck tongue.
But dogs is where I draw the line.

And they were all: "Bruce Li eat dog all the time. It is good for health, Victoria!"

And my reaction to that fun fact:

LOL

But then they wouldn't stop. "Victoria! Victoria! Victoria!" they kept chirping. And my brain said:

But I had no escape. These Chinese men are relentless. So I took a bite. And it was horrible. Horrible. I feel so ashamed.

And they were like: "See? Delicious!" And my head was screaming:

I'm still getting over it, haaaa

After that traumatizing dinner, I hung out with teachers in our hotel rooms and I taught them ERS, (Egyptian Rat Screw) which they loved. They were super into it and really aggressive haa. They loved slapping each other's hands.

Next day I got to attend all the lectures. But they were in Chinese so I spent the time just daydreaming about chicken wings.

After the lectures we went to a Hot Springs Spa thing. One of the pools we sat in had these fish that eat your dead skin. And they didn't tell me until we sat down and I said "Guys........some thing's biting me......."

"Oh that's just the fish! They eat your skin. It's good for you." Oh of course! Silly me. Thanks for the heads up guys, haaa.

So that's all that's really happening. Nancy has graciously volunteered me to dance at the school New Year's Eve program. She's just a gem sometimes, I tell yah. We are practicing and everything. They take programs seriously here. But honestly, I am probably going to forget the choreography in the middle of the program and end up doing something like this:

Or this: (as the rest of the teachers shake their heads)