OK. So It has been over a month since I last wrote.. In fact I think the last one was about Shanghai Remembrance Christmas! SO MUCH has happened since then. A few jobs have come and gone… I’ve learned how to type in Chinese. 我会说一点中文！！！ Christmas has come and gone.. and tomorrow I leave for a two week holiday in Thailand and Cambodia! So here is a quick highlight of a few things before I go… 上海太冷了！ Shivering Shanghai So, Shanghai suddenly got 很冷 (very cold)! When I say cold, I mean about 0 to -5 degrees C. Now, by Canadian standards this is suntanning weather almost. But you feel it so much more here because the heating and insulation is useless if it even exists. It is actually like painful torture sometimes teaching in some of the elementary schools! The classes have no hallways and you are essentially holding class outside. All the students have jackets and scarves on during class. I have to wear a scarf, 3 sweaters and a jacket while teaching. While I teach I need to keep moving so I don’t get cold! It is ridiculous that the students are expected to perform at any type of normal level while it is this cold. Canada is just more prepared. You dress up very warm when you are outside… but when you are inside it is always nice and toasty because of the heaters and insulation. I can’t wait till it gets warm again so I don’t have to see my breath when I’m taking my morning pee. A 上海 (Shanghai) Christmas Story It is Christmas Eve, Shanghai’s halls and 路 are decked out in holly and lights. The streets are packed with taxis and cars, the malls are crowded and loud, the metro is busy as usual as everyone is rushing to do their last minute shopping. But for what? China doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Anyone who has read the little red book knows well that religion is not an agreeable part of M.Z.’s policy. As it turns out, very few Chinese people give presents on Christmas. But why is everyone shopping on Christmas eve a though they are working for jolly ol Nick? It turns out many people are just buying some things for themselves. It should be called “Shopmass” or 买东西mas instead of Christmas. Now of course, the Christmas is a commercialized holiday in the west as well, like all holidays. But here, it seems as though that little bit of “magic” isn’t here. That，how do you say, true meaning of Christmas feeling. The 3 Wisemen and the Star. I went to Christmas party on Christmas Eve with a group of Western friends. We had a Turkey and cake and presents! Tons of fun. I was coming home from the party at around 2am and I saw a strange sight. It’s 2am Christmas morning and I saw a bright light in the distance. Could it be? A star? Around the star were 3 men dressed in nice clothes but looking a little tattered as though they had been on a long journey. I squinted as I got a little closer as I saw them huddling around a small hole in the street. The magical Christmas Story, here on 上海 streets? As it turns out, it was four construction workers. Dressed in suits, because construction workers often wear suits here while they work….eat…..sleep….dance……relax….squat. They wear suits ALL THE TIME! The star was n fact not a star, but a flood light. At 2am on Christmas morning they were pick axing away at the street, working! Now of course, I said before, China does not celebrate Christmas as a holiday. But still, an odd sight for a Canadian lad to see on Christmas morning. BANGKOK…It’s On… 再见上海。。。你好泰国！ Tomorrow, I leave for Bangkok. An adventure. 2 weeks. I hope to sleep on the beach and also tour the ruins of Angkor Watt in Cambodia. Many blogs and pics to come.

I am currently teaching at a middle school in the mornings and still teaching adults at the TianPing Hotel in the afternoon. Everyday I am assigned a few pages out of a textbook to teach the students. Because I am sort of behind in everything, I often don't get around to making up the lesson plan for the next days lesson until 1 or 2 days before. Last night, I looked at the lessons for today (Remembrance Day..nov 11) Hmm.. The topic was CHRISTMAS. Seemed a little strange....even, somewhat out of place. I was teaching a grade 2 class the words "put", "under", "on", "present", "star" and "tree". As in the phrases... "Put the star on the tree" and "Put the presents under the tree." I'm not entirely sure why I was teaching them about Christmas more than a month before Christmas. Maybe they wanted a western Christmas expert to teach it... but let me tell you it felt strange. I brought my speakers into class and played "We wish you a merry Christmas!", while I walked around the class chanting "Ho! Ho! Ho!" and "Merry Christmas!!" handing out paper cut-out stars and presents to all the students. They then had to "put" the presents or stars, on or under, the tree. No, I didn't have a real tree. I used a magical thing called Green Chalk. I thought it was pretty. I always am entertained every time I draw something BIG on the board. Drawing large things really amazes the kids. They always let out a huge "woahhhhhh!!!" as soon as I begin. They did this for the tree, they also always do this when I write BIG on the board (because I always write it in excessively BIG letters, that take up the whole board). Speaking of student reactions, they are so sensitive to Flash Cards. I have to be careful what I print up. A couple weeks ago I printed up a picture of a TRex, to demonstrate BIG, SHARP teeth. The students all screamed and I couldn't settle them down for a good 10minutes. ANYWAY... I'll leave it at that, because I know it is difficult to read with this formatting. If you have made it this far...you've done well....or your bored....or you really love me....or you are bored. Overall SHANGHAI REMEMBRANCE CHRISTMAS went quite well.... next year I'll have to get some poppys and a Santa Suit. SO, MERRY REMEMBRANCE CHRISTMAS and have A HAPPY MID-NOVEMBER!!!