Hot Town, Summer in the City...

Beautiful West Lake in the summer heat.

It has been a HOT summer!  A simple topic that is overly used teaching ESL is the weather and seasons. I was always shocked when my students told me that winter was their favorite season. What kid doesn’t loooove summer?! Chinese kids, that’s who. And I get it now. In the US summer is all fun and games. Lazy days at the beach or pool enjoying warm weather, friends, and no school.  Again, that’s summer in the US. Summer in China… not as fun. Unfortunately for these kids, they really don’t get a break from school. My jr, high and high school students spend the entire summer doing homework. No joke. They have to go to school every few weeks for exams to make sue they are keeping up on their assignments. And going outside to enjoy the weather… yeah right. It’s miserable. It’s so hot most people stay inside all summer with the air conditioner. It really is just miserable outside. Being on the bus felt like being in a sauna. It was pretty brutal, but luckily it has been cooling down a bit recently, though we’ve been experiencing serious humidity and rain this week (my hair looks fantastic). I guess I can just chalk it all up as experience and it will only help me to be more grateful for Southern California.

Though the heat was quite uncomfortable I had a really great summer. I have been so lucky to have my entire family visit Hangzhou.  My brother is getting his masters at UCI and his class came to China in August as part of their program. And because my sister in law is a schoolteacher she was able to come visit as well. She came without John for a week, they then had a weekend together, then had to return home for work. John then had a week with me before his program started. It worked out pretty well.

Amanda's last night in China.

Amanda started her trip in Beijing, and then flew into Shanghai. Her flight got in around midnight on a Sunday evening. I took the train straight from work to Shanghai had dinner with friends then greeted her at the airport. We spent the night in Shanghai then spent Monday just wandering a bit. I’m sure I say this every time I write about Shanghai, but I love it there so much. It’s just such a nice break from Hangzhou. The highlight of the day was the fake market (where you can buy all the knockoff designer goods). We figured the shopping/bargaining trip was an area I’d be more helpful than John. We had so much fun. I love the fake market. It can be so fun and you’re constantly being called pretty lady. Who doesn’t love the compliment, though I had to warn Amanda “don’t buy from them just because they call you pretty!” It was a very successful trip. After a low key day in Shanghai we headed back to Hangzhou.

Amanda's dream come true.

On Tuesday I took Amanda on the standard bike tour to West Lake. Unfortunately it was super hot, but still nice. We had record-breaking heat in Hangzhou in July, so when she was here in mid August it was still extremely hot. That night I took her to my favorite restaurant with my roommate Margaret. We also visited the blind massage parlor on my street (another priority when visiting me). The following two days rained! What is it about Clarks bringing the rain to Hangzhou? It was fine though, the best part of having Amanda here was just sitting around and talking for hours. We did however brave the rain to visit a café I was super excited to take Amanda to; Central Perk. Yes, we have a central Perk? And Amanda is the biggest Friends fan I’ve ever met. The café is a replica of the café in the show with private party rooms upstairs that mirror Monica and Rachael’s apartment as well as Chandler and Joey’s apartment. Episodes of the show are running all day. It’s fantastic. I should spend more time there just watching TV.

Foreigners scaring Chinese children.
Standard.

On Friday I sent Amanda off to the train station as I went to work. Sunday after work I headed to Shanghai again to have dinner with John and Amanda! Amanda headed home Monday morning while John and I spent the day in Shanghai with my roommate. John and I then flew to Southern China Monday evening. We flew into a city called Guilin. We didn't spent any time there, but found a travel agent to book a boat ride to Yangshuo. Yangshuo is a beautiful, somewhat touristy destination in China. It is known for the beautiful karsts and Li River. We took a bamboo raft from Guilin to Yangshuo (though the “babmboo” rafts are now made out of PVC pipes? More durable) which was probably my favorite part of the whole trip.  The whole trip takes about five hours and includes a lunch stop. It was one of the most breathtaking views and so peaceful! Yangshuo is a very nature-y, picturesque place. The first evening we visited their downtown/touristy street, full of restaurants and shops. The next day we borrowed bikes from our hotel and explored the area, then later in the evening rented kayaks! It was so hot, so it was great to be in the water.

Floating down the Li River on our "bamboo" raft.

The hotel was so great in helping provide any sort of activity or tour you desired. We told them we wanted to go kayaking so at three o’clock they sent us off in a cab. The cabbie pulled over on the street and we were approached by the man that ran the kayaking company? He told us the driver would take us to the river and that his associate would meet us on the water with the kayaks. We were dropped off in a desolate village at some stairs that led down to the water. We laughed at how badly this could have played out. Luckily after about ten minutes a man on a bamboo raft showed up with two kayaks. We had hoped our “tour guide” was either super funny or super hot. He was neither. Well… maybe he was funny, but he spoke no English, so we have no idea of his humor level. We just paddled our way down the river for an hour or so then got a beer at a floating restaurant/shop. The one thing we could communicate with him “we want beer.” We continued along the when I looked back to see John hitching a ride on the bamboo raft. I continued a bit longer until I gave up too.

We flew back to Hangzhou the following day. First thing we did that evening; blind massage then dinner with friends. Unfortunately I had to go to work the next day. John came with me to my school and sat in on one of my classes then headed to the lake. We met later in the evening for pizza and beer followed by another massage! He returned to Shanghai the following day to start his program. It was so great to be able to spend time with family when I’ve been living in a place that feels a world away from home.

As the summer heat faded my friends returned to Hangzhou. Most of my core group spent their summer in the states. It’s so great to have them back. Someone once asked me what I will miss about China when I leave. Besides the cheap massages it is my people here. I’ve been really lucky to make some great friends here.

Speaking of great friends…. the weekend after John left one of my best friends from home came to China with her boyfriend. When I first learned of the dates she would be in Shanghai I was so bummed, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get time off because I had just taken time off for John and Amanda’s visits, plus she was coming on the weekend and the weekends are my busiest days. As the weekend got closer, I realized I couldn’t not see her when she was so close. Saturday right after work I booked it back to Shanghai again. I showed up at the apartment totally unknown to her. It was great. It’s been a while since someone cried when they saw me… Called in sick on Sunday and had the most wonderful time catching up with an old friend <3

Ernie and Kelly visit China!!!

It’s strange that my time here is coming close to an end. I will be visiting Indonesia for the first week of October. My contract then ends October 29^th. I’m running a half marathon on November 3^rd, will then spend November visiting cities in China that I haven’t had time to visit yet. I fly back to the US on December 6^th. These last two months are going to wiz by!!