big news!

Something amazing happened today! Actually, two things. One: I went to the gym. It's taken a month to finally get there. For a while there I wasn't sure it would ever happen. Two: It's SNOWING!!

I didn't think I would be this excited about snow? I think it's just so different when it's snowing in a big city rather than the mountains. The city looks so beautiful. I honestly don't know what it is, I had the biggest grin on my face on my walk home from the gym! Wait a minute! Doesn't exercising release endorphines and help boost your mood? Naahhh, we'll just say it was the snow. I have also figured out how to stay warm this winter; the gym. It takes an awful long time for your body to cool down after a workout. In fact it's the perfect amount of time to get home and take a little stroll down by the canal. The snow and my walk home (and maybe some of those endorphines bouncin around) but me in the best mood. I even found this beautiful temple/pagoda right by my apartment. I've seen it a few times, but never explored it. Lucky for me, no body else was interested in sightseeing in the snow. Tomorrow after work I am going to Shanghai again. I'll be ringing in the new year in Shanghai with some friends. It should be really fun. There is a lot more going on in Shanghai for NYE than in Hangzhou. And any excuse to go to more of an western/international city sounds good to me!

Also, I would like to clarify that Laurel knows what "swag" means. I don't know why I ever doubted her.

Christmas in Hangzhou

Here's what I learned about Christmas this year: Christmas isn't Christmas without your loved ones. I know... I am wise beyond my years.

I've always loved Christmas. It is just a feel good, warm and cozy time of the year. And I am NOT talking about Christmas shopping. Being at a mall around Christmas is an angry, sweaty and suffocating time of
the year. More than anything I love that all of us Clark kids sleep at my parents house on Christmas Eve. It's the best sleepover of the year. Christmas Eve is always a fun night including a fun game or movie. Christmas morning I still feel like a little kid and run downstairs to open my stocking. Although I cant tell anyone what was in it until Anna has opened hers, because they are usually filled with the same thing and I'm not allowed to ruin the surprise for her. Sitting around the fireplace in our pajamas, listening to Christmas music and opening gifts is so wonderful. The afternoon and evening is spent with the extended fam and includes a white elephant gift exchange...love it. This is my Christmas tradition.


So this year, being that I live in a country where they do not celebrate Christmas and not being with my family.... Not the best Christmas. I feel as if it has been skipped this year and is being replaced with a really long and cold winter.

Christmas Day was spent at a coworkers house. It was a handful of really good people. We played the South African version of Taboo, Charades, beer pong, watched Christmas movies and had a big meal! It definitely helped with the holiday spirit. After that party a few of us walked to another Christmas party for more food and drinks! It was a lot of fun but a really long day. My only gripe about socializing here is all the small talk. I think I will write a brief autobiography and give it to potential friends. That way they know everything about me and we can just jump into the friendship. If any of you want to send me your "Carrie Testimonials" I can just pass those out as well.

I stayed up late and Skyped with my family while they opened presents Christmas morning. It was wonderful! It is rough being only two dimensional however. This morning when I got to work there was a Christmas package from my parents. The scarf and mittens will be very useful as I am in a car right now and can see my breath. Americans find heat when it is cold; turn on the heater, start a fire in the fire place. That kind of thing. The Chinese; they just adapt.


This morning on the bus on my way to work the woman sitting next to me threw up. I think that has killed the holiday spirit for me. It was actually the second time I've seen a woman casually puke in a bag on
the bus like it ain't no thang. With all the spitting, picking their noses, and puking on buses I don't see how anyone could say the Chinese have poor manners?

I think some of the funniest things happen to me when I'm in a cab, car or bus. 13% of the cab drivers are awesome, while the rest of them are angry and awful. Some of them have cab swag (Mom- "swag" is a word the young kids are saying as an alternative for cool or style. You can look it up on Urban Dictionary). The school provides a couple of drivers for me when I have to go to other campuses. They are usually so sweet but do the funniest shit. A few minutes ago my driver just jumped out of the car. It's dark and cold so the windows are all foggy. Traffic started moving so he came back? You just never know what they're up to!? And the bus... You see it all: cutest Chinese babies, old lady screaming matches, morning sickness, inappropriately loud telephone conversations...etc.

Power Outage

About a week ago I worked overtime in order to take Sunday off. On Saturday and Sunday I teach at another on of my schools campus's. This campus is called InTime Westlake because it is right next to the mall (InTime) and the Lake. I personally like to call it the campus from Hell. Families that live close to the lake are rather wealthy and, of course, only have one child. So your students are a bunch of spoiled only children. They are a delight!! This campus is only for children (strike one), and the mothers are insane (strike two). 9am-8pm with these little spawns... what a day!

I finished my last class and rushed to the train station to catch the 8:30 train to Shanghai. As I stepped out of the cab to go purchase my ticket it dawned on me... I don't have my passport? I'm in the application process for my work visa. I almost punched myself in the face. Unfortunately this was not the first time I forgot my passport in a situation such as this (remember last time when I mentioned I need to work on procrastination and motivation? Add responsibility to the list as well :). I went back home only to find out that our power was still out. Of course.

I stopped at the Walmart on my street and bought some candles to light the apartment. I also really needed to take a shower, but since we had no electricity that means our water heater didn't work. I made the executive decision to go to the spa on my street to shower and get a massage. Yeah, you take a shower before the massage? Two birds one stone.

The manager of the salon is named Mary. She was very excited to hear that our names rhyme! Her English is pretty good and was excited to converse with me. Chinese people will befriend you purely for your language. In this case; fine by me. Mary offered to take me to a lake and tea house just outside the city on my day off. I will not reject a tour guide. She also gave me some essential oil. Why not.

The following morning my roommate and I left the house at 7 for the train station. Josey offered to come with me and buy my train tickets for me. What a life saver!!! I had a nice nap on the train and was at Mecah's a little after nine. Mecah, whom I've know since Jr. High, is going back to Irvine for the holidays. She needed to go to the fake market to get some last minute Christmas gifts. It was so fun to see the fake market. It's four floors of knock offs, and this stuff looks real! It's kind of annoying because they can be so aggressive and pushy. But at the same time, I was referred to as "beautiful lady" once or twice... good sales tactic my friends. It's ridiculous how much they ask for and how much you can buy this crap for. I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to call it crap. The thing is, the products they sell are most likely the same quality in which you would find in any retail store in the US, they are just able to sell the product at cost. More than anything, the bargaining is the best part. I like to use the very little Chinese I know to complain. Although we did upset one man so much that he kicked us out of his shop? Apparently our low offer was just too offensive. We had such a great day! There’s nothing better than the comfort of a friend when you feel so alone in a new place.

Highlight of the day:Riding on the back of the scooter around Shanghai. No better way to see a new city. I only felt as if my life was in danger a few times. Mecah's a great tour guide!

the streets are a death trap

I don't know how people drive in China. Lanes are merely suggestions, and these people are aggressive. You wouldn't think, I know... but they are. Don't mess with a Chinese man on his way to work. I swear, crossing the street is dangerous. That whole "pedestrians have the right of way" thing we have in the US... not the case here. I try to take the bus to work as much as I can. Of course there are those occasional days that I opt for a cab because I'm running late (getting to work at 1pm is rough!). The busses are great! I so badly wish I had a photo of my bus experience today. There's just nothing like pretending to be sardines in a can with a bunch of people you don't know. I always find something, or should I say someone, fun on the bus. Today it was this little gem. I may kidnap one, I mean they are just too adorable.

 In fact I have a student named Robin who is six years old. He is the smartest kid! Not only is he so smart he is polite!? He's such a little gentleman, I die for him. And the best part: he's a hugger!! Huggers are not easy to find here, and I miss them. I'm thinking of sending Robin to my family as a Christmas gift. He would make such a great addition to the family, and I know everyone will love him! (John, I'll make sure he can cook too!)

Ok, back to the mean streets of China, or the death trap. Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't seen more accidents or been in one. People here drive as if they are in the Fast and the Furious. Maybe they are upset that the sequel to Fast and the Furious was filmed in Tokyo, so they are trying to prove what stunt men and women they are as well? I have to teach at another one of my schools campuses three times a week. And how fancy do I feel, I have a driver. He is China's version of Justin Beiber. I love when he sings along to the silly Chinese music he plays. He could not be more adorable. I want to learn Chinese so bad so we can become best friends. I assume he feels the same way about me as I do about him even though we cant communicate verbally, so I like to assume he will keep me safe. I have literally gasped multiple times because we were that close to an accident. We share snacks too ( I know, we're so cute) I'll buy him coffee, or a snack some times and he'll do the same. This is what I got today...

I'm not even mad that the look of it scares me. It's the thought that counts.  I need to sleep! I have the worst sleeping habits here! I stay up so late. I will be making a big effort to be more disciplined from now on (and by 'now', I mean as soon as I stop procrastinating so much). Tomorrow I am teaching from 9am-8pm then hopping on a train to Shanghai to see Mecah. The overtime tomorrow is to makeup for not working on Sunday... sometimes you just need a personal day.

My VPN was down

My VPN has been down for the last two days, so frustrating. Basically, China put up a firewall. Companies then figured out ways to get around the wall. Then China kicked it up a notch and made the wall bigger. I feel this is a continuing cycle. A little cat and mouse game between China and the Western world. The Chinese are very good at building walls.

About a week ago I visited a good friend in Shanghai. Her first name is Mecah and her last name is Cozzi. If you are ever in Shanghai, look her up. Getting from my city to Shanghai is a breeze. I got a cab to the train station (which is less than ten minutes from my house), bought a ticket and hopped on the high speed train. Trains run to and from Shanghai every twenty minutes, and it takes about 45 minutes to get there. I was ambushed by a pack of old, loud, and possibly angry (you can just never tell if they are yelling at each other in furry, or complimenting each others hair) Chinese women half way through the trip. I quickly changed cars and found another seat. Shanghai is an awesome city. I've only been here a month and I am blown away when I see foreigners. I can't imagine what it will be like when I move back to the states. I actually think I will have an extremely high tolerance for rudeness and pet peeves when I move back, but I'll discuss that later. In my city (Hangzhou) I see maybe one to three foreigners a day (outside of work that is). And it is very rare that I encounter a Chinese person that speaks English. Being in Shanghai didn't even feel like China! I mean, yeah, there were a lot of Chinese people, but I grew up in Irvine, so I barely even notice. It felt like being in New York or any other big western city. This made me miss home and wish that I lived in Shanghai. It was so good to see an old friend. It felt like a little bit of home. When I got back to Hangzhou that evening I was coming down with a terrible cold (the second one since i've been here) and very home sick. The home sickness passed, though I'm sure it will stop by again soon... probably on the 24th to ruin my Christmas. I later thought what a unique experience I am having here. Being in a big international city would not be the same experience I'm getting, and though the conveniences of Shanghai are alluring, I am happy I'm in Hangzhou. I'm definitely getting more of a traditional Chinese experience. Not to knock Mecah obviously... I just want you all to feel sorry for me for a minute.

Why will I be so tolerant when I return to the US you ask? I will tell you. Let this be the time I vent. Foreigners living in China do this quite often, but I would like to share it with you as well because I think you are so special, inside and out. Yes, YOU! Chinese people dont know what a line is. Whoever can shove their way to the register first wins. Someone stepped in front of in line while you were giving the person in front of you the courtesy of personal space... too bad. That little old granny standing next to you at the bus stop, yeah watch out for her while trying to board the bus. Those elbows are ruthless and she does not have a problem proving it. Someone on their e-bike almost hit you while they were riding on the pedestrian sidewalk rather than their designated bike lane? Get out of their way! Did that man just hawk a big luggey right where you are walking? Why wouldn't he. etc, etc...

Ok, and back to things that I love about China. Matching pajamas. Need I say more. Oh, matching pajamas in public. The Chinese have a very interesting sense of style, or lack of style in my opinion. But they probably feel the same way about me. Agree to disagree. Their motif is usually made up of faux fur, bows, sparkles, animal prints, skirts, tassels, and lace. At the same time. Back to the pajamas. I have yet to see a person walking the streets in casual workout clothes. When you leave the house, you are dressed. My California staple of Lululemon workout pants and a t-shirt would not cut it here. I feel underdressed if I wear a zip up hoodie. There is of course one exception to not putting on your frill; matching fleece pajamas. You will see seniors, adults, and teens sporting their jammies in the street any time of the day like it ain't no thang. I think it is amazing, and cannot wait to buy a pair. I think it will be  purple to match my princess headboard.

you know it's a good day when you make a kid cry.

His name is Nigel and he deserved it. I took his jump rope from him, because we weren't playing jump rope... We were learning the days of the week. Pulling out your jump rope in class is basically telling me that that is more fun than my lesson, and we know that can't be true. I took the jump rope from him and when I dismissed them from class and didn't give it back (only because I was going to give it to his mother and tell her he can't be playing with his toys in class) he had a full blown melt down! Kids are so irrational, I'm so glad I'm not one anymore.

I teach five classes a day. All classes are 50 minutes. They vary from kids to adults, and many different levels. They are assigned a specific book, but the books are usually pretty useless. For example, my last class of the day was an adult woman at level 3. The school offers levels 2 to 6 for adults (don't ask me if they're at level 1?) The books have 30 or so topics within them. Each class is a specific topic, and they are in no particular order. Sometimes the topic is interesting and can lead to a rousing discussion or debate. Some times the topics are shit and provide no direction whatsoever. The topic tonight with Mona was "Press Conference." It provided a few interview questions and pictures of famous celebrities: J-Lo, Michael Jackson, Jackie Chan, The President, Angelina Jolie. So, more often than not I have to think of something for us to do for 50 minutes. Just like a Ben Affleck movie sometimes things go great, sometimes not so much.... Chinese (especially women) are so reserved. It is not in their nature to express any opinion or feeling. This is not the greatest quality when engaging in a free topic discussion. Sometimes I struggle to think of things to talk about. I know! Me, not knowing what to talk about!? Mona and I ended up talking about celebrity gossip, tabloids, and scandals... the important things. Don't worry, I filled her in on the Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie scandal as well as Lindsey Lohan's downfall.

One of my earlier classes today was with four 6 year olds. The class is called "free topic." If you can't figure out what I have to do, you are no longer invited to read this blog. The kids are great and it's a fun class, especially because they are getting to know me. When I walked into the class they yelled my name and gave me hugs. I will expect this from everyone I know from now on. Honestly, there is no better feeling. And hugs from these darling Chinese kids... They made my week.

I have a student named Happy. When learning English they all just pick any name. Some of them are so random. I'm tempted to pick an new English name while I'm here just for kicks. Anyways, Happy is 13 and seems as if she is miserable. She must have the meanest parents or irritable bowel syndrome. Maybe they chose the name Happy as encouragement.

The other day in one of my adult classes we were discussing homes. Appliances, furniture, different rooms.... it was a hoot!! I was teling the two students that in the US (and any other place worth living) we not only have a clothing washer, but a dryer as well. In China, nobody has a dryer. My student then told me that she thinks it is good to hang the clothes outside and not use a dryer because "clothes need sun and it is good for the clothes." I had no idea clothes needed sun. I suggest you all throw out your dryer immediately. Your clothes should be treated like flowers.

found it!

Just found my bus pass in my boot! I don't know why I didn't look there first?

 Today is my "day off" but I am headed to work for some overtime dollas. It seems as if my wekkend schedule will now be at one of our schools other locations Saturday and Sunday from 9-5. The campus is in a great location. It's right next to the lake/ the beautiful/touristy area. It's also right next to a mall. I dont mind shopping on my break. The only problem is I can't find a lot. I feel like a diabetic at Cold Stone. My shoe size in the US is 9 (why do I have the feet of a woman that is 5'9".. who knows), that is bigger than most of the men here! I have not found a single shoe store that has my size. Ladies, can you imagine!? I will have to go to Shanghai to buy shoes. The school only teaches children. My campus tutors kids and adults. I love kids, but teaching them, especially the little ones that dont speak any English, is exhausting!! Some of these kids are so precious though, I can't be mad at them that they don't speak English or that they're all spoiled only children.

Tonight I have my first class with a Chinese tutor!!!