Second 1105 Party

Well, another Friday night, another party!  A few students had to cancel at the last minute, so I had a small group, just three girls.  Different from the usual craziness of seven or eight, but it was nice, because I felt like I really got to talk with everybody.  Not enough people for a shy person to hide.  

The girls and I snacked--we had good popcorn for once, as I bought some Act II buttered microwave popcorn from Metro, and added salt.  We also had the usual, chips ahoy and oreos--well, half the oreos were my usual, double chocolate, but the other half were the strawberry creme ones, just to try.  My advice: stick with the chocolate.  The girls brought some typical Chinese snack food--duck meat, liver, seaweed strips, tofu, and lotus root, all marinated in a really spicy sauce.  I ate several pieces of the lotus root and a bit of the liver. One of the girls, Jennifer, is from a coastal region of China (Shandong Province) where the food isn't spicy, so she and I were both fanning our mouths and grabbing the orange juice bottle for refills.  

Micah joined the party just a bit late, as I was teaching Uno, as has become my custom.  He was really excited about the liver; he loves that stuff.  The students were gratified to see a foreigner enjoying their contribution so much.  

It didn't take near as long to teach and play a game of Uno with just three students, and then they wanted to learn another game.  So, we moved to the dining room for Spoons, which they didn't get as excited about as most groups.  Mom had sent me a dominoes set for Christmas , and here it is March and I still hadn't had the opportunity to use them. I wasn't sure if Mexican train would work with as many people as we usually have, but with this group it was perfect.  

The girls caught on quickly to the concept of dominoes, and we had a good game.  We played double-twelves down to double-eights, but then it was getting late so Micah called the game at that point (while he was winning, of course).   I hope I can get another group to play dominoes with again soon!  

Before the left, I got a picture with the students, as usual:  left to right, Cherry, Rebecca, and Jennifer.  

English Parties are Back Again!

The semester is in full swing now--and I am back to hosting English parties with my students.  I was thinking, before I got my schedule for the semester, that I should have three returning classes (who I had over last fall), and probably just one new class, so just three parties for this semester!  Plus maybe one for a student club that I've gotten involved with a bit (SIFE).  

Micah and I were talking the other day that there are two things you should never say in China, and yet we do all the time:  "Surely not!" and "You would think..."  

So, first of all, for some scheduling reasons (although I'm not sure what, because as far as I can see, the classes do not conflict with either their or our schedules), they swapped one of my writing classes for Micah's writing class.  He already knew my students (1106) because he has had them for oral English, but I hadn't had his (1105) class before.  I had met a few of them when I dropped in on some of his gatherings last semester.  So, there's one new class.  Then, I have two oral English classes to replace the Mythology class I taught last semester (which I enjoyed, but is only a fall class).  

So...three classes of students to have over, and the oral English classes are bigger, about thirty students instead of twenty-one or twenty-two.  Sooo...probably eleven or twelve parties, just like last semester.  So much for my Friday nights...but I enjoy getting to know my students, and we usually have a good time.  I shouldn't complain, it's actually a step up from my ordinary Friday nights, which are usually spent on Pinterest. :)  

The first group of the semester was a group of girls from 1105, plus a guy somebody brought along.  In the picture, they are, from left to right, Vera, Carol, Anne, Paula, Aries (we did have a conversation about the fact that this is the male god of war, and not particularly a nice god, either, but she isn't too concerned, really), Kissy (sigh...), Isabelle, and the guy, whose name I can't remember at the moment.  Jesse?  Jay, maybe?  

We ate snacks, talked, and then I taught them to play Uno.  Most of my students really enjoy it, and it's a game that even beginners can do well at.  For example, I lost the first game, even though I was teaching it.  When playing games here, they all have the idea that the loser should be "punished" in some way--usually along the lines of "the loser should sing a song!" or "the loser has to do the Gangnam style dance!"  Anyways, I lost, but while I was dithering about what in the world I was supposed to sing, Micah broke out in Johnny Cash's "Walk the Line", so I hummed along to a couple of lines and said that counted.