tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19131546270561046482024-03-06T06:55:46.380+08:00blogging from Beijing 北京journals and journeys from East Asia朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-86374262845981433352009-04-14T17:03:00.002+08:002009-04-14T17:08:26.856+08:00This blog has movedIt's often difficult to post pictures in Blogger so start looking for my updates at <a href="http://juliekirsten.wordpress.com/">this blog</a> instead. I'll only post here if China decides to block Wordpress in the future.<br /><br />Now I have to get my <a href="http://www.supernovatube.com/divxp.php?viewkey=f6d9d4a7e9db4ac7c513">weekly 24 fix</a>!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01606915808041863539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-64009747405316601802009-04-13T15:03:00.009+08:002009-04-13T16:51:51.968+08:00It's a beautiful day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs030.snc1/3193_536687752694_141300057_31898446_4998513_n.jpg"><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 604px; height: 453px;" src="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs030.snc1/3193_536687752694_141300057_31898446_4998513_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v651/79/117/141300057/n141300057_31898441_918930.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 604px;" src="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v651/79/117/141300057/n141300057_31898441_918930.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div>I<br />microwaved some leftovers for lunch today. As the carrots heated up the lid got sucked back onto the formerly-circular plastic container. It re-sealed and the result was a newly triangular container. Whoops.<div><br /></div><div>Days like today make me want to listen to U2. Spring comes early in Beijing and we've already had several 80-degree days. Today the sun is shining, the breeze is gentle, and the fuzz is flying. The white seeds blow around, accumulating into cotton ball dust bunnies. The fuzz was swirling outside my third floor classroom this morning and looked a lot like snow. It's the bane of every Beijinger on his bike as he tries to avoid accidentally inhaling it or snorting it up his nose. In the picture, Greg Briggs and his fiance are walking between the track and the building we live in.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v651/79/117/141300057/n141300057_31898442_6737977.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 604px;" src="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v651/79/117/141300057/n141300057_31898442_6737977.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>We just finished studying the Middle Ages today in history class and we played Taboo to celebrate... with vocabulary words from our lessons. Charlemagne, pope, Joan of Arc, 100 Years War, longbow, gunpowder, religion, Holy Roman Empire, feudalism, bubonic plague. I threw in a few just for fun: Mr. Staab, Avril Lavigne (they love the "Girlfriend" song), Michael Jordan, Easter. The students absolutely loved it. Class 14 held the record for the most words in one minute until today. The old record was eleven but Class 11 broke it with twelve words guessed in a minute. They have so much fun competing against each other they almost forgetting they're practicing English at the same time. :) Next, we'll begin studying the Renaissance followed by that world religions that have impacted Western history and culture.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v651/79/117/141300057/n141300057_31898444_4733531.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 604px;" src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v651/79/117/141300057/n141300057_31898444_4733531.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>Our students will take their midterm examinations next week so we have a break from teaching classes for four days. <a href="http://annaghayes.blogspot.com/">Anna</a> and I are traveling with <a href="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2664/46/4/731670093/n731670093_6292930_7002632.jpg">Joel, Mary, and Jacob</a> to Sichuan for five days to visit Mary's parents, who live in Chengdu. Sichuan is the province where last spring's earthquake struck and it's also famous for its food. We'll spend some time in Chengdu, then spend a day or two in Nanchong which is Mary's hometown. Most of my travels haven't strayed more than ten hours from Beijing so I'm excited to see a different part of China! Traveling with Mandarin-speakers also eliminates some stress. :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v651/79/117/141300057/n141300057_31898443_1904534.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 604px;" src="http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v651/79/117/141300057/n141300057_31898443_1904534.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>The three guys were my students last year in Sr 1 Class 5 and were some of my favorites. They have continued to visit the office to see Greg, Joel, and Cherie, who are their foreign teachers this year. The office has experienced an increase in traffic this week because we had our annual campus-wide Easter egg hunt on Thursday. When students bring the plastic eggs back to the office they have a chance to redeem them for candy, money, or prizes. Some students prefer to keep the plastic eggs, which they've never seen before, much to the dismay of the foreign teachers who bring them from the US!</div><div><br /></div><div>The last picture is of a student named Volver in Sr 1 Class 1. She's been in the office a lot this year and visits me often in my classroom, which is across the hall from her homeroom.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">The punishment that brought our peace was on him and by his wounds we are saved.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Happy Easter!</span></div></div>朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-24486802659621513962009-04-01T19:07:00.003+08:002009-04-01T19:41:56.391+08:00Glimpse into a WednesdayHappy April Fools Day!<br /><br />Have I mentioned on here how sweet my schedule is this term? I don't teach for a full 48 hours in the middle of my week - from Tuesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon. Life is pretty great with two weekends in each week. It's going to be painful next term when I have to teach more than two days in a row!<br /><br />It being the first Wednesday of the month, we had a lunch meeting at Shi Yi middle school. Tacos were on the menu and our school was supplying the tomatoes and the lettuce. I took the elevator to the ground floor on my way out to buy the produce from the fresh market around the corner. When I stepped out of my building I almost got knocked out by a soccer ball that escaped the fence. If I had been two inches to my left I would have gotten smacked in the head, and that ball wasn't moving slowly, but the Korean students apologized profusely and I gave them their ball back. When I got to the market an old woman approached me as I was locking my bike. The elderly hang out in this area earlier in the day and there's an outside exercise park that many of them use. She stroked my jacket, pointed to my shoes, and touched my hair while telling me over and over that my clothes and hair were so beautiful. Such is the life of a <span style="font-style: italic;">laowai</span> in China.<br /><br />Michelle and I were in a meeting with two junior students when circumcision came up in discussion (chapter seventeen of the first book). Whoa boy was that awkward. One girl explained to the other what it was in Chinese, then the situation became funny when she fell over on the floor upon realizing what it was. A-w-k-w-a-r-d!<br /><br />Have you seen <a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/help/autopilot/index.html">Gmail Autopilot</a> by <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en_us/landing/cadie/">CADIE</a>? It will revolutionize your Google communication!朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-7248677294741198262009-03-29T12:10:00.000+08:002009-03-29T12:11:10.717+08:00Solution, by Hillsong<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cAkbixFdu_M&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cAkbixFdu_M&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-36208354452011066202009-03-28T14:25:00.002+08:002009-03-28T15:10:15.094+08:00Life latelyI teach my history classes in an extra classroom. When I arrived for class I discovered two students there before me. One of them was changing - taking off his long underwear. I guess he was too warm? I can't ever remember wearing long underwear when I was a kid, and certainly never three or four layers of pants. The Chinese do, however! They'll probably wear more than one layer into May, even when spring is well underway. They think I'm crazy for wearing one layer all winter!<br /><br />That student should have kept his long underwear on, because while temperatures hit hit the upper 70's two weeks ago, they're back down to the 40's or 50's during the day. The only problem is that the government turned the heat off on March 15 so us <span style="font-style: italic;">laowai</span> need to pile on the layers at home because our apartments are cold! I've been sleeping under five blankets at night and the forecast for tomorrow says snow.<br /><br />Here are a few happenings of late.<br /><ul><li>I helped out at a new English corner on Tuesday night. It's held in a dental clinic for the employees to better communicate with their foreign patients. We practiced scheduling appointments, accepting new patients, and calling and leaving reminder messages. I love my students, but it was a nice treat to work with adults. The facilities are <span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">really nice</span> and we should get some free or discounted cleanings at some point.</li><li>I studied Noah during a meeting this week and then saw a rainbow splayed across the wall the very next day.</li><li>The McDonald's on our corner has a new walk-up ice cream window that serves chocolate soft-serve and four flavor twists: mocha, green apple, strawberry, and grape. Mountain Dew is now available at your favorite corner drink shop for the same price as a Coke. You left Beijing too soon, Mark!</li><li>Up until this point I've learned Chinese by listening, studying a little on my own, and using language CDs but Anna and Andrew and I are going to begin taking Chinese lessons soon. Soon = when we stop procrastinating and go take our language placement exam.</li><li>Beijing met it's <a href="http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2008/12/01/Beijing-Reaches-Blue-Sky-Target-for-2008">blue skies target for 2008</a> on November 30. Beijing has a big pirating problem, and I don't just mean DVDs, fOakleys, and North Fa(r)ce. Government statistics should be taken with a healthy dose of MSG, if you know what I mean. Even so, I think I've seen more blue skies lately than when I first arrived. We haven't seen any <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1883494.stm">sandstorms</a> yet this spring, either.</li><li>We are beginning plans for our massive annual Easter egg hunt. Last year we hid somewhere in the range of 3500 plastic eggs that the students could redeem for candy and money.<br /></li><li>Anna and I are excited to visit Sichuan Province with the Joel, Mary, and baby Jacob at the end of April. We'll be visiting Mary's parents in Chengdu and her hometown of Nanchong for five days.<br /></li></ul>朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-56928340853136409092009-03-28T13:56:00.003+08:002009-03-28T14:25:40.491+08:00Job updateIt looked for a little while that <a href="http://annaghayes.blogspot.com/">Anna</a> and I would be moving to teach at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renmin_University_of_China">Renmin University</a> for the 09-10 school year, but things have changed since my last post. Anna and I and our qualifications were initially okay-ed by the Foreign Experts Bureau to go to the University, but we forgot that nothing is final in China until it's a completed action. Ren Da changed their minds on two accounts.<br /><ol><li>They will allow the first-year teachers to return to teach their second year, so they don't have to leave the school as originally thought.</li><li>They have told Anna and I that we cannot teach at the University without two years of university teaching experience or a masters degree - our experience at the high school and middle school level don't qualify. They're looking for foreign teachers who can bring more prestige to their school, but this is the school's rule and not the fault of government regulation.<br /></li></ol>After a few weeks of not knowing exactly what next year would look like, we are staying where we're at. Nate and Jess, the couple I mentioned in the last post, are still going to Ren Da next year so the University team will number six. Our overall team is growing again - Shi Yi asked for ten teachers and RDFZ (my school) wants 22 teachers among its three campuses. Teachers and spouses bring the grand total to 40, plus three children under the age of two!<br /><br />I said above that we're staying where we're at. We'll keep the same teaching positions, but we're moving into a new apartment building . . . sometime. Sometime could mean anytime between tomorrow and August. Since the school promised us we would move by September 1, 2008 I will only believe we're actually moving after my stuff is over there. :) The overall space is somewhat smaller than what we have now, but it has a few things I'm excited about. There is a lot of storage and closet space, cabinets under the sink in the bathroom (we have a pedestal sink right now), a big shared walk-in closet (if that sounds weird, it's because it is), washing machines in each apartment, central heating/air (no more radiators!), and a small glassed-in balcony/clothes drying room off each bedroom. The living room has several functions - the walk-in closet is on one side with sliding doors (I told you this was weird), the kitchen counters and cabinets are built in along one corner, and the rest of the space is occupied by the couch area and dining room table/chairs.朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-49293777875071795942009-03-19T14:17:00.003+08:002009-03-19T14:23:53.221+08:00When in China, do as the Chinese doYesterdays temperatures made it almost to 80 degrees. Spring is in the air! Well, it better be because the government turned off our heat on March 15.<br /><br />I began teaching about the Roman Empire this week. We were discussing the origins of the phrases "all roads lead to Rome" and "Rome wasn't built in a day." When I asked the class about the meaning of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," a kid responded "when in China, buy pirated DVDs!"Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01606915808041863539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-85497687832927805662009-03-09T14:38:00.003+08:002009-03-09T14:43:07.529+08:00Good news!Anna and I have been approved to teach at Renmin University next year. Even better news is that Nate and Jess Smith have decided to stay on a fourth year and move to Ren Da! This brings the count at Ren Da next year up to five team members. What the adversary meant for harm, our father is turning into good.朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-2394180195092340182009-03-08T13:39:00.000+08:002009-03-08T13:40:06.642+08:00Obama's gift gaffeCheck out this unbelievable story about the gifts that the Obama's gave Gordon Brown when he visited the U.S.<br /><br /><a href="http://newsbusters.org/blogs/warner-todd-huston/2009/03/07/obamas-british-gift-gaffe-not-reported-u-s-media">http://newsbusters.org/blogs/warner-todd-huston/2009/03/07/obamas-british-gift-gaffe-not-reported-u-s-media</a>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01606915808041863539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-35333831197050046212009-03-06T17:17:00.006+08:002009-03-08T12:21:36.791+08:00Renmin UniversityIf you've been following my tales in China, you know the visa troubles that have plagued the other schools in our program (Shi Yi and Ren Da) in recent years. China's Foreign Experts Bureau (FEB) has a law on the books that says that all foreign teachers need to have some combination of a bachelors degree, two years teaching experience, and/or ESL certifcation. A new Renmin University VP decided that beginning next school year all foreign teachers must have two years teaching experience or a masters degree. The University has gone before the FEB in years past to petition for an exception for Cedarville teachers, but they will no longer do that.<br /><br />With the exception of one, all of the teachers who were planning to return to Ren Da next school year have one year of teaching experience, which means they are unable to return. This leaves one position filled and seven empty. While it's probably a step in the right direction for China to start obeying its laws (hello Sanlu-melamine-milk scandal, lead-toy scandal, poisoned-medicine scandal, etc.), it leaves our program at Ren Da in a lurch.<br /><br />I have two years teaching experience (clearly this qualifies me to teach at one of China's top universities*) so I may be changing schools and going to Renmin University next school year with <a href="http://annaghayes.blogspot.com/">Anna</a>. Our small team of three next year is only five minutes by bike from where I teach right now, so I'm not moving far. I'll be sad to leave my school and my students, but I'm up for a new challenge. I'm also okay with <span style="font-style: italic;">fuwuyuan</span> at the new school cleaning my bathroom and changing my sheets. I'm pretty sure I won't miss doing that. :)<br /><br />*sarcasm<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/RenminUniversitypic1.jpg/800px-RenminUniversitypic1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 800px; height: 533px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/RenminUniversitypic1.jpg/800px-RenminUniversitypic1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/15/RenminUniv..jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/15/RenminUniv..jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-32280515916491876452009-03-02T22:32:00.002+08:002009-03-02T22:38:33.396+08:00There's no one as Irish as Barack Obama<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4Xkw8ip43Vk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4Xkw8ip43Vk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="364" width="445"></embed></object><br /><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">No one as Irish as Barack OBama</span><br /></p><p>O'Leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara<br />There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama </p><p>You don't believe me, I hear you say<br />But Barack's as Irish, as was JFK<br />His granddaddy's daddy came from Moneygall<br />A small Irish village, well known to you all </p><p>Toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a lama<br />There's no one as Irish As Barack O'Bama </p><p>He's as Irish as bacon and cabbage and stew<br />He's Hawaiian he's Kenyan American too<br />He’s in the white house, He took his chance<br />Now let’s see Barack do Riverdance </p><p>Toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a lama<br />There's no one as Irish As Barack O'Bama </p><p>From Kerry and cork to old Donegal<br />Let’s hear it for Barack from old moneygall<br />From the lakes if Killarney to old Connemara<br />There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama </p><p>O'Leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara<br />There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama<br />From the old blarney stone to the great hill of Tara<br />There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama </p><p>2008 the white house is green, their cheering in Mayo and in Skibereen.<br />The Irish in Kenya, and in Yokahama,<br />Are cheering for President Barack O’Bama </p><p>O'Leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara<br />There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama </p><p>The Hockey Moms gone, and so is McCain<br />They are cheering in Texas and in Borrisokane, </p><p>In Moneygall town, the greatest of drama, for our<br />Famous president Barack o Bama </p><p>Toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a lama<br />There's no one as Irish As Barack O'Bama </p><p>The great Stephen Neill, a great man of God,<br />He proved that Barack was from the Auld Sod<br />They came by bus and they came by car, to celebrate Barack in Ollie Hayes’s Bar </p><p>O'Leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara<br />There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama </p>朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-77943640331038050482009-03-02T22:29:00.000+08:002009-03-02T22:30:36.297+08:00GE meets Qin Shi Huangdi in Atlanta, GAChinese Relics and Relationships<br />Globalization<br />Source: Internal<br />05 January 2009<br /><br />Late last year, GE welcomed 500 guests, including nearly 200 employees, to view an exhibit at Atlanta's High Museum of Art chronicling the reign of Qin Shi Huangdi - one of history's most notable rulers. The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army is on display through April 2009.<br /><br />Qin Shi Huangdi is responsible for standardizing Chinese writing, currency, law, weights and measures; building a system of roads, the first phase of the Great Wall, and even a 7000-piece warrior army to guard his tomb.<br /><br />Comprised of more than 100 objects, the display includes 15 life-sized terracotta warriors, officials, horses, and entertainers. The High Museum exhibition is the largest grouping of these objects China has ever loaned to the United States.<br /><br />As lead sponsor of the exhibition, GE hosted a welcome reception, where John Rice, vice chairman of GE, summarized the importance of the exhibit and the partnership between GE and China. "This is really a celebration for us. It's a natural relationship with the country of China where we've been doing business, led by our Energy business, for 100 years," he said.<br /><br />"When [the High Museum] approached us about being the lead sponsor for the Terracotta Warrior Exhibit, we agreed because it symbolizes something that's obviously important to the country of China and clearly of importance to our company: leadership, ingenuity, and longevity."<br /><br />A similar sentiment about GE's relationship with China was shared by Zhou Wenzhong, Chinese ambassador to the United States, "GE is a good partner, and GE's success story in China is a good example of this win-win relationship between China and the United States. We want to thank GE for their participation in China's developed program."<br /><br />The mood and significance of the reception was further underscored by the fact that it served as the kick-off to GE's 9th annual China CEO Program, which hosts CEOs in the United States and offers them a first-hand look at GE's best practices.<br /><br />"I think this is a very good opportunity for CEOs from China to come to the United States to have a good exchange of views and to figure out what to do in the future in terms of more cooperation, and closer ties between the two countries," Wenzhong added.<br /><br />GE's sponsorship of the exhibit is a way to celebrate GE's growing relationship with China, from a commercial, cultural and personal perspective, and China's willingness to share the exhibit with the American people for the first time holds perhaps even greater significance.朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-33529589907536857822009-03-02T13:50:00.001+08:002009-03-02T13:51:26.311+08:0025 random things about FacebookMSN's <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28938524/">25 random things about Facebook</a> is hilarious.朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-11600518593876424792009-03-02T11:02:00.003+08:002009-03-02T11:14:44.043+08:00Rohming Outside The RopesWhat happened senior year? Apparently the videos at CU got good again after I graduated.<br /><br /><object height="315" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FgQQyUJzVC4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FgQQyUJzVC4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="315" width="500"></embed></object><br /><br />Flash back to the past. The Facebook Song.<br /><br /><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N8wT0o0cBVo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N8wT0o0cBVo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01606915808041863539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-64665730537721266932009-02-28T13:59:00.003+08:002009-02-28T14:09:45.945+08:00Students say the darndest things"I like history books about humanism. They can teach me to be a great human."<br /><br />"Many classmates of mine think that I am the most handsome person and I have a better quality than all of my classmates. As for personality, I am a shy and I don't like show off although I have a lot of advantages which are uncountable . . . I like watching beautiful girls like other boys in my class."Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01606915808041863539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-19501009299217785112009-02-24T21:28:00.005+08:002009-02-24T21:46:48.551+08:00Snow shotsHere are some belated pictures of the track (what the students call the "playground") after it snowed the other day. Noticeably absent are the obscenities that appeared after the first and only time it snowed last winter. These are taken from the building I live in (8th floor), which is also home to the international students (6th & 7th floor). The British A-level program and Junior 1 students are on floors 1-5. This taken from the south side of the field.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2350/25/61/572141130/n572141130_2602435_1467.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 604px; height: 453px;" src="http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2350/25/61/572141130/n572141130_2602435_1467.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I teach all of my senior students (10th grade) in this building on the 3rd floor. It's on the east side of the field.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2350/25/61/572141130/n572141130_2602432_380.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 604px; height: 453px;" src="http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2350/25/61/572141130/n572141130_2602432_380.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This shot looks north at the stands and west at the new dormitory building, which rumor reports we'll be moving into in the next month. Rumor has also had it that we'd be living there by September 1, 2008, then it shifted to October, then there was a possibility we'd move in February before the new term started. I am basically hoping that these are further lies and I don't have to move all my stuff down eight floors and then up nine more floors... multiple times until all it's all transferred. I arrived with three suitcases but now it's amazing to see how much stuff Anna and I have accumulated after 18 months!<br /><br />Something I should do which I haven't yet is take pictures of the rest of our campus. There are four academic buildings, an administrative building, cafeteria/auditorium, pool/art building, library/orchestra hall/art studio, a dormitory, the post office, and teacher housing. There are also badminton, volleyball, basketball, and tennis courts. Someday... I will take pictures or maybe video.朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-71589296318925581232009-02-24T20:33:00.003+08:002009-02-24T20:43:56.710+08:00Wanna race?I parked my <a href="http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-IN/bikes/mountain/3195/34786/">Giant ATX660</a> next to a <a href="http://www.maserati.com/maserati/en/en/index/models/Quattroporte.html">Maserati Quattroporte</a> tonight. We left the Aston Martin at home in favor of biking to Fridays since it was a balmy 3 degrees centigrade. Spring is practically upon us.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.giant-bicycles.com/_upload_in/bikes/models/zooms/2009/_I4P8361-ATX-660-GRAY.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 700px; height: 408px;" src="http://www.giant-bicycles.com/_upload_in/bikes/models/zooms/2009/_I4P8361-ATX-660-GRAY.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.maserati.com/mediaObject/COM/models/Quattroporte-S/080670M/resolutions/res-694x384/data.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 694px; height: 384px;" src="http://www.maserati.com/mediaObject/COM/models/Quattroporte-S/080670M/resolutions/res-694x384/data.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-68432215941645213752009-02-22T22:44:00.002+08:002009-02-22T22:49:12.030+08:00Muslim Chinese at Guantanamo17 Chinese citizens are imprisoned at Guantanamo. They are Uighurs from China's Muslim-majority Xinjiang province. Read about it here: <a href="http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2009/02/lawyer-for-guantanamo-bay-uighurs-vows-to-fight/">http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2009/02/lawyer-for-guantanamo-bay-uighurs-vows-to-fight/</a><br /><br />Sometimes I hear interesting things below my window, even though I'm eight floors up. It's not unusual to be woken up by cats fighting, which sounds eerily close to crying babies. Right now two men are having some kind of competition to see who can yell louder than the other. If I understood more Mandarin I would tell you what they're yelling about.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01606915808041863539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-7394606310374923022009-02-22T21:41:00.003+08:002009-02-22T22:24:33.582+08:00Please absquatulate with our penicillanIt's been a good week back at work. We've had snow, sunny blue skies, amazing meetings with Chinese friends, new baby news, 24 catch-up, and good conversations in the office. I learned a new song by Sovereign Grace that you should check out: <span style="font-style: italic;">Hide Away in the Love of *esus</span>. I also figured out how to circumvent our school's firewall (because apparently the Great Firewall of China isn't good enough for RDFZ - they needed their own) and download songs through iTunes. One of the great things about living in the East is that I get to celebrate my Friday before all of you in the West. One of the worst is that you are still on your weekend while I'm ending mine! But then again, I just had six weeks of vacation in the dead of winter.<br /><br />I remember when I was a kid and we went on vacation. Someone forgot to take out the trash before we left and there was an unfortunate piece of meat in the kitchen garbage. We came home to a nice swarm of maggots. I always swore I'd never do that, but so far it has happened to me twice. The first time was in college. My aunt and uncle visited me with a birthday cake at school and and my roommate and I forgot to clean the plate. There wasn't enough time to get the platter washed before room checks, so Kim put it in the refrigerator to hide it. Then we left for break. And you can guess the rest.<br /><br />The second time is more recent. Anna and I backpacked through Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore for five weeks and just got back last week. Right before we left I did a last-minute garbage can/refrigerator check just to make sure we weren't coming home to any surprises. I found a pot of old spaghetti sauce that I had been meaning to dump. We were literally walking out the door and I had my pack on so I put it in the freezer. I can't exactly remember how long it had been in the fridge before I put it in the freezer, but after we got back things were really REALLY hectic (we returned on Thursday and started work again on Monday). I took the pot out of the freezer and left it on the counter to thaw, meaning to clean it ASAP. It was out of sight and got forgotten about and in only two days there were mounds of nasty mold all over the sauce. I'm talking seven different colored molds. Disgusting. The latent homeschooler in me thought it would be cool to watch it grow and Anna sort of agreed that it'd be neat to see when the molds finished their food supply and died. Well that was a <span style="font-style: italic;">bad idea</span> because even with the lid on in the kitchen, you could smell it from the front door. The whole apartment smelled funky. I did everything on my to-do list today, dragging my feet the entire time, before I mustered up the courage to approach the pot on the kitchen counter. When I turned it upside down in the hallway trashcan, the stuff inside - which was mostly reduced to a powder - came out and a mold cloud (I kid you not) went up while I high-tailed it back to our door. Gladly, the stank is now gone from us. It lives in the hallway until our <span style="font-style: italic;">fuwuyuan</span> takes out the garbage tomorrow.<br /><br />My Mom's probably reading this, shaking her head and remembering the Tupperware that I used to take to work in highschool and regularly forget about in my backpack. I'm a responsible adult. Really.<br /><br />I decided this week to stay on another year, so Beijing 2010 here I come! There were many factors in that decision, but it was mostly leaving behind the nice bike I acquired this year. Anna and I bought the same bikes, the Giant Something-Something 1.0, when we arrived in August 2007 and Caleb appropriately dubbed them "The Tank" and "The Beast." These are apt titles because I think they weigh like 113 pounds. I was fortunate enough to pwn The Tank off to an unsuspecting newbie in the fall and I like my new bike and I'm excited for Beijing Year Three. :) (The bike didn't really rank high among the decision factors, although I did have thoughts of taking it back to the US with me.)<br /><br />Soon it will be Monday. Let's live this week doing all for the glory of our Father, not men; otherwise pleasure and work are meaningless.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01606915808041863539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-81369612721906868822009-02-19T15:47:00.001+08:002009-02-19T16:11:00.671+08:00The government made it snowXinhua, the state-run media, says that the snow Beijing has experienced over the past three days is artificially-induced. Beijing is in its worst drought in 38 years and it hasn't had natural precipitation since October 24. Last Thursday's rain was also artificially-induced with silver iodide to help ease the drought.<br /><br />There's 2" of snow on the ground and it's fun to see the kids running around in it and throwing snowballs. There are big balls of snow on the track where kids attempted snowmen during their lunch period. It doesn't snow very often or with great results in Beijing and as long as I'm not riding my bike I like looking at it out my window. I'm thankful I don't have to shovel it!<br /><br />Here's a picture of Chinese work groups sweeping the snow with their brooms. I've seen these brooms used for sweeping garbage, leaves, water, and now, snow.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451c64169e2011278f4f74128a4-500wi"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451c64169e2011278f4f74128a4-500wi" alt="" border="0" /></a>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01606915808041863539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-90855661018001643042009-02-16T10:37:00.003+08:002009-02-16T10:51:15.102+08:00"My Mom changed my birthday..."Today was the first day back in class. I have 125 new students and I always enjoy reading their information on their notecards. From what I understand, it's not uncommon for Chinese people to say that a child turning 1 is actually turning 2, because they can count the 9 months spent in the womb as the child's first year. It's a cultural difference. In the wake of the Chinese gymnastics scandal during the Olympics where there were rampant birth date confusions and falsifications, I thought this student's interesting fact about herself was especially amusing.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In China's education politics, I should study in Junior 3. But my Mom changed my birthday and birth year to August 26, 1993. So in that way, I study in Senior 1 this year. In other words, I am 1 year younger than all other students in my class.</span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01606915808041863539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-30915596681406792572009-02-16T10:09:00.003+08:002009-02-16T10:33:51.487+08:0025 Random Things About MeAs I was traveling around SE Asia, I was tagged numerous times in Facebook notes called "25 Random Things About Me." The idea is that you write twenty-five personal things in a note, then tag twenty-five people to do the same.<br /><br />At first, I declined because coming up with twenty-five things about me seemed time consuming and I wasn't sure I could think of anything exciting enough anyway. The more I was tagged, the more I got to thinking about why it's so popular. I think in a way blogging and Facebook allows us to fuel our need for vanity and to be known and unique among our friends. Everyone's out to get the most comments and have the catchiest status message. We want to think up 25 cooler things than our friends have written, maybe.<br /><br />A quick Google search for "25 random things about me" turned up 630,000 results. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/fashion/05things.html">The New York Times</a> describes this newest fad as "a chain-letter-cum-literary exercise." <a href="http://www.boundlessline.org/2009/02/25-random-things-about-me.html">Boundless even blogged about it.</a><br /><br />Maybe not participating in "25 things" is my own way of standing out. Either way, now you know why I haven't written up my own list even though you may have tagged me to be a part of it. Don't be offended, I just don't want to. My 414 Facebook friends range from "my high school friend's way younger sibling" to "we shared a twin bed because our hotel was so cold." Sharing 25 intimate details with all of these people is downright weird. Want to know more about me? Pick up the phone instead of reading my online profile, which is intentionally designed to not be a substitute for a real friendship. :)朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-39638686374265611542009-01-04T12:46:00.004+08:002009-01-04T13:29:55.462+08:00As close as you can get to ChipotleI made fajitas with fresh salsa and cilantro rice last night and it was <span style="font-weight: bold;">excellent</span>!! If you're looking for something new to try, give these easy recipes a chance.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fajitas</span><br />Marinate strips of chicken breast or flank steak for 2-5 hours:<br /><ul><li>1/4 cup lime juice</li><li>1/3 cup water</li><li>2 tbsp olive oil</li><li>4 cloves garlic, crushed</li><li>2 tsp soy sauce</li><li>1 tsp salt</li><li>1/2 tsp cumin</li><li>1/2 tsp black pepper</li></ul>Stir-fry chicken/steak, then add green peppers and onions until cooked. Serve over steamed white cilantro rice with fresh salsa (below) and sour cream.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Roasted Tomato Salsa</span><br />Prep time: 10 minutes<br />Cook time: 10 minutes<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><ul><li>12 roma (plum) tomatoes</li><li>8 cloves garlic, unpeeled</li><li>1 small onion, quartered</li><li>1 jalapeno pepper</li><li>1 1/2 tsp olive oil</li><li>1 tsp ground cumin</li><li>1/4 tsp salt</li><li>3 tbsp lime juice</li><li>1/4 cup chopped cilantro</li></ul>Directions:<br /><ol><li>Preheat the broiler</li><li>In a medium baking dish, place tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeno pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.</li><li>Checking often, boil 5-10 minutes or until the outside of vegetables is charred.</li><li>Remove vegetables from heat. Remove and discard tomato cores, jalapeno stem, and garlic skins.</li><li>In a food processor, coarsely chop the charred vegetables. Transfer to a medium bowl and mix in cumin, salt, lime juice, and cilantro.</li></ol>Nutritional information:<br /><ul><li>Servings per recipe: 24</li><li>Calories per serving: 17</li><li>Total fat: 1g</li><li>Cholesterol: 0mg</li><li>Sodium: 28mg</li><li>Dietary fiber: 0.4g</li><li>Protein: 0.4g</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chips</span><br />Ingredients:<br /><ul><li>1 pkg flat tortillas</li><li>lime juice</li><li>olive oil</li><li>seasoned salt</li></ul>Directions:<br /><ol><li>Preheat oven.<br /></li><li>Cut each tortilla into 8 triangles, like a pizza.</li><li>Arrange on cookie sheet or in baking dish.</li><li>Combine 3 parts olive oil with 1 part lime juice in small bowl.<br /></li><li>Brush oil/juice mixture on both sides of tortilla wedges.</li><li>Sprinkle seasoned salt on one side.</li><li>Checking often, bake until light brown. Chips will be crispy on one side and softer on the other side.<br /></li></ol>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01606915808041863539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-33515634410528709432009-01-03T12:07:00.004+08:002009-01-03T12:37:45.381+08:00Happy Niu Year 新牛年快乐!I'll take a cue from my students and say that my new year's resolution is 1600x1200.<br /><br />Continuing tradition, here are the books I read this year. I wouldn't recommend all of them, so don't read anything just because it made the list!<br /><ol><li>The Lexus and the Olive Tree (Thomas L. Friedman)</li><li>Be Intolerant (Ryan Dobson)</li><li>The Faith of George W. Bush (Stephen Mansfield)</li><li>Gathering Blue (Lois Lowry)</li><li>The Peacemaker (Ken Sande)</li><li>Sarah (Kaylene Johnson)</li><li>Why We're Not Emergent (Kevin Deyoung, Ted Kluck)<br /></li><li>The Shack (William P. Young)</li><li>Holes (Louis Sachar)</li><li>Under The Overpass (Mike Yankoski)</li><li>What Went Wrong? (Bernard Lewis)</li><li>Faith of Our Fathers (Chan Kei Thong)</li><li>Forever In Blue (Ann Brashares)<br /></li><li>Girls In Pants (Ann Brashares)<br /></li><li>The Partner (John Grisham)</li><li>The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)</li><li>Get Off Your Knees And "Think" (Sheila Walsh)</li><li>Lies Women Believe (Nancy Leigh DeMoss)</li><li>The Blue Castle (L. M. Montgomery)</li><li>Get Married (Candice Watters)</li><li>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (J. K. Rowling)</li><li>Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets (J. K. Rowling)</li><li>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (J. K. Rowling)<br /></li><li>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (J. K. Rowling)</li><li>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (J. K. Rowling)</li><li>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (J. K. Rowling)</li><li>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (J. K. Rowling)</li><li>The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)</li><li>The Christmas Promise (Donna VanLiere)</li><li>The Heavenly Man (Brother Yun)</li><li>Atonement (Ian McEwan)</li><li>Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt)</li><li>A Painted House (John Grisham)</li><li>The Runaway Jury (John Grisham)</li><li>The Summons (John Grisham)</li></ol>Here are the first in order on my bookshelf for 2009:<br /><ol><li>The Beach (Alex Garland)<br /></li><li>Prince Caspian (C. S. Lewis)</li><li>The Brethren (John Grisham)</li><li>Improving Your Serve (Charles Swindoll)</li><li>The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown)</li><li>The Story of English (Robert McCrum)</li><li>The Cost of Discipleship (Dietrich Bonoeffer)</li><li>Modern Leadership Strategies From Ancient Chinese Wisdom (Robert Foster)</li><li>Three Cups Of Tea (Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin)</li><li>China's Ascendancy: An Opportunity Or Threat? (Sheng-Wei Wang)</li><li>The King Of Torts (John Grisham)</li><li>God at The Dock (C. S. Lewis)</li></ol>My goal is to read a book a week, at the minimum. What are your suggestions?Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01606915808041863539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913154627056104648.post-3884197044934704992008-12-30T19:57:00.002+08:002008-12-30T20:21:36.135+08:00Extended blogging absenceI did something I've never done before - finish something waaaay ahead of its due date! I was determined to have my final grades finished well ahead of their January 9th deadline so I could enjoy this last week of teaching and spending time with students, so I worked hard and finished everything on Sunday. Today was the last day of classes and it was fun to visit with students and hang out in the office without anything hanging over my head.<br /><br />My MacBook has been giving me some trouble. I had the case replaced over the summer because it cracked where your palms rest and where the magnet meets the case when it's closed. Now in Beijing, it's beginning to crack again and the top case by the hinge is cracking. Fast forward a little and the external speakers died so I have to plug into the headphone jack to get sound. Last but not least, the disk drive spit CDs/DVDs back and couldn't read anything.<br /><br />I'm lucky on two counts. 1) I decided to renew the AppleCare Plan, maybe one of the best decisions I've made all year. 2) Apple opened its first store in Beijing in July, ahead of the Olympics. I waited until this afternoon when classes finished for the semester to find the store and get repairs made. They're replacing the top and bottom case, keyboard, disk drive, and motherboard... and it's all included in the AppleCare Plan.<br /><br />I can't say it enough: get the AppleCare Plan! They don't ask questions if something goes wrong and my experience says something will go wrong. My sister has had her case crack twice and another friend has the same problem. Hopefully the new generation of MacBooks will avoid this problem, but still. It's worth the money. :)<br /><br />The repairs are going to take up to two weeks and I'm leaving on January 7 to take the backpacking trip of a lifetime through Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore so I'm taking an extended absence from the blog until February. Happy New Year! Xin nian kuai le!朱丽http://www.blogger.com/profile/08399572452391478239noreply@blogger.com0