Thanksgiving

I am thankful for all my family and friends support this holiday.  Even though I spent it in my apartment with the winding down of a cough and cold - I spoke to everyone on Skype and I was thankful for Skype and all the technology that allows me to feel less isolated.

Next, I am grateful to all my goofy little college coeds that began QQing me (like facebook) at 10 pm the evening before Thanksgiving. I had about 30 ims.  Most are busy this week (the sophomores) performing service to the campus.  Many should be thankful that they did not receive the assignment of a few of these jobs that some of these students had to perform.  Kevin had to repair the squat toilets.  He told me it was disgusting but as the days went on he became used to the smell.  The students have to work for 1 full week - sometimes 14 hours a day - doing some kind of work on campus.  The most dreaded is working and cleaning at the canteens (cafeterias) and cleaning the boys dormitories.  The sophomores work one week this semester and next semester , it is the turn of the freshmen. The photos above are of one of our Friday English discussion group dinner preparations.  Kaylee is a great cook and the girls were a great help to her.

Rita - one of my sophomores had this terrible cold which I had also  and she was trying to keep working at the boys dorm - she said it was horrible.  I have been working with her on her recitation for Sunday's bilingual competition, where I will be a judge.   She is memorizing all of her speeches , as all of the students do each day for their classes.  You will not be able to enter any university in China without having a great ability in memorization.  They do not learn phonics - just memorize huge lists of English words.

I am so tired and sad about sweeping up ladybugs in my apartment.   Hundreds have come in and have gone to the ceiling corners and just sit there - huddled together- until finally one by one they die and drop to the floor.  I have released hundreds to the outdoors.  Some are the unusual color of shiny black with 3-4 bright orange/red spots.  Beautiful.  It has become colder - tomorrow a high of 48 and they crept in here weeks ago.  There also are flies that are still in the apartment.  I spend my evenings chasing them - they are very small and quick and I seem to miss them constantly.  I think I have killed them all, when I fall asleep but inevitably , one begins buzzing around my head at 3 am.  All the windows have been shut for weeks.  Where are they coming from?