Beard Dream Team?

A friend in Shanghai suggested that my future included a place on Beard Team USA. Please check out the website at www.beardteamusa.org/meet.html


It's hard to believe that there's actually a team of bearded fools who travel great distances (even internationally) for competitions. I guess some of you might draw similar parallels to frisbee, but this is BEARD competitions. Awesome.

I haven't been writing much recently because I've been so busy studying Chinese and organizing a ridiculous adventure to Tianjin, but I will be back in action next week. Now, I've got some morning classes and then off to Ningbo for some frisbee!

- Jon

Dreams

I haven't done a very good job of keeping up with the blog this past week, but no news is good news. I've been trucking along in class, learning more words, practicing my speaking, and generally improving my Chinese. I've been working out a little and trying to gear up for the coming frisbee season (I've also been arranged a pretty ridiculous trip up to Tianjin...) I've also been eating a ton of delicious food recently. It's been a really busy, but good week.

On a completely separate topic, I don't dream very often. Usually I go to bed pretty exhausted and sleep soundly through the night without any dreams. The nights when I do dream my dreams are usually fairly mundane. It'll just be a normal day in the life of Jon. (I have bizarre theories on dejavu too, but those can be discussed later). Last night, was by no means a normal dream though. It had elements of me going back to 7th grade (I kept telling them that I was 24 and had already graduated from high school) and it also morphed into this weird world with monsters that were snatching people. I don't want to get into the details of the dream, except to say that there was a conversation in Chinese in my dream and I understood it and responded in Chinese! How cool!

- Jon

Different Aspirations

Last entry I was writing about my Chinese teacher's shocking view of gender roles. It got me thinking about some of the cultural differences between Americans and Chinese. Now, I'm not going to get into a deep analysis on the issue, nor will I even attempt to catalogue all of differences (and similarities) that I've come to understand during my time here. I'm just want to share anecdotes when something surprises me...

I tutor a girl in business english 3 times a week in the evenings. During our most recent meeting, we were talking about our childhoods and what we wanted to be when we grew up. I asked her what she wanted to be when she was in middle school and she said "I wanted to be a scientist." This kind of blew me back. I can't remember any kids in my middle school who wanted to be scientists. Everybody wanted to be a singer or a professional athlete or something. I remember wanting to be a park ranger. So, I asked her if her dream job was a common one amongst Chinese kids. She looked surprised that I would even ask. She said it was by far the most popular job. Maybe 50% of the kids in her middle school wanted to grow up to be scientists... Wow.

On that note, I'm off to teppanyaki where I will realize my American dream of all-you-can-eat and drink steak, sushi, shrimp, beer, etc...

- Jon

Krazy Kindergartners

When I’m teaching the young ones, sometimes they do little weird things that are so cute and so hysterical. Like when I really annunciate my words and over-emphasize how the mouth is supposed to look when you speak, and a student tries to imitate (usually involving the letters l, r, and/or n…sometimes all 3…which are particularly difficult for them to pronounce). He’ll be a foot away from me and try his best…just sticking his tongue out and waving it around in a bizarre and totally irrelevant way. It looks like he’s trying to mimic an enthusiastic lizard. I can’t help myself but start to giggle. It’s so endearing and so cute and so amazingly ridiculous.

Also, some students love to yell the songs instead of singing them. One girl (around 3 years old) always uses her full lung capacity to sing our good morning song. She doesn’t really get the r in morning, but it doesn’t matter. The intense energy she’s mustering up explodes out her head, turning her face red, popping out her neck veins, and making her look like she’s just about to keel over. So dedicated!

Lastly, I just learned that one of my student’s names is Noddy. Say that outloud (yup…sounds like naughty). Amazing. Turns out his name fits him well. Here are some other fun names (starred = popular):

Abner (he’s the one in the picture)

Apple*

Minnie*

Raining

Fairy

Thaigle

Jerry Ding

Elva

Happy

Sunny

Sun

Key

- Emma

MRI and X-Rays

Ever since October—when hurt myself merely pivoting in Frisbee after having climbed the gazillion steps at Huangshan and my muscles and joints were super tight—I have had serious back and hip pain. At first, I couldn’t move I was in so much pain. Five months later, the pain is constant but not constantly excruciating. That’s why I didn’t go to the doctor before: I was worried that I would spend an exorbitant amount of money on a visit and tests only to hear that I need to rest and stretch. But the time has come. I haven’t played Frisbee in 5 months and it’s been too depressing to miss out! And the pain has gotten a little worse since it got a little better.

Yesterday, I got an MRI and x-rays at the local hospital. Three of my coordinators from work went with me to help with translation and such, which was so extremely kind and generous. Plus, we had guanxi (“connections”): the dad of one of the graduated kindergartners from my school works in orthopedics at the hospital, so I got to skip a lot of lines, which means a ton when you’re in China where the lines are endless (I picked a good job, eh?). Anyway, after 2 days of tests and waiting rooms, I got the results back. Apparently, two parts of a bone on the right side of my pelvis are smushed together where there should be a space. It’s like they’re clamped together. I was prescribed an anti-inflammatory to loosen the area up.

This Saturday, I have an appointment with a western doctor at a western hospital, so I’ll show him my test results and hope that he can give me good insight on a diagnosis and on what kinds of exercise/therapy I should do now.

It’s hard to stay positive because it’s so ever-present and inhibiting in my activities, and I kick myself for not having seen a doctor sooner (I was way too preoccupied about money. If I had had insurance and could get physical therapy with no problem, I wouldn’t have thought twice….silly girl). BUT, as Jon so lovingly reminds me, I need to stay on the sunny side of things and think positively, especially since mental stress can add to physical pain. Though difficult, Jon and all my friends (yes, you!) have been super supportive. I don’t know what I would do without all of your love and strength.

Here’s to optimism (and finally taking care of myself!).

Ciao for now,

Em

The End of an Era

Last night, I shaved off my beard. Here are a couple shots of it in all of its multi-colored glory:

Front Shot

Side Shot

I shaved the beard off in pieces. I left it in a fu man chu for a little while. I also left a moustache for awhile, but those pictures are too dirty to post online.

Fear the fu man chu

It's kind of weird how different I look with the beard, the fu man chu, moustache, and then clean-shaven. I'd say that I look about 5 years younger without a beard. It's nice to be able to feel my face, but I do miss stroking the beard while I'm in class...

Speaking of being in class, today our teacher was explaining how to use the word "responsibility" in Chinese. Her example sentences involved a man's responsibility and a woman's responsibility in a relationship and they accurately portray Chinese views on gender roles. She said that it is the man's responsibility to make money (not terribly PC, but still pretty acceptable) and the woman's responsibility is to "look pretty". At this comment, a couple of Western jaws dropped, but I was surprised by how little effect the comment had on our class... I rarely write about little tidbits like this, but they keep life here interesting.

- Jon

Migraine Free

A couple of days ago I had an incredibly painful headache. It was some of the worst pain I've ever had and it was completely debilitating. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't study, I couldn't watch movies, I couldn't read, I couldn't even sleep... It sucked. The pain would come in waves too. Everything would be fine for a couple of minutes and then suddenly it would feel like my head was being ripped apart. What was really weird was that it came out of nowhere - I have no idea what could have triggered it. I'm assuming it was a migraine, but I wish I knew why it happened (so I could avoid having another one)... In any case, the migraine is gone now and I'm just left with a lingering (normal) headache. There is a silver lining to this cloud though... I've appreciated these past two days so much more, just because I'm not in intense pain. Nothing else matters when your head doesn't feel like it's being torn apart. On that happy note, I will leave you loyal readers. More posts will follow soon!

- Jon

The Best Car Commercial I've Ever Seen

Check out this Honda commercial. Apparently it's all legit and it took them a few hundred tries to get it right. Oh, all of the pieces are different parts of the car...



Awesome!

- Jon

Family Response to the Beard Vote

Here is an email I got from my mom about the beard vote...

Juan,
Since I read the blog on occasion, I figured I'd take my shot at a vote. Keep the beard. Seems like fair punishment (not sure what for, but feels right).
xox, Mom

- Jon