It's vacation time! I will holiday in Hong Kong next week.
I had hoped to travel to Tokyo to visit Chiara; however, No. 15 hasn't yet obtained my Chinese Work Visa, so I must obtain a second tourist visa in Hong Kong, a process that takes several days.
School is closed next week in honor of (a) the mid-Autumn Festival and (b) National Day (1949 founding of the People's Republic of China)
One of my students wrote to tell me:
"The National day is coming, but I think this is not a real relax holiday.
Cause in the National day there are many weddings you need attend."
At least a half of dozen of my students have left school early to attend family weddings.
BIRTHDAY PHOTOS:
Attached are four birthday photos from my school party last April.
Kevin and Wendy (Chinese English teacher)
Birthday boy with Chinese English teachers (most of them)
Wendy, Miss Lin, Jina, Foreign Teacher, Miss Wong (Sonia), Miss Lee (Shannon)
Chinese Humor at expense of Foreign TeacherI have more photos -- no more of the birthday party -- to place on my newly formed No. 15 Middle School BLOG. I'll soon get this BLOG going.
One more photo.
Last Sunday I took 14 students from Grade One (sophomores) to brunch. Also in photo: Matt, Nicole and Sheng. Matt and Nicole are MK volunteers. Sheng is a Catholic convert and Chinese historian.The students in the photo clamored into class on Monday in a most talkative mood. The students chattered away in Cantonese and then several made the-finger-across-the- throat-gesture to each other. I asked why they were so excited. They told me that a man had killed six young girls and one 24 year old man in Zhanjiang and that two No. 7 Middle School students were killed the day before. The killer, according to my students, kills young girls wearing red tops and white skirts. (Girls at No. 15 wear pink tops and white skirts). They all told me how frightened they were, so I let them engage in Chinese Free Talk longer than usual.
Red tops and white skirts? The stuff of urban legend? Perhaps. I only know these students were scared.
As for me....
I've been quite busy this first month. Life should slow down a bit after the mid-Autumn Festival. Our next break is for Spring Festival. We get a month long vacation starting sometime in early February.
Love and kisses to all,
Kevin
Zhanjiang-by-the-Sea
PS: Enjoy your very own MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL!
