Sunday, September 11th: Jinshan-Fengxian-Pudong (3 districts of Shanghai) Another 61 mile ride in the books. So, within 32 hours, we cycled about 123 miles. But whereas Day 1 took about 5 hours 45 minutes including breaks, Day 2 took a total of 7 hours 25 minutesđ© Stiff headwind, some posterior fatigue and heavy packs full…
Charlie & Hercules
Those who have passed on are not lost, but waiting for our arrival. In fact (or very real possibility), they may never have left us at all. Just a few days back, I dreamed of Hercules, my parentâs sprightly little chihuahua-poodle mix who passed on (perhaps) around seven years ago. His beige hair was shaggy…
Friday is Cake Day!
Yes, itâs true. Iâve seen it with mine own two eyes: A tall, dark chocolate VEGAN cake in our English Dept. fridge. It is really going to happenâagain this week. Four days after Cake Monday, Cake Friday is coming! Iâve said it before and itâs worth saying again: no teacher is as happy as they…
Peanut
The Tale of âPeanutâ She is a small, sprightly girl. She is in the sixth grade. Her name is Peanut. I must refrain from smiling too much as I call her name. Her classmates donât seem to think anything is askance. In China, some students choose English names close in pronunciation to a given Chinese…
Itâs the little things
Like the extra 35 minutes I have now. My Chinese homeroom counterpart is taking care of the Chinese moral/character class. Full Chinese, mandated by government. Friday afternoons, I teach the 50 minute Character Development in English. Now that colleague confirmed with me that I need not attend, Iâm off writing to you all, thankful for…
Collecting Kids, and Cake
Day III back in school since March 11th: Someone somewhere was collecting our kids today. Some just could not be found. I donât think they were in danger, but even our department head was wondering who was collecting them and bringing them to where. I had to collect my own before last period. Round them…
Tangled
How could I not gallavant out here to Fantasyland and have a nice relaxed patio dinner of vegan pork, veggies and riceâgreen tea included? After dinner, I took a pirate ship to Neverland,walked alongside the artwork story of a wooden toy who became a boy in Pinnochio Village Kitchenâs dining rooms, and spent a bit…
Saturday in the Final Frontier
Saturday in Shanghaiâs Final Frontier: New park stretching all around canalsâboardwalks, various pathways, marshland, and only about 20 people seen within nearly two miles of running. This is what makes âcountrysideâ living so worth it.
The Kids Are Back, Day II
The Kids Are Back For First Time Since March 11th, Day II: Highlights âSomehow yesterday I became âMr. Kyleâ after two colleagues called me this in front of students. Now new sixth graders are calling me âMr. Kyle.âđ€Ł âA sixth grader in my homeroom who I just met was involved in FIVE different âviolentâ incidents…
Students are Back! First Day in Class Since March 11th
Some witnessings of the day: A sixth grade boy removing ear wax from the ear of a fellow sixth grade boy. A girl brand new to our school offering to give a brand new mask she had to another studentâfive of whom did not have a mask within an hour of arriving at school. âI…
Chill the **** Out
You know that feeling, the gnawing keeping you up night before a big eventâsuch as students returning to campus for the first time since Friday, March 11th? Chill. Just chill the **** out. What else is there to do? Burn ourselves with stress for what? Life is oh so short. The kids are all probably…
Took this pic on Sunday,
, is it really a fucking movie? What do you think?
Don't Let My Parents Read This 