99 signs you've been in China too long ...

1. You walk backwards instead of forwards around the track.
2. Basketball and ping pong are your favorite sports.
3. Your body no longer accepts dairy products.
4. You finally decide to eat at McDonalds to put some solids into your body.
5. You have grown used to the picture quality of pirated DVDs.
6. You find yourself "getting back to nature" in a park that contains nothing but concrete, a giant revolutionary statue, and pigeons.
7. All white people look the same to you.
8. Other foreigners seem foreign to you.
9. You like the smell of the bus.
10. You find yourself exiting a major highway ... on your bike.
11. People with bright white teeth look frightening to you.
12. You no longer need tissues to blow your nose.
13. You find western toilets uncomfortable.
14. You throw your used toilet paper in the basket.
15. Squatting becomes your favorite position, anytime, anywhere.
16. You developed an acquired taste for any Orion product.
17. It's OK to throw laundry/sheets/blankets out the window to dry.
18. You are not surprised to see your tap water run dark brown.
19. You are not surprised to see 85-year old ladies pulling tons of garbage up the streets on a bicycle.
20. You use the word "Ayyiieeaaahh" every few sentences to convey surprise, pleasure, pain or anger.
21. You eat a kebab on the street and don’t actually know what kind of meat it is.
22. You believe that the cure for all ailments is to drink more water.
23. You think that a $7 shirt is a rip-off.
24. You offer to sell your own watch to a $2 Rolex street vendor, to fend him off.
25. You think you should wear nylons with your Nikes, stilettos or sandals in the summer, instead of cotton ones.
26. You are no longer flinching every few seconds in a Taxi ride.
27. You chew on "ducks blood" like a fatty piece of beef.
28. You have no reservations about spitting sun flower seeds on a restaurant floor.
29. You start reaching for a piece of fish with your chop sticks and don't even notice the fish looking back at you.
30. Walking across the street, against the light, and in and out of traffic is a piece of cake.
31. Your brand new bicycle only cost you $20.
32. You accept the fact that the bathroom sink "doesn't work" and just use the kitchen sink instead.
33. You relish the thought of Pizza Hut, but only go on special occasions.
34. You go to Carrefour to shop.
35. When you go to the toilet you start bringing your own toilet paper.
36. You can pick up any type of food using just your chopsticks, including peanuts, and never want to use a fork again.
37. You blow your nose or spit on the restaurant floor (of course after making a loud hocking noise).
38. You no longer wait in line, but go immediately to the front.
39. It becomes exciting to see if you can get on the elevator before anyone can get off.
40. It is no longer surprising that the only decision made at a meeting is the time and venue for the next meeting.
41. You can shake your hands almost perfectly dry before wiping them on your trousers.
42. You have developed an uncontrollable urge to follow people carrying small flags.
43. You are not surprised when three men with a ladder show up to change a light bulb.
44. You throw your trash out the window of your house, your car, or the bus you are on.
45. You honk your horn at people because they are in your way as you drive down the sidewalk.
46. You regularly fumble for five minutes to find 10 jiao despite 10 people waiting in line behind you.
47. You ride around on your bicycle ringing a bell for some unknown reason.
48. You get your first case of bronchitis and you have never smoked a cigarette in your life.
49. The idea of seeing how this place will look at Expo 2010 and the Olympics actually appeals to you.
50. You have a pinky fingernail an inch long.
51. You stop shaving your armpits.
52. You see one foreign person eating pineapple (or whatever) and say "Yes, all foreign people like pineapple”.
53. In the rain, you spot a vacant taxi which is 10 minutes away and you have already planned how you are going to jump out with great enthusiasm in the road, elbow everyone else trying to claim it, and wave your hands everywhere in a 'look at me I'm a goal keeper' kind of fashion.
54. You start picking at other people's dinner plates before they even offer you a taste.
55. You have absolutely no sense of traffic rules.
56. Chinese fashion starts looking hip.
57. You think Yangzhou is a nice place for a holiday.
58. You think squat toilets are more sensible than western style toilets.
59. You start wearing long thermal underwear on October 1st no matter what the temperature is.
60. You stop wearing long thermal underwear on May 1st no matter what the temperature is.
61. You develop a liking for corn flavored ice cream.
62. Someone doesn't stare at you and you wonder why.
63. You see three people on a motorcycle and figure there's room for two more.
64. There are more things strapped to your bicycle than you would ever put in your car.
65. Fireworks and firecrackers don't wake you up.
66. You wear out your vehicle's horn before its brakes.
67. Chinese remakes of Western songs sound better than the originals.
68. You get homesick for Chinese food when away from China.
69. Metal scaffolding at construction sites seems much more dangerous than bamboo scaffolding.
70. You don't recognize a bowl of chicken soup unless there are feet and a head in it.
71. You (men) roll your shirt up to your nipples.
72. You wear the exact same outfit as your boyfriend on vacation and make him carry your purse.
73. Drilling on the walls in the wee small hours in the morning is considered acceptable behavior.
74. You compiled a 3-page list of weird English first names that Chinese people of your acquaintance have chosen for themselves.
75. You always get a seat on a bus.
76. You cannot say a number without making the appropriate hand sign.
77. You eat at exactly the same time every day.
78. You start enjoying the taste of the "meat flavor" chips.
79. You haven't eaten anything baked in months.
80. Grown men and women often say hello to you, and when you reply they run away giggling.
81. You see nothing wrong with standing on a white stripe in the middle of a highway while cars whiz past you at 90kph.
82. You don't blink an eye when a complete stranger wants to take a photo of you with his family.
83. You drink warm sodas and find them refreshing.
84. You buy a movie that hasn't been released theatrically yet at home.
85. A trim at the barber involves two washes, a scalp massage, a neck and shoulder massage, and a crowd of onlookers.
86. You can open and hull sunflower seeds with your tongue.
87. You eat cake with a toothpick sized fork.
88. You convince yourself that it doesn't matter how dirty the cooks' hands are, cooking will fix it.
89. If there are only 4 screaming children running around the classroom, you consider it a good primary class.
90. You see two men holding hands and think nothing of it.
91. You've got a pre-paid ticket with a booked seat for a soft-seat train but you still run like mad to make sure you get it.
92. Everyone wants to be your friend.
93. You tell people you don't understand, so they write it for you - in Chinese.
94. Groups of people find it fascinating to watch you buy an orange at a fruit market.
95. A hike up a mountain calls for a plastic grocery bag full of junk food.
96. Only five minutes of prep time for an unannounced class no longer fazes you.
97. You feel SOO happy when you see blue sky!
98. You want to bargain at every store you go to.
99. You start asking white people to be in your pictures.

Goodbye China

A few days before we left for Beijing there was an accident involving one of the kids at my school. The issue was unresolved when we left, and when we came back it became more serious. Considering the legal system in China and the situation at the school it was possible that we foreign teachers might be at risk or in danger. On Thursday night, ILP informed us, with 8 hours notice, that we would be sent home. The school was unaware of this decision, so we had to leave at 5 am, with no goodbyes, 6 weeks before we were expected home. I arrived home on Friday night. It was rough to have to leave so unexpectedly, and I miss China like crazy. I loved the Chinese people, the food, the shopping, the kids, the teachers, my friends, the weather, the driving, being famous, traveling, teaching, running, talking and listening, the programs. I learned so much. It was an unforgettable experience.

Beijing

When we arrived in Beijing we decided to first stop at the famous Olympic Sites: the bird's nest and the water cube! It was very cool to walk around the track on which, only a few months ago, the Olympians raced!

The next day we went to Tiantan, AKA the Temple of Heaven. In the park we saw a lot of performers, dancers, and vendors. The temple is where past emperors would come once a year to pray for a good harvest and offer sacrifice.

That night we ventured onto the Beijing metro (one of the best, in my opinion) and found the night food market. I tried a rice mixture in a pineapple, and avoided eating anything that looked like an organ or was a whole dead animal. A few girls ate scorpion. YUM! I love China.

The next day we visited THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA! We went to Badaling. It was super crowded at the beginning, so we met some interesting Chinese people. Chelsea and I pushed through the crowds and ended up hiking the whole section.

Next stop was Tian'anmen Square. We saw Mao's dead body and wandered the square before heading into the Forbidden City, which is so big!!

We spent the next morning at the Summer Palace. There is a lovely lake, so we decided to rent paddle boats and enjoy the scenery. It was a fun place to relax and explore.

On our last day in Beijing we took a trip up to a park which overlooks the forbidden city. It was an awesome view and a beautiful day! My shirt says "I love Beijing!", and I do!

One of the funnest parts of Beijing was the shopping. I don't think I will ever forget the Chinese sales peoples. "Lady! Watchu want? Shoes? Watch Bag? For you beautiful lady, I give cheapest price. No joking". We spent 2 long afternoons at markets bargaining for our gifts and souvenirs.

I can easily say this was my favorite vacation!! I'm so happy that I got to go!