Know what’s funny? After last week’s email about sunshine and blue skies, it rained all week. God has a sense of humor, and do I know it! But the rain was good. See, when it rains it doesn’t smell bad, and for once China seems to at least appear a little more clean. I like the rain, but given it’s rained a lot of the time since I got here, I am looking forward to the second half of my time being sunny and nice (knock on wood).
This week I taught my students Weird Al’s song “Eat It”, and taught them about American food customs. They all sang the song because they already knew Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”, so they only had different lyrics, which I explained, and for the most part, the lessons went exceptionally. It was a lot of information all in one day, and a lot of practicing in one day, so this week I’m going to talk to them a little bit about my house, some new slang and mannerisms, and let them sing along to some of their favorite American songs with the lyrics provided. I figure they deserve it after an intense week. Oh, and I’m going to make it a point also this week to learn as many names as I can. I have about 1,000 students, but I love them all and I want them to know that…the least I can do is remember their names, right? At English Corner on Friday (just a time for kids to speak ‘only English’ for an hour outside with us foreign teachers and other students who are pretty good) some of my students told me that I was like a boy. I asked how, and they reminded me that girls in China are reserved and shy for the most part, and the guys are the crazy ones. I told them I had to be crazy in order for them not to fall asleep with their ridiculous schedules. They laughed but agreed and a bunch of other students told me they’ve seen me teach through the windows and wished they were in my class. Haha, that always makes me feel happy inside.
So teaching went very well, although I am super sick of the song now and will probably not sing it anytime soon again. Life is good. This week I bugged Sam enough so he took us to the university here in Yongzhou, and the scenery is beautiful! We walked through the campus and down a strip of stores and then across some bridges all lit up at night and got some sweet pics. We crossed the bridge onto an island to look for buried treasure. Instead, we found some people who could speak English! Now that’s my kind of treasure. It was super fun. Sam, Madi, and I are pretty much our own little family. We eat usually one or two meals together every day, we go out to town and shop for food together, we go see things together, travel together, read conference talks every night together and have family prayer, and we are just way tight. Sometimes I feel bad Sam’s name isn’t included in my blog title. Haha. So we got to see some sweet things on Thursday night, and Friday night Shuangpai came in and we went out and got our favorite chao mien (fried noodles), and I bought a side of jiaozi (steamed dumplings-I LOVE those things), and every week it’s sorta like a family reunion, and I like it. We get together and see things, play cards, have church, visit, laugh, joke, tell funny stories all as Americans, it’s a good time. Friday Daoxian and Dong’an came into town and we went out to eat with the director of the school, Mr. Zhou, and our liaison Mr. Luke Liu, took us to dinner and I got to try some awesome things.
DISH LOCATION OPINION
Chicken Foot Shenzhen and a few places since Pretty delicious, not gonna lie. People eat it like beef jerky here.
Dog Here in the Yongzhou cafeteria It was accidental, but good, and I feel horrible to say this, but I’ve craved it since.
Eel Here in Yongzhou The meat is very good, but the guts and head are nasty.
Duck Head Here in Yongzhou The meat is good and tender, but the brains are pretty gross.
Chicken Head In Ling Ling City Not as good as the ducks, but worthwhile to try.
Boiled, Pre-matured Chicken Egg (Inside the chicken, before it gets a shell) Yongzhou Good. Just tastes like a hardboiled yoke.
Those are just the abnormal meats that might interest people. I’ve tried a ton of other things, but nothing as cool as those.
Anyway, out of those things I listed, I had some chicken foot, eel, duck and chicken head, and a pre-mature egg this week. It was weird, after I’d eaten those things, I think my appetite grew (not for more of the same though) and didn’t disappear like some people’s might when they try such “disgusting” food. Haha, I love it here. I love trying new things. So Saturday we went out to lunch with the group and then we climbed the pagoda in our city overlooking the river, which was amazing, and then we went to a haunted amusement park with old, broken-down rides. It was very pretty. Then we just walked down by the university and the bridges again. Great sights. Sunday I gave a talk virtually via skype to all the foreign members in China, which went very well, thanks to God’s grace, which was actually the topic of my talk, how fitting. :)
By the end of the week, everyone was sort of tired, so the only person who was still game with seeing new things was me, so a couple 3rd year students, Bruce and William, took me to a Confucius Temple, which is so beautiful. There are actually many Buddhist influences in that temple, and it was absolutely beautiful to explore. I think I’m dragging Sam and Madi back for FHE next week. After we went to the temple, my students asked if I wanted to see the 2,000 year old house on a rock in the river. Why not?!?! So we got to ride in a fishing boat paddled by some fishermen to this house on a huge boulder originally built two millennia ago, and it was just so amazing to be able to see so much history in one day. It was Nikki Heaven. Then for the last stop Bruce and William, and their friend who ended up driving us around- Liu Jie I think his name was- took me to an old Catholic church now a daycare. The students were saying there are some Catholic people who go there sometimes, but for the most part it’s a kindergarten. There were some Bibles on a shelf, and William, one student that always asks me about religion opened one and read me the first part, translated. He read for a little bit. I wasn’t going to stop him…………….So this week was awesome!
Luckily my package with my camera arrived in perfect timing! I felt the Easterness and love from home, which is always a joy! With my camera I was able to get some pretty good pictures this week. Life is so good! I am super excited for this week! Can you believe I’m halfway through my time here in China? It has flown way too fast, but I’m very happy with what I have done thus far.
I love you all! I can feel your prayers and I love love love to hear from you all!
Nikki Checketts
C/o Zhou Zhixi
Foreign Affairs Office of No. 1 Middle School of Yongzhou City
Hunan Province, P.R. China
Post Code: 425006
Group 1 Pictures
Pic 1: Assembly line making French Toast before General Conference
Pic 2: Madi in our grocery store
Pic 3: Checking out the university campus
Pic 4: Madi and Sam walking through the university campus
Pic 5: Sam rocking out in a guitar store on university street
Pic 6-9: Bridges
Pic 10-11: Eating with the teachers
Pic 12: Our group
Pic 13: The pagoda at a distance
Pic 14: View from the Pagoda
Pic 15: Sam on top the Pagoda
Group 2 Pictures
Pic 1: Me in the pagoda
Pic 2: Me at the haunted amusement park
Pic 3: Lawrence, Quincy, and I rode that paddle boat duck through the lake.
Pic 4: The Confucius Temple here in Yongzhou
Pic 5: William, Me, and Bruce at the Temple
Pic 6: The Liu Temple statue of Liu
Pic 7: Our Boat Ride to the 2,000 year old castle on a rock
Pic 8: The castle on the Rock
Pic 9: Me in the castle
Group 3 Pictures
Pic 1: Originals from the 2,000 year old castle on a rock
Pic 2: The Catholic church now a daycare in Yongzhou
Pic 3: Chinese Bibles and Hymnals there
Pic 4: The outside of the church
This week I taught my students Weird Al’s song “Eat It”, and taught them about American food customs. They all sang the song because they already knew Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”, so they only had different lyrics, which I explained, and for the most part, the lessons went exceptionally. It was a lot of information all in one day, and a lot of practicing in one day, so this week I’m going to talk to them a little bit about my house, some new slang and mannerisms, and let them sing along to some of their favorite American songs with the lyrics provided. I figure they deserve it after an intense week. Oh, and I’m going to make it a point also this week to learn as many names as I can. I have about 1,000 students, but I love them all and I want them to know that…the least I can do is remember their names, right? At English Corner on Friday (just a time for kids to speak ‘only English’ for an hour outside with us foreign teachers and other students who are pretty good) some of my students told me that I was like a boy. I asked how, and they reminded me that girls in China are reserved and shy for the most part, and the guys are the crazy ones. I told them I had to be crazy in order for them not to fall asleep with their ridiculous schedules. They laughed but agreed and a bunch of other students told me they’ve seen me teach through the windows and wished they were in my class. Haha, that always makes me feel happy inside.
So teaching went very well, although I am super sick of the song now and will probably not sing it anytime soon again. Life is good. This week I bugged Sam enough so he took us to the university here in Yongzhou, and the scenery is beautiful! We walked through the campus and down a strip of stores and then across some bridges all lit up at night and got some sweet pics. We crossed the bridge onto an island to look for buried treasure. Instead, we found some people who could speak English! Now that’s my kind of treasure. It was super fun. Sam, Madi, and I are pretty much our own little family. We eat usually one or two meals together every day, we go out to town and shop for food together, we go see things together, travel together, read conference talks every night together and have family prayer, and we are just way tight. Sometimes I feel bad Sam’s name isn’t included in my blog title. Haha. So we got to see some sweet things on Thursday night, and Friday night Shuangpai came in and we went out and got our favorite chao mien (fried noodles), and I bought a side of jiaozi (steamed dumplings-I LOVE those things), and every week it’s sorta like a family reunion, and I like it. We get together and see things, play cards, have church, visit, laugh, joke, tell funny stories all as Americans, it’s a good time. Friday Daoxian and Dong’an came into town and we went out to eat with the director of the school, Mr. Zhou, and our liaison Mr. Luke Liu, took us to dinner and I got to try some awesome things.
DISH LOCATION OPINION
Chicken Foot Shenzhen and a few places since Pretty delicious, not gonna lie. People eat it like beef jerky here.
Dog Here in the Yongzhou cafeteria It was accidental, but good, and I feel horrible to say this, but I’ve craved it since.
Eel Here in Yongzhou The meat is very good, but the guts and head are nasty.
Duck Head Here in Yongzhou The meat is good and tender, but the brains are pretty gross.
Chicken Head In Ling Ling City Not as good as the ducks, but worthwhile to try.
Boiled, Pre-matured Chicken Egg (Inside the chicken, before it gets a shell) Yongzhou Good. Just tastes like a hardboiled yoke.
Those are just the abnormal meats that might interest people. I’ve tried a ton of other things, but nothing as cool as those.
Anyway, out of those things I listed, I had some chicken foot, eel, duck and chicken head, and a pre-mature egg this week. It was weird, after I’d eaten those things, I think my appetite grew (not for more of the same though) and didn’t disappear like some people’s might when they try such “disgusting” food. Haha, I love it here. I love trying new things. So Saturday we went out to lunch with the group and then we climbed the pagoda in our city overlooking the river, which was amazing, and then we went to a haunted amusement park with old, broken-down rides. It was very pretty. Then we just walked down by the university and the bridges again. Great sights. Sunday I gave a talk virtually via skype to all the foreign members in China, which went very well, thanks to God’s grace, which was actually the topic of my talk, how fitting. :)
By the end of the week, everyone was sort of tired, so the only person who was still game with seeing new things was me, so a couple 3rd year students, Bruce and William, took me to a Confucius Temple, which is so beautiful. There are actually many Buddhist influences in that temple, and it was absolutely beautiful to explore. I think I’m dragging Sam and Madi back for FHE next week. After we went to the temple, my students asked if I wanted to see the 2,000 year old house on a rock in the river. Why not?!?! So we got to ride in a fishing boat paddled by some fishermen to this house on a huge boulder originally built two millennia ago, and it was just so amazing to be able to see so much history in one day. It was Nikki Heaven. Then for the last stop Bruce and William, and their friend who ended up driving us around- Liu Jie I think his name was- took me to an old Catholic church now a daycare. The students were saying there are some Catholic people who go there sometimes, but for the most part it’s a kindergarten. There were some Bibles on a shelf, and William, one student that always asks me about religion opened one and read me the first part, translated. He read for a little bit. I wasn’t going to stop him…………….So this week was awesome!
Luckily my package with my camera arrived in perfect timing! I felt the Easterness and love from home, which is always a joy! With my camera I was able to get some pretty good pictures this week. Life is so good! I am super excited for this week! Can you believe I’m halfway through my time here in China? It has flown way too fast, but I’m very happy with what I have done thus far.
I love you all! I can feel your prayers and I love love love to hear from you all!
Nikki Checketts
C/o Zhou Zhixi
Foreign Affairs Office of No. 1 Middle School of Yongzhou City
Hunan Province, P.R. China
Post Code: 425006
Group 1 Pictures
Pic 1: Assembly line making French Toast before General Conference
Pic 2: Madi in our grocery store
Pic 3: Checking out the university campus
Pic 4: Madi and Sam walking through the university campus
Pic 5: Sam rocking out in a guitar store on university street
Pic 6-9: Bridges
Pic 10-11: Eating with the teachers
Pic 12: Our group
Pic 13: The pagoda at a distance
Pic 14: View from the Pagoda
Pic 15: Sam on top the Pagoda
Group 2 Pictures
Pic 1: Me in the pagoda
Pic 2: Me at the haunted amusement park
Pic 3: Lawrence, Quincy, and I rode that paddle boat duck through the lake.
Pic 4: The Confucius Temple here in Yongzhou
Pic 5: William, Me, and Bruce at the Temple
Pic 6: The Liu Temple statue of Liu
Pic 7: Our Boat Ride to the 2,000 year old castle on a rock
Pic 8: The castle on the Rock
Pic 9: Me in the castle
Group 3 Pictures
Pic 1: Originals from the 2,000 year old castle on a rock
Pic 2: The Catholic church now a daycare in Yongzhou
Pic 3: Chinese Bibles and Hymnals there
Pic 4: The outside of the church
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