Yes...It's true, I stink at consinstent blogging.

Well, folks, a LOT has happened since my last blog post. An overwhelming mixture of remorse, excitement, guilt, and a strong desire to put off my lesson planning has led to this: my first post in weeks!

Yes, I am still alive and well. Classes have been going smoothly despite the odd absence from some of my students who have been cajoled into volunteering for the "3rd World WuShu Championships". I know... some friends of ours tried to tell them to put "3rd International", but what can you do? My missing students, however, have been replaced by the 2 or 3 random visitors per class that come in just to observe a foreign teacher...all the while messing up my beautiful seating charts! They have now begun to put in requests ahead of time and usually insist on participating in class discussion/homework etc. Such is China.

It is starting to get a little chilly here in Shiyan, so I have been trying my best to take advantage of the dwindling opportunity for outdoor activity. Yesterday, a group of us Americans went hiking up by the lake. Jessica and Trent somehow ended up taking a free boat ride around the lake with some Chinese strangers while the rest of us took a refreshing (and sometimes muddy) hike along the mountains. It was simply beautiful, and a nice change of pace from the busyness of city life.

And now for something completely different

Shortly after our return from October holiday, my friend Trent and I were asked a strange favor by one of our Chinese friends. They wanted us to be in a Chinese commercial...for a gas station. I know, I know, props to China for having an eye for excellent acting talent...err white people. So the next day, we are picked up in a car and driven to the office of this China Petrol place. They drove us out to their gas station and gave us a 30-second explanation (through a translator) of the commercial plot. We were to drive the Boss's car up to the pump, converse with the friendly gas station attendant, go inside to pay, and then drive off. Asking us whether we could legally drive in China, I shrugged and showed my Alabama driver's license. Apparently this was enough because they began to usher us to the car (after a round of rock-paper-scissors between Trent and me to decide who the driver would be). And then....the unthinkable happened.

As we are walking to the car, a van comes out of nowhere and nearly careens into a couple in matching jackets that is walking along the sidewalk. Thinking of it as no more than a drastic driving error (they are common in China), I was waiting for the expected apology and parting of ways. No such luck. After a seemingly endless stare-down between the driver and pedestrians, I watched in disbelief as the driver slowly disembarked and marched toward the male half of the couple. The next five minutes of my life were probably some of the stranger ones in my experience. The driver attacked the guy who had been happily strolling along just 30 seconds before. Props to the pedestrian, though for keeping his head down and trying to minimize the situation...not that there was anything minimal to the jumping-karate-kick to the back that he recieved. The girl (who was clearly previously involved with the crazed driver), tried to restrain said driver and put him back in the van....bad idea. Just as I thought he would start his van and be on his way, the driver throws it in reverse and BACKS INTO the girl, knocking her to the ground (no injury apparent thankfully). He gets back out of the car, begins shouting at the girl and shaking her, and then picks up a large rock to go after the other guy with. To this point, the 7 or 8 men in their 20's and 30's who were standing around the area had done nothing but watch. Trent decides that he has had enough, and throws down his umbrella to walk toward the driver. In retrospect it was probably not a GREAT idea seeing as he spoke no Chinese and was likely to recieve a rock to the face, but it was at least enough to spur our onlooking hosts into action as they managed to get the driver to leave the station with his ex/present girlfriend/sister/whatever she was.

Yeah...woah. Imagine if an American guy had dared assault a girl in the presence of 7 or 8 bigger guys in public. I've never seen it happen, but I'm reasonably certain that a severe beatdown would have ensued.

So, naturally, we proceeded with the commercial as if nothing had happened. So with no script, and my commercial director and his translator in the backseat, I got in the car, pulled up to the pump, and the gas station attendant asked me in perfect english "Hello, welcome to China Petrol. How many Liters do you want?" LITERS!? After a millisecond-long flashback to high school Chemistry conversions, and a subsequent millisecond-long deliberation on the fuel capacity of the Honda crossover prototype, my brilliant mind landed on "Fill 'er up." Thankfully, the attendant nodded, and directed me inside; cameras in hot pursuit. I approached the counter and was faced with episode two of my conversion nightmare. "How many liters did you purchase?" I kept my cool long enough to muster a random guess: "13?"

"OK" she says, "That will be 100 Yuan".

I opened my wallet to reveal the 60 yuan inside. I sheepishly offered it to the lady with a whispered apology, but she seemed to indicate that this was acceptable. I turned to leave the room and walked until the camera went off, then turned back quickly to retrieve my 60 yuan (they had promised to give me money to use in the commercial so I was surely not going to let them keep mine).
"Oh well" I thought to myself, "we'll get it right on the second take."

there are apparently no second takes in China (sorry, but I'm going to ignore a possibly brilliant segway to something deeper here), so we went on our way and had some lunch.

The answer to your question? Yes, they are supposed to send me a tape, and no, you can not put it on YouTube.



In addition to relaxing hikes and crazy commercials, we have enjoyed some American comforts as of late. Thanks to our AWESOME grandparents, the Breland crew was able to host an Alabama Football party last night. After recieving the Bama-Georgia game in the mail on Friday, we quickly invited all of our American friends to come and enjoy Fajitas and Football (kinda catchy come to think of it). All went well until some imposters posing as our real friends pulled out handmade Georgia signs late into the 3rd Quarter (the first time UGA scored a touchdown) and began to wave them around and dance. I have since forgiven the heinous act, but have resolved to confiscate any Anti-Alabama materials upon the next football watching ;-)
So thanks to our stateside friends and family for the WONDERFUL packages, and thanks to our American friends here for keeping the SEC rivalry feeling alive and kicking.

I suppose thats enough for tonight. I still have to come up with a lesson plan about Halloween and its getting late. We have an exciting week coming up with 2 birthdays, Halloween, and the promise of KTV. So maybe I will have more to blog about in a week or so.

Take it easy back there in the states. Take some time out of your election-season fervor to remember your friends here in China. And remember that whether your party wins or loses this year, we are called to a higher Kingdom defined not by our differences but our love for one another. There's your mushy thought of the week.

Peace,

Finn