More china

This is a video from the 1st soccer match I went to. The Shanghai football team is called Shen hua and there mascot looks like some kind of cat. Devin didn't know what the english name for it was, but it resembled a larger cat, maybe a puma. I believe that that the Shanghai team ended up winning 3-2. The stadium that we went to for the first game was not at their home stadium, but at another stadium in the Pudong area (actually pretty close to where I live) because there was a concert going on that night at the Hongkou football stadium. The Hongkou football stadium is the stadium that was near my hotel right when I arrived in China (there is a picture of it in a previous post of mine.)

At this game, it got completely out of hand. The referee just let the game get away from him and the final 15 minutes were a complete circus. It wasn't even football! People started throwing anything and everything that they could find. Besides that, the game was very exciting and Shanghai moved into second place in the Chinese League.

I went to another game the following weekend. Shenhua won that game as well. The game was at Hongkou football stadium and it was better because Shenhua went down 2-0 early in the game, but they came back and won the game 3-2. The hongkou stadium is much bigger and amuch better venue to watch a match. All the pictures I have posted are from the first game I went to. I was already in downtown Shanghai when Devin asked me if I wanted to go to another game, and I didn't have my camera. Wish I would've had it because our seats were much better.

In the picture of me standing next to the two guys, Devin is on the right and Jackie is on the left. Devin is the one who studied in England who has been my "lifeline" since I moved to Chuansha. He is my translator. Jackie is the one on the left in the purple shirt. He's my landlord and very good friends with Devin. I rode to the game w/ Jackie and he told me that he came up with his english name because of Jackie Chan. But it isn't the actor Jackie Chan. I found out that there is another Jackie Chan who is a pop singer. He proceeded to play some of his music for me, telling me how popular he is. It was pretty bad. They come up w/ their english names pretty casually. I think I've named about 6 or 7 ppl so far. I've named a few girls Sarah because (from what they tell me) there is a character in the show Prison Break called "Sarah." I have no idea why, but the Chinese absolutely LOVE Prison Break. I think its a FOX show, but I guess they've advertised for it really well over here or something. I've asked a few ppl why they like it so much, but they usually just say that "its good." I beg to differ, I mean how many seasons can you make about a couple of guys breaking out of prison. I tried watching it and didn't like it. But my DVD collection is growing quite rapidly. I have a lot of tv shows as well. They're so cheap over here!

Teaching is going well. The "lesson plans" I've been given are awful and way too hard for the kids to comprehend. So I have had to create my own lesson plans which can be time consuming at times, but now that I have a computer and the internet, I should be able to put them together quicker. The kids are great. After some classes, the kids will run up to the front of the classroom where I'm at and ask me to sign my name on whatever they have. Its funny because some of the teachers will tell me that I'm a "Superstar." At first, I was just writing my name clearly, but now I'm just signing it like I'm an NBA star or a dcotor. When I do that, the kids will look at it blankly for a few seconds, attempting to read my indecipherable signature. Then look up at me, smile, and run back to their desk.

I thought that I would like the younger kids at the primary school, but most of the classes are pretty bad. I never imagined how hard it would be to keep a bunch of 2nd and 3rd graders interested in what you are saying. And sometimes there isn't a teacher in the room, and the kids just get out of hand. I need to stop being their "friend" and be more assertive w/ them. I just don't know if they want me to discipline them or go and get a teacher to do it. If I had my way w/ them, I would smack the shit out of some of them. But their attention spans are about 15 seconds. What I did for one week w/ them was play a game w/ them. They are suprisingly VERY competitive and its almost funny watching them taunt their classmates/opponents. And it gets them to shut up and listen.

I went and stayed w/ this guy (Aaron) from Seattle for Halloween in Shanghai. He works for BSK, the company I am working for, in Shanghai and he's pretty cool. We went to this expat bar where this girl I know was at. There was like a Chinese Punk rock band playing at the bar. They were kinda annoying, but they were finishing up about the time we got there. It was pretty fun. I've had better Halloweens, but what can you expect when the country you are living in doesn't really celebrate Halloween.

A few nights ago the headmaster (principal) of my middle school invited me out to dinner. I was a little worried that it would be just her and I, but it wasn't just me andher, which I was happy about. That probably wouldn't have been too fun! But we went to this really nice "chinese garden" and ate w/ a couple of other teachers (mostly english teachers from the middle school.) There was this big turn table in the middle and you just grabbed whatever you wanted. I have to say that I'm not a picky eater anymore. There was a lot of strange stuff that I would normally NEVER eat, but I kinda feel like I have to try the stuff they offer me. It might seem pretty disrespectful if i turn it down! I was pretty much just drilled w/ questions the whole time, but it was fun. I think I entertained them. This one guy, John is his english name, came a little later and he is hilarious. His office desk is right next to mine. He's this really old guy who is missing most of his teeth, but he's the man. We got a couple of bottles of wine, and once he got there it "started to flow." He kept saying "bottoms up" and wanting me to finish my glass. I obliged, but I had to make sure I didn't get drunk in front of all my teachers! I was getting there though. They were asking me if i drank a lot as this was all happening. I had to tell them that I don't so much anymore b/c I had to "grow up" and "mature." They all kept telling me how clever and handsome I was. I am a novelty to them I think. They said that they've never had a foreign teacher at their school. I met a really cute girl who works at the school who is 22 (we were the two youngest by probably 10 years), but she speaks pretty good english. So even though we aren't supposed to "fraternize" with teachers, I think I'll probably ask her out so I can have someone to hang out w/ in my town.

I also went into Shanghai the other day to be "interviewed" by a group of Chinese "bureaucrats" for my work visa. I really wasn't expecting and interview really. I wasn't expecting them to drill me w/ questions, but they told us that its more of a formality to be interviewed. We got our medical exam charts back, and I'm the "healthiest" teacher! We took a written test as well and my "marks" were the highest! I'm a genius!

I've started playing soccer with Devin and some teachers I work with at the primary school. There is this stadium near my house that has a big astroturf field where a bunch of ppl go and play pickup games. The first time I played, they thought I was really good. Mainly because of the last goal I scored of the game. This guy dropped the ball to me about 2o yards out right outside the center of the 18 yrd line and i ripped a line drive on the ground that the keeper dove for and it hit the post and went in. I was pretty proud of it!

I just got a gym membership as well. The gym really close to my house, but its pretty small. Its really cheap and there are a few good looking girls there too. Don't know how old they are though. I'm having some trouble figuring out the ages of these girls. I've had Devin help me figure girls' ages when I'm out w/ him. All the trainers there want to talk to me in english and sometimes its tough to actually workout.

I know that these posts have no real "flow" to them, but I really never know what to talk about. I could spend hours sitting here typing about all the strange things I see and do, but hopefully now that I have a computer I will be able to stay in better contact with others.