Obit-Shoe-ary

Today I say goodbye.

It's with sad feet and a heavy heart that I say goodbye to my favourite shoes, my Supra Vaiders in Black Action and White. They were size 12.

Were it not for the strict luggage restrictions of air travel, my Supras would have enjoyed a relaxing retirement back in Canada; resting comfortably on a soft mat near the door, and slipped on only for short sunny walks to pick up the mail, or times of "Hang on, I just need to grab something from my car". Unfortunately, although they had many good years of stylishness left, they didn't make it home from China, and passed away comfortably, as was their way. 

It's at this time we look back and consider what a full life these Supras lived. They worked-hard, they were energetic, and even though they were bold and strong, they had a knack for making people comfortable. There was no challenge that my Supras could not face. They braved the sidewalks for years of Canadian winters, and the heat of Florida's theme parks. They walked the beaches of Thailand, and explored the markets of Chinese alleyways. Whether with shorts or pants, these courageous shoes could face any pressure, and look good doing it.

These Supra Vaiders are survived by their younger brother, my Supra Vaiders in Navy and Pink. 

A short ceremony was held outside my apartment, as my Supras and their brother-in-arms, that pair of Osiris' with the buckles, were laid to rest inside a small Chinese dumpster. 

I'd like to thank my Supras for their years of support. You will be missed; I will reflect lovingly on you whenever my calves look amazing, or I adjust my pant leg to accommodate a different pair of high-tops, or- hang on, I just need to grab something from my car.

Goodbye sweet Supras.

Sidewalk Bicycle Repair Shop

Today I got my bicycle fixed.

A Chinese classic, apparently.

I totally forgot to tell you, but I bought a bike a couple weeks ago! The bridge closest to my house is closed, and I've been spending too much money on taxis and too much time in backseats instead of out getting that light exercise we all love so much.

Now I know what you're thinking, "Andrew... you're leaving China in a few weeks- why would you by a bike now?" Well let me tell you, you buy a bike and you're saving money! My price range is right within the "old, used, and possibly stolen" category, and that kind of bike is dang cheap. I picked up this beaut for 80 yuan, and the guy said he he'd give me 60 yuan for it if I sell it back. Basically it's a 2 month lease commitment with a possible buy back option. Pretty serious.

Let me tell you, this bike is loaded. Dual chrome handlebars, dual tires, dual pedals, almost dual everything actually. After my repairs today I've got a new back axle, back tire tube, and one of those screw on valve thingies you put the air into. He did great work; sometimes the best repairmen are just guys who set up shop on the sidewalk. The guy even installed another brake on the back tire, so I'm rolling with quad brakes if you can believe it- that's dual back brakes and dual front brakes.

Oooo- this brand! 

After-market custom seat cover

The bike merchant threw in a lock for 5 yuan, although I don't think anyone would steal this 

The brand new valve (solid gold) and that shiny new brake pad

......... DUAL.

Western Walmart

A couple days ago I led a field trip.

All the good kids get ice cream! And me!

Sure, I've been a participant in field trips before. Tons of them! But I've never led one before, until now. I took our giant class of FOUR advanced campers (and by that I mean students) to Walmart! I created a scavenger hunt for them, with questions to answer and new words to learn. It was a really fun morning, and I'm sure you remember how a good field trip is SO MUCH BETTER than another day at boring old school. I mean camp! It's not school... it's camp! Camp for learning English in a classroom.

One of the challenges was to find a piece of clothing that would look amazing on Andrew.

Checking out some English on a t-shirt.

I loved how relaxed a Chinese field trip can be. There were no permission slips or waivers, no strict schedules, and get this- the kids actually wanted to wear those giant orange shirts! We strolled over from the school, chatting, which simultaneously blew my mind that I can talk to Chinese 11 year olds in English so easily.  Since their level is so advanced for their age, it meant we could joke around and have fun while checking out everything in the store.

No matter what country you're in, Walmart will only open 2 checkout lanes.

A great class... now I just need to figure out something to do with them next week!

Thanks to Lily for the pictures.

Well it's About Time

Lately I became a paid videographer.

Ok, so I took June off- stop living in the past. But now my video is up and playing on my school's website! I'm pretty excited to have this freelance opportunity while out here in China, and I had a good time making it too. Based on all that, I'd like to make some more videos! Hire me.

Or, here's the video in its natural habitat on the school's website. 

Beijing Video

Here's a short video I made from the Beijing trip, highlighting a few of the famous attractions we visited. I chose the song "Breathing Space" because I was pleasantly surprised by how green and spacious the city of Beijing is. I was picturing an overpowering concrete maze with yellow clouds of smog, but I actually found Beijing to be beautiful and convenient! Don't get me wrong though, it's still massive. Every building in that city is huge; it's a city on steroids. The only small thing in that whole city was our room in the hostel.
Enjoy!

That's a Pretty Good Wall

This past week I went to the Great Wall of China.

That's me! Photo by Matt B.

Going to the Wall was an absolute MUST on my to-do list in China, and I was ecstatic when I got the opportunity during our spring break. While staying in Beijing, we went on a day tour to visit the Mutianyu site, which is about 2.5 hours away from Beijing by bus. We spent a gorgeously warm, albeit hazy, afternoon hiking on this ancient structure, and I really enjoyed it!

Although on the way Matt and I joked about keeping our expectations low in order to decide for ourselves just how "great" this wall is, it's impossible to belittle this remarkable structure. Incredibly vast, it winds and stretches over and along mountains until it disappears from view. The amount of work it required, not to mention questioning how they even accomplished this tremendous task, is confounding.

As you can see here, some parts along the Wall are extremely steep as a result of the intense elevation changes it covers. I'm not used to doing anything higher than sea level, so this turned into a pretty good workout! I was very impressed by the vigour of both the young and old in conquering the Wall; some people were fully set on making serious progress, and didn't let the heat, elevation, distance, or difficulty stand in their way. Several high schools were touring the Wall while we visited, and by observing them, elderly Chinese people (some even being helped by family members), and everyone in between, it was good to see how important experiencing the Wall is to Chinese people. Another factor is that we were visiting during a national holiday, when thousands of Chinese people travel to the capital to take in their country's historical and commercial sites. 

Forever engraved at Tower 23.

Matt and I climbed to Mutianyu's highest tower, Number 23, where you can see the point at which restoration on the Wall stops and the natural, weathered surface continues. We also skipped lunch to hike further along in order to catch the toboggan ride down instead of a cable car. It was well worth the trip; the toboggan is like a sketchy luge on a water-slide: tons of fun! It was really strange to ride a carnivalesque attraction after getting off one of the ancient wonders of the world, but in China it just feels right.

Wheeeeeeeeeeee!

The Overnight Train

This past week I took the overnight train.

We went to Beijing for our "spring break," the little vacation we get for China's Labour Day (May 1). I taught my evening classes and we caught the train at around 9:30 PM, then about 12 hours later we arrived in Beijing. It was a long journey, but the comfort of the train really made it easy! We sprung for the "soft sleeper," which means you get your own bed in a room of 4. I shared the room with my two coworkers and a random Chinese guy who admittedly presented some snoring issues early on, but settled down pretty quickly.

Matt got the top bunk.

I've often heard what I thought to be an outdated opinion, that there is some class and sophistication to train travel, and now I can completely understand it. It hit me while brushing my teeth in the room with a bunch of sinks: the comfortable bed big enough for even me to stretch out on, the very affordable cost compared to air travel, even the Western toilet- everything added up to a wonderful experience that made being crammed into a jet seem even more miserable. I boarded at night, spent time with friends in our own room, fell asleep, woke up refreshed and did my morning routines, and suddenly I was in another city on a beautiful morning. Now I'm a fan of the overnight train, and I'll be looking to do it again!

Shhhhh..... bed time.....