Some weird things:

Okay, I'm going to go out on a limb here and tell you a story about one of my coworkers because it all just seems so unbelieveable to me.

So, there's another teacher in my department with a thick european accent dating a Chinese woman who is currently living with him in his flat next door to Morten. This man has been in China a year or two, but speaks no Chinese. He's dating a woman who speaks no English. They seem to have been having quarrels since I moved up, although I don't know how they communicate that. He had to have a student interpret for him how long she was planning on staying. Apparently she wants to get married, but he isn't interested and when she periodically goes in Morten's apartment to check out the carpet, he tries to get her to pronounce his name correctly. So, again from the rumor mill, I guess she has said she will leave his apartment if he gives her 7000RMB (like $1000USD). This just seems like the plot line to so weird sitcom...

Today in class one of my students basically declared his love for me via metaphor. It was so awkward. ugh. Then this weekend I went shopping and wore this shirt that was really baggy around my stomach and two Chinese people asked my friend if I was pregnant. OMG. How embarassing. So, I don't think I am ever wearing this shirt in public again and have also, more aggressively picked up my running regime. Good way to meet random people and get stared at a lot. I rolled out a few miles tonight- the air tastes better out here and the sky is clear. At night I can see as many stars as back home and I even watched a satellite streak across the sky a few nights ago- and I can pick out constellations from my balcony.

Last week I hung out with Lucas, the Spainard. I felt so ignorant about Spain and Spanish history... like I knew their was a civil war and Picassco painted a picture about the bombing of Guernica.. but that was about it. So I read up on the war and the rule of Frederico Franco and the recent transition of the government to a democracy 30 years ago. I didn't realize that their government had actually supported the axis nations in WW2, but remained neutral.

So, things are good- just weird. The weather is really warming up and the flowers in the trees are starting to bloom. I'll take some pictures soon :) Although I'm afraid it quickly will start being TOO hot!