Aug 27 2009

Yangshuo Day Eight.

Live teaching practice.  Ugh.

Journey to Moon Hill with Philippe, then swimming in the Yi Long River.  Legs are like jello.

Biking to Moon Hill, the highest point in Yangshuo.

Pushy ladies trying to sell us water all the way up Moon Hill, quite the little hike.

Success.

                                

On our way to the Yi Long River.

Swimming in the Yi Long.

Interviews for Buckland promotional materials. First gig doing voiceover work – while others went out, recording dialogues with Tina and Patrick for new Buckland textbooks to be used throughout China.

Evening dumplings with my friends at the Little Beijing dumpling and noodle place. Getting to know the owners better. Liu Lang Ming, you will be missed but I will find you again either here in Yangshuo or in Beijing.


Aug 25 2009

Yangshuo Day Six. TESOL training, swimming, eating a fish eye and cheek.

More training today, this time led by Ping and discussing some great tips about teaching English here.

During the lunch break Philippe and I rented bikes and went swimming in the Yi Long River.  It was a little trek there outside of Yangshuo, and it seemed like we might be getting a little lost.  But after finding the river again,  an elderly woman pointed in a direction and said the Chinese word for swimming (游泳) which I thankfully remembered.  The river was clean and unbelievably warm.  On the other side of where we were swimming, we saw Chinese tourists taking bamboo boat rides.  The scenery was magical and once again I found myself questioning if this could be a dream.

Later that day we resumed our training.  It was a long day and was finished off by stopping at our neighbors at the dumpling restaurant to relax for a moment before heading home.

Oh yeah.  I ate a fish eye ball for kicks at lunch.  Then I ate the cheek.  Eye bad.  Cheek good, but super rich and oily.  A fellow teacher from Winnipeg who was in broadcasting for 20 years told me I should try to get some English radio work while I am here.  Evidently it can be pretty lucrative and native speakers are highly sought after, and maybe with her connections … well, we’ll see.