万圣节快乐!!

Happy Halloween!!

This year's Halloween was one of the best I've ever had, China or otherwise. All week in every class I showed the kids a slide show I had put together discussing the origins of the holiday, popular costumes, jack 'o lanterns, etc. I think they're favorite pictures were of all the houses that had been T.P.ed! :-) Then in each class we watched "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!" A classic film. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more, me or the students!

Then on Friday night David, Ben, and myself, with the help of our Chinese friend/fellow English teacher Kudo, hosted a big Halloween party for all of our students. It was a blast. But rather than tell you about, I think I'll show you...

Artwork courtesy of yours truly...

Kudo dressed as a mummy (obviously)...

David dressed as Zhou En Lai, former Prime Minister of China, and Chairman Mao's right-hand man. Note the wicked huge eyebrows...

See any resemblance?

Ben went as Liu Xiang, the Chinese Olympic Gold-medal winning hurdler, who pulled out of the Beijing Olympics with an injured ACL. (That's Ben doing his best "I hurt my ACL!" grimace. We Americans thought this was hilarious. The Chinese, not so much.)


And speaking of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics...

Michael Phelps baby!!

Those 8 medals are solid gold!

We made quite the impression on the students, especially when we were running around campus to try and drum up party-goers. It was a sight to behold...

Zhou En Lai and his Cowboy friend.
(This guy won the prize for Best Student Costume: Male Division. You can't see it in this picture, but he even had boots!)

Michael Phelps and his Cowboy friend.
(Clearly this guy belongs at the "O.K." Corral! HA!)
(In case you missed the joke, as mentioned in a previous post, this guy's English name is O.K.)

Wicked Witches of the (Far) East...

Witches with Jack...

The Mummy attacking the Queen!

Bobbing for apples! It took us awhile to convince the girls how much fun this game was (imagine that), but once we started offering handfuls of candy as prizes, they really got into it.

This little gal was AMAZING at bobbing! At one point, she got 5 apples in 10 seconds!! It was INCREDIBLE!! The best part, though, is her major in college: nutrition. No joke.

And yet... lest there be any doubt...

I still have the biggest mouth in China. ;-D

Lorelai won first prize for Best Student Costume: Female Division, when she showed up with bandages around her head, a black eye, a (fake) bloody leg, and her arm in a sling. It was hilarious. Unfortunately I was unable to snap a picture until later in the night after she had bobbed for apples one too many times and washed off all her makeup.What a pity...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: there is nothing "Normal" about this place at all.

And we kind of like it that way...

-高占阳