The Color Run Guangzhou

I've had a week to recover from an exhausting week-long trip to Hong Kong with my students, and that ended up being juuust enough to regain my energy for a 5k.

Since I left America four and a half years ago, there has been a huge fad of fun-runs that I've had to miss out on...until The Color Run decided to come to China!

Coworkers, BF, and I headed out to the Olympic Stadium early this morning wearing our white tees and bright shades.  The energy was high and the weather was perfect.

Before, obviously

strangers at the finish line

By the end we were covered head to toe in a rainbow and had huge smiles on our faces.  What a great way to encourage people to get out and move!

Responsible Diving

Ready to backroll, Puerto Galera

As I was on a dive last week with a diver who bumped, scraped, scratched, and killed the coral in his path, I got to thinking about being a responsible diver.  I watched as his fins scraped across a gorgeous soft coral, leaving a permanent scar.  Unfortunately I was unable to grab his fins and shame him.  A diver is taught to streamline their bodies and touch nothing, although many divers still choose to touch the marine life and a few even go so far as to do really foolish things like carve their initials into the coral like a tree.  Some dive masters will poke fish so that the divers can get a show.

In big scheme of things, not a very large percentage of people dive.  So, those who are lucky enough to experience the fascinating, alien underwater world should take it upon themselves to only make an impact on the ocean life in a positive way.

Sea turtle, Apo Island, Philippines December 2012

Three of the simplest things to do (on top of the dive rules of streamlining and touching nothing...)

1. When you see rubbish in the sea, take it with you.  I've dedicated each dive to clean up - it's one of the most simple things to do.

2. Do your research about available dive shops prior to travel - are they eco-conscious or will they do whatever it takes to show their divers a good time?

3. Don't buy coral jewelry.

On a happy note, shark fin soup was recently banned from official banquets in Hong Kong.  It's a great step forward in saving millions of sharks from unnecessary death each year.

Here are a few underwater shots from last week...

Alma Jane wreck, Puerto Galera 

Alma Jane wreck, Puerto Galera 

boxfish, Puerto Galera 

huge starfish, Puerto Galera

Huadiwan Flower, Bird & Fish Market

A visit to the Huadiwan Flower, Bird & Fish Market proved to be as great an adventure as it sounds.  Unfortunately, I'm still only using my outdated iPhone for photos, so they are far from ideal...

Lucky fish get to be in tanks - others live in buckets

Before the crowds came =.=

Guangzhou 广州

The view from my bedroom

Canton Tower from the Pearl River

Alley market

@ flower market

@ flower market

An American Summer

4th of July in San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge

Virginia

Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach, Sc

Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach, SC

Goodbye, Qingdao

The school year is winding down and I'm now at the tail-end of my two year contract in Qingdao. This weekend I celebrated my 26th birthday as well as my fourth year in Asia.  With the Qingdao chapter of my life coming to an end, it's about time for a little reflection ;)

May 4th Square, Downtown Qingdao

My first two years abroad were certainly self-growth focused as I've mentioned before.  I learned to be alone (which is a lot harder than it sounds), travel, be a "grown up", and fell in love with surfing and diving.  As I look back on these past two years, I can certainly say they were more professional-growth focused.  I've enjoyed all of my students and [most of] my co-workers.  I've lived comfortably- though without much excitement or adventure.  My social life and previously healthy lifestyle have fallen by the wayside, but this job has taught me a lot and helped me by being the stepping stone I needed to a larger school and city.

Qingdao Favorites

Lion dances.  I've seen dozens upon dozens, and they never get old.  I usually see them around my apartment complex after a couple gets married and is being escorted to their new home.  The strength and skill of these guys is unreal and definitely entertaining.  They always put a smile on my face and I will stop to watch no matter where I am.

It's not what it looks like, but it's the only shot I have...

Deja Vu.  A cafe about a 10 minute walk from my apartment.  It's where everyone goes after work and on the weekends after a stroll on the beach, the only nearby Western food, and the place where all the workers know you by name and order.  Our second home.

My co-workers.  As I said before, these two years have been mainly professional growth, and most of that is due to a few folks who are not just awesome teachers but awesome people.  They made going to work fun and taught me a lot along the way.  On the other hand, I also worked with some of the worst teachers, but I like to think they also helped me be a better teacher by striving to never, ever be anything like them. 

My Best friend. In each country I've been in, I've been lucky enough to have best friends who speak the local language - Bean in Korea, B in the Philippines, and my boyfriend here.  He has been my translator, Chinese guru, best friend, and family - without him, I wouldn't have even a fraction of the happy memories that I do here.

Walks around the neighborhood.  The sights, sounds, and smells around the neighborhood are always interesting. 

Catch of the day 

Fish being sold on the sidewalk

Qingdao Least Favorites

Customer service.  The worst of all being a "beauty house" called Tian Bei where I spent thousands of kuai for a couple of different aesthetic procedures.  I have never in my life experienced such terrible customer service and rude, unprofessional staff (to be fair, the nurses were really kind - it was the owner and manager that were nasty).  Of course, I Googled the place before I went, but when no results came up, I took that as a good thing.  Only after the awful experiences did I have my boyfriend search in Chinese and learn of the various lawsuits and reports on the place.  That being said, if you found my blog by seaching Tian Bei in Qingdao....it's not worth the money, time, or the risk. Unfortunately the whole ordeal with Tian Bei will be a poor memory associated with Qingdao.

Taxi drivers.  The worst drivers ever.  Seriously.  Awful.

Loogies, snot-rockets, and children peeing and/or pooping on the side of the road.  None uncommon.  I will never get used to seeing a grown person blow snot out of their nose, then wipe their hand on a tree.  Gag, every time.



** Now for a three week holiday in America before the next adventure beings**

二龙山

Last week, my coworkers and I took thirty-three 10 and 11 year olds into the mountains for three days of hiking and team building.  It was an amazing success - fun for students and teachers alike.  Unfortunately, for obvious privacy reasons, I can't share any photos of my kiddos doing any of the awesome activities that they did - - I can, however, share some of the surprising beauty hidden only an hour drive away from Qingdao.