All posts filed under: Blog

Food Corner: New Cafeteria

Published by Sula H.

The cafeteria opened again for the foreign faculty, after they’d been shut down for the summer break due to all the remodeling that’s going on. I don’t have a picture yet (though I’ll update you once I remember to take my camera), but I can tell you that the new cafeteria looks a lot like an upgrade to the old one. Of course, right now everything is still somewhat under construction, which means it’s only half done, but it’ll be presentable once it’s finished – that much I can tell! I myself still have to cook a little more to finish all the produce I still have from my month of cooking, but I’ll enjoy that extra freedom before diving fully into the meal schedule again!

New Teachers Arrived

Published by Sula H.

The summer break is quickly moving to its end – the new teachers for the school year of 2011/2012 have arrived. And they bring some fresh air into our routine. After all, their excitement about being in China hasn’t worn off yet, so they pretty much like everything, get excited about everything, and have not yet learned what it means to struggle with the differences of the culture. In any case, for me it means there’s new people to meet, new colleagues to work with, new friends to be made.

They’re Building

Published by Sula H.

Well, to tell the truth, I haven’t been much around the foreign teacher’s apartments after I got back from Hong Kong, until the meals started back in the new and upgraded dining hall this past weekend. All the more surprised was I to see that a roof they had built between the two foreign teacher’s buildings some time in May (if I remember correctly), and that still was there when I last went over there in the middle of July, now is gone again. So much for putting that construction up there in the first place. For me, the good news is, I don’t have to move yet, and I’m thankful for every delay in the construction progress!

Saturday Feature: A Reason for the Season

Published by Sula H.

So, it seems like I’m desperately longing for Christmas again, because I’ve been whistling and singing Christmas songs lately. But the true reason for that is that I’m working on a photobook, and right now the turn to scrap all those Christmas pages has come. So, I’ve been looking at my Christmas photos from last year, putting them together on some scrapbook layouts, and singing Christmas songs all the while. And that in August. But hey! I’m in good company. Being in China, I can always find some Christmas decoration out in a restaurant, or supermarket, or elsewhere, and that all year round. For example, I just have to stroll into my favorite ice-cream parlor downtown, and lo and behold – the gingerbread house (which I posted about a while ago) is still out in all its glory. Therefore, being in China, there’s always a reason for the season.

Fun with Chinglish: Enjoy You Summer

Published by Sula H.

I could hardly believe it, but with all its “britishness” I did find some Chinglish when I was in Hong Kong, lately. Here’s my first sample, that I found on the sign of a store. Note: When posting anything in the Fun with Chinglish section, I don’t mean to show disrespect towards anything or anyone in any way. I’m simply sharing the fun we get to have with all those great signs & documents!  

Around Town: Construction Zone

Published by Sula H.

It’s the summer break, and that means our campus turns into a construction zone. Shopkeepers change owners, shops get a facelift, so do many corners of our campus, and probably the biggest construction zone around is the new foreign faculty’s flat, which should have been done by now, but as a matter of fact, there’s no end to building in sight. For me, that means happy news, since I don’t yet have to move, which means I can enjoy my time doing other things.

Food Corner: German Dinner

Published by Sula H.

The cafeteria on campus, which normally provides us foreign teachers with three warm meals a day, is closed over the summer break. This means that lately I have been cooking again, and I’ve been enjoying that rather rare pleasure. For dinner, I decided to give myself a treat and have a light German dinner, with homemade rolls (as bread in China usually is sweet, which German bread usually isn’t), cheese, meat and some vegetables. Yummy!

Fun with Chinglish: Do Littering

Published by Sula H.

I’ve got another perfect Chinglish example today. Found this one on the subway in Shenzhen on my way from the border of Hong Kong to the airport. Need I say more? Note: When posting anything in the Fun with Chinglish section, I don’t mean to show disrespect towards anything or anyone in any way. I’m simply sharing the fun we get to have with all those great signs & documents!  

Around Town: Deserted Again

Published by Sula H.

The summer break is in full swing, and that means, our campus is deserted yet again! But take heart, it’s never as empty in the summer break than it is in the winter. The reason: There’s summer camps all over the place. Some for orphans, some for athletes, some for kids who want to learn English, and some for students who just get bored staying at home over the summer. That, by the way, is another reason why the campus doesn’t get as deserted in the summer as it does in the winter: Because quite a number of students stay around for the summer, renting apartments in the vicinity and use the quietude to study (at home, they’d be spending most of their days watching TV, which can get quite boring if you do that for a whole month). Anyways, for me the summer is usually a good time to brush up on my tennis skills, as every late afternoon by 5 pm the tennis court gets frequented by more or less capable players … …