Thanksgiving in Changsha! Students

Truly terrible Pumpkin Pie!

I was lucky enough to celebrate Thanksgiving not once but twice!  Once at the fabulous Sheraton Hotel, they have a Thanksgiving buffet.  All the westerners of Changsha (at least the ones who know about it), flock to the hotel for a taste of home.  270 yuan later, we all sat making merry with all you can drink wine and beer and a none stop buffet of delicious food!  Turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin, curry, sushi, and spiced frog were among the choices.  The chocolate fountain and ice cream were also delectable.  But the pumpkin pie was terrible!  Really really horrible!  It was watery and tasteless!  And the big bowl of something that looked like whipped cream was actually sour cream!  Oh China...  That being said it was wonderful to eat some comfort food and enjoy the company of my fellow World Teachers and some new friends!  After 2 plates, Maureen and I ran to the gym.  They were having some sort of party, and Maureen's gym friends invited her.  As a proud member of this gym (She says ironically).  I headed with her, we played some games and won some prizes.  I finally figured out their names.  Xionghuan (Bear something) and Zhongliang (He of course in true southern style says "zong").  Then we returned to the Sheraton to continue eating and drinking.  My friends were quite sauced and decided to have a cake race!  The chocolate fountain had a stand with spoons and mini cakes.  My friends put 5 mini cakes in a long column and had a race to the bottom.  I did not watch this, I sorta wish I had.  But at the same time I was a bit embarrassed for them.  It was the Sheraton, a really nice place!  But nonetheless when we left people were stealing plants and food.

Joey, Sarah's Friend, Sarah and Teresa

 Then on Friday after a rousing game of Uno, I managed to lose my voice just in time for Thanksgiving in Hengyan with almost all of the World Teachers!  Down to Hengyang we went, we left Yi Zhong at 9am, and arrived at 1pm.  Taking the fast train is fast, but getting to the fast train stations takes an hour on both ends!  But it was worth it when we got there, playing Ultimate Frisbee and American Football was fun!  The funnest was trying to explain it to the Chinese Students who were playing with us!  I met an interesting fellow "Lee", who taught me a game called "Feji"  it is basically Sorry!  Which was awesome!  But as happens all too often two players were not focusing so I kicked them out, much to Lee's delight!  Lee was an interesting fellow, and is one of those Senior 3s that is just hilarious!  We left at 7 and made it home by 10!  It was much shorter on the way back!  Not sure quite why!  But Hengyang was awesome!  I could see living there!

A short update on teaching!  Nothing is more hilarious that having 5th graders who are a little too into a game rip your signs up accidentally!  And nothing is more painful than having a lesson you thought would be fun fall flat!

Some of my 6th graders being naughty during morning exercises!