Heart of a Champion
Once Andrew left last week, life continued as normal. Well, as normal as China can be. Thursday and Friday classes were cancelled in lieu of "Sports Meeting". I thought I had avoided participation, as I had been left off the roster when a fellow teacher checked on Wednesday, and no one said anything to me on Thursday when I went to observe. When I went back on Friday afternoon to watch a friend run, on my way to play tennis, however, I was asked to run. In 15 minutes. Seriously, what would they have done had I not come along? So, I quickly changed into my "running gear" and warmed up. Ok, not really. I was already wearing tennis clothes and brand new tennis shoes I had never worn, so I was as ready as I could be given the time limitations. I would be running the fourth leg of the 4x400 (four laps total) with three other members of the the English department. By the time the baton was handed off to me, though, our team was in last place, more than half a lap behind the leaders and so far behind that I could only possibly have passed one person (who was already at the second turn when I started). As it was, and because I had not trained at all or warmed up, I forwent any intentions of pacing myself and ran as fast as I could out of the blocks (ok, there weren't any blocks), and by the final turn I could tell I really had nothing left. Unfortunately, I was only neck and neck with the next-to-last place runner at this point, so he had just enough gas left to beat me at the end. Our team finished in 7th place, aka last place, aka 6th loser, but I without a doubt had the loudest cheer section I heard over the entire two days. I think the English department cheering section in the first turn was excited and surprised to see me running, and they cheered so loud they alerted everyone else to the fact that there was a foreigner running, and then they started cheering as well. So, by the last turn I was just smiling at the ridiculousness of it all, a foreigner in last place receiving the loudest cheers. Hooray, China!
Drums help motivate the runners to the finish line!
The Three-legged race!
Most of the girls carry around parasols to shield themselves from the sun. Unlike America (unfortunately for my pasty skin), white skin is considered beautiful, so many of the face creams and washes also contain whitening agents.
In two months, I'm leavin' on a jet plane (don't know when I'll be back again). In honor of the occasion, I'm going to list a few of the weird things I've eaten here and will likely never eat again:
-congealed lamb's blood
-donkey dumplings
-cow stomach
-chicken hearts
-chicken claws
-deer penis/antler liquor
-octopus tentacles
-cow tripe
-something that's so weird it's not in my dictionary, though it tasted as I imagine intestines would taste.
Also, though not specifically to celebrate my final two months of life in China, I have recently acquired a genuine, real-life stalker. She is a student of mine and apparently is crazy. Part scary, part funny, below I have posted the four messages she has sent me so far, aswell as three subsequent text messages. Tomorrow I plan to talk to the dean and see what can be done. I don't want to get her in trouble, but clearly her actions are inappropriate and increasingly offensive.
Date: May 1, 2007 4:59 AM
Subject: Something seems out of control
Body: It's Audrey here. I don't know whether I should write this message to you or not. But I clearly know that I have already gone crazy and my life has been ruined because of you. In the past two months, I have spent most of the time thinking of you and until now I still don't know what you mean. All the things are just like a dream and I don't know what my feeling is. I planed to lead a peaceful life in the university and study hard; but now all the things have changed. I feel very sad and depress every second and minute, especially when I knew you had planed to go to Beijing this holiday. These nights were so hard to me that I can not bear. I don't want to live like this. This message maybe let you know what happened in the past. Please treat me like your student. I know you will be back to America at the end of this semester and I still have two years to go to America. During this time, I want to lead a happy life and concentrate attention on my study, not try to forget a man who disappears in my life forever.
Date: May 4, 2007 8:28 AM
Subject: Neal, these are what i have done for you
Body: Neal, I don't know what will happen in the future. Maybe we are the stranger forever and will never see each other again after you leave this place at the end of this semester. I believe the fate. There is something that we can not control in the world. We continuously say goodbye and forget someone or something that had great influence in our life once upon a time, so I think I should tell you something which maybe not important to you and I will forget in the future.
April 10th is my birthday. You sung a sweet song to a girl to celebrate her birthday in class 5 that day. I heard this news and sad.
I don't know from what time I begin to stand by the window every night to watch your dormitory for a long time and log in your space every night in order to see your lovely pictures.
April 27th. That afternoon I saw you clean your room and heard that you planed to go to Beijing. About 1o'clock that night I saw you prepare something.
April 28th. My dear roommate tried her best to console me. I thought my life had been ruined.
April 29th. I encountered you go to play tennis. My dear roommate tried her best to console me. I thought my life had been ruined.
April 30th, May 1, May 2, May 3, May 4, I found you hadn't seen my email and had not come back. I checked my email and your space from time to time.
It is these things that I want to tell you and want you know. Don't treat them as burden. Maybe many years later, you can remember me and these things. I'm sure that at that time I will have already forgotten. I wish you happy life.
Date: May 19, 2007 1:32 PM
Subject: we should settle something
Body: It's always not wise of me to send many messages to you. But why not reply and act as if you hadn't read them. Something must have an end before you leave this place two months later. It seems you don't want to make any commons about this and act as if nothing had happened before. How stupid of me to say those words to you. I don't know why you did these things to me. Maybe you want to show how attractive and handsome you are.
Date: May 20
Subject: The last letter for my perfect teacher
Body: Frankly speaking, you are the most disgusting man I have ever met. You are not only a crowd but also a patient. Because I doubt that you are not popular among the girls in the American and no girl even cast a glance on you, so you have some psychological problems and your mental is abnormal. In that case, it is not very easy for you to disguise being a polite and good boy. There maybe a lot of girls have some crazy feelings on you in china. But I am sorry to tell you that I am not one of them definitely. I can appreciate your feelings very much, because it is miserable for a man who had never been loved by any girl. It was shameful for me to do many stupid things and have some ridiculous feelings on you. It is the worst things I have done in my life. My words maybe straight, but I sincerely hope that you can lead a normal life and you should firmly believe that one day a woman will fell in love with you. Life is beautify, please don't depressed. My perfect teacher, I wish you happy and satisfied. Yes, nothing had happened between us, I am one of your student.
Tuesday, May 22:
Text Message 1: If you are a man answer the call no trouble will happen
Text Message 2: I just want to make sure sth you speak them out nothing will happen
Text Message 3: It not because of love but self esteem i am always superior to the people surrounding me you embarrass me
Drums help motivate the runners to the finish line!
The Three-legged race!
Most of the girls carry around parasols to shield themselves from the sun. Unlike America (unfortunately for my pasty skin), white skin is considered beautiful, so many of the face creams and washes also contain whitening agents.
In two months, I'm leavin' on a jet plane (don't know when I'll be back again). In honor of the occasion, I'm going to list a few of the weird things I've eaten here and will likely never eat again:
-congealed lamb's blood
-donkey dumplings
-cow stomach
-chicken hearts
-chicken claws
-deer penis/antler liquor
-octopus tentacles
-cow tripe
-something that's so weird it's not in my dictionary, though it tasted as I imagine intestines would taste.
Also, though not specifically to celebrate my final two months of life in China, I have recently acquired a genuine, real-life stalker. She is a student of mine and apparently is crazy. Part scary, part funny, below I have posted the four messages she has sent me so far, aswell as three subsequent text messages. Tomorrow I plan to talk to the dean and see what can be done. I don't want to get her in trouble, but clearly her actions are inappropriate and increasingly offensive.
Date: May 1, 2007 4:59 AM
Subject: Something seems out of control
Body: It's Audrey here. I don't know whether I should write this message to you or not. But I clearly know that I have already gone crazy and my life has been ruined because of you. In the past two months, I have spent most of the time thinking of you and until now I still don't know what you mean. All the things are just like a dream and I don't know what my feeling is. I planed to lead a peaceful life in the university and study hard; but now all the things have changed. I feel very sad and depress every second and minute, especially when I knew you had planed to go to Beijing this holiday. These nights were so hard to me that I can not bear. I don't want to live like this. This message maybe let you know what happened in the past. Please treat me like your student. I know you will be back to America at the end of this semester and I still have two years to go to America. During this time, I want to lead a happy life and concentrate attention on my study, not try to forget a man who disappears in my life forever.
Date: May 4, 2007 8:28 AM
Subject: Neal, these are what i have done for you
Body: Neal, I don't know what will happen in the future. Maybe we are the stranger forever and will never see each other again after you leave this place at the end of this semester. I believe the fate. There is something that we can not control in the world. We continuously say goodbye and forget someone or something that had great influence in our life once upon a time, so I think I should tell you something which maybe not important to you and I will forget in the future.
April 10th is my birthday. You sung a sweet song to a girl to celebrate her birthday in class 5 that day. I heard this news and sad.
I don't know from what time I begin to stand by the window every night to watch your dormitory for a long time and log in your space every night in order to see your lovely pictures.
April 27th. That afternoon I saw you clean your room and heard that you planed to go to Beijing. About 1o'clock that night I saw you prepare something.
April 28th. My dear roommate tried her best to console me. I thought my life had been ruined.
April 29th. I encountered you go to play tennis. My dear roommate tried her best to console me. I thought my life had been ruined.
April 30th, May 1, May 2, May 3, May 4, I found you hadn't seen my email and had not come back. I checked my email and your space from time to time.
It is these things that I want to tell you and want you know. Don't treat them as burden. Maybe many years later, you can remember me and these things. I'm sure that at that time I will have already forgotten. I wish you happy life.
Date: May 19, 2007 1:32 PM
Subject: we should settle something
Body: It's always not wise of me to send many messages to you. But why not reply and act as if you hadn't read them. Something must have an end before you leave this place two months later. It seems you don't want to make any commons about this and act as if nothing had happened before. How stupid of me to say those words to you. I don't know why you did these things to me. Maybe you want to show how attractive and handsome you are.
Date: May 20
Subject: The last letter for my perfect teacher
Body: Frankly speaking, you are the most disgusting man I have ever met. You are not only a crowd but also a patient. Because I doubt that you are not popular among the girls in the American and no girl even cast a glance on you, so you have some psychological problems and your mental is abnormal. In that case, it is not very easy for you to disguise being a polite and good boy. There maybe a lot of girls have some crazy feelings on you in china. But I am sorry to tell you that I am not one of them definitely. I can appreciate your feelings very much, because it is miserable for a man who had never been loved by any girl. It was shameful for me to do many stupid things and have some ridiculous feelings on you. It is the worst things I have done in my life. My words maybe straight, but I sincerely hope that you can lead a normal life and you should firmly believe that one day a woman will fell in love with you. Life is beautify, please don't depressed. My perfect teacher, I wish you happy and satisfied. Yes, nothing had happened between us, I am one of your student.
Tuesday, May 22:
Text Message 1: If you are a man answer the call no trouble will happen
Text Message 2: I just want to make sure sth you speak them out nothing will happen
Text Message 3: It not because of love but self esteem i am always superior to the people surrounding me you embarrass me
posted by Mysteries of The Orient at 3:38 AM
3 Comments:
Wow, those emails are kind of creepy...and very strange. I had some weird marriage proposals while I was overseas, but nothing creepy like that. But besides the strange stalker girl, hope you enjoy your last two months.
Wow Neal! These sound exactly like the letters that one of my first graders wrote to me! Students can be psycho, I tell you what.
i haven't laughed that hard since i moved into the office. everyone is looking at me.
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