Food, Maylasia, and Red Foxes!

So today was just a normal day.  Nothing really to report on.  Our middle school activities started up today, so the field after school was teaming with kids.  Luckily everyone came out unscathed.  After work a colleague, Caleb, and his wife and I went for dinner.  I had said in the office earlier that I was wanting Chinese food.  Go figure, I was craving Chinese food in China!  I know that sounds weird, but it is really easy to eat western foods or even easier to get stuck eating the same thing over and over again.  Why is that?  Well, if you are an adventuresome eater you can try ANYTHING here.  Just go to a place and point to anything on the menu.  While I will try (just about) anything at least once, I like to know what I have ordered before ordering it.  This is a problem when you can't read Chinese or speak it.  So, needless to say, I get adventuresome when I go out with other people because they can tell me what things are.  My diet so far here has been fried rice (better here than in the states), beefy noodles, cereal, pizza, burgers and a sandwich of some sorts; so see not too far from normal western food.  Tonight I was wanting some good Chinese food.  Caleb and his wife and I went to a restaurant called the Corner Kitchen.  It was a very clean place and the menu was in Chinese....AND English!  The food was okay, prices were okay as well.  We had black pepper beef, 1,2,3 spareribs (sweet), Thai fried rice, and of course, probably my favorite dish here in China, sautéed wax beans.  That is an odd comment for me to make...I hate sautéed veggies back home, but something about these are just amazing.  While this restaurant were the best i've had, they were pretty good.  I'm not really sure if they are sautéed or grilled, but I just know that they are delicious.  They use this spice on them that if you are not careful and you eat one of the spice pods, whatever it touches actually goes numb!  I like to think I can handle some spice-tonight I accidentally got one of the little pods in my mouth, and within 20-30 seconds my eyes were watering and I was sweating profusely-but I kept eating.  I actually do enjoy the cuisine here quiet a bit.  

On another note-I mentioned in an earlier post about the possibility of going to Kuala Lumpur; today it is confirmed that I will be going there on September 9-11.  Yeah, it will be a really short visit, but I am so excited to be going to Maylasia.  More than just that, I will be meeting a physician who created a new and up-and-coming surgery that will be used worldwide in the next few years.  This surgery was just approved by the FDA in the USA this year.  In my field, this is a big deal.  I am so excited to have this experience. 

Now for a "shout-out" for my alma mater, Hartsville High school is raising money for a much needed field house at the football and baseball fields.  Check out the video for more information, and if you can  and would, help by donating for the cause!  As always once a Red Fox, always a Red Fox!

Hartsville High Field House Projectwww.youtube.comAs many of you know, HHS is raising money to build a field house that we need desperately. The field house will be used for football, baseball, and band. HHS...

As promised a few of my favorite things, Beijing Edition...

Edition 1 of My favorite things, Beijing Edition...

The Great Wall....of Course

 Having no idea what you are going to find at the supermarket..

 Koi ponds...This one is in the middle of the High School Atrium...

 Chinese Culture on campus...This is the gate to the bridge that connects the High School to the rest of the campus...

 This stands guard at the gate mentioned above...

 (Disregard my finger in the top of the photo) This is the Bridge after the gate and statue spoken of earlier...(Donated by the creator of Inspector Gadget and the Carebears!)

 I need to do more research on this bell, but this was cast from the same mold as one of the most famous bells in Chinese history...more to come on that...

 Waterfalls...this is in front of the middle school...

 Random odd flowers...I see these on my way to work daily...

 "Snakes" as I call them...Though they are some type of veggie, but I see them daily and have watched them grow this past month..

 The WAB community and how we all embrace the Chinese culture, rather than create our own international bubble...

 Being somewhere foreign and being reminded of folks back home...

 Or being reminded of folks gone... :)

798 Art Zone

I happened upon a little gem today!  

798 is an art district in the Chaoyang area of Beijing.  Back in the mid 1900s it was built to house a manufacturing project between the Soviet Union and the Chinese.  In the factories they were to make electronics.  Later in the 1900's (80-90's) the factories began getting shut down.  By the mid 90's they were practically emptied.  During this time, an artistic movement was beginning in China.  Before now, the arts were being housed in private homes near the old Summer Palace, but with the vacancy of these huge open buildings, artist got creative and moved in.  In the early 2000's the government almost demolished the site in favor of a new high-rise due to the growth and expansion of Beijing, but some artist and some high powered folks got involved and explained what good the art zone would do for the city.  At that time China was trying to appeal to more people worldwide and through some charm, they kept the art zone alive.  It is now just as vibrant as ever.  You can definitely see that it was once a factory area, but it is alive with art, creativity and exuberance around every corner.  Today while I visited, I intentionally left my camera at home, but I did have my iPhone.  So I will post a few photos from my iPhone (and I did edit a little) but mark my word, I will be back there often and with camera in hand.  In fact, in my mind I already have about 10 photos printed, matted and framed!

I'm getting better at getting shots of me! (Mom and Aunt Diane!)

The Germans designed the buildings, the Soviets hated them...Interesting stuff!

 This may be one of my favorite shots!  I just love it in black and white!!! 

 If you really know me, you know I love horror movies.  This photo to me reminds me of the first horror movie I remember seeing, the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre."  Yes, my grandmother and I watched it when I was like 5 or 6.  Man I loved that woman!  This reminds me so much of the butcher factory that Leatherface worked in.  This one is for Grandma Mink! (Love and miss you!)

Sorry, I didn't take any shots of the the actual art installations, I was too busy looking at the old factory parts...Maybe on the next trip down there I can actually get some of the "art."

My daily commute...In photos! (with a few captions)

Ok, so I lied!  Anyone that really knows me knows I can't not say something!  So before you take this tour with me, know that there are actually two ways to get to the school from my apartment.  Today, you see the back way.  If I go early one morning, I will do the same for the front way, that way you can see some images from the daily morning market.  But I typically take this route...

Going down the stairs in my building.  I live in Mananli 18-7-401 (building 18, 7th door, fourth floor number 401)

 Just outside the door turn right then go straight to that brick wall in front...

 At the brick wall, turn right again to the end of the buildings (or just follow the road)...

 Road turns left, and so do I....

 Left turn again and walk just a short distance past the fence in view there....

 Take a right on the worn pathway...and cross the parking lot at the end...

 Hug the left side of the building in front...then a slight left to the right side of the next building...

 This is the next building, cross under the squash (?) trellis...

 Close-up of the squash(?) trellis

 See that door...

 Yeah, this one...enter through...

 Straight through the courtyard to the gate...

 Right out of the gate and walk under the willows...

 Yes, pass the stinky pond...(but beautiful lotus plants!)

 Just passed the willows, turn right then left into the school grounds...

 Straight through the gate...

 Turn left in between the buildings...

 Then a right down this walkway...

 Until you see this door...

 Enter into the HUB...

 Turn right into our office!

Yay! You made it!  That is what I say to myself everyday when I make it to work!  Obviously, the return trip looks pretty much the same, but backwards.  (Sorry that some pics are blurry, I took them on the iPhone camera while walking...)  The trip takes about 8 minutes...so not that long.

One Month!!!

Where has the time gone?  I have been in Beijing now for one month!  I can't believe it!  Yesterday finished the first full week of school for the students to be back as well as the first full week of sports being started.  Aside from one day this week, it has been absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  Blue skies everyday except one.  That one day I really felt the pollution in the air and in my lungs.  I was told it was actually pretty low considering the winter readings.  Yay! (I say that with a sarcastic tone.)  

Not much really happened this week.  I had my first injury on Monday.  A student was out at a club and was shoved off the stage by a bouncer and sprained his ankle.  From talking to the kid and then an encounter with the father, it was pretty bad.  The injury occurred on Saturday, but I saw the kid on Monday afternoon.  It seems as though the kid came to school on Monday and the nurse sent him straight to the Emergency Room at one of the hospitals so that x-rays could have been taken.  When I saw the kid that afternoon he was on crutches and had an air-splint on, and zero swelling.  I asked about the injury and he allowed me to evaluate him, actually the coach made me evaluate him. (Not really made me, but asked me to!)  On evaluation I looked at the kid and said "Dude, this is nothing-a grade 1, maybe a grade 1+ ankle sprain.  If you would have seen me prior to the nurse, I would not have sent you the ER, and I would have saved you money!"  Now, I have nothing against nurses and please don't read into this-but when it comes to injuries (orthopedic in nature), Athletic Trainers are probably the most qualified profession to evaluate that injury, next to orthopedists.  Nurses are fantastic at what they do, physiotherapist/physical therapists are as well; but ATC are equally fantastic at our jobs. 

After telling him my opinion, rehab started.  Poor kid had no idea he was going to get a workout!  I ran him through some exercises for about an hour and had him off his crutches at days end.  Sent him home with ice and exercises to do.  I continued to see him daily this week and by weeks end, he was back in practice.  In fact today, he played in a match on the sand!  The father came to the office today to see me.  When he realized who I was he asked me "What did you do to my son?  He was sent to the ER on Monday and put on crutches and came home off them?  Now he is practicing?"  My reply was "I'm just doing my job!  If I would have seen him in the morning, I would not have sent him to the hospital, instead I would have worked with him like I did."  He responsed "Well your not a nurse."  "Exactly, I am an Athletic Trainer, and that is how we handle injuries!"  He was then appreciative, but still a little concerned.  

On Wednesday, a friend came into Beijing I had met on an online chat site-we hit it off because he was biking throughout Asia.  He has been biking for the past year and half.  Before biking he was in marketing and hated his job.  So he sold everything he had, bought a bike and a pack and started biking.  So far he has biked through mainland Asia, Vietnam, Europe and is in Korea now and when finished in Korea he is going to New Zealand.  He was showing me some photos of Shangri-La, Tibet, Chengde and all I can say is this world has some beautiful places in it; and I have only scratched the surface!  It is so cool to hear about experiences of other adventurers-it really energizes me.  

On Thursday and Friday I also met with the Assistant Principles of each school level here and discussed being a substitute teacher.  I am now on the top of the list for subbing in each section of the school, in fact on Monday I get to sub for one block, 8th grade science.  Excited to get started doing this!  I have to make some extra money for my Christmas vacation.  

Today we had the annual welcome picnic for all the new families to WAB.  It included games, music, cake and traditional Chinese Dragon dancers.  The cool thing about this school is that in everything they do, the Chinese culture is always present.  Here are a few photos from the Dragon Dancers.  

Tomorrow I will have lunch with my AD and his partner down in 798.  This is the art district of Beijing.  From the photos online, this may be my new favorite place.  I will take a gander there tomorrow and will be back I am sure with my "real" camera to capture the area.  I can already see me loving this place!