Gobble Gobble! - Happy Thanksgiving!

For the first time EVER, I spent Thanksgiving away from home... I was not particularly looking forward to working and not being with my family during the holiday but as it turns out, I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend Thanksgiving! A bunch of the teachers got together and had a HUGE potluck complete with all the holiday favorites from turkey, and sweet potatoes, to green bean casserole, deviled eggs, and even stuffing! I was highly impressed with all the teacher's culinary skills (not only can we teach, but we can cook as well - what more could you ask for?) Once we arrived everyone took off their shoes, got comfy, and sat on blankets around coffee tables. We ate, socialized and reflected on our many blessing and gave thanks!

quick trip to Hangzhou!

I never thought the day would come that I could actually say, “I love mid-terms.” As a teacher, mid-terms mean administering tests, then grading – and that’s all! There are no lessons to plan, classes to teach, or homework to grade. Instead, it’s a week to relax and let the kids do the stressing. Also with mid-terms we were given a long weekend – which for most of us meant another great opportunity to journey outside of Shanghai.

After talking to a few friends, I decided t o embark on a trip to Hangzhou, located about an hour away by train from Shanghai. Hangzhou is known for its natural beauty, including tea fields, botanical gardens, the West Lake, and a population of 6.4 million! It was wonderful to get out of the busy city life and be surrounded by fresh air and greenery!

While in Hangzhou, we rented bikes, walked around, and spent our time exploring and taking in the beauty. We walked through botanical gardens, got lost a little, and even saw a water show on the lake. After being in Hangzhou for only a couple hours, it soon became one of my favorite places I have visited thus far, and being so close to home, is definitely a place I will visit again!