Been a while

So the government found a way to block how we were getting around them blocking many websites. Anyways, Pat just came back from work and told me another way of getting around it, so I'm back after a long hiatus. Things are going well here still, work is good and we actually just got off of a break for the Chinese new year. It's the 60th year anniversary of the revolution, and 60 is some huge number in Chinese culture so I guess it's a pretty big deal around here. Fireworks are pretty huge in China, obviously, and there are hooligans that run around late at night and early in the morning blowing off black cat rolls that last several minutes. It got old about 10 seconds into the first one that I heard, and it's woken me up repeatedly over the last couple weeks. I did wake up the other night and walked out onto my balcony to see a pretty legit display happening right across the street from our apartment which was pretty cool actually.

I bought an electric scooter a couple weeks ago. It is the coolest thing that I have ever owned, looks like an old vespa, but its brand new and is probably the biggest bike on the road. Not that I didn't stand out a bit already, but it brings even more attention. Pat and I have had to two man it on several occasions which I've thought the image of us cruising through the streets of Hangzhou during rush hour would make people laugh. Anyways, things are going well, China is legit though I do miss things from home. We did find a pretty good Mexican restaurant that will be frequented for the remainder of my stay.

A few more observations I've made:
Walking to lunch the other day, crossing the bridge, me and several co workers watched as a young boy was propped up on the bridge wall by his father so that he could take a large dump on the sidewalk

The Chinese word for the English phrase "Uhh" is a very vulgar racial slur, and it is heard all the time when around Chinese people, especially by my young students when asked a question that they don't know the answer to.

If anyone can tell me what "Shooting down airplanes" translates from english into chinese, I will give you a sly wink