I take a lot of time here to step back and reflect on my reality. I cannot grasp how different things are than I expected. To say the least, my expectations were greatly overcame and obliterated. China, and more specifically Dalian, is so much more than I ever imagined it could be. It is so easy to say that and not be able to portray this experience for others back home. It is … [Read more...] about Oblivion
The greatest tragedy of our age is that the days of magic and wonder have been replaced with science and reasoning. Traveling across the entire world, something that once might have been a nearly impossible feat, is now achievable in one day. Here I sit, typing this, a world away from the place I was born. Soaring tens of thousands of feet above the ground at hundreds of miles … [Read more...] about Magic and Wonder
I don't really consider myself to be an athletic person, but I know what it feels like to stretch before or after a workout. At first your muscles are kind of tight, it's difficult, and kind of uncomfortable. Being in a new country and experiencing a new culture is like stretching from the inside out. Even though it doesn't seem natural at first the more you push yourself the … [Read more...] about Stretching
We came back to reality today as the four day Tomb-Sweeping Holiday ended. Every year on the 15th day from the Spring Equinox, the Chinese honor their ancestors by (literally) sweeping their tombs, offering food, and burning replicated luxuries such as money or designer bags. It's a big deal here, and in the surrounding countries as well. We took the time off of school to … [Read more...] about Four Days of Fun
Not much has happened this week besides school and work. It is so fun to work with the Chinese students and watch them learn and correct their grammar mistakes before you tell them to. They are always so willing to learn, and it has actually made me reflect on my own grammar skills. I will tell them to change something and they will say, "Why?" I never realized that I didn't … [Read more...] about In a World of Pure Imagination