Back by popular demand...

 

Just finished another marathon weekend of recording English tapes and tests at Jiangsu Radio Station. It's a great way to make some money, and every new experience teaches me something new about myself...for example, I now know that I'm incapable of saying the word "balls" into a microphone without laughing, no matter how innocent the context.

So here it is: The Top Five Most Bizarre Things I Had to Say Into a Microphone Today While Keeping a Straight Face:

A: What’s Itchy Feet doing?
B: He is lying on the grass looking up at the blue sky.

A: What’s the matter with you?
B: My pants are old.

A: Hobo is standing on a chair and Eddie is lying under the chair.
B: That Hobo is too dirty!

A: What’s nineteen minus seven, Little Monkey?
B: Twelve, Lovely Panda.

A: Why is Eddie wearing a helmet?
B: Because he is now on Mars.
A: Is life better on Mars?
B: Yes. We are cared for by robots.
A: What do the houses look like on Mars?
B: They look like huge balls.

baba and gugu come to nanjing

Here are some pics from a recent visit from my dad (baba) and aunt (gugu). I LOVE it when people visit, because it's a chance to see the city through fresh eyes. Even though the trip was short and we stuck close to home (Nanjing and Shanghai), I got to experience some parts of these places that I've never seen before.
We went to the tomb of a Ming-dynasty emperor on a mountain in Nanjing. To approach the tomb, you walk up a pathway lined with giant stone animals. The tomb itself has never been excavated, which adds to the mystery of the hillside as you walk through the forest along the ancient wall, knowing that under your feet lie treasures and artifacts untold.
We also visited the newly renovated Nanjing Massacre Musuem, which has been much celebrated in the media--and rightly so. It's an impressive building, and to learn about the history of this horrific event here in Nanjing, where the emotions are still so raw, is really powerful. On our way there, our taxi driver told us about how his grandfather was killed in the massacre, and expressed some views about that island nation to the north which I won't repeat here. (I've learned to pick my battles on that one). On December 13, the anniversary of the massacre, air raid sirens sounded throughout the city--the sound chills you to the bone.
To get some air after the museum, we walked on the Ming-dynasty city wall and took in the winter landscape. Throughout the trip we ate great food and I got to show off my Chinese, which is getting better and better every day!
Happy New Year, everyone. 2008 is off to a great start.