Killer Insects and Shanghai Blues

In February 2004, I returned from vacationing in Thailand to resume teaching the three groups of freshman English majors at the Jishou University campus in Zhangjiajie. Pictured below is Class 3.

The second semester was even better than the first, as I continued to get to know my students, and they continued to share more and more of themselves with me. In addition, I picked up a class at Zhangjiajie College and another at a nearby technical college.

I was also gaining a bit more confidence in my Chinese language skills (limited as they were) and would often venture into the city at night, checking out the bars, and, sometimes, playing liar's dice with the locals. (As long as you could count in Chinese, you could play at least that game.)

One night, while out with a young American teacher named Zach, we ran across a couple of young ladies who joined us for some tea at Forest of Flowers, one of our favorite hangouts that happened to have the plushest restrooms in town!

Since Zach spoke Mandarin fluently (and eventually married a Taiwanese girl), the conversation blossomed. Eventually, one of the young ladies invited us to have lunch the next day at the home of her parents.

It took the four of us a long bus ride and a precarious journey by truck to make it to girl's home village. But, it was well worth it. We dined on pork, rice, vegetables, and plain old moonshine -- all raised, grown, or processed within 25 yards of the house.

After lunch, we took a hike through the mountains, with the girls pointing out local flora and fauna.

Maybe 30 minutes into the trek, I noticed a large preying mantis and coaxed it onto my finger. When I showed it to the girls, much to my surprise, one of them immediately swatted it from my hand and stepped on it -- grinding it under her foot.

Then, she grabbed a stick and started stirring it in the insect's guts.

After a moment, something long, thin, black, and ominous-looking wrapped itself around the twig. Before smashing the thing with a rock, she explained (with Zach translating) that insects in the region often were infected with a parasite that could eat its way into your finger, causing you to lose it. Yuck!

The experience gave me a whole new appreciation of the knowledge of locals.

As the school year wound to a close, it brought with it a great sadness. But, by then, I was yearning to see my wife and son, who had just finished his second year at college.

By June, I was back in the good ol' U.S.A.

And, by August, I was already thinking about making "one last teaching trip overseas."

To cut to the chase, I ended up accepting a job teaching youngsters in Shanghai in the fall of 2004.

What a city!

I ended up getting an apartment in a working-class section of Pudong (across the river from Shanghai proper).

The metropolitan area is busy and beautiful. But, it didn't take me long to realize I just wasn't made for the big city.

Also, I overestimated my patience dealing with first graders.

The highlight of my three-month stay there was getting to know Mini -- one of Scarlette's friends. Pictured at left, she is aptly named, topping out at maybe 90 pounds. But, Mini is the proverbial ball of fire.

We only got to know each other a short while, but we've stayed in contact by e-mail and Facebook, and I wouldn't be surprised to run into her in the States after she's conquered the world of business.