field trip to hangzhou!

As a teacher of Class 5, professors 5-10 years older than me and with a gazillion credentials on me, I can only be "teacher" in a limited context: English writing. These professors are highly educated professionals who take classes at SISU for one semester before taking an English proficiency test that will enable them to go abroad as visiting scholars.

Actually Class 5 and I get along great. We just decided that we'd like to have a good time outside of class too. And so they invited me on a field trip of sorts to Hangzhou, the famed Hangzhou of the proverb: "Above, there is heaven, below there is Suzhou and Hangzhou."

How beautiful it really was in the rain, with an annoyingly skinny tour guide talking her head off (and also singing at some point, ugh), and that dank boat ride through a swampland (yeah, WHY was the question of the day) was not the point of our adventure. But don't get me wrong - I'm not discounting the natural beauty of Hangzhou! It really is a scenic place, as you can see, but you know me and gray weather...

Sightseeing day 2 at the swamplands

The thing is, one of my most favorite parts of teaching here in Shanghai is Class 5. They are such good people, fun, likable, incredibly friendly, and hey - they can drink! It was nice to have the lot of 16 of us cross boundaries and spend a few days together in one of the most famous places in China. It was the sharing, the friendship, and the, um, festivities, that made this trip so enjoyable.

The class: Professor Tang, his wife and her friend, Hongye, Xuesong, Nelson, the Colonel, Linda, Superstar, Wes, Gabi, Julia, Wuying, Mike, and Jimmy. Oh yes, some people acquired nicknames that night!

And clearly later in the night!

As I always say, ya gotta love teachers ; )

-K