The Way of the Water Buffalo

  To my teaching friends in Oakhurst, I hope you had a great week off.  Now get back to work you slackers!!!
  Anyway, this week's blog will address a couple of pressing issues that we have been discussing here.  The first being are we more civilized in the U.S. and is it better to be a man in China or the U.S.
  First I will get back to my normal format and let you know about Teaching and Adventures.

Claire preparing for take off!!!!

TEACHING:  This week, teaching was really difficult for Paul and I.  I had one class on Monday and then two classes on Tuesday.  Both days were getting ready for exams.  BORING!!!  Paul had a few classes on Monday and Tuesday as well.  The rest of the week we had a sports festival, so Paul and I spent the rest of the week watching our kids at their various events in the mornings.  We would then go on scooter adventures.  More of this to come later in the Adventure section.  The other great thing about being out of class was getting to watch Claire Bear.

She really does think she can fly!!!!

  Claire is doing very well at school and in the sports arena.  Her years of track have really helped her here.  I don't mean to brag, but she is a Star with a capital S.  Her swim relay team won their event.  She also won the 50 meter backstroke.  The really awesome thing she did this week, was break the school record in long jump and 800 meter race.  Her Chinese teacher was so impressed with her, she gave Claire a hard time for not signing up for more events.  Anyway, we are all very proud of her.
  This next week will be Taylor's opportunity to shine.  She is starting the week off by giving a speech to the entire student body, all 5000 of the students and staff.  It is a great honor to do this speech.  Taylor is working hard to memorize it.  At the practice the other day, she did an outstanding job.

Perfect Landing

   I did have a couple of meetings this week to work on curriculum and listen to an I.B. presentation.  The curriculum meeting was great, because a number of us teachers have gotten together to collaborate on lessons.  We are putting the I.B. model into practice despite the loose framework that is followed here.  Just like the rest of the world, the school worries more about test scores than anything else.  Being a private school it matters even more.  Got to get those kids into Universities!

  The I.B. presentation was not as fun.  It was presented at 7:30 in the evening and given by a Chinese National that didn't speak very good English.  He meant well, but the fact is that the I.B. model is supposed to be cross curricular and yet, just like everything else, it comes down to specialization.  Anyway, I am not going to beat the drum for or against the program, teachers are always going to do what they feel is best for their students.  The students here are going to do well, because of their work ethic.  Their biggest struggle is thinking out of the box.  But, I guess that is the big problem for most of us until we start working in the real world and do whatever is necessary to be successful in our chosen careers.
  Anyway, time for me to get off of my soapbox.  It is time to get to some adventures.

ADVENTURES:  As I mentioned earlier, Paul and I would go on scooter adventures after watching the sports in the morning.  Our goal each day was to find a new historical building or cultural spot each day.  So the first day we headed out to find a famous Pagoda that we have seen on some of our other travels.  We started out fine, but the next thing we knew we were riding our scooters on a highway.  So, imagine driving down Hwy. 99 going south from Fresno to Bakersfield and seeing two guys without helmets riding in the slow lane doing about 25 miles an hour.  The first words that might come to mind are Stupid, Idiots, Psycho or Suicidal.  We crossed a bridge and went through a tunnel and got off as soon as we could find a place.  We decided that even after a short trek, we needed to stop for a beer and some lunch.  We finished that afternoon off, by going to the driving range and playing a putting game with the manager.  Needless to say, we never found the Pagoda.
  The next day, we started out early.  We dropped Taylor off at school and then headed out to find this Buddhist Temple that we saw on a map.  This time we were successful.  It was a small, but nice temple.  Paul and I wish we could read the characters better.  It would be nice to understand what the statues and incense were all about.  We really love the incense.  There are rooms with statues in them that have hundreds of round incense lanterns in them.  The smell is intoxicating.

Doesn't he seem docile???

He is standing where I was!!!!!

  After leaving the temple we decided to ride around the countryside a bit.  We had not ridden very far when we spied some Water Buffalo grazing in a nearby field.  We decided to stop and try to get some pictures of them.  Taylor had yet to see one of these amazing animals and I wanted to get a good picture for her.  So with Paul following a few paces behind me, I walked to a place that I thought would give me a good picture. I didn't have my big camera only my cell phone, so I needed to be close to them to get a quality photo.  Now understand, these animals seem very docile and the one we were close to was tethered.  So you would figure that someone had to take the animal out and hook it to the tether, right!!!  I put my camera up to take the picture and the bull looked right at me.  I was thinking great what a picture, until I saw the whites of the animals eyes and heard Paul yell "Run Rusty Run".  As I glanced around the phone in my hand I saw the Water Buffalo take its first initial step towards me before it began the full on charge.  I never saw the rest of the steps.  I turned and ran like my record breaking 12 year old.  I didn't care what I was running through.  I was just praying that I wasn't running into a cobra or asp of some kind.  When I made it to Paul the danger was apparently over and my heart started beating again.  When I looked back, the buffalo was standing in the place I had been.  Trust me, not for one minute was I trying to prove my manhood.  I wasn't trying to slap the bull on the butt, like Tim Allen in "Road Hogs".  After this adrenaline rush we headed out on our Harley's, oh I mean scooters.

  We then traveled south for about 15 minutes and saw a large interesting object in the distance.  We made our way and found Baomo Garden.  You had to pay to get into the garden, so Paul and I decided to come back with Cecelia and the girls on the weekend.  We then made our way back home and I got a massage and then went to the driving range to practice.
  On Friday, I played my first round of golf in about eight weeks and Paul watched the Oregon Duck Game. I had a great time and shot 78 on an absolutely beautiful golf course.  That evening we went out with some teacher friends to have hamburgers and beer at a Canadian restaurant called the Brew.

MISC:  This last part is a little difficult because I feel that words are not enough to describe what we are experiencing here.  I know I have mentioned it before, but I wish you were all here to see and feel what we are doing.  Please forgive me for waxing a little poetic, but after seeing the Garden at Baomo today, it is hard to want to come home.  The beauty of the Garden and the atmosphere almost brought Cecelia and I to tears a number of times.  It isn't just the beauty, but the appreciation of the atmosphere.  The sound of the running water and the beauty of the rock formations, as well as the pace of life make me feel like I have just been chasing my tail.  It really makes you ask the question, "What are you really pursuing in life?"  Should it be less about things and more about experiences.  I have always felt like I have lived my life to the fullest.  I also feel like I take time to appreciate things like my faith, family, friends and home.  I often hear people say, "Appreciate your children,  they grow up so fast".  This statement to me has always been kind of stupid.  I totally enjoy watching them grow up and being there for their successes and failures.  I am proud of them and can't wait to see them grow up into beautiful people.  Besides, who doesn't appreciate their children.
  Anyway, what I was trying to say is that it feels like there is a deeper sense of appreciation that I need to attain.  I know that I talked a little about this last week, but I feel like it is something that seeps into your soul while you are here.  It will probably make me a better man.
  I have added a new slide show in order to share as much as I can in pictures.

MISC. P.S.  I had forgotten about the questions that Paul and I were contemplating regarding being civilized in the States or in China.  These are questions that make you want to go Hmmmm!!!
  Is it more civilized to have the kids pee in the chlorinated pool in the U.S. or for the little boys we see get out of the pool and whip it out to pee on a nearby tree?  Hmmmmm!!!!
  As a man is it more civilized to have squat pots, in which you never have to worry about putting the seat down or to have to deal with the seat in the U.S?  Hmmmmm!!!!