"Boys are terrible animals."

Today was debate week with my freshmen classes. Among the topics was: The school dormitories should be co-ed. Rarely have a gotten such impassioned responses mercilessly vilifying the few boys in each class, so enjoy --


Disagree
Boys are terrible animals, may do crazy things
Boys will see girls in states of undress
Bad for boys and girls in a relationship
Boys are dirty, have bad habits (drink, talk loudly, catcalling)
Play jokes on girls
Parents will disapprove

Livin' the 没有 life.

However little Chinese a foreigner in China knows, there is a dreaded expression that said foreigner quickly learns out here in Chongqing: 没有 (mei you).

This expression is used principally by servers who seem to always run out of whatever commodity you desire, hence the mei you ("don't have"). Those chicken wings you wanted? Mei you. That tasty-looking picture of pasta on the menu? Mei you (the pictures are just for show, and are never actually dishes at the restaurant). The jar of olives at Carrefour? Well, the bar scan had a wrinkle in it so the cashier couldn't ring it up on the computer for you. Mei you.

This mei you touches all aspects of life, and it's anyone's guess what the next mei you will be. Besides clothing and shoe sizes adequate enough for Westerners being mei you, items ordered before will also suddenly disappear. One can order a rather terrible scotch soda at the Golden Palm Restaurant, but when someone on the same night orders a scotch, it's mei you. Apparently all scotch sodas in Hechuan are pre-mixed? At the outside bar in Jiefangbei one Friday night, where they serve Carlsberg on draft, a waitress informed us they mei you enough glasses for the beer. They also mei youd our orders for fries and fried mushrooms.

I have developed a Pavlovian-like fear of servers approaching me without objects in their hands, dreading the next mei you I will receive. But I needn't ever worry about Chinese food like chicken feet or stinky tofu -- they will always have that in abundance for me.

From soccer fields to fishing villages.

Yesterday was the first day in nearly a week that was not full of drizzling, disgusting weather. Just in time, too, for our only Easter celebration consisted of a soccer match between the school's Soccer Society and a random assortment of foreigners and Chinese students coerced by Mat into joining the team.

Sitting on the sidelines before the game.

Our goalie, Bruce Lee.

Patty, a new Paise teacher for this semester.

We lost rather spectacularly, though we did celebrate like true Chongqing losers at hot pot later that night.

Today, in honor of Tomb Sweeping Day, there were no classes. To celebrate a holiday I actually have no clue about, a few other teachers and I took a bus to the Fishing Village, about 5km from the city. Although the name would leave one to believe it is a village somehow related to fishing, there is in fact neither a village nor a fish, but rather a park full of historic battlements and random carvings, all in rather poor condition with a 60 元 admission price.






Despite the haziness of the day, it was a rather charming area. And thanks to school sports day on Thursday and Friday this week, we only have to teach two days. Cheers!