Have a nice life.

This week marked the beginning of exams, and also my last interactions with several students. Most of them are completely unaware we're not returning for another year here, and simply say, "Have a nice summer break!" Those who realize otherwise wish me a bright future by saying, "I hope you have a nice life", which makes me guffaw slightly before I explain that it might not be best to use that as a parting phrase.

I've attempted to make my exams cheat-proof this semester, since at least half of my students are cheating little cheaters -- and I have a myriad of examples I could give to support this claim. Take, for instance, the most recent occasion on my first day of exams, where a student walked in and said:

Student: I'm student number 12, my name is Sunshine! Hi.
Me: ... wait, are you in my class?
Student: Yes, I'm number 12.
Me: No really, I've never seen you before.
Student: Ha ha, well, I've eaten a lot and am fat now, so...
Me: Do you have i.d.?
Student: Um, yes, but at dormitory.
Me: That's fine, I'll wait. Thank you.
Student: My hair is also different! So maybe you don't--
Me: Go get your i.d., please.

She never returned, confirming my suspicion that -- YES, THAT'S RIGHT -- my student had sent another girl to take her exam. It happened to a few other foreign teachers last semester, as well. Crafty monsters.

Wellllll, today was the end of a seven-day workweek if you can't tell from my slightly off-kilter ramblings, because according to our University, we have a three-day holiday for Dragonboat Festival (Monday - Wednesday), but only if we make up Monday and Tuesday classes the week before. Right... uh, thanks? Clearly they were sniffing baijiu when they made this decision.

Regardless, I'll spend my days off trying my best to find a dragonboat race I can participate in as I did two years ago in Harbin. Wish me luck.

A little something to brighten your day.

Two photos of some Chinese hairstyles that grace this fine town (and really, these aren't the most outlandish) --

This Marge Simpson hair style is quite popular among older women.

And among younger women, a weird two-layer cut with a bowl-shaped shorter level and a weird, stringy longer level. Yup, lookin' good.