From the land of Umbrellas

I live and work far from any of the protest sites. And I have a long commute, a hour door to door each way so on my one day off a week I don't like to travel far. Mong Kok is the most accessible for me, easier to get to and not as far as Admiralty so I have been there a few times over the past couple of weeks. The first time I went I was amazed by the sense of calm and community. But then there were the anti-protesters and the next time I could feel the difference.

Meanwhile I have been reading (special thanks to Webs of Significance and Fragrant Harbour) and hearing so much about the Admiralty occupy site from a variety of sources. I wanted to see the artwork, the long rows of tents, the study areas for myself. Every weekend since the movement started I have been either too busy or too tired. Today too, I wasn't really in the mood, I wanted to stay close to home, just run some errands, rest up for my next 6 day week. So glad I didn't give into that mood.

Admiralty is definitely occupied. If you asked me if you could buy a tent in Hong Kong a month ago I would have probably said "I doubt it." Holy cow, there are a ton of tents on the streets, who knew?
Visually, it is impressive in of itself, before you even start thinking of how people are voluntarily setting them up on asphalt or concrete and living in them for a cause they believe in.

I saw in person the signs and some of the artwork that I have seen either on tv, facebook, blogs or friends photos. And I have to say, seeing them in person is so much better. So if you are in Hong Kong and haven't been to any of the occupy sites, I highly recommend it.

Being an American I can't help but compare and contrast but again, many people have done this so well I am not going to rehash these things. But I do want to say that I loved all the art but there was one art that wasn't represented and that was music. In the US wherever there is a sense of community and common purpose, there are often jam sessions of musicians, a few guitars, some drums, whatever.  I know certain songs have been associated with the protests and when there is a mass demonstration they sing but no casual jam sessions. In fact it was generally very quiet, and that was even better.

加油!

There are so many bloggers and reporters, professional and amateur alike, who have said what I would have liked to have said and done it, most likely, so much better. Being that I have not been inconvenienced one bit by the protesters and have had to go out of my way to even visit the sites, I feel even less qualified to give my thoughts and impressions such as they are. So I leave you all with simply with this:

Sizzling

Yep, still here in Hong Kong. And it is hot. But I have made it through half the summer so I am confident I will survive. But then again, I am never outdoors for long, I get quite cranky and I don't even want to be around me when I am like that, so when it is really hot I am only outdoors long enough to get from one place to another.

My Cantonese studies ended in April and now I am somewhat gainfully employed. I say that only because I haven't gotten paid yet so I don't feel any different in terms of money. I started at an international kindergarten as a fill-in the last three weeks of the school year. The break between school years is only two weeks, which seems absurdly short to my American mind, but since I am not getting paid these two weeks, my wallet will be happier.

To be honest, I am not sure about teaching Kindergarten, I worry about the energy level required to deal with 20-25 3 year olds every day. I am teaching K1, which is a lot of nursery rhymes and songs, they will be working on their ABCs and numbers, basic math and general knowledge, so content-wise it isn't a big deal, it is the energy required. But it is amazing to me how quickly I adjusted to the idea of high expectations for these kids in terms of paying attention in class (versus playing) and obeying commands (stop playing with your towel or I will take it away). These kids have homework every day, exams every quarter and at the end of nursery school they performed onstage for their parents which I guess is all very normal in Hong Kong. Sometimes I feel sorry for them, they should be playing more, taking naps, good grief, learning 3 languages at once and at such a young age! But then I wish expectations had been higher when I was younger, I might have achieved more.

The pay? Well, I am getting more than a local I am sure but still it seems a bit on the low side. Still, I should be able to put aside some money to travel and start slowly rebuilding some of the savings I have used up since I have been here. If I decide to stay past this one year contract, I will want to find my own apartment. I am already feeling itchy to do that, especially since my job isn't as conveniently located as my classes were plus even though I am blessed with a very nice roommate I miss having my own space. But one step at a time. 

Chinese New Year and rambling

Chinese New Year is so important a holiday that even though my semester started a week ago today, I have only 3 days of classes this week then I am off on holiday until February 10th. From a strictly educational perspective this is a bit weird because momentum hasn't even built up yet and we're on break but from a cultural experience it makes perfect sense. Chinese New Year is IT in Hong Kong.

I am looking forward to seeing it first hand. I have some folks coming into town from NYC and I am sure we will make the rounds of the flower markets and other festivities. I am looking forward to seeing how the city lets so many celebrate and yet still functions. Also one of my friends is a former local so I expect to enjoy more of it than perhaps what the average expat would, we'll see.

NYC is often referred to as the city that never sleeps. I used to think that was true. After all the subways run  twenty-four hours and there is an active nightlife. But it pales in comparison to here. You can go to restaurants and clothing stores a lot later here than in most of NYC. Most stores in malls, clothing, etc. are open until 11. There are so many 7-11's here and they are open 24 hours. I find I have stopped asking what time any retail establishment closes because 9 times out of 10 I wouldn't go there that late anyway. Not because Hong Kong is dangerous, no, but because I may be living in a 24 hour city but my lifestyle hasn't changed that much, at least not yet.

Another difference between NYC and Hong Kong is due to geography, I guess. In NYC during the winter we go off Daylight Savings Time (DST) which always meant for me that I would wake up in the dark, it would be light on my way to work and when I got off from work it would already be dark, by 4:30 sometimes it would already be dark. If I didn't go out for lunch, which would often depend on how cold it was outside, I would not see sunlight. Here I live a more leisurely life as a student but still, I get up at 7 which is already dawn or close to it and then it is light until sometime past 6 p.m. I can't tell you how different that feels to me. Sure the weather is so much warmer here but just being awake in daylight for an hour to an hour and a half more--I can't even explain it, beyond that I feel a bit more productive, as though I can do more in a day. I already thought changing our clocks twice a year was absurd, I may find it intolerable when I go back to the USA later.

Rambling aside, I am not finished preparing for tomorrow's classes so ...

Not blogging

So apparently I am NOT blogging. I had good intentions but I think I prefer the interaction on Facebook especially since many of my friends and family are there.

I will just say that I am enjoying my time in Hong Kong. School is more challenging than I expected, I spend way too much time trying to learn to write characters, doing homework, studying for quizzes, etc. with less than satisfactory results. The program is quite intensive and my brain is not keeping up as well as I as I would like. And the more I study the harder it is to enjoy what Hong Kong has to offer.

I have a plan to have an easier semester in the Spring. And that will be it. Forget the diploma (3 semesters) I am just aiming for the certificate right now. And forget being a star student, I just want to freaking pass. What's the point of the certificate? For some people it will be useful in either finding a job or as professional development. For me? Not really sure. But after one semester, you don't leave with anything, after 2, if you meet the requirements, you get a certificate, just seems more fulfilling.

Don't get me wrong, I am learning a lot, I like my classes, the teachers and the program. It is just too much for me at this point in my life (yep, sometimes I feel my age).

After the certificate? I would like to stay on, get a job, put what I have been learning to use, enjoy Hong Kong more and travel in the area a bit. Still a tall order but as long as I am having fun and not in the poorhouse, then all is good.

If you want to follow my adventures here in Hong Kong and are on Facebook, let me know, look me up, whatever. If not, I will still attempt to blog here and there.

Jet lag, the heat and housing

I am not sure if it is the heat or if I still have jetlag but I am still tired much of the time. I am sleeping but I usually wake up a couple hours earlier than desirable. It is annoying but I know that it will pass.

I am known for getting cold easily. Often when people say it is hot, I am still rather comfortable. But not here, not now. I am on the opposite side of the world and reacting likewise. I am assuming I will get used to the heat, at least somewhat, but until then I am really trying to keep my exposure to the outdoors minimal.

You can't stay indoors and apartment hunt and I did that for 4-5 days in a row. It really wiped me out. The college connected me with a property agent. This would be to rent an apartment. Honestly, I wasn't sure I wanted to do this but I wanted to give it a fair chance. The agent was showing me apartments I couldn't really afford but at least they were furnished. A couple were shareable but then I would have to find a roommate. For the most part they were rather horrible, terrible layouts and tiny, tiny bathrooms. Then the couple that I saw that I felt I could live in were problematic because of my being unemployed. One landlord wanted a year's rent in advance. Needless to say I wasn't going to do that. It isn't that I didn't understand their position, because I do, but it wouldn't work for me. 

I was on borrowed time, I had booked a room via airbnb for only 12 days. A new friend, a local who used to be an exchange student in the US with my cousins, kindly helped me out one of the days.  As we walked from apartment to apartment she called up service apartments for me. I had already discounted service apartments because of the price but also because there are very few in the New Territories but it was nice to have someone else helping me and coming to the same conclusion.

I had found a roommate matching website for Hong Kong before I left. It is free to a certain extent then there is a small fee. You really need to pay the fee to contact folks but it was worth it. I was lucky enough to only have to go to see two apartments to find one that I liked and that welcomed me. I am now renting a room from a very nice young professional woman in Tai Wai. The location is ideal, I am right across the street from the MTR station. And it is only 3 stations to get to school everyday.

Now some of you who know me may wonder if I will be comfortable sharing an apartment after so long of having my own place. Well, I shared my apartment with my niece my last two months in NYC, then I spent 6 weeks in the home's of my siblings then came here, renting a tiny room in Hung Hom from a great airbnb host. So essentially, I have already been doing it for awhile. And to be honest, financially and stress-wise it is the best solution.

Today was checkout day at my airbnb place. And it was moving day. Perfect timing. I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten this far. Now I can focus more on my classes.

HONG KONG

I have arrived!

Despite springing for the more comfortable Premium Economy seat once again I didn't sleep much on my flight here. I wonder if I would sleep if I were in First Class? I may never know, this was already quite a splurge for me. And this time I boarded somewhat sleep deprived since I had to be up at 3 a.m. to get to the airport for my flight to JFK, leg one of my trip. But I already took a nap and I think I will get some sleep tonight. I  always have jetlag so I expect the same this trip as well. My airbnb hostess is very nice and the bed is comfortable so I think I will be fine here.

Tomorrow I will head to Chinese University of Hong Kong and get the lay of the land so to speak.

Progess Report

Phase one of my transition is complete. My move from NYC to Rochester is done. Honestly, I think this was the hard part. I lived in NYC for longer than anywhere else, Rochester may be my hometown but NYC was my home. Yes, I definitely miss NYC already but I am looking forward to my Hong Kong adventure. I am in relaxation mode right now and it feels good, these last few months I have been very stressed and my body needs the break.

Still waiting to hear on my student visa but I was accepted in the Cantonese program (YIPPIE!) so I am confident it is just a matter of time. If they turn me down? I have a plan B, no worries. My mind is made up, my flight is paid for, I am going to Hong Kong no matter what.

Many people find my decision to return to Rochester a bit unbelievable after so long in NYC. To be honest, since I made that decision I have had many thoughts about this that aren't very coherent. Yes, as I get older I feel the pull to be closer to my family again and that is what spurred that decision. But now that I have no job and no apartment to maintain, I feel quite liberated. It is a feeling that I am enjoying right now.

We'll see.

My next blog post will most likely not be until September, when I am in Hong Kong.

Prodigal Blogger

It has been awhile. A really long time. Did you miss me? LOL Actually not only was I not blogging I lost track of many of the blogs I regularly followed. Truly the prodigal blogger. Am I back for good? I can't make any promises but I want to chronicle my next adventure for myself and my friends so I am dusting off the blog.


In a nutshell, I will be unemployed rather soon and that is okay. It is partly by choice. I could have done more to avoid it and I didn't. And I had plenty of time to look for a new job and I didn't. I have been talking about leaving NYC for a long time now. Well, the lease on my apartment is up soon too.


So what am I going to do? I am headed to Hong Kong. But not to work. At least not yet, that's a maybe, a "we'll see." I have sent in my application for a student visa and enrollment at the Chinese Language Centre at CUHK to study Cantonese. I am aiming for the Diploma, which is 3 semesters, a full year of full-time study. I am pretty sure I have enough savings to get me through the year plus do some traveling. I am not a big spender, so I think it is doable.


When I stayed in Hong Kong for 5 weeks back in 2010 I stayed at a service hotel in Jordan. It was okay but not something I want to do this trip. I am going to have to find a long term place. Being that I will basically be a Continuing Education student I have some but not all the privileges of a regular student. No on-campus housing. But I am okay with that, my days of dorm living are long behind me. I can however use their off-campus housing office. I have no idea of how helpful they will be, only time will tell.


I have just sent in my application so I don't know if I am accepted yet. Regardless I am going, I have a one way flight booked and my first two weeks of housing paid for--trying out airbnb for the first time. I have a plan B which is even more relaxed than this plan. Yes, I consider going to school full-time in Hong Kong relaxed. I haven't "just" gone to school since I was 16 years old. First I went to school full-time and worked part-time and when I got older I did the reverse. So being restricted by the student visa to only taking classes will seem like a vacation to me.

bad blogger

When I started this blog I wasn't sure what I was doing. My main thought (or was it? so long ago now) was that here I was reading X, Y, and Zs blog and it seemed unfair not to share in return. And maybe I could connect more with the bloggers I had been reading. And in the beginning, when I was more consistent, it did serve that purpose. But I think it just really isn't me judging by my inconsistency in posting once the "honeymoon" ended. Actually I am not even reading as many blogs or reading them as intently as I used to, commenting even less often. It could just be another phase in my life.

So this is in part an apology for those of you who have supported me by stopping by, reading and/or making comments. I do appreciate it. And I guess it is also an acknowledgment of what you probably have figure out, that I am not the best of bloggers. That being said I still will probably post here and there but I am letting go of that little bit of guilt I would feel every time I realized how long it has been since I last blogged.

LOL to sum up, this blog update is to update you on how little I update this blog. (Sorry I couldn't resist)

Cheung Chau--part 2

Just off the boat, we started exploring the shops. My friends did a lot of shopping mainly for food items that they wanted to bring back to the US with them but we also took pictures of the items for sale.













More to come at a later date ... the pictures take forever and a day to load so I am only doing a few at a time.

Snow day reading

I know everyone is waiting breathlessly for the continuation of my latest Hong Kong chronicle and I promise I will get back to it. I have been in a bit of a winter funk, which is not that unusual for me really. This winter has been unusually snowy and I have become a bit of a hermit. I used to be a non-stop reader but at some point I became a non-stop movie watcher. Now, I am, well, either I am switching back to being more of a reader or maybe I am just finding a better balance in my life. Time will tell.

My latest book is "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" which I have been sneaking peeks at over the shoulders of my fellow subway riders for what seems like the longest time now, so I decided to give it a go. And I have to say, I am a bit underwhelmed. Am I missing something? I realize it is a translation of the original. Some of the stuff just was too tedious for me, if I hadn't read a review that warned me about how the book started with that detailed analysis of financial misdeeds I probably wouldn't have lasted long. And the long passages detailing every step of a murder investigation which only served to make me sympathize with the characters needing to alternate between acquavit and coffee.

I did like the character Lisabeth, I found her refreshingly different, she is a highly functional dysfunctional woman. Meanwhile the character of Mikael was too "perfect": smart, high morals and every woman wants to sleep with him. That kind of character is not so refreshing to me, sort of every man's dream of himself. Reeks of James Bond but without the sense of humor.

I am no literary critic and wouldn't even bring this up here except I feel like I missed something here, why is this series so popular? Can anyone explain that to me? It seems like everyone has read or is reading this trilogy and I am just not sure if I want to continue it. I do want to know what happens to Lisabeth, and how she got to be so dysfunctional but I might just skip the books and watch the movies--after all how many more snow days can I possibly have this winter? (Don't answer that question!)

Cheung Chau--part 1

This had to be my favorite place to visit this trip. And we chose a lovely day to go too.

House of Dancing Water

Somehow a friend of a friend of probably another friend was able to get us reasonably priced tickets to see "House of Dancing Water" in Macau. It was a bit nerve wracking to fit into our schedule being that the show was at 5 and Andy Lau's concerts start at 8:30 but it was well worth it. We wouldn't have been late at all if we had had an easier time catching a taxi upon our return to Hong Kong, as it was we only missed the first 2 or 3 songs.

The show is accessible to anyone I think, the cast is a mix of most if not all cultural backgrounds and although there is a plot to the show, there are no actual words spoken. It has ballerinas, an evil step-mother, a handsome prince, a damsel in distress who just happens to be a beautiful princess ... but really, forget the plot, doesn't really matter. And forget the water, which moves very fast in every direction, one minute it is barely more than a puddle, next it is deep enough for the cast to dive into from great heights and then before you can blink twice there is no water at all it and at times it is one massive, gorgeously lit water fountain--because at least for me, it was the artistry of the physicality of everyone in the show that is the real star of the show. It was a great demonstration of strength, agility and flexibility of both men and women. And clearly no one was afraid of heights, because there were quite a few entrances from the rafters, high diving and even motorcycle stunts, which seemed out of place and then again, not somehow. Anyway, I enjoyed the show immensely.

Unfortunately for an amateur photographer for me this was a nightmare in terms of trying to get a decent picture but I did try ...

Shopping

Sorry for the delay. Really had major jet lag on both ends of my trip. But it has been shorter on this end, thankfully, still it has taken more than a week. And this is just a short entry, I just wanted to start. I am going to post my pix chronologically because that is how my pix are loaded onto my computer. Some days I took almost no pix (except for concert photos) and some I took quite a few.

I don't shop, not here, not anywhere. But it seems that when in Hong Kong, one shops, even if you aren't the one buying anything.



Apparently there is an art to buying towels, its all in the fingers



Despite being fascinated by these wax apples, I never got around to tasting them

Happy belated New Year!

I got back from Hong Kong late evening on Tuesday. I felt as if I had only gotten over my jet lag for a few days and then it was time to head back. I had a wonderful time. Yes, I had a lot of fun at the Andy Lau concerts, no question, but it was also fun during the day.

The concert was different than I expected, no mini-dramas this time which at first threw me but then I realized it was meant to be a journey through Andy's life in song. Having tickets to quite a few shows, one of the highlights for me were the guests. I am not just an Andy Lau fan, I am a fan of Hong Kong entertainment so I knew almost all of the guests. In 2007 when I came for those concerts, Andy had almost no guests so this made it an altogether different experience for me. My favorite guests were Anthony Wong, Sandra Ng, Sammi Cheng and George Lam. Oh, oh, yes, let's not forget the Wynners! I thought the Twins sang terribly and Leon Lai looked downright scared.

Most of the guests sang "Ming Sing" which was a great way to compare singing styles, the only ones that didn't were the Twins. Leon Lai sang it as a duet with Andy then sang one of Andy's songs as a solo. And Deannie Yip was a regular guest, I was a fan of hers before I even discovered Andy and their "mother-son" relationship. She also came out one night to sing "Ming Sing."

By day I was out and about. I didn't adhere to my plan of wandering around because I was with more people this trip. My one friend, who is a former Hong Konger who now lives in NYC, asked me before my trip where I wanted to go, that she would take me there. Not my first trip, I thought, I don't need a tour guide. But I told her a few places I wanted to go and she got the picture, I had done the tourist sites. We went to 2 of the 3 places I requested together. She was also with her father and two aunts and they are in great shape, we did a lot of walking and standing, no complaints at all and sometimes they'd go off on their own to do more things.

I was with this friend and her family most of my days and it was great for me. I certainly got a better idea of how locals get around, eat and shop in Hong Kong. I ate dim sum regularly as well as congee but I also had a variety of meals such as hotpot (pix coming soon), rice in the clay pot (which I have had in NYC but never got around to in HK) and bird's nest for dessert. I even tasted pig's blood. With other friends I went to Sai Kung for a seafood dinner, al fresco. One friend had brought her dog so we had to eat outside, which was too cold for me and a couple of others but we managed. There I finally got to try abalone.

As for shopping, we did a ton of it. Children's clothing, books, jeans, underwear ginger and all sorts of fish in Cheung Chau. We shopped at Ladies Market but also Bowring Street and Sham Shui Po.

I haven't offloaded my pix from my netbook yet. Mostly they are of the concerts but I have plenty others that folks here would be more interested in. I don't have a USB with enough space on it here at home, the ones with the most capacity are at work.

Back to Hong Kong

So I am headed back to Hong Kong in a few days. My main reason is to see Andy Lau in concert again and to re-connect with the many friends I have met through my fandom with him. The first time I did this was his last concert tour in 2007-08. It was my first trip to Hong Kong and I was frantically trying to see the major sites between concerts and get-togethers with other fans. Who knew when/if I would return?

Now this is my third trip so I will be more relaxed. There are still places I have yet to see and places I want to go back to but I think I want to just wander around in my free time. Pick an area and just explore. We'll see how that goes.

Ironically, I haven't had much time to study Cantonese lately and my tutoring session on Friday proved just how quickly I can lose my vocabulary and syntax. I was so frustrated. And I probably won't get back into form before my trip. It is too bad, I had been doing really well, but I will get back into form again. If not on my trip, then afterward.

Happy Birthday Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee would have been 70 years old today if he had lived.

I often wonder about the iconic people who die young, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, John, Robert and John Jr. of the Kennedy family. Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee. How would their lives have turned out if they had lived? Greater accomplishments or disgrace? Or maybe after the flame of youth and/or power flickered out they finished their lives much as the rest of us live them. Of course there is no knowing.

I think, especially in Bruce's case, we just need to be happy he lived for as long he did and was able to make an impact in such a short period of time. Long live the memory of Bruce Lee.

That Time of Year

This is the time of year where I justify my existence at my job by submitting my professional portfolio. Every year I find this portfolio harder to do on an emotional level. I know I am not doing everything that is desired to get tenure so I feel somewhat inadequate when I am updating the "research agenda" prong. However, my work and service areas I think are quite satisfactory. I am running out of time, I have two years before I have to submit that last final portfolio. But here is where the emotional part comes in, I don't want to do the research agenda. I have long thought, even before I became a librarian, the tenure track resulted in a lot of crap articles written by folks for the sole purpose of putting in their portfolio, to get those "golden handcuffs." So there is a part of me that feels like a hypocrite being a part of this process. When I was applying for jobs (except for this place, where I was already working) I didn't apply to any institution that had the tenure system.

If you don't submit a portfolio, you are effectively resigning and in this economy who dares to do that without something already lined up? This job has its downsides but the benefits are excellent. I have been able to travel more these past couple of years as well as finally have some savings. That is hard to let go of, even if there is something one thinks would be more fulfilling in other ways. If I didn't submit a portfolio, I would be out of a job as of August 31st 2011, submitting my portfolio (assuming its approval) buys me another year.

But this portfolio has other benefits for me. It reminds me time is passing and if I do want to make a change in my life, I had better start making some decisions and working towards them. In some ways I have been doing that, in others not. One thing is that in this past year I have been learning more about myself as a teacher. I teach college students about the library databases at work and I am teaching Chinese immigrants English. Every time I teach it is a learning opportunity for me but the most telling thing is that even though there is always "performance anxiety" I really enjoy it.

I will continue doing my job and I will continue the research agenda I have set up for myself but it is time to stop fantasizing about the future and start doing something about it. It is time to start planning the future-switching to a teaching career, preferably in Hong Kong.

Teaching & Learning

Last night was the third week of my adventures in teaching ESL in Chinatown. The students go to class on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. There are six teachers, 3 for each evening and we rotate as lead teacher. I teach on Wednesdays. I taught the class last week. I wouldn't say I did a great job, I floundered most when it came to getting them to participate, they may have known the answers but hesitated to respond. Not a unique problem for teachers in general from what I understand.

I try to be a good assistant teacher when I am not teaching, making sure the students are on the right page, checking their answers in their workbooks, I don't just sit in the back of the room until it is time for group work. My Cantonese has helped a little, last night M. spoke too softly for them and I understood them when they said they couldn't hear her, later they were saying that she was going too fast. It was M.'s first teaching experience and I thought she took the criticisms well and adapted. Afterward she was asking me about this and that, I reassured her the best that I could. I have found that even experienced teachers question themselves after a class, it seems to be endemic to the profession.

I am teaching the Beginner class but they know a certain amount of English already, they can read along in the book, most of the time their pronunciation is understandable and they seem to know much of the grammar and a fair amount of vocabulary. As soon as the teaching strays from the book however, they are lost it seems. They struggle holding a simple conversation. When we read a passage from the book and the teacher asks why did this person do this or how could he have handled that situation differently they either don't understand or can't articulate the answer in English.

I can seriously relate to my students because I too am learning a foreign language. I know a lot of Cantonese but struggle with expressing myself in the language. Even if I know all the words and know the proper syntax backwards and forwards, I have difficulty conversing casually. It is something I am working on more lately. My tutor and I are working on conversation, if I don't know a word in Cantonese I say it in English but then go right back to Cantonese. Later she teaches me the word I didn't know. She says I am doing well, I still think I speak too much in English but I do feel that I am progressing.

Another thing I am doing is drilling vocabulary and example sentences via the Anki flashcard system. I had heard about it on Sheik's forum but I didn't really understand how it worked until another Cantonese student shared his flashcard deck with me. Since then I have created two decks of my own, one is exclusive to what I have learned from my tutor and the other is a mix of things I have learned from various resources. I try to review each deck for 10 minutes a day, not necessarily all at once. Right now I am adding materials so I am spending even more time on this, depending on how much time I have. I am trying not to add just words but phrases and sentences that will reinforce grammar or syntax. However, there is no hurry to add more to my decks, the deck that was shared with me has almost 2500 cards, it will take me awhile to get through that.

Back to teaching-I do teach at my job as well. It isn't the main part of my job, but because we are continuously short staffed at my job I teach some of the bibliographic instruction classes. This is my 3rd semester doing this and I am finally feeling more confident in this role. I have gotten some nice compliments from the teaching faculty I have been working with and even had one of my colleagues ask to adapt one of my handouts for her class. She is a more experienced teacher and a very good one so that made my day. Then she told the head of the department about it and he commented about it to me, telling me to make sure I put it in my professional portfolio. That made my week.