Annual Trick or Treat Extravaganza

In "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" Lucy states clearly that one should choose a costume which is in direct contrast to her own personality. Zach and I never do "couple" outfits (much to the chagrin of our students) and I am definitely not a girly girl. Therefore, when scheming about Halloween costumes this year, we decided to be wild and go as a couple something. Initially we planned to rent Chinese emperor and empress costumes, but the logistics were a nightmare. In the stages of planning option B, I mentioned that since so many DIY tutus have been pinned on Pinterest, I should include a tutu in my outfit. Ideas bounced around and we eventually agreed to be Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. Though when shopping for tulle at the fabric market, I ran across the metallic fabric that would create awesome mermaid tails; Neverland was nearly thrown aside for under the sea.

Unlike years past, this year our trick or treat extravaganza was the buzz in the preceding weeks. Not only were English major students asking about it, so were random students from other majors. An hour into the festivities, it was apparent word had even reached the village children because the wee ones were weaving in and around our legs and attempting to snatch candy from our bag.

Thanks to the buzz, costumes were plentiful this year. We had a Beijing Opera troupe, Hermione from Harry Potter, a few devils, a couple of cats, a witch or two and a herd of mummies. Upon the mummies entering the fray, the children scattered, screaming.

It was our biggest year yet. We even had to send some of our senior friends on an emergency candy run by 9:30pm. Weibo exploded with pictures, and someone even posted a map pinpointing our location labeled "for free candy." People are already talking about next year.

Now the question is: What does a non-girly girl do with a yellow and green tutu?

Not Nangua

Perched beneath the "nangua" sign were cute little orange fruits. We asked the worker to make sure they were pumpkins, as it is China; she agreed. We were skeptical but decided to purchase them because we needed something to carve for our trick-or-treat extravaganza. We had hope.

Our hope was dashed with the first plunge of the knife. Zach was the wielder, and with one push through the skin he said, "Nope, not a pumpkin." The wafting of a fruity smell confirmed it.

Our cute little pumpkins were cantaloupes. Easiest carving job ever and still a lot of fun. The best part of our mix up was putting the candle inside because the entire pumpkin glowed due to the thin shell.

First year was a pumpkin, last year was a watermelon, this year we carved a cantaloupe...what will next year's canvas be?

Actual Halloween Decorations

During a quick jaunt to Xiashan to buy supplies for our Halloween costumes, Denise and I stumbled across a great Halloween display; even the elevator had a grim reaper. We found it really funny that the scary tree was posted beside the 'No Smoking' sign. We agreed that the decoration would be epic if the tree would come to life if someone lit a cigarette while standing beneath its eerie branches.

Happy Birthday, Marsha!

We spent our evening celebrating Marsha's fifteenth birthday on our front lawn. We love the time we spend with this family, their stories are fascinating and the food so delicious. I have come to love Russian salads. It was a fantastic evening with friends, with five countries represented around the table -- Canada, Russia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and America.

One Level Painter

Roger alerted us to the odd paint job popping up around town. Over the past six to eight months, Zhanjiang has been in massive cleaning mode in hopes of winning a couple of Guangdong awards. Apparently, no awards were received and so we are starting to see vendors and litter grace the streets once again. Yet, for unknown reasons, a phantom spray painting truck has taken to the streets and alleys within the last month spattering white paint on all buildings, concrete or tile, and only on the first level. It is bizarre, strange, funny and disheartening to see two toned buildings, along with the occasional too-low tree branch or forgotten potted plant now displaying a splatter of white.

So Far This Month...

Mere days before the start of October, Zach and I were featured in the Zhanjiang Evening Newspaper. Each week the paper is highlighting a different foreigner or foreign couple in the area, focusing on why we live here and what we do while living here. It was a fun interview and we were thrilled to be asked to be a part of the series to show there are foreigners who enjoy living in the area. (As an expat, one meets a lot of "whengers" or those who constantly complain.) Our foreign faces have long been a beacon for gawking, but now our forays around Zhanjiang are even more entertaining because people are recognizing us from the paper.

 
October 1 is the mandated celebration for the founding of the People's Republic of China, the day communism came to China. This holiday entails seven days of freedom. We tossed a few ideas around for travel options, but ultimately decided to create an adventurous staycation. There is so much of Zhanjiang we have yet to explore and it felt as though we had just returned from traveling.

Our staycation included two new islands, Naozhou Dao and Nansan Dao, a lighthouse, a nunnery, an ancestral hall, Xiashan flower and bird market, an emperor's well, the Zhanjiang Seafood Festival, Australian Friendship Park, a jaunt across the Bay Bridge and a look at the newest stadium being erected for the 2015 Guangdong Games. The bonus to our day trips was being joined by students who also opted for a staycation.

 

This month we have been helping a group of students try to earn some extra money and attempt to bring the concept of university pride via t-shirts to GDOU. The stark contrast between school pride in America versus China is astounding; for a country that "claims" to be academic focused, very few students actually think their schools are good. 

 

This month we have extended our contacts within the expat community. We spent an evening with people from around the globe, including a Swiss shipbuilding and a Chinese mistress. Americans have descended upon Zhanjiang, as there are eight of us now in the area. The humorous part is that all, except one, are from the west coast. 

The wails of the night returned, this time in the village directly across from our campus. For the celebration of completing a new stage, the village splurged with their Leizhou Opera troupe. It was the fanciest opera I have seen to date; the costumes stunning and the backdrops breathtaking. Instead of a long, long, long story, this evening was spent watching Chinese short stories. Each story was comical in its own way.

This month continues our hunt for the best morning tea location. Luckily, we have two great partners in crime with Roger and Ada sampling dumplings and egg tarts alongside us.