Tomorrow I begin teaching English to 7th and 8th grade Chinese students at Ningbo Haishu Foreign Language School. After spending barely a week going through an 'intensive' training program learning how to teach English as a foreign language while simultaneously struggling to overcome jet-lag and straining to hear my instructors' voices over the nonstop sounds of fireworks popping, let's just say tomorrow will be interesting. Luckily, I've already met many of my students and they are all very excited to have a foreigner as their teacher. From my experiences with my students and locals in the area, it seems almost as if Chinese people have never seen black people before. We are some type of enigma in this country, seeing a black person is equivalent to the sighting of a unicorn (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating). I guess when you live in a country where everyone has the same skin complexion, straight hair, and chinky eyes, it would be a little perplexing to see a person with brown skin and kinky hair walking past you. Going sight-seeing & exploring the city is always an experience. The gawking eyes, the stares, the photographs, the questions.. It's almost like I'm a celebrity over here or an attraction in the local freak show (I prefer the former). There is no such thing as "blending in" which will definitely make assimilating into Chinese culture difficult over time. I guess it's just something I will have to get used to. This is China! -FBG