Life goes on

Ello non-Chinese friends!
Don't really have a specific update today but figured I'd let you all know that I'm alive.
Things have been relatively normal in the 2 weeks back in Dongying.  I still get offered at least 2 jobs a week.  This week I had 4 offers.  So far I've turned them all down cause they just haven't been worth it.  To a chinese person $15 for an hour is a lot, but when you figure in travel to get there and planning what you'll teach and the fact that it's probably in the middle of my day off it just isn't worth it.

I'm fine thanks, how are you?

This week I was teaching my kids about fruit.  For the last lesson I had a blind taste test.  I bought a tonne of fruit and cut it up and put toothpicks through it then blindfolded a kid and had him guess what he ate.  I also told the kids they could bring some of their own fruit if they wanted.  I said they could bring 1 or 2 each.  One girl, Kitty, brought a huge bag (see picture at the side).
The kids seemed to have fun and it made a spectacular mess of my room but some girls in one class came back after all my lessons and did a power clean of the room.
To get the fruit required I headed to the 5 day market which is always fun.  I bought kumquats, dragon fruit, strawberries, oranges, bananas, pears, watermelon, and sugar cane.  I bought a pomelo that was significantly bigger than my head.  I set it on my full size frisbee and it was about the same size around.  I had never peeled one of them before.  It was easily the 2nd most ridiculous fruit I have ever seen.  I know my mom eats them but I had never seen one so huge.  The skin was inches thick and foamy.  A bed made of that stuff would be awesome.
Since I know you're all now wondering: the most ridiculous fruit is the durian.  It's insane in every way.  It's huge and has large spikes and is really hard.  Inside it STINKS.  The are compartments that contain the "fruit".  However if I gave it to you blindfolded you'd say it was more like a thick cheese or cream.  I had one in Singapore.  They sell them here too but they're pricey.
Anyway, that's my fruit update.
I'm just beginning to look at options for next year.  At this point I'll likely stay in China but I'm not sure where.  The job here is pretty good but the city can be boring at times.
Ciao!
Wiseguy1
PS a few pictures from the fruit times are in the Life in China album and a few more pics were added to the 2012 trip folder as well.