Lazy / Busy

I've been a lazy blogger, but a busy worker (and busy "playing", as the Chinese put it!).  I have a lot that I still want to share about southern Xinjiang, but it'll take me some time to finish (er...start...) those posts.  Meanwhile, lots has happened back in up here in the north:

1) Some friends and I went hiking to see a big golden Buddha that was definitely not installed in the mountains solely to attract Chinese tourists.



One careless mistake by the Buddha's creator: He left the gold paint cans behind!




2) I served as one of 3 foreign judges in the Xinjiang English Speaking Contest, a two day province-wide competition held in Urumqi.  The 3 winners go on to the nationals in Beijing. We had 8 students attend, and one of them got 4th place, so that was a success in my eyes.

3) I went on a long bike ride with some of my freshman students and we had a picnic at the biggest, muddiest, saddest lake around. But it was fun!






4) Ana and I went on an epic day trip to Urumqi to buy butter and other imported goods. (Thanksgiving is coming up!)

5) My teaching schedule has gone from busy to crazy: 3 freshman oral classes, 1 twice-a-week British & American culture class, 5 postgraduate oral classes, and now a teacher training course that meets on weekends.  Luckily it'll only last a month, but I'm scheduled to teach both oral and culture.

6) Autumn came and passed.  The leaves have all fallen. A view from my window before they fell: