I haven't been around much because I've been experiencing a lot of technical difficulties with the CD website. For a few weeks I got locked out of my account and I'm not sure why. I was finally able to log back in but then I found I couldn’t post anything. Anyone else have similar issues? Technical difficulties aside, what I really want your input on is a project I'm putting together. I've had lots of friends ask me questions about teaching English in China, living in China, Chinese culture, etc. So, I decided to put together an e-book that I can just send to them any time they have questions. I'm mainly wanting feedback from other English teachers in China. My current teaching job fell into my lap rather miraculously, so I'm not really sure how one would go about looking for a job teaching English in China. What organizations did you go through to find your job? What are some trustworthy websites that post job openings? What was the visa process like for you? Did you use a recruiter? What advice would you give to those looking for an English teaching position in China? If you have anything else you'd like to share with people considering making the move to China, I'd love to hear it as well. Thank you, your help is much appreciated! --Kelli 凯丽

Last week, Americans celebrated Thanksgiving. It's always been one of my favorite holidays, and not just because I love stuffing myself with mashed potatoes and pie. I also love spending time with family (a little tricky when you live across the world) and the chance to reflect on the things in my life I am grateful for. It's a common practice for Americans to make lists of these things. In the past, my lists usually looked something like this: I’m grateful for my parents, my friends, my job, God, my life, delicious food, etc. When I moved to China a year ago, I added “living abroad” to the list but for the most part it remained the same.This year, however, as I reflected on the things that I am thankful for, I discovered that living in China for over a year has given me a very different perspective on gratitude. I’ve taken so many things for granted my entire life and it took moving to China to make me realize how thankful I am for them. This changed perspective has made me grateful for a myriad of little things that usually get glossed over when I make the ritual “gratitude list” during this time of year.Here are 10 things I NEVER thought I’d be grateful for until I moved to China.'1. I’m grateful for bathrooms that are equipped with toilet paper.Even though I am now used to the BYOT (Bring Your Own Tissue) rule, I know it will be nice to go back home to the States and not worry about always bringing a purse pack of tissues with me. And when you actually discover a public restroom here in China that provides toilet paper...ah! It's a miracle. Better keep note of it for future reference.2. I’m grateful for the freedom of speech.We memorize the 10 amendments in school but don’t give them much thought. After all, that’s just the way things are, right? Living here has made me grateful that I am very free to express my thoughts in America. While my initial perspective of China has changed since coming here (I now know there is no Big Brother peeking into everyone’s living rooms), the truth remains that there are certain topics I am not allowed to discuss. I’ve been in conversations where one person brought up a “taboo” topic and every other Chinese person in the conversation immediately shut down because they didn’t want to risk someone hearing them discussing it. While I think some people take their freedom of speech a little too far, it definitely is nice to have it.3. I’m grateful for stop signs.Who actually likes stop signs? A year ago I would have been confused to see this on a “gratitude” list. But having lived in a land where stop signs are basically non-existent and there are literally no rules governing who goes in a 4-way intersection…I have a great love for those red octagons now.4. I’m grateful that I got to choose my own college major.I’ll admit there were some moments where I wished someone else would just choose for me. I didn’t go through as many switches as some of my friends–I started in music and later ended in psychology–but it was still a difficult decision. There were days when I secretly wished someone else would pick for me…but honestly, I would not have been pleased if my university had assigned my major. Can you imagine getting a letter the month before you started university that said, “Congratulations, you are an Arabic major!” or “You will be studying food science”? Many of my English majors had little to no say in what they studied. I have some students who can barely even speak English and clearly have no plans to use it once they graduate. While I know this isn’t the case for all Chinese students, many of mine chose to attend a more prestigious university in return for sacrificing their ability to choose their own major.5. I’m grateful to have a shower in my apartment.Bless my students’ hearts. They don’t have showers in their dorms and they have to walk outside to a separate building, sometimes a couple blocks away, in order to take a shower. Sure, that’s great in the summer…but when it’s 10 degree Celsius or colder here? Not so pleasant to be wandering around with wet hair. Let’s be real, if I had to walk ouside to take a shower in winter it would just not happen. I’d be dousing on the perfume instead.6. I’m grateful for American breakfasts.Give me waffles, French toast, muffins, coffee cake, smoothies, bacon, and cold cereal for any meal and I will be a happy woman. I’m a huge breakfast lover. I never realized what a glorious breakfast tradition we have in America until I moved overseas. Sorry China; as much as I love your food I just can’t do dumplings and noodles at 8 am.7. I’m grateful for uncensored internet.This one's self-explanatory. I know you're all right there with me.8. I’m grateful for the Chinese value of collectivism.Being raised as an American, the value of independence was drilled into my head from before I could walk. I’m a huge advocate of independence (after all, I live alone in a foreign country…) but one problem with growing up in an individualistic culture is that I’m not very good at asking for or accepting help. I feel like I should be able to accomplish everything by myself. Chinese children are raised with a more collectivist mindset, which to me translates to mean “we all work together to take care of each other.” Any time I find myself lost or otherwise unable to communicate what I want, I can be certain that within five minutes I will have a whole crowd of well-meaning Chinese people surrounding me and trying to decipher my subpar Mandarin. If I need help of any sort, I know I have a phone full of contacts who would willingly drop what they are doing to assist me. I’ve been the recipient of so much selfless service here!9. I’m grateful to have a sense of purpose in my life.One of the things that shocked me most about my students was how few of them seem to have long-term goals. Very few of them have a sense of purpose or any idea of what they’re working towards. From what I’ve observed, what drives many of them is their desire to make money so that they can buy more things. In my time here, I’ve tried to help them see that there is a lot more to life than buying things.10. I’m grateful for clean air.My body has never been so happy as it was when I went home for the summer and got to soak in some pure Washington air. Having a cough for 9 months straight because the air you breathe is so polluted? Not pleasant. Luckily I seem to be doing a bit better this time around...Alduous Huxley said, "Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted." Living in China has made me realize just how many things I DID take for granted! I hope for the rest of my life that every time I show up to a public restroom and find it stocked with TP it reminds me just how much I have to be grateful for.--Kelli 凯丽

One of the questions I've been asked most frequently in China is WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO COME TO CHINA?!I guess I can understand people's surprise. It is a little strange that I would move across the world by myself to teach English.I've wanted to come to China for years, which was largely due to a foreign exchange student that came to stay with us for a summer when I was in high school. (Gosh, it must have been almost 10 years ago now!) Tina was from Chengdu and she loved showing us pictures and telling us all about her hometown. That was my first exposure to Chinese culture, and I found that I just adored Tina and the other exchange students who came in her group. I was really fascinated by the culture and the language and decided one day I'd come here. And, of course, I always planned to visit Chengdu, since it was the first city I heard about.Over the national holiday, I FINALLY got a chance to visit "the city that started it all!"Chengdu didn't disappoint. I had a great time! I especially loved the Sichuan face-changing opera and the cooking class that I took.I also visited Leshan, which is home to the 500-meter tall Buddha carved into the cliffs. (Just for the record, visiting during national holiday is a very BAD idea, unless the idea of waiting in unmoving lines for 2 hours is appealing to you)Tina is actually studying abroad in the US, so I wasn't able to see her again. She was thrilled to hear that I visited her hometown, though, and commented on how funny it was that we switched places.If you ever get the chance, I'd recommend taking a trip to Chengdu!Kelli凯丽

Before returning home to the US this summer, people warned me I might experience “reverse culture shock.” I didn’t have any terrible experiences, but they were right! After living in China for a year there were things about home that surprised me.--I found myself always talking way louder than I should have. I guess I’ve gotten used to shouting over the dozens of people that surround me at any given moment in China. People were also shushing me in public places.--I forgot that other people could speak English. I know it’s a terrible habit, but I really did develop the practice of talking about whatever I wanted whenever I wanted with my English-speaking friends. After all, most of the people walking by can’t understand you, right? Unfortunately in America, if you say something like, “Whoa, look at that guy’s hair!”, chances are he will definitely understand what you’re saying. --I cringed at the price of my phone bill. Really, America?! Why does phone service cost so much? I got used to China's “pay as you go” prices.--I was appalled at the lack of public transportation. This one really did kill me. I LOVE China’s public transportation system. I could live here for 10 years and never buy a car and still get everywhere I needed to go. This summer I kept having to ask people for rides. It was terribly annoying. Finally, the biggest shock came when I started watching a bit of TV. As I watched American celebrities and politicians, I began to understand why people from other countries make fun of mine. I watched just a few minutes of the VMAs (Video Music Awards) and I was so embarrassed that these celebrities are the way that Americans are represented to the rest of the world! From what they were wearing (or not wearing) to what they were saying, they were completely out of control. Add that to the comments made by certain presidential candidates and it’s little wonder why the US is often laughed at around the world. --Kelli 凯丽

I think "officially" I missed the deadline for the hometown introductions, but I thought I'd still introduce you to my home in Washington state!Usually when I say "Washington," people automatically think I'm talking about Washington, D.C. Nope! The USA has two Washingtons. Mine is on the other side of the country.Even my Chinese students love a couple of things from Washington without knowing it. You might recognize a couple of Washington's contributions to the world...Yup, Starbucks originated in Washington and the Twilight movie takes place there.Washington is known for being a state with beautiful scenery, full of mountains, lakes, and evergreen forests.The major downside for me is that it RAINS ALL YEAR HERE. Okay, I guess it doesn't rain all year...just nine months of it. In my hometown, it usually rains all through the fall, winter, and spring months, leaving us three months in the summer of beautiful sunshine. However, the seasons tend to be pretty mild. We have hot and cold weather but it's never too extreme. In the mountains we usually get some great snow, and so lots of us go snowboarding, skiing, or snowmobiling during the winter months.During the summer, we like to spend time outdoors (it usually doesn't get too hot here). We might go hiking or go to the beach. While the beaches in Washington and the next-door state of Oregon don't quite compare to the beaches in California or Florida, they still have some pretty natural scenery.I've never been the type of person to settle down in one place. I love seeing and trying out new locations, and I've lived all over the country (including Washington, D.C.). However, if I was the settling-down type, I'd probably choose Washington!--Kelli

There's been a lot of discussion on the blogs about gaokao and the gap year. Although I didn't grow up in China and didn't have to cram in endless hours of studying for the gaokao, if I had been one of those students I think I would be ready for a year-long rest! Obviously, every student is different. Some might be ready to press ahead into the college experience while others choose to take a year off. Personally, I think the gap year could be beneficial to Chinese students to have an opportunity to experience life outside of the academic classroom.I teach at a university and most of my students are freshman and sophomores studying English. One of the things that surprised me when I started working with my freshman was how immature they were when compared with their American counterparts. Many of them had never been outside of their home provinces. Most had no vision for their future. But what surprised me most was their emotional immaturity as well. The freshman boys refused to talk to the girls in the class. I tried to get my students to mix and work together in groups, yet there was always a distinct (and awkward) gender separation. It reminded me of the behaviors of 6th grade students that I'd worked with in the US. Here were 18- and 19- year-old college freshman exhibiting traits that I was used to observing in 12-year-olds! Although there's probably lots of factors that contribute to this lack of emotional maturity, I think a lot of it stems from the fact that high school students are expected to put 100% of their focus into preparing for the gaokao. They don't have many opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities or other events that allow them to develop normal social skills. If a Chinese student chooses to take a "year off" in between their high school and college years, it could give them some valuable opportunities to experience life outside of the classroom. Hopefully, their experiences could also help them get an idea of what they would like to do upon graduating. The majority of my students don't seem to know why they're English majors or what they're going to do at the end of their four years. However, my idea of what I would do in a "gap year" might differ greatly from what Chinese students would choose to do. If their gap year consists mainly of staying in their hometown, then it's probably a better idea for them to leave and go off to college where at least they'll have some new experiences. Obviously the American education system isn't perfect. We have plenty of flaws. But I certainly am glad I didn't have to take the gaokao!--Kelli 凯丽

I have a few friends who are planning to visit China or study here within the next year. Each of them has asked me for advice, tips, suggestions, etc. It's hard to capture in words exactly what it's like to live in China...in many ways, it seems like a different world than the United States. However, I came up with 10 tips that I think accurately summarize my experiences in China so far.10 TIPS FOR NEWCOMERS TO CHINA1. It’s okay to look lost. I don’t know how it is other countries, but in America we have this mindset that to show weakness is a bad thing. Don’t ask for help—be independent! [After all, that’s what America is all about, right? INDEPENDENCE!!] The truth is that there’s going to come a time in China when you need help, and all the independence in the world can’t make up for what you lack in Chinese speaking skills. The great thing about China is that if you look lost, I can almost guarantee that within 3 minutes you will have a whole crowd of well-meaning Chinese people trying to help you.2. It probably has red beans inside. This rule applies to almost any bread, cake, cookie, soup, or drink that you encounter in China. If you like red beans, feel free to risk it. If not…hopefully you learn to like them very quickly.3. Carry a package of tissues and hand sanitizer with you at all times. You can ignore this suggestion, but if you ever plan on using a public restroom, these things are a necessity. Trust me. 4. There are a few handy phrases you’ll want to learn in Chinese: the name of your country, “sorry”, “it’s okay”, and “where is….?” About 90% of the time, the first question a Chinese person asks you will be “Which country are you from?” If you can’t say anything else, at least learn the name of your country. It will put a very satisfied smile on the asker’s face when you respond. Other phrases that I found very useful when I first came were “sorry”, “it’s okay,” and “where is….?” [The last one comes in really handy. Whenever I’d be trying to get somewhere, I would just walk up to a random person on the street, point at an address on my phone, and say “Where is….?”]4a. And don’t forget about the phrase “听不懂” <ting bu dong>. If you don’t know what’s going on, you can just repeat this over and over. People will stop jabbering at you in Chinese.5. You may want to close your eyes the first time you ride in a taxi.Driving can be a little wild here. Eventually, you start to get used to it…but the first few times may give you a heart attack. Just take my advice and close your eyes.6. Hopefully you don’t mind sharing food. One of the biggest surprises for me was the “family style” meal in China. Rather than ordering your own plate of food at a restaurant, generally your table will be loaded with dishes that everyone shares. If you’re that person who always got mad at others for “double dipping”, you’d better get over that fast. 7. Get ready to get pushed around.It’s no secret that China has a lot of people. Whenever you’re in a public place, especially if it’s during a holiday (which, by the way, happens frequently...I swear we have a holiday here every other week), know that it will be crowded. You might get shoved around a little (or a lot). Oh, and even if you’ve gotten a spot in line, don’t be surprised if people cut in front of you or completely ignore the idea of a line altogether. 8. Don’t take it personally.Lots of Westerners [me included] are shocked when they get an elbow in their face without an apology or see toddlers pointing at them and yelling “外国人!” <”foreigner!”>. It can also be very uncomfortable when a Chinese person you hardly know starts asking you personal questions, such as how much money you make or if you’re married [not to mention the very direct comments about your appearance]. The Chinese people are not trying to be rude. Apparently these things are acceptable in their culture. So don’t take it personally. Just smile, take it in stride, and make a note of it in your “Funny things that happened to me in China” journal. 9. Don't be afraid to smile and make a new friend. Although some of their actions may surprise you or even seem offensive, Chinese people as a whole are actually very friendly. Every time I smile at someone, I am greeted in return by a delighted grin. Many of the people I meet love an opportunity to practice speaking English with me, and they are especially excited when I attempt (futilely) to speak with them in their own language. After only a brief interaction, they may ask for your phone number or your QQ or WeChat ID. I would probably feel uncomfortable if someone in America did that, but here it’s just another one of those Chinese things. Don’t feel obligated to give out your information, but I’ve found it’s sometimes handy to have a few Chinese friends on WeChat. 10. Go with the flow!I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned since coming to China is to “just go with it.” Unexpected things happen all the time. I’ve had an older couple sit down at my table in a restaurant even though I’m surrounded by empty tables, little girls snuggle up next to me while I’m outside reading, and more wild adventures than you could imagine when it comes to travelling in China. You might end up in a tuk-tuk weaving in and out of traffic as you cross your fingers and silently pray that you’ll make it to the train station on time. After that, you may find yourself piling into a “private taxi” (aka ghetto 8-passenger van) at 1 AM because the train station is closed. Or you might find yourself invited to dinner with a new friend you’ve literally only met 10 minutes ago on the subway. Whatever happens, be open to these wild new experiences. After all, there really are things that only ever happen in China…and those are the ones that make the best stories. --Kelli 凯丽

In my last post, I shared advice from some of my students. Now, I'm asking for YOUR advice.My body has not handled the pollution in China well at all. I'm positive that if I were to get an x-ray of my lungs they would be a shade darker than they were when I first arrived in China. I have had a cough for the last seven months...yes, seven! The severity of it fluctuates but it's been my companion since November. Usually when I get a cold or a cough, my approach is to just "let it pass." I tried that for the first month or so until my assistant managed to convince me to get some medicine. She loaded me up with all sorts of Chinese medicines, none of which helped. In January, I realized I wasn't getting better on my own (and all my Chinese students' well-meaning advice to "drink more hot water!" wasn't doing it for me) and so I went to a Western doctor. She prescribed a Z-pack and an inhaler. I figured the antibiotics in the Z-pack would knock it out. At first, it seemed promising, but only a week later the cough had returned.I know lots of foreigners have similar experiences with "China coughs" and so I'm hoping one of you also has a solution. I'll be returning to the US in 3 weeks and am crossing my fingers that when my lungs taste the American air my cough will just disappear. However, even if it does go away, I'll be back in China in August and am concerned about the cough coming back.This is one of those battles where China has definitely got the upperhand...CHINA VS. KELLI SCORECHINA: 7KELLI: 0 Any suggestions? What has helped you?--Kelli 凯丽

Last semester, I had the opportunity to teach a course called "English Newspaper Reading." As the name suggests, it involved lots of newspaper reading! We also talked about current events around the world and the students practiced writing different types of newspaper articles (such as feature articles, letters to the editor, etc.). One of the students' favorite projects was pretending to be advice columnists. Based on the model of the "Dear Abby" column, students each wrote in with an anonymous question or concern they were having. Their questions were distributed randomly among the other students so that everyone also got to answer one question.I was pleasantly surprised that the students took the assignment so seriously. Many opened up about some of their concerns and problems, and their classmates really tried to give good advice. The most commonly mentioned concerns facing my sophomores was a lack of sleep and a lack of direction in their lives (many wrote about being unsure what to do after graduation). Here are a few of their questions and answers. Who knows, maybe their advice can help you, too![I've kept their original grammar and word choice but fixed a few spelling errors.]--Kelli 凯丽STRUGGLES IN LOVEDear Abby, I'm glad that I have this chance to write a letter to you. I just want to ask for some advice about how to build up a close and wonderful relationship with my boyfriend. It has been my second year in the university and I managed to find a shoulder to lean on going through many difficulties. Without any experience, I don't know how to get along well with him, even I don't have any ideas what to do on the date. I get trapped in this difficult problem. You have the experience, right? Give me some advice and help me! I'm looking forward to hearing from you! --A GIRL Dear girl, With regard to your problem, I have some personal suggestions to share with you. First, you should not take your boyfriend as a shoulder to lean on because you two are equally in mind and spirit. You are each other's counterpart so he is not your reliance. Based on perfect equality, there is a sentence that goes like, "Your boyfriend is a part-time love and a full-time friend." It is quite easy getting along well with your boyfriend--be yourself. Talk to him like he is just a friend and do whatever you feel comfortable in. as for dates, do what other couples do, such as watching movies, having meals, shopping, etc. don't be afraid or nervous to express your feelings. Looking forward to your good news!Dear Abby,I want to ask you a very confusing question. If you meet someone you like very much, and you want to know about him/her deeply. Therefore, how to say "hi" to him/her. I mean how to begin the conversation which make him/her is interested to you and want to begin the relationship with you?Confused LoverDear CL,I suppose it's my honor to help you on this kind of private and emotional affair. First of all, I would like to tell you that if you like him or her very much, just pursue him or her bravely!Saying "hi" or "hello" isn't a very difficult thing to each of us. It's no need to be afraid of greeting with him or her and remember it in your mind that you won't pay your own life for this action. When you meet him or her next time, just say "hi" like what you have done to others. It's not a big deal!If you want to attract his or her attention, you should know him or her well, such as his or her birthday, favorite food, music, sports and hobbies, so that you won't get trapped into the situation that you don't know what to say or say something offending. You can get all his or her likes and dislikes from his or her friends and classmates. It's the high time that you made the best of your relationship.You will get closer in the progress of conversation. Moreover, I would like to give you some advice about yourself. In the development of the relationship, you should just be your own self. Don't boast of many untrue things to make your image stronger. Honesty is one of the most important things of friendship, even between lovers. Trying to act more humorous is beneficial for you. Good luck to you! And if you have other questions, just write me back.LEARNING ENGLISHDear Abby,I'm very confused with my future. Now my major subject is English, but I don't learn it so good. I like to learn English, and I will try my best to learn it. But when it comes to exams, I always got the last one in class. So I become so unconfident and sometimes I hate to learn English. In daily life, I will watch English movies and read some English articles. Unfortunately I become so bored. So how can I improve my English? Could you give me some advice? I look forward to some great advice!English LearnerDear EL,It is my pleasure to help you solve this problem and give you some advice.Above all, confidence is very important for an exam. In my opinion, sufficient review before the exam can reduce the degree of nervousness. You say you always watch English movies and read articles, and I think it's a very effective way that you should keep up. In addition, how to improve the English by watching English movies and reading articles is your considerable problem. Don't worry! You can watch the movie for several times. Listening to the lines with no subtitle again and again can improve your listening. Next, I want to say reading articles. Don't look up dictionary when you read it the first time. You'd better try to read the whole passage and then you can look up the words. You can prepare a book to note down the vocabulary. Reading passages a lot is a good method to practice your pronunciation. I hope this advice can help you. Practice can make perfect for you!PROCRASTINATINGDear Abby,I have many things to do, but sometimes I feel like I don't want to do any of them. So instead of doing the important things, like my homework, I procrastinate my time and spend it in other pursuits like shopping on Taobao. What can I do? Dear friend,I am glad to hear from you. To be honest, I sometimes have the same experience as you. But you have to know that procrastination is the thief of time. You can follow the advice, I hope you can overcome it soon.The most effective means to solve this problem is that you can make a "to do" list. For example, you can write "Finish homework before Saturday night" on your plan. If you manage to finish it, you can reward yourself. Otherwise, punish yourself.What's more, you can find a partner who has the same problem as you. Urge each other to finish work at any time.Then you can arrange your most important work at efficient times, like 9-11 o'clock. Different people have different efficient times. But it doesn't matter what time it is. Just don't waste time, following the schedule strictly.Last but not the least, do it now. Don't look for any reasons for yourself, just from now.In a word, don't spoil yourself. Although you have a long way to go, the first step is very essential. Good luck!

The sun is out and the week has been deliciously warm. In the States, this means that all the women put on their tank tops and sunglasses. In China, there may still be some tank tops and sunglasses...but all I've noticed is dozens of girls carrying umbrellas and parasols to protect their skin from the sun.At first, I thought it was pretty funny and even a little ridiculous. It's just such a difference from what I'm used to growing up in the USA. If you were to check out an American college campus right now, you probably wouldn't see too many umbrellas (unless you were visiting a campus in Seattle...I don't think the rainy season is quite over there yet). Instead, you'd probably see girls out on the grassy fields in front of their dorms pretending to study for finals but really hoping to get a head start on their summer tan. At least, I know that's where I was as a freshman in college! As soon as the weather even hinted that summer was coming we were all outside trying to get darker.Since coming to China, I've found it very interesting to compare the beauty ideals from those in America. From what I've seen in Chinese commercials and advertisements, it seems that there are two physical traits that a Chinese woman must possess to be considered beautiful. She must (1) be thin and (2) have white skin. In America, thinness is also desirable (although we strive for the seemingly impossible ideal of being both thin AND curvy where it counts) but white skin is not what we're after. Americans want to be tan. In fact, having darker skin is so desirable that many women (AND men) will pay for fake tans so that they can keep up their sun-kissed appearance during the winter months, too. To the Chinese, this idea sounds absurd! (And...when you think about it, isn't it?!)After Spring Festival, one of my expat co-workers came back from her vacation in Thailand looking significantly darker than before. Some of the Chinese students were concerned about what had happened to her usually fair skin. One of them asked her, "Did you do that on purpose?" and was of course horrified to find out that she had.How do these cultural standards of beauty come about? Who decides that white skin is going to be more beautiful than dark skin, or vice versa? I don't know the answers to these questions, but I think they're interesting to consider. Is there really an "ideal" standard of beauty? Even within cultures, these ideals change. If you could pay a visit to the USA 150 years ago, you would also see women carrying around parasols trying to preserve their porcelain skin.Although at first I was tempted to laugh at the appearance of all the "sun-brellas," the truth is that it's a probably much better practice for the skin than fake tanning. Just because I've grown up with one idea of what beauty is, it doesn't mean that it's necessarily the correct or the best idea. I think that's a benefit of living in a different country; you get shaken up a little bit and have to analyze the things that you've grown up doing. Do they really make sense? Are they really the best things to pursue?Still, even after seeing all of these Chinese girls with beautiful white skin, I think I'll always prefer to be a little darker. My Chinese students might think I'm crazy, but it's hard to throw off the cultural ideals that you grow up with.--Kelli 凯丽