Random Things Part III

Since the water in China is not safe to drink, everyone has to drink out of water bottles and water coolers. 

Back in the U.S. everyone is so concerned about recycling aluminum cans and plastic water bottles. But, after living here, I don't really see how recycling in the U.S. will help save the earth as China must go through at leaast fifty times as many plastic water containers as the rest of the world put together. 

Also, I probably shouldn't call what you see below a "water cooler."
The Chinese do not like to drink cold water. 

The only water I'd be able to get out of this dispenser is room temperature water, or very hot water. 

Some of my students have noticed that I tend to keep my water bottles in the fridge.
They have taken it upon themselves to constantly inform me that this is bad for my health, and that drinking cold water will make me sick.
I have told them that drinking hot water would make me sick, and that I really do prefer cold water. 

They just think I'm crazy.

In Chengdu there are a lot of overpasses. 

Normally, I'd just say that they are ugly slabs of concrete, but here they are almost beautiful. 

Many of the overpasses are covered in ivy and ferns. 

It was hard to get a good photo of the plants as my driver drove really fast, but you can still see all of the ivy hanging down from the upper level. 

I tend to see the Chinese flag everywhere here. Not only is it in each classroom, but all over the walls in the hallways, on buildings, on books, and on posters. Here, three little girls were just wandering the halls during class, carrying the Chinese flag with them. 

Students have a 10 minute break between each class. During that time, they play the Chinese National Anthem. I guess they kind of force patriotism on the students here. 

I saw this on a scooter outside of the school the other day. These are gloves that attach to the handlebars of the scooter so your hands don't get cold or wet as you ride in the rain. 

They also have these poncho-like rain coats that you can wear, and then attach to your scooter so that you don't get any water on you or your bike, even in a downpour. 

I don't know this boy's name, but he is often in the tricycle when Alonzo picks me up after school. 

I think it is Alonzo's grandson. 

He seems kind of terrified of me, as he has never even acknowledged my presence.

I had to go close my bank account at the Agricultural Bank of China because I already had another account at a different bank. This photo is of Bonnie trying to tell the bank employee that I needed to close my account. However, in order to do this, I had to enter my PIN and remove the money in the account. My PIN is 654321, but it wouldn't work. The bank employee seemed really frustrated that I supposedly couldn't remember the PIN, and I was angry that the machine wouldn't accept what I knew to be the correct PIN. After trying so many times to enter the correct PIN that it locked me out, I asked how much money was even on the card. She told me 10 RMB, or $1.60. I laughed and said I didn't care about losing that money. It wasn't important enough to continue to figure out the PIN problem. 

All that trouble, and we didn't even close the account.