Twilight, Thriller, and the Chinese Chuck Norris: Another Monday in My Life

Because some days too many hilarious things happen for me to not share... here are a few stories from today.

Story One: Often, when I'm walking across campus or buying groceries, students who I don't teach will brightly say, "Hello!"  Let's face it, I'm a foreigner and I look like one.  (I currently look a little odder than normal, since a mosquito decided to snack on my face... anyway, I digress.)  This "Hello!" is often followed by, "Where are you from?" or "What department do you teach for?" 

I'm pretty used to that.

So today, as I was walking toward my building, I heard, "Hello!" and I began to respond with, "Hi!"

But this response was cut off as the student continued:  "You're white!"

Then he kept walking.

And I was somewhere between flummoxed and laughing.  How do you respond to that?  Thanks for noticing? or What, I'm not Asian?  Oh no!

Okay.  Story Two:  Students in my class were talking about meeting people in part of their lesson today, and they were coming up with questions to ask people when you first meet.  This one was written on the board. 

Are you the guy who believe that catch one's heart and never be apart?

I didn't ask for clarification.  Sometimes it seems like doing so might derail the entire class, instead of just the one person who is already off in their own little world. 

Story Three:  Students used the questions that they had come up with to create dialogues with each other.  They were then modeling them for the class.  In the middle of all the questions such as "What's your name?" and "What are your plans for the holiday?" (which is three weeks off, just for the record) comes this exchange:

male student:  "Are you single?"
female student:  "That's a secret."
class:  *uproarious laughter*
female student:  "Are you?"

 they were writing their questions on the board to use later on in the dialogue

Story Four:  This also came from a dialogue set.  Those were a good time today...

female student:  "What's your favorite movie?"
male student:  "Twilight.  *something about the actor*"
female student:  "The actor?  Most guys would say they like the actress.  If you say you like the actor, girls may think you are special."
male student:  "I'm not special.  I have the normal sexual identity."
someone in the back of classroom:  "Okay, end dialogue!"

Story Five:  This same class was also practicing using the structure "I used to... but now..."  For one of their activities, I had given them the beginning, and then they had to make up the end.  I was wandering around the classroom listening to them and heard this...

"I used to be afraid of the dark, but now... the dark is afraid of me!"

Chinese Chuck Norris, anyone?

Story Six:  Today is Teacher's Day in China.  Which meant, this being China, that the foreign teachers should do a show for their colleague.  What did we do, you might ask?

A dance to part of Thriller, of course!