"Round Two", "Batter Up", "On Your Marks", or however you may have it, be it so, I have arrived, yet again, in Shanghai for the second time.? Six months, simply was not enough, only a mere introduction to the people, language, culture, and teaching.

Much of the same, yet very much different this time around.? Being here for just the past six weeks,?I have experienced, tasted, and seen things that?I had never done six months previously.? It really makes me think of all the other places?I have traveled, studied, lived in- what all?I have missed after leaving.?? Always thinking?I had thorough experiences- having seen, been, tasted, "most of all" during my visits, but coming back to China ( the second time around ) has made me begin to ponder this thought.? There is still so much more in China, sometimes?I think about all?I want to accomplish and my list-so exhaustive-makes me quite tired.

To start, this time around,?I work from 7am to 4pm Monday through Friday, more like back home.??I teach seven classes this semester from grades?seven through eleven, mostly all of which are European history classes.? prepping, lecturing history takes a lot more work than my two classes last semester,?I am quite busy the whole day through.??I have also begun formal Chinese lessons at the well-known Tongji university six hours/week.? They have been nothing less than challenging.??I am no longer studying pinyin ( the romanization of the Chinese characters), but instead the actual characters.?

All of my students are native English speakers, which makes teaching more demanding and challenging since there is no language barrier, but at the same time it is much more rewarding.? Many of my students are from the states such as New York, Georgia, California, Texas, Illinois and Canada-very few?being from Asian countries.? In addition to teaching my formal classes, i am also tutoring two students in Spanish, which is very fun.

Non-school related : The mosquitoes here are as aggressive as ever, making me look like?I have measles some mornings and the summer heat and humidity and overcast days have not changed.??A few new storefronts in the neighborhood, but still nice to see all of the establishments i frequent.? Still the crowds, and still?people leaning over me in the bus to spit out a little window no bigger than two by two inches or spitting so close to my feet ( lest i remember to not wear sandals! ).? My apartment is much larger than last semester.? It has a beautiful balcony overlooking the nearby lake and parts of the city such as the suspension bridge over the Huangpu River.? Side note, part of the roof of my apartment was ruined during a typhoon a week before?I arrived.

Much more to share, but?for the courtesy?of your time... slight differences added with much of the same has proved Shanghai to be a great welcome home recipe.

Hope all is well.