圣诞快乐!

On Christmas Eve, the Shenzhen school district hosted a dinner banquet for all the foreign teachers and our local Chinese counterparts. Of course the food was great, but the entertainment was even better. We were graced with performances from various teachers, students, and the school district head himself gave a - riveting  karaoke performance. Now with the cultural power distances and protocol for respect, we were obligated to cheer him on (perhaps in spite of him?)

Every good Chinese banquet always has a large collection of wine and liquor. So, give that to a group of 130 Americans - oh and offer them all hotel rooms for the night...It was quite the crazy after party.

This certainly wasn't a "traditional" holiday, but I was able to practice my Chinese, perform a little Shakespeare, and eat some delicious Chinese food (the latter of which is actually a tradition for me). So, all in all a great Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone!


-- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

English Festival

Last week, our school hosted our annual English Festival, which is a week long competition designed to encourage students to get excited about learning and practicing English. Being the only native English speaker at the school, of course I was asked to be one of several judges.

The competition highlights included movie lip dub, where students dub their own voices over an original English movie. I helped students by transcribing various movie scenes - I can now quote the end of the Titanic scene rather well (the one where Jack freezes to death while Rose is floating on the door and pathetically cries). The funny thing was, when read by two male Chinese students, that scene has a lot more emotional insight (and humor) than the original.

My other favorite was the English singing competition. Speaking of Titanic, "My Heart Will Go On" is apparently still a really big hit over here. Except when a Chinese girl sings it, she seems to be lacking in a certain Canadian accent. There's also less bagpipes in the cover versions over here.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Teacher Q&A

There are times when my students' English levels after 10 years of English education is really frustrating, and other times when it's quite funny and charming.

Last week I was working with a newer class and we did a "Q&A with Mr. Yee" The notes were equal parts wonderful, hilarious, and grammatically incorrect. But they speak much better by themselves...

1. How did you visited so many places?
2. Can you make friend with you?
3. Do you love China girl?

Or my personal favorite that made me laugh out loud:
"Why are you so handsome?!"


--
Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

My first shopping experience

Believe it or not, Southern China can actually get a little chilly. So that news and the fact that I packed very light coming here meant I needed some more clothes. This was my first time truly shopping in a couple years, so there was a lot of culture shock and other factors triggering some panic and anxiety. Such as:

- Rows of official and unofficial shops, all shapes and sizes
- Most of the goods were knock offs, or some feeble and failed attempt at writing something cool in English
- People shouting to attract customers
- people with microphones to out shout the shouters
- Loud speakers playing Chinese music to drown out the mics
- Louder speakers blasting techno music to drown out the pop music
- Employees clapping to the techno music to attract more customers
- Employees beating sticks and noise makers to beat out the clappers
- More employees ready to pounce once you do decide to enter a store
- Employees on ladders in the doorways making sure you don't LEAVE the store w/o paying

In the end, I've never had so many employees involved in my shopping experience. Yet even with the interaction of 15+ store reps, it was still ultimately and completely lacking in "customer service." I did get a nice shirt and pull over out of the ordeal though. So I guess I would do it all again...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

More on Signs

So you know how awhile back I ate dog for the first time in a local restaurant? Well I was walking down that same street the other day. When I first moved into town, I always wondered why this particular restaurant had a giant poster of some Chinese words with a goat, donkey, dog, and smiling Chinese waitress. Now that I know more Chinese characters and have confirmed both by reading the sign and eating in the restaurant, this giant sign is no longer a mystery, its just very clear and blatant advertising.

Don't worry, the smiling Chinese waitress serves the animals - she is not one of the "dishes to be served." Just thought I should clarify...


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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Another Trilogy bites the dust

Well, I'm not ready as much as when I was in Senegal. I have a little less free time as well as a lot more distractions from TV, internet, and all the joys of the modern age.

But I recently just finished reading Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne trilogy. It comes highly recommended as its full of action, plot twists, and bits and pieces of various languages. All around a very intelligently and interestingly written set of books.

A couple warnings: First, don't read these back to back. Their too intense and exciting for that. Also, don't be expecting it to be anything like the movies. The movies are really good, but as always - the books are incomparable.

Did you know that Jason Bourne speaks English, chinese, and French fluently?? Hmm, you know if this whole teaching English gig doesn't work out for me, I may be sending my resume and cover letter over to the CIA. I'm not sure how the interview process works to become a secret agent, but as soon as my Chinese gets better and I brush up on my kungfu, I'm pretty much a shoe-in.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Happy Thanksgiving!

Seeing as how this holiday was created by and in remembrance of the "first" Americans, it's not widely celebrated by Chinese people.

I was still working and teaching on Thursday, but took the opportunity to teach my students the holiday and about thankfulness. I also had a "traditional" Thanksgiving dinner of Taiwanese food with my co-workers that night. It was their first Thanksgiving meal, so it was a special event for all of us.

Saturday afternoon was the REAL feast of turkey, cranberries, pie, and all those goodies a group of 100+ Americans can throw together in a potluck. It was delicious, filling, and that triptaphan kicked in full force on my hour long bus ride home.

The highlight of this year's festivities was teaching students the proper word for "turkey" and NOT "fire chicken" which is the literally translation in Chinese (火鸡). Although, I think fire chicken sounds way more awesome than turkey. Think about it - "Then the pilgrims sat down with the Indians and feasted on corn, fruits, and freshly slaughtered fire chicken. The first Thanksgiving."

And yes, the word "indian" was intentional. It's crucial to the politically incorrect and linguistic errors of the story...


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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

They're all growing up!

In China, when a student turns 18 years old, they become an official and legal adult. Well, there's absolutely no Chinese vs. American difference there at all, I know.

However, what is different is the ceremonial process they go through. Luckily, I did not have to witness or attend any circumcision ceremonies like I did while in Senegal. This ritual was more tame in comparison. It involved speeches, more speeches, and a proclamation or oath that all the students took on our school campus. As I know and teach many of these students, it was an honor and privilege to be a part of this exciting day.

This ceremony also marked the 200 day countdown from their very intense college entrance exam (yes, there's an official day for that too). So after the ceremony finished, all the students headed straight back to their classrooms to - you guessed it - more studying. Hey, at least they got a longer study break today, right?

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Speech Competition

Last week our school district had an English speech competition for all the local high schools. One of my students was selected to represent our school and so I worked with him over the past month. Our coaching included everything I learned including grammar, pronunciation, body language, expression, etc. However, the added challenge was that I had to coach him based on his level and comprehension of English.

He did very well. So well in fact, that he scored 2nd place in our district competition. That's the highest anyone has ever school for our school. So we were all very happy and proud of Chiho. Nice work kid! And thanks for giving me more of a purpose in life :)


--
Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Blog Shout out

One of my friends keeps an awesome blog about cooking called Kitchen Dance Party.
http://kitchen-dance-party.blogspot.com/

I thought of them specifically the other day when I tried eating dog meat for the first time. So if you guys are looking for another new and creative recipe to try out at home, dog tastes best when cooked as a stew. Potatoes go really well with dog meat as well - it really helps balance out the color, taste, and textures.

Bon appetite everyone!

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Grassroots Vocab Lessons

Today on my way back from Chinese class, I learned how to say "make love" in Chinese. It's exactly the same in English (to make + to love + particle). How exactly did I stumble upon this new word?

Well, on the way to class, my driver and I were staring and commenting about a voluptuous women running down the street towards us a catch a taxi. I leave your imagination to what he may have said. Then on the way home, we passed by the sketchy street of town and collected a man's "business" card. Hence my lesson in how to say "make love."

Now, I know exactly where to find some scandalous women, as well as what to request from them if the depressingly desperate need arises. Ironically, I learned more on the ride to/from class than from sitting in my actual Chinese class.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

10km Midnight Charity Run

This Saturday, a local charity called Captivating International (http://captivating.org/) held their 3rd annual midnight charity run. Because I'm crazy and slowly getting into running, I chose to run the 10km race as the 5km option was "too fun" for me.

Aside from the fact that we were running at midnight (way past my bedtime), yet there were a surprising number of pedestrians and motobikes out, the race went rather well.

My time: 49min and a few seconds. That was my personal best and was also just 1 minute behind the fastest female. But to be wholly fare and depressing - 6 minutes behind the fastest male. The important thing was that I ran rather fast for myself. More importantly, I had a chance to participate in a charity event and am working with my school students and staff on collecting some donations as well.

The organization threw us an after-race party as well. Although I should warn you, beer after 10km is a really bad choice. Seriously, not a good idea guys...

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Byron Yee TEFL
English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Super Singles Night!

In Chinese, the number 11 looks like bare sticks, which also translates close to the word "single." (光棍节）  So on November 11, all the single people in China celebrated at local clubs, bars, and restaurants.

This year was especially important as it fell on the 11th year of the 11th month, and the 11th day (11.11.11). Hence, the super single holiday of the century. I being one of the millions was invited to go to a local karaoke joint and mix with other cute singles. And that I did.

The girls were very surprised at my wonderful ability to sing English songs. They were even more surprised at my complete LACK of ability to speak Chinese. So, our flirting and mingling was limited to our bilingual skills. But anytime I can socialize and practice my Chinese, I consider this a successful outing. Throw some very cute girls into that mix and I consider this a VERY successful outing :)

Happy Singles Day world! The rest of you married people can shove it ;)

--
Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

More trouble reading signs

I was out and about the other afternoon and passed by what looked like a peculiar cyber cafe. It was strange looking because there was only one single computer in the entire room and also a full steering wheel and pedal set. Hmm, the owner must be a serious gamer.

I generally don't look at signs because my Chinese character vocabulary is very limited and therefore cannot read anything. But out of sheer curiosity, I decided to look this one time. This decision was met with immediate satisfaction and regret - painted on the sign in bright ENGLISH letters: "Driving School"

There are some days when my Chinese fails and I feel like an idiot. Then there are other days when my first and native language fail me and that's when I really feel stupid...

--
Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Why Chinese Cars are Cooler

So, you may have already known that Karaoke is a really big thing in this and other Asian cultures. But allow me to give you a perspective on just how popular this is.

On almost every block in the big cities, there is a KTV or karaoke bar. And in every alley where there's a TV and a microphone, people set up their own personal shows. But it gets better...

The other night I was taking my evening walk for the purpose of people watching and entertainment. And sure enough, both of my evening walk goals were fulfilled. I passed by a sporty looking car blasting music - nothing unusual there. But what was interesting was the even louder and slightly off-key singing coming from inside the car. I personally never thought about this, but since cars already have an dash board display for gps and car maintenance, why not add a microphone and turn it into a mobile karaoke machine? Brilliant!

I was so excited, I almost knocked on the window to ask the dude if I could join him, but I didn't want to invade his personal privacy. Then again, if you have karaoke built into your car, I don't think these types of people are too self conscious...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

万圣节快乐

This country doesn't really celebrate All Hallows Eve, so things were rather uneventful here. But nonetheless, everyday is always an interesting adventure.

Over the weekend, my US buddies and I went to a childrens' theme park called Happy Valley to visit their Haunted House. Unfortunately, it wasn't so haunted - nor was it much of a house. It was more of a darkly lit long walk around Chinese zombies (yes, the employees were pretty much bored, living dead) and styrofoam graveyards. We then went to a bar where they played crappy karaoke after their one Lady Gaga CD played all the way through. Despite (or maybe in spite) of the sad attempts, we all had a rather fun and strange time.

Yesterday - actually Halloween, I brought candy for students. They had to visit me and sing an English song I taught them: "Trick or treat, smell my feet..." Needless to say, I spent the entire day handing out candy while students threatened in both Chinese and English to "pull down my underwear."

If you're confused by the reference, ask an elementary school kid to sing you the above song. Then all will click into place.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

A Special Chicken Soup

You know you're becoming more integrated when:

You find a chicken foot in your bowl of soup at the lunch cafeteria and you're genuinely excited about it. Not that I was ever turned off from them, but I've grown a liking to chicken feet and fish head. Healthy, nutritious, and at our school cafeteria, and exciting bonus on some days!

That was just one of those moments where you step back and observe yourself slowly adapting to a completely different set of cultural standards, norms, and perspectives.

--
Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Gong Kai Ke

Last week the English dept. at my school invited me to teach a "gong kai ke" or an open class. Basically, it's a class taught like any other of my English classes, but it's filmed on video and observed by any and all teachers interested in observing. This is generally followed by some feedback, which is culturally very different than our American "constructive criticism," but I was expecting the unexpected so did just fine.

My co-workers kept asking me "are you nervous?" And I wasn't really until they asked me. I guess its a much bigger deal and more pressure for them than for me. But then again, when you're a foreign teacher teacher a language that students barely understand (which is the only language I can communicate in with them), things are pretty much a high pressure situation every day.

I celebrated my successful class that evening by going to bed early. I'm just that awesome and that exhausted from the experience.
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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

The Problem with Too Many People

You may have read this in the news recently, as this event has become international.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/22/world/asia/china-toddler-reaction/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn#

Last week, a little girl was the victim of a hit and run in China. 18 people passed by before someone finally came to help. 18 people. This is a country swarming and oozing with individuals, all of whom are fully capable of helping someone in need. Why didn't anyone help?! Read the article as it has some interesting thoughts and theories on this.

One of my thoughts is that this country is so bustling and crowded, there is a complete lack of individuality or personality. This and the feverishly intense pace of development and capitalism in the "great leap forward," have guided this country's social values and norms. Living in a country is the best way to truly learn about how things work. As I'm now rounding my 3rd month here, the "exciting haze" has faded away and I'm beginning to really understand how life is here.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Problems with direct translation

Last week, my students were describing what they do to celebrate their holidays and time off. They mentioned hanging out with friends, but kept accusing their friends of eating "white food and white drink."

It wasn't till Chinese class a few days later when I learned that "bai chi, bai he" (literally meaning white food, white drink), means FREE food. So, with this new information in mind, I went back to my English classes and taught my students a new and important vocabulary word:

Freeloader: One who constantly partakes in "white food and white drink"

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Are Bilingual People Smarter?

I just read an interesting article discussing whether or not people who speak 2+ languages are more intelligent.

Apparently, bilingual people are more able to multitask and switch mental tasks (ie. music to math) more easily than others. This is probably because these people train their brains how to rapidly switch communication methods in both words and actions.

So, since Chinese is my 4th language I'm studying, what does that mean? Either I'm super intelligent or just extremely confused. As of right now, I'm leaning towards the latter.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Open to interpretation

During my travels to Zhangjiajie, I came across this sign. My Chinese is still not good enough to read it, but I can make a few educated guesses:

1. Warning: Straddling guardrails may be harmful to male reproductive organs.
2. Caution: Perform gymnastic routines at your own risk.
3. Sexy and Raunchy Coyote Ugly bar dancing Strictly Prohibited.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Exploring around town

Two nights ago I went for a little evening stroll after dinner. This is a twofold operation: 1) Exercise, 2) Entertainment walking by shop after shop blasting Chinese techno and overly bored store employees attempting to attract customers by dancing and clapping off beat.

(BTW, do you know how difficult it is to clap and dance OFF the beat of techno music?! I mean, I know I'm the son of a music teacher, but still...)

During my exploratory walk, I discovered two new awesome things that my town has. First, there's a sweet arcade! I remember when I used to think arcades were super cool (no - not two nights ago) and they had Tekken 2 come out. Well, we have Tekken 6 here now and that's just too much ass-kickery for me to handle right now.

Speaking of kicking butt, the other awesome discovery was at my local book store. They see nun-chucks next to the monthly planners. Only in China... But seriously, as neat and high tech as the Nook is, Barnes and Noble could really reach a huge untapped market segment if they put nun-chucks on their shelves too. For reals, guys! I'm talking about a 3rd of the world's population here. And did I mention that their nun-chucks?!

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

I live next door to a genius

It's true. His English name is Jack, he's in middle school, and his mother is another English teacher here at this school. Everyday we hang out and talk in a strange mix of English and Chinese, 50% of which I understand (which is NOT always just the English part).

Yesterday he brought his chess board over, so I thought I'd give it a whirl knowing that it'd been over 5 years since playing that game. He also brought over his Rubik's cube, which he solved 10 minutes into our game, then proceeded to put me in checkmate several minutes later. Hmm, let me count the ways I feel incredibly stupid right now...

But today I got him back - meaning I won. He still solved his dang cube during the game though.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

A Geeky Theatre Moment

There are few people who are (and should be) as excited and ecstatic about Royal Shakespeare's new season: 37 plays in 37 different languages. WHAT?! That's just too much theatre excitement at one time. It's also encouragement to continue working on my Chinese, as that's one of the 37 presentations being produced in London.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/27/world/europe/uk-shakespeare/index.html#

If you happen to be in the area during these performances, GO! It's going to be a mindblowing international cultural, artistic, and linguistical experience.

--
Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

As Seen On TV

Last week, my dad was in DC for business. He happened to have a taxi driver who was from the Gambia, Senegal's little neighbor and just 20 minutes from where I lived while in the Peace Corps. Wanting to make casual conversation my father mentions, "my son was in the Peace Corps in Senegal and speaks Wolof."

Taxi Driver responds "That's the language I speak and I saw your son on TV!"

Back in March 2011, I was a featured volunteer on a documentary about PCVs in Senegal. Well, this video spread to every part of the globe where Senegalese and Gambians live. DC was one of those places. My dad's coworker told the taxi driver "Congratulations, you just met the father of a famous PCV."  I'm not sure who was more excited about this encounter, my dad or the taxi man.

Personally, I'm sad I missed out on this moment. I miss speaking a language I can hold a decent conversation in - and funny enough, Wolof is one of them. Taximan, if you happen to stumble upon my blog (which is certainly a random possibility), Jamm ak jamm.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Zhang Jia Jie

So you know those cool mountains that float amongst the clouds in the movie Avatar? Well, I went there.

It was an intense 15 hour train ride there, but worth every miserable moment to visit one of the most amazing and beautiful national parks on earth. Seriously, it was that amazing. The thin and cold mountain air with a light mix of rain also reminded me of home.

Unfortunately, I did not see any blue aliens or dragons around the area, but I did almost get into a nasty thrown-down with some Chinese tourists who behaved and sounded very similar to a pack of six legged wild dogs.

Check out all the pictures on picasa: www.picasaweb.google.com/TheByronYee

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

National Holiday (Guo qing kuai le!)

First of all, Happy National Day! In honor and celebration of when this amazing country formed the People's Republic of China. The government also decided to declare a national week long holiday to encourage travel, tourism, shopping, and a boost to their own economy. And when 3 billion people in one country have a vacation, it's certainly a showdown...

My buddies and I took advantage of the day off to eat food and drink local beer. So, it wasn't anything different, unusual, or epic at all. But it was all in the name of national day. I guess I can drink to that.


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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Byron's first "China Day"

When in a foreign country with limited to no language skills, bad things are bad to happen. And sometimes they happen all at once...

In my case, I missed my first day of chinese class because:
- My ride dropped me off at the wrong location
- I couldn't find the nearest subway station to get to the actual location
- I ran out of phone credit and couldn't call my driver
- Phone battery was dying
- Still can't speak Chinese, so calling my driver wouldn't (and didn't) help
- The China Mobile store did not cell phone credit for its own service...

But obviously I survived and tried to make this an optimistic experience. The good things?
- My Chinese vocab has dramatically increased with terms such as subway, phone credit, and basic directions
- I know where the correct place is, so this won't ever happen again

When abroad in an awful experience you hear the phrase "I've learned so much today." Well, I learned a helluva lot and glad my daily education is a little less intense than that...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Zhong qiu kuai le!

Happy mid Autumn day!
This is a day meant to celebrate a beautiful full moon, and a successful harvest. There are a handful of legends and myths behind this holiday, but the gist is to have a relaxing dinner with family, stare at the moon, and eat moon cakes.

My fridge currently still has 14 of those (down from about 17). So, I have enough moon cakes to last until next year's festival, or have to find a way to subtly pass these onto friends and neighbors.  My next door neighbors have kindly adopted me into many of their family gatherings and such, so I was able to celebrate Mid Autumn and learn even more about my fascinating culture and history.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Teacher Day

Last weekend was China's national Teacher Day.

Although I'd only been an official teacher for about 1.5 weeks at that point, all 300+ staff at our school were invited to an extravagant banquet dinner at a nearby hotel.  My colleagues informed me that other teachers would be performing, so naturally I agreed to do a little somethin.

Those performances consisted of blaring karaoke music and even louder singing. It was epic. Then I got up with a guitar and performed a live version of "We Are the World" by Michael Jackson. Of course they loved it (I actually really hate that song).

That morning in school, I was showered with flowers and cards from my students - all of whom were teenage girls who are apparently in love with me. *Sigh* Being a working man is tough ;)

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Famous for the US government

Being a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) has its perks. The biggest of which is that my current experience is a vacation compared to what I just went through.

But sometimes it also means an occasional claim to fame. My country director just sent me this link:
http://www.peacecorps.gov/

Click on picture number 2 and you can find me! Proud as ever to have served as a volunteer for the US government.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Opening Ceremony

Every Monday morning, the entire staff and student body (3000+) dress up in their Monday best and attend a flag raising ceremony. This past Monday was extra special as it was the first Monday of the school year. So in front of the entire school, all the new teachers were introduced, then they announced a speech was to be made by the new foreign teacher - me.

Luckily I knew about this beforehand (many times I don't know what to expect when I'm called to go somewhere). More fortunately, I was allowed to make my speech in English. Pictures coming soon, but I should warn you, it's much more difficult spotting me out in a school in China vs. a school in Senegal...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

A Lesson in English Grammar

Did you know that "3 times bigger than" and "3 times as big as" are NOT the same?!

After much debate (in both English and Chinese) and several browsed websites, I confirmed this to be true. Americans general use them interchangeably, but of course Chinese are a little more mathematically wary than others...

Never have I thought more about the English language than since I started teaching 2 weeks ago...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Authentic Seattle Gifts

It is tradition for a foreign teacher to offer gifts to the headmaster and other important teaching partners when starting the school year.

Before leaving the states, I found some nice, small, and simple souvenirs with pictures and images of Seattle, my hometown. I thought that this would be a pretty and appropriate gift because of the authenticity and beauty of the city. Local goods make great gifts.

However, right before giving these gifts, I looked to make sure there were no price tags. Good thing I checked. I didn't find any price tags, but rather I found stickers that said 3 little words you've seen many times "Made In China."

Well, it's the thought that counts, right?

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Chinese street cleaners

My friend pointed out a scary looking truck to me and asked "how do you call this in English?"

It was a street cleaner. However, they are a little different than the ones I'm used in the US. Two things:
1. There is a very violent jet stream of water shooting out of a hose, which gets the street very clean, but ironically makes all the cars next to the truck very filthy.
2. They play music! In this case "It's a Small World," which makes the thought of nasty street goo on your car a much more pleasant experience.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Why China needs English lessons

I went to a very cheap and tasty restaurant with some buddies. We were lucky enough to be presented with the English menu, which had a few confusing mistakes (but direct translations from Chinese). Our dinner consisted of:

"Small foul child" with a side of "acid cowpea mince river powder," then followed by "three little gorgeous face." Like I said, it was delicious, but strange. Funny enough, that first dish did weirdly have a foul odor to it. But I've never eaten child, so not sure how the texture compared...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Universal Sign Language

One of my teaching colleagues was trying to tell me that it was lunch time. So he used the universal sign for eating. Well, sort of...

In the US, people used two rounded hands to symbolize eating, as if consuming a hamburger.
In Senegal, people signal eating by stuffing their fingers in their mouth (we eat with our hands there).
So naturally, many Chinese people sign eating by mimicking the use of chopsticks over a bowl of rice.

Is this sign language "universal?" Clearly there are still gaps in pantomime and signs. Just goes to show that even when communication is inherently clear, things can still get "lost in translation."

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Welcome to Sha Jing Middle School

Last Friday, I was informed that I should attend a meeting for new teachers to the school. Okay, no sweat...

NOT quite true. All 26 of us had to introduce ourselves, which isn't a big deal - unless you DON'T speak Chinese. That was probably the poorest public speaking performance ever. But people know that I'm the foreign teacher, so they were all rather patient and understanding. Then the headmaster said "now we're going out to dinner!"

Now, a dinner banquet party in China is exactly that - a giant feast and party. I've been raving about the good Chinese food, but I spoke too soon. Actually, I didn't eat a whole lot as we were all busy giving and receiving toasts in the name of anything to sip more hard Chinese liquor. I lost count after 3 shots. I lost the ability to count after 5. But I somehow managed to hold my own; it helped that 22 of the 26 new teachers were skinny girls. That night was by far the most fun I've had in this country. So here's to a fun new community and a great cultural integration.

BTW, that whole "Asian glow" thing is totally real (luckily not for me). If you don't know what I'm referring to, buy an Asian friend a beer and time how many minutes it takes before they are beet red.

--
Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

How many Chinese does it take...

How many Chinese does it take to install internet, TV, and a phone line?

The correct answer is 5: 2 technicians from China Telecom, 1 school network specialist, 1 who doesn't speak a word of Chinese, and 1 bilingual translator.

The good news is that all of these things are currently running smoothly and problem free in my super sweet apartment. I even discovered WWE on demand this afternoon! Life is so good right now...

--
Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

An afternoon at the salon

What better way than to get to know your new staff members and score some cultural integration points than going out for Chinese foot massages!

I was too overwhelmed and excited to relax, but it was still a very enjoyable experience. It involved a lot more slapping and punching and was overall more violent than past massages I've had. The static TV, leaky A/C, sleeping attendants, and general shady atmosphere of the place just added value to the experience.

Would I do it again? Um, eventually my answer will be...absolutely.

--
 Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Westward Ho!

So, I've determined that 2 weeks at home after being gone for 2 years and about to be gone for another extended period of time is NOT enough. Oops!

Regardless, my bags are repacked and tomorrow I am bound for China. A very special thanks to everyone who treated me to the hundreds of cups of coffee, the fantastic conversations, and the amazingly delicious food. I love you all very much. And I love America more than ever before...

The next time you'll hear from me, I'll be once again a bit lost, confused, dysfunctional, but very excited and living life to the fullest. And at this point, hey, what's another foreign language and foreign culture??

Peace and love.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Play Ball!

There are very few things more American than going to a good ole fashioned baseball game in a beautiful stadium. And there are very few things more Chinese-American than snacking on rice crackers and panda cookies bought at the local Asian supermarket during the ball game...

Unfortunately, the Seattle Mariners have had a rather - pathetic - season. But fortunately, the Oakland A's are even worse right now, so we won! I was extra excited because I also won in the classic Mariners between inning games, Hat Trick and Hydroplane race. So, it was a pretty wonderful evening.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Variety

One of the most amazing and outstanding things about America is variety. Both breadth and depth.

For example:

- Meat: All animals, all in various packages and combinations. You can even get a whole pack of chicken drumsticks! That versus - 1 sheep killed this morning, first come first serve.

- Beer: I just went to Seattle to a place that has 150 beers on tap. WHAT?! My choices in Senegal were "watery and gross" or "more watery and more gross"

- Shampoo: This morning in the shower, I decided to go for the Body Booster instead of Sleek and Shiny. And I was just getting used to the fact that I found a bar of soap (1 of 4 choices) that both smelled good and was antibacterial.

Choices are great, but also extremely overwhelming. I'm still at the point where I stare at a menu in awe, then finally ask the waiter for a recommendation.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

The good ole Greyhound

I've always loved taking public transportation in any country/culture as it provides such a fascinating cultural insight and a chance for some very fun people watching. Needless to say, the Greyhound's clientele does have makeup the most - classy of Americans in this country...

First off, our driver was not the most articulate of individuals. Except at one point during the ride, she did say quite clearly and powerfully, "If someone is in the bathroom, you've been there for far too long and I'm going to say you need to vacate there right now."

One of passengers was staring at two gentlemen and out of the blue asked "are you guys twins?" when all they had in common was white skin and similarly unkempt goatees.

But the ride itself was lovely. We stopped at a gas station, which is my new favorite heaven as they have an endless selection of chips, crackers, and just way too many Snickers bars to consume in one sitting. Also, I found a quarter in the payphone I was using.

Today has been fantastic.

--
Byron Yee
Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

5 strange things about the first 5 days back in America

After being back in the US for a few days, there are things that seem totally normal, and other things that are seemingly mindless, yet are very strange to me.

1. Auto flush toilets: I literally jumped off the seat mid-poop out of fright and confusion. Then I proceeded to be further confused by a full roll of toilet paper next to the toilet. What is that stuff for?

2. US Coins: What are those strange shiny objects I just got back from the cashier? Why are they a different weight, size, and shape? How does one determine the value of them?

3. Electric Outlets: Oh my, there are several outlets in one room! But why don't sparks flight out or why do I not feel 220V of current running through my arm when I plug something in?

4. Kitchen Pantry: Forget the supermarket, an American pantry has an overwhelming selection of snacks. So much food, so little time...

5. Cars: Wait, I don't have to push start the car, then run and jump into my seat when I need a ride? And I get a whole seat to myself?! I love this place.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Travel Stories in America

Well, as frustrating and angry I've been over the past two years when meetings and deadlines are respected, there are times when being overly punctual can hurt as well.

The homeward bound story:

Flight 1 from Dakar to Casablanca: Fine. No problems, no issues.

Flight 2 - Casablanca to JFK: Also great. Except that I was sitting next to a 20 month year old and walked out of the airplane with my pants and shoes plastered with Dora the Explorer stickers. Also, the girl in the seat in front of me pooped her pants during the flight.

Flight 3 - Missed. Our 2nd plane landed in time, but stayed on the runway until it could dock at the terminal. Add that hour of time to the waiting for immigration, customs, baggage claim, more lines...I was not able to make my 3rd flight and had to wait another 12 hours before the next flight left to Seattle.

So me and the JFK airport had a cozy little sleep over that night. I wouldn't be a good Peace Corps Volunteer if:

a. I had $127.00 (plus tax) to spend on a hotel room.

b. I was not capable of sleeping anywhere at any given point in time.

Also, I happened to have a travel pillow and travel towel (aka blanket), so life was just fine. Unfortunately, the guard in Morocco confiscated my toothpaste, which I would have really liked using.

But a hot cup of Starbucks coffee and a McDonald's Big Mac never tasted better in my life.

Well, 36 hours after leaving Dakar, I'm finally home. First task: shower, Second task: laundry, Third task: Sleep. More updates from the home front coming soon...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Au revoir Sénégal

Au revoir Sénégal, et merci pour tout. Farewell Senegal, it's been real.

A very special thanks to:
- Peace Corps: For the wonderful and amazing opportunity
- Waa Keur Badou Mboup: The best, most gracious, most wonderful family in Senegal

- Assane Badiane: My handy counterpart and great friend

- Lamine Diop: Local supervisor

- Cassie Blass: An awesome sitemate, a fantastic work partner, the toughest trooper I've ever met, and my best friend.

And thank you to everyone on the "home front" for supporting me throughout these past 2 years. Byron Yee is homeward bound...

Jerengeenjef, Yallah na Yallah fekkleen ak jamm. Ma'a salaam.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Peace Corps: The Final Days

Dear friends across the world,

My t shirts are no longer clothing, my pants are no longer patchable, my feet are bloody and bruised, my eyes are dry, sandy, and yellow colored, and I haven't showered or changed my clothes for the past 3 days. Granted those last two were totally in my control to fix, my point is that I'm very tired and very much ready to come home. And yet, despite my empty stomach's heavy craving for a beefy American burger and a slurpee from 7-11, my heart is very full of life.

36 hours ago, I said farewell to my friends and family who so readily and eagerly accepted a strange and confused American into their community. 36 hours later, I'm still very much, if not more so now, a strange and confused American. Yet the past 2 years of my life have been the happiest, saddest, most challenging, and most rewarding moments ever. Now the final countdown begins as I'm wrapping up the last few reports, tests, and forms before flying back to a country I used to call "home." The USA will always be home for me, but not in a singular or sole sense. Senegal has taught me so many very valuable life lessons, many of which I'm eager to share with you all.

I'll be flying home July 18th, and have tried my best thus far not to countdown and maintain a solid attitude. I'll then be in Seattle for 2 weeks before heading to a very different and much more personal adventure in China. I hope to see you all when I'm back, but please be patient as I've been an expatriate now for 23 months. In the meantime, please wish me the best of luck and the smoothest of transitions out of West Africa. Anytime you throw your heart and soul into something, it's difficult to tear yourself away from. My blood, sweat, and tears (yes literally) will forever be in Senegal. So please, be patient with me.

With much peace and joy,

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

On Senegal and Technology

I just got 5 emails from people back in the US. Each of them ended with a tag "sent from my iPhone" or Droid, or Blackberry, or any other fancy smart phone.

Sometimes I enjoy the simplicity of my life here, other times I really do miss technological advances of the rest of the world. For example, my email tag here would read something like:

"Sent from my battery powered computer connected to a battery powered internet phone, sitting in a dark powerless room with my headlamp on, violently swatting mosquitoes away in between keystrokes."

At this point, I'm just grateful if my email says "sent"

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

My Life Is Average

This event was something that should be posted on http://mylifeisaverage.com/. But the context is within my strange Peace Corps life, which is anything but average.

This afternoon, I was on the phone recalling how exciting of a day I had had with another PCV Emily. "Oh yes, I do remember now. I traded a Backstreet Boys song for a picture you took of a nut shelling machine." The sad part was, that was really the most exciting part of that day.

So for those "jealous" of my experience here, don't worry. You're sometimes really not missing anything.

--
Byron Yee
Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Fresh samples

This morning, I went into the doctor's office in order to arrange for my Fresh Stool Sample (their exact terminology) to be made. Backing up, I ate a fried egg sandwich from a street corner and a very large mango given to me by a driver last night in preparation for this event.

I asked the doctor what sort of sample size she wanted. She replied, "About a teaspoon, no more."

I immediately bit my tongue as to stifle my urge to as a follow up question "Is that heaping or level?"

It's a good thing I've still held onto some twisted sense of professionalism. And all professionalism aside, that's just kinda gross.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

The Last...lunch

Well, there was no wine involved, but there were about a dozen people. There was also an intensely delicious chicken lunch cooked by me, my mother and my sister.

It's already that time, time to say goodbye and leave site. I spent the last day with my family cooking lunch, playing with my siblings, drinking tea, and just trying to be present and patient. I showered my family with all sorts of gifts (if you visit and see the entire family wearing "Relay 4 Life" Tshirts, you can guess where they may have come from). I am extremely grateful and forever indebted to their care, comfort, and patience with me and my silly American ways.

So to the family of Badou Mboup, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I could say that in every language I know and it still wouldn't suffice.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Time for another Sarax

Sarax: A charity or religious event involving Senegalese millet porridge and prayers.

This time, my dad held a sarax for his daughter Diambal. Her husband died (may he rest ak jamm) and Islamic law holds that she must mourn for 3 months and 10 days. Well, the countdown finally finished and now she is officially, for lack of a better term, "on the market"

So yet again, please allow me to insert my prayers and blessings.

- Diambal, may you become beautiful again to the eyes of the eligible bachelors

- May you marry well and have a fulfilling life

- And may your new husband be understanding, patient, unselfish, helpful, and NOT a chauvinist like the rest of his stupid buddies

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

My first kill

I just killed my first scorpion. I didn't want to, but it really would've crawled under the doorway and into our bedroom and possibly walked on top of me while I slept. Is that justifiable?

The death was quick, and quite juicy. But Karma has it's ways. It sent a large and very fast camel spider to bother me in my sleep instead that night.

I slept "like a ninja" that night. Meaning, every time I heard a noise or felt the slightest weight on my mattress, all of my limbs flailed violently.

Now I know exactly why Senegal's government is working so hard to pass out bed nets.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Girl's Camp

Kaolack's PCVs just hosted the 2nd annual girls summer camp in Sokone. It was a week long event run by Americans, just like a good ole American summer camp should be - except it was conducted in French, Wolof, and Sereer.

Garrison and I got a chance to test our theatre arts and did some social change work using theatre and art as a discussion tool. It was challenging, scary, but well accepted and went very well. That, the s'mores, and the kickball made the week just awesome and fun.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

It's a Girl!

Well, my mom did an impressive job hiding the fact that she was pregnant (it's a cultural thing), but when she finally popped, it was quite a celebration.

It's traditional to have a baptism and naming ceremony one week after the child is born. Her name is Mame Siga Mboup, named after her older mom (the 1st wife). Unfortunately, I was off in Dakar working during the party, so please allow me a moment to send my blessing:

- Alhamdulillahi (praise to Allah) that our new girl is healthy and strong
- Praise Allah for her great name and namesake
- And Alhamdulillahi that my dad, despite his age, is still firing strong. Way to go dad!

--
Byron Yee
Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Fun with Water

Last week, a fellow PCV and good friend of mine, Garrison, came down to help install a well pump in my town. This is one of 52 pumps being installed in 52 weeks - a large and ambitious project in collaboration with many PCVs and Appropriate Projects.

The setup: NGO funds the actual pump, the community provides the rest of the materials and labor for installation. For under $70, a women's group can now water their gardens quicker and more efficiently. Check out the project description and project blog here:

http://52pumps52weeks.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/5-karang-community-garden/

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

On the Road

Did you know that two very fat women who eat way too much rice outweigh a horse? Given the right leverage (a horse cart apparently provides the perfect fulcrum), a couple large ladies can levitate a horse. It was actually pretty amazing to see a horse dangling in the air on one side and a bunch of round women rolling in the sand on the other. Luckily, I saw that the horse was struggling with a heavy load and side stepped the danger zone before anything bad happened. But rather that stopping to help, I quickly walked away and tried to stifle my laughter.

Karma has a way of knowing these things…I walked past this incident only to get into a car and was surrounded by even fatter women. I was sitting in some sort of twisted fetal position, then realized the lower half of my body was falling asleep, which I took for Allah’s way of punishing me for my poor community service efforts and even poorer sense of humor.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Dear Discovery Channel

Dear Discovery Channel, I’ve recently observed several strange animal behaviors and need some serious answers. Please take a look below and see what you think. Thanks.

1. I saw a chicken on top of a duck (yes, it’s exactly what you think). What kind of animal might that produce? What would it be called? A “chuck?” A “Dicken?” I’ve failed to find any info on Wikipedia on these creatures.

2. Speaking of mating animals, how exactly do cockroaches mate? I walked into my bathroom last night and two of these were intimately attached at the butt. How exactly does that work? I’ve never personally tried this position, nor do I think it is humanly possible.

3. Sometimes I can’t tell the difference between a bleating goat and a screaming child. But, is it the goats that have learned to mimic humans, or children that have devolved into making goat noises? Which is it? Either way, the best solution is to take a stick and beat whatever is making noise.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

COS Conference 2011

Close of Service Conference 2011

Yep, I guess it's about that time, time to wrap things up and leave your life you've been struggling to establish for the past 2 years. All social and emotional challenges aside, Peace Corps has thrown us stacks of paperwork. Which means my last month here will be spent frantically running around my town and working here and there, running to Dakar to take care of my medical and dental exams, and writing various reports in between.

Despite the incredible stress and overwhelming work, this conference was a fantastic time to hang out for one last time with the 45-50 other friends who I first met in DC and struggled with for the past 2 years.

Whew. Wish me luck, this is a serious sprint to the finish line...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Fighting Malaria

Dont' worry, I'm not being killed by malaria, the goal is to prevent anyone from ever getting this awful disease.

For the past week, PCVs in our region have been visiting our large local weekly markets (think Farmers' market on a saturday morning) and have been trying to drive some key medical points home. Our equipment?

- Very loud sound system blasting very loud American music

- Lots of PCVs and local community members making speeches about malaria prevention (yes, I was one of the speakers)

- Bug repellent cream: Using cheap and local materials

- Lots of water (for dehydration)

- Even lots more soda (also for dehydration - Coke is the PCVs Gatorade)

Results: Our work extended to 6 markets, which means it reached community members from over 20 villages. This work was much appreciated by our local hospitals as they are in process of providing free mosquito nets to every single bed in every single household in our entire region (more on that program in a later blog).

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

To add to the wardrobe list

Last week I was out in the fields installing a new well pump for a local women's gardening group.

My T shirt, which slowly became a faded, smelly, and holey sleeveless garment is really on its last leg. There was a tiny rip on the shoulder, but that also has evolved into quite the large hole. Large enough that I noticed a new sun burnt patch on my back which is conveniently the same exact size and shape of that rip in my shirt.

When I get home, I will immediately become Target's #1 customer.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Why every travel is an adventure

What's the most interesting way to travel a mere 25km?

1. Hop on a boat for a lovely 25 minute cruise through the delta. (I was on an island)

2. Climb onto shore and haggle with a guy in Serere and Wolof.

3. Ride a 9-place (The same car as a 7 place, but with more people squished in) through partially marked sandy roads carved through millet fields.

4. Push my way out of the car through herds of mango vendors, only to sit and wait for another car to leave.

5. But the driver was not in sight and after 30 minutes, another small bus rolled by.

6. The driver was in a big hurry because we had to stop and load about 15 goats onto the top, so he was flying down bumpy laterate road at an insane speed.

7. Then the road ran out...so we continue at a crazy speed, but it was even more bumpy and more dusty.

8. Between the passengers shouting in Wolof and Serere inside the car, and the goats bleating on top (still uncertain which Senegalese dialect they speak), I missed my stop.

9. So, I hopped out and walked back about 1km.

Despite the noise, dust, and prayers for my life, I have to admit that it was really a scenic route.

The most ironic part was that my ride back was much smoother, but I tripped coming out of the bus and really screwed up my ACL. Why can't Peace Corps invest in personal hovercrafts?

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Time for a bit of moisture

Last night, I thought it seemed unusually humid...Sure enough, we had our very first rain in about 9 months. This welcomes the start of the rainy season, which is now about 15 days away.

As the saying goes: March scorchers bring April dust storms, which make way for May droughts, which bring June delirium - or something like that.

This also mean that it'll be grossly humid for 15 days until the moisture saturates enough to rain. How humid? Yesterday, I was carrying bags of dry cement and the sweat on my arms mixed with the powder to create quite the solid cast. But it was so humid, it never dried enough to set. I was so wet from sweat, I decided to take a shower, but drying off created enough body heat that I was yet again, drenched with sweat.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Welcome, William

Two weeks ago, our sub region just added a new health PCV to our roster. To celebrate our excitement (as well as another excuse to party), we threw him big, bold party and showed him what our region was all about.

Summary:

- BBQ'd pork

- BBQ sauce

- Real Ranch dressing!

- cookies

- mango cobbler

- Chex mix

- Fritos

- Beers

- Jungle juice

- A very bad mix of alcohol and a camera

Now imagine me shouting "Oh my God!" to everyone of these bullet points, especially the last one.

--Byron YeePeace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Time for some new clothes

I've been sporting a pair of pants that now has about 7-8 patches on various parts of them (each a functional patch). Unfortunately, I just re-ripped my right knee, so now I have to patch my patch...

I guess I need to add new pants to my shopping list. Might as well add a whole new set of underwear as well. Those are probably deemed "totaled" in the undergarment blue book. Unless you consider holes on the back side a normal feature, which based on other blog entries, might sometimes be convenient to have...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Healthy Thoughts

For once, I don't mean this in a cynical way.

4 of our 5 school gardens have lots of lovely and delicious looking veggies coming up right now. So we invited our friend Albert to give a small presentation on the health benefits of eating vegetables. I followed it up with a lesson on business. 2 days, 4 schools, 4 lessons.

To date, these school gardens are probably the most successful and sustainable project I've done, so many thanks to the schools, my community members, and Albert.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

To the idiots throwing a late night dance party

Dear jerks who decided to throw another dance party outside my window late the other night, a word of advice...

1. Timing: Start early, end early. 'Nough said there.

2. A DJ does NOT sing along to the music through a mic. That's NOT a dance party, it's karaoke.

3. Music Selection: Although you have managed to create music with a good beat for me to punch my pillow and slap my face to, it's still not danceable music. Also, Shania Twain's original recording is much better than your pathetic cover.

Follow these three recommendations and we will all be much happier and less cranky the morning after...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

A Tribute to Bob Marley - sort of...

May 11th marked the anniversary of Bob Marley. Senegal and Gambia celebrate by playing lots of his music, which is a little redundant by the evening, but a much appreciated relief from the normal, redundant, all-day Senegalese pop music.

I overheard my brother singing his version of Get Up, Stand Up. (Read below with a meticulous and perverse eye):

"Get up, stand up. Get up for your wife."

Granted, I'm mostly to blame for his silly English (ask him what time it is and he will now respond "Hammer Time!"), but this lyrical mistake was a highlight. Unknowingly and unintentionally, he made an equally important tribute to an equally important person first name Bob and a well publicized medical issue:

Bob Dole and his shameful Erectile Dysfunction.

I've decided NOT to inform or explain his mistake and let Mr. Dole take one for the team on this one.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Cashews, yum!

I've been working with an NGO to try to help my community get some technical training and assistance in forming a co-op of cashew produces. So for the past two days I attended sessions on quality control, plantation maintenance, storage procedures, etc all in Wolof. So if you need to know anything about cashews, you'll need to understand wolof before I can explain anything.

The day the trainings officially started, I glanced at my notes and noticed that I first starting working with this group 362 days before and this was the very first tangible result of my work. So, either I just underwent a year-long lesson in patience, or Allah was finally bored of teasing me and full on slapped me in the face...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

New Cuisine

I thought that after almost 2 years, I'd tried it all. Not so...

There is a large rat the size of the cat, but white like a possum in Senegal. Us PCVs refer to it as a "cat rat." Well, there's been living in my compound for a few months, and one of my brothers managed to catch it. And what does one do with a live animal that serves purpose for farming or labor? Eat it!!

My stomach is strong enough all, and also lacking in protein and iron enough that I didn't think twice about joining in the small (but large for a rat) feast.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

In Need of a Nanny

Today was a blustery day in Karang, and for some reason I thought of Mary Poppins. Hence this blogpost,

"If Mary Poppins were Senegalese":

- Her name would be Fatou; almost all women have that name.

- Her theme song would be "another spoonful of sugar and you WILL get Type 2 Diabetes. I mean it this time."

- A magic jump into a painting or drawing and one would just be in front of another mosque or a famous Maribou (sorry kids, no merry go round in this fantasy)

- As she floated away in the winds, her umbrella would melt, but her death would not be terrible, she'd die of heat exhaustion during the free fall.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

A New Theme Park Ride

On my ride home from these meetings, the sun was quickly setting and we were cruising down a dusty past by starlight and weak headlights. The ride reminded me of something that would be in Adventure Land at Disneyland.

Dirt roads, smelly cows, yelping dogs, people popping up and shouting at you, very bumpy ride...

As I stumbled out of the car hours later I though, people pay lots of money to go to theme parks and enjoy these rides for FUN?! Americans are weird...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

La Couverture Universelle des Moustiquaires

The country's government is currently tackling a program to provide universal mosquito net coverage to every single household in the entire country. This follows the goal to decrease the number of malaria deaths by 80% by 2015. BTW, malaria is the number 1 killer in Senegal.

So, off to the races - sort of. I spent 3 days in 3 all day meetings planning and prepping for this logistical nightmare. After feeling very bored and braindead, I can at least explain the entire program in French.

The powerpoints, speakers, and doodles in my notebook reminded me of college except for the minor difference of:

- The presentations were all in French

- I had no homework assignments

- I was the youngest person by 15+years AND the only Asian American.

--Byron YeePeace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

A Scientific Observation

Have you ever screamed so loud and hard that you farted simultaneously?

Well, I watched a donkey do just that today. It was so amazing and frightening, it made a little girl cry...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Back from Vacation!

Nothing says "Welcome Back to Senegal" like re entering the sketchy airport.

Taxi drivers immediately harrassing you and including the phrases (in French) "You need a taxi? Come with Papa!"

And finally jumping into a car that needed to be restarted 5 times on the 20 minute trip.

Is it sad that I see these things as a normal relief?

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

You Know you're a Peace Corps Volunteer when...

1. An African Snowball Fight consists of hurling rotten tropical fruit at each other.

2. You dream in local languages

3. A conference call with your boss has donkeys, chickens, and babies screaming in the background

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Almost Famous

Well, I guess "almost" is not really appropriate...

Since the airing of this new documentary about Peace Corps-Senegal, I've had people in big cities holler my name, whisper about me (in wolof which I can now understand), greet and thank me for my work and presence. Even Senegalese have found me on facebook.

2 days ago, we had a small viewing party in Dakar to celebrate the success and great feedback from this film. I don't really have a desire to watch myself on film, but the free chicken wings was enough of an incentive to go :)

Don't worry, an English version is being edited right now, so you'll eventually be able to get a good glimpse of my life here.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

A slice of life

Just wanted to share my morning with you

My ride from town into Kaolack today was a bit uncomfortable as there were 5 adults and 1 child squished into a bench that should seat 4 max. One butt cheek was not technically sitting, but this same cheek was actually more comfortable than its left half which was sitting on a very painful metal bar. At least the fat woman next to me wasn't smelly or mean, but still fat...

Upon my arrival into the big city, I spotted The Naked Man. Who is this character? He's literally a man in Kaolack, who walks around the garage and gas station naked. No, this country does not have a new wave of nudism entering its culture, its just that both the Senegalese and Americans have no idea (or lack the courage) to confront this man about his lack of clothing or material possessions - but that's not to say he isn't "well endowed"

After 2 taxis and another car, I finally made it into Dakar. I was very tired, dehydrated, and hungry. But all those issues can be solved with a power nap, a few chugs of local tap water, and a mystery meat sandwich bought from a random vendor on the street...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Visitin' a Buddy

This past weekend, I finally had the time to visit another region mate (and fellow theatre geek!)

Garrison, aka Lamine Seydi, lives in a charming Serere village close to the delta. I was able to spend a day with him and help him with several of his awesome projects. It was also a chance to put my Serere language skills to the test - I passed but barely. However, after spending 24 hours in a Serere village, it took me a second to switch back to Wolof once getting back home.

Not that that mattered because upon immediately entering my house, I was greeted by my Pulaar neighbors in Pulaar and Mandinka.

My head hurts...

*PS. Garrison's dad, I know you read my blog, so I just wanted to say that your son is in good health and working hard. (And no, I'm not just saying that to get free Patagonia clothing from you)

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

A moment of selflessness

Even though this blog is titled "Byron Yee's Grand Adventures," there are plenty of people here and on the homefront who've really been a huge part of my experience. Thus, a quick shoutout to several important people.

-Emily Tran - my region mate: congrats on getting your vacation approved! You and Tim (and your sis) are gonna have an awesome time in London. Enjoy your break from this trying country and have an awesome time speaking English for a change.

- Cassie - my sitemate: Stop getting sick!! I'm so sorry your body hates Senegal, but you're welcome to raid my medkit anytime.

- Nina - my best friend: Hugs and kisses and a whole lotta love. Hang in there, I'm thinking of you and sending my Wolof blessings.

- Vince - my other BFF: If I'm in Senegal and we are known as Senegalese, what do they call people in New Mexico? BTW, do they speak a special dialect of Spanish there? ;)

- Pammy- my sis: Congrats again on your promise ring. Never expected my little sis would beat me to the alter as well. Don't worry, my bride will come soon - I just don't know which country she's from or what language she'll speak...

To the other 20+ blog followers and everyone else, thanks for checking in and sticking with me. I hope my stories and blogs are both informative, fun, and share a slice of my life here.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

New Running Goal attained

I've spent the past 6 months working my way up to running 10km. It means waking up at 6am and running with the sunrise, which is awesome.

Last month, I put together a personal challenge to run cumulatively 100km in a month (10 runs x 10km). I did it!

And not that I need to "shed any pounds" but for the record I have gained about 10 lbs since in country...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

le 4 avril - la Fête de l'Indépendence du Sénégal

This past Monday was Senegal's independence day.

The activities:

- A boring parade with lots of feedback and boring speakers

- A marching band that included 2 very out of tune trumpets, and a practice session that paraded by my house at midnight the night before

- A wrestling match that lasted 30 minutes, which finally ended in a draw

Overall, the day's celebrations were pathetic and incredibly anticlimactic. In fact, the highlight of my day was reading Pride and Prejudice. Man, talk about a different world than where I'm currently located. What I wouldn't give for elegantly dressed women, ballrooms, and English accents right now...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Byron Yee on National TV!

So I guess I'm yet again famous, this time on Senegalese National TV. The US embassy just released a documentary about Peace Corps Volunteers; I was one of the lucky film subjects. This is a news clip from the premiere party, but the full documentary (with English) will be online hopefully soon.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

A game of cat and...bird

This afternoon, I was in the bathroom in Cassie's backyard when I noticed a pigeon staring at me. Of all the creatures that have stared at me while in the bathroom, that was the least disturbing.

What we think happened was the bird was hanging out on a tree, but fell and injured its wing and therefore unable to fly away. It was also unable to fly away from the cat chasing in, both animals of which ran into Cassie's hut while we were chatting. The pigeon then hid under the bed.

A makeshift cage has been fashioned to protect the bird from the cat. But don't think to highly of us PCVs - we're only caging the bird so we can eat it ourselves after fattening it up a bit...

Call us cruel, but sometimes we really crave meat and protein.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Byron's Birthday Bash

How does it feel to turn a quarter of a century old in Africa? Weird...

But it could have been celebrated better. Pizza, beer, close friends, just what I wished for for my 25th birthday. It was simple, fun, and a bit adventurous as usual.

Thanks to all for the good wishes, texts, hugs, and kisses.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Newton's First law of Senegal

The other night, I was sitting comfortably and reading a book after dinner time. It was a bit breezy and all of a sudden, a round green object the size of a softball hit my skull.

My first reaction was to yell at the nearest sibling who threw a mango at me, then I realized it was merely Newton's 1st law at work.

If Newton were an African, I'm pretty sure he would've been as startled, confused, and injured as I was that night. By the way, a mango is larger, heavier, and therefore much more painful than an apple...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Hosting an Exchange Student

For the past week, I hosted another American named Will, who is studying abroad in Senegal for a semester.

Will was a trooper and walked through the brush, got dirty and dehydrated, and made a decent PCV for a week. Throughout the week, we also studied a bit of French, Wolof, and I gave him my insight into Senegalese culture and society.

Will, thanks for visiting, it was a pleasure and my family (but mainly me) really enjoyed the chicken you bought us for lunch :)

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

"Au Revoir, Madame Dewing"

Last week, a bunch of us business PCVs gathered to send off our program director, Nicole. She'll be leaving Peace Corps Senegal, but due to her passion and resilience for this country, will most likely be back soon in some other form of work and genius.

We had a lovely dinner and a great mini-reunion in Dakar. Nicole, here's to your continuing success in whatever continent you may find yourself *(Insert wishful cup of wine here)

PCVs also took this opportunity to say goodbye to 3 other fun and awesome PCVs, Oliver, Ankith, and Chris P. After some delicious Chinese food and a small party, they got on a plane heading straight for Las Vegas.

Careful guys, your Readjustment Allowance is just that - to readjust to life back in the US. However, if one gambles it all away, you will be broke, jobless, hungover, and still needing to - well, readjust...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Master Farmer Program

The Facts: 80% of Senegal's population engages in agriculture as its main source of income. However, only 45% of total consumption is produced by these millions of farmers. Problem.

Peace Corps has teamed up with USAID (the former being the field workers, the latter being the sugar daddy) to train various farmers in select zones of the country. My village has just introduced a new farmer into this program, which is a 4 year contract. The strategy is to train trainers; we train these farmers who are then responsible for teaching the rest of their communities.

So I'll be working hard to help get Mr. Samba Ly set up in hopes and faith that the next set of PCVs to follow can really help him continue his work. So wish us all luck. Its a big project, with lots of potential rewards, but lots of potential pitfalls as well.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

The 5 Senses of Senegal - Sight

Time for another installment of the 5 Senses of Senegal. Its been written for awhile, just needed the right time and place for sharing and recording it.

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Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Photos online!

After a much needed update,

My picasa was just uploaded with all new exciting photos and entertainment. Hopefully, you all enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed these moments.

www.picasaweb.google.com/TheByronYee

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

The (not-so) cultural moment of the day

Nothing makes you feel more integrated and accepted that chilling with two grown males, sipping tea, and watching a great TV show known as:

Teen Titans!

Although this was a cartoon I watched back in middle/high school, it was in French, which makes this a more "cultural and educational" experience.

Regardless, the show was appreciated and enjoyed by all, which I guess counteracts any silliness of 3 adults watching an American children's cartoon dubbed into foreign languages...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

WAIST 2011

Time once again for the annual West Africa Intramural Softball Tournament.

Has it already been a year since the last one? This purely American weekend consisted of lots of softball, costumes (my region was ballerina themed), and a strict diet of beers and hotdogs. Doritos were rewarded for closely following this diet.

After 4 intense days of games and serious partying and even more serious dancing, my body is a bit angry at me. But I've taken the "work hard play hard" concept to it's most extremes. Once I phase out of "recovery mode," its time to work hard again...

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

New Poetry Online

It's been awhile, but I just got another installment of slam poetry recently performed online. This starts a series called "The 5 Senses of Senegal." So, more to come later...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op_O3k9GG4g

Thanks to Peace Corps Senegal and surrounding countries for being just a great and responsive audience.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

A Long and Painful absence

I apologize to any hardcore faithful blog fans of mine for the absence. Yes, it was long, and yes it was a bit painful.

Shortly after my last blog entry, I was ill. How bad? Facebook quoted me as "liquids coming out of both ends. That can't be good..." That and some intense fevers made life a bit uncomfortable and difficult for a good 3 days.

But fortunately, I'm well and eating again. Don't feel too bad, all PCVs have the occassional GI issues, its all part of the job...

Yep, I'm still ok, mom ;)



--
Byron Yee
Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

I Miss Running Water

A couple days ago, I was in Cassie's village pulling water from the well for her (a favor I do out of respect for the ruralism of her site).

The large and heavy basins of water on my head, I'm used to. In fact, I can generally carry it back to her hut with minimal spilling now. However, the other day, an angry cow was thirsty and I spilled quite a bit of water while saving my spleen from be impaled by a cow horn.

Spilled water means another trip to the well, dead trees, or no shower - all bad situations.

It was one of those moments when I wished I was in America with a hot shower...and no cows

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Lost in an African Forest

Yesterday,

I went to visit a new PCV in my area (Thanks Em!). The visit was fantastic and a lot of fun. The bike ride back home? Less fun...

Hobbits can tell you that a shortcut also leads to a longer road. Confirmed.

Within 20 minutes, I lost the sand road I was following, biked through some rice fields, and ended up in the forest. Oops. But I finally found a village again and got pointed in the right direction.

8 villages and 3 hours and 15min later, I finally made it home. Unfortunately, it was after dark, but fortunately before hyenas come out. Next time, I'm taking the paved roads, even though its a "longer trip"

As always, so sorry to frighten you, mom, but I swear aside from fatigue, dehydration, and some cuts and scraps, I'm ok ;)

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Cassie’s Mom Visits Senegal!

Last weekend, my wonderful sitemate and equally wonderful mother came to visit me and my family in Karang. Quick highlights of our day:

- Walked to our big community garden and farm field. Luckily it was a cooler morning
- Received a gift of cheeze its and homemade cookies!
- Got a new pair of Chacos delivered to me from the US
- I killed a chicken in honor of our special guests. (my first slaughered chicken ever)
- Ate a very delicious lunch of Yassa Poulet
- Lots of hugs

So overall, it was a pretty fantastic day and an awesome visit. Thanks for visiting Kay, and safe travels (and health) on your way back home. I promise I'll return the favor and visit you someday.

--

Byron Yee

Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Close Encounters with a Chicken

The other day, a chicken was eating from our lunch bowl, so I snuck up behind it and gave it a very satisfying kick.

Moments later I realized my foot and pant leg were covered with its poop. Gross, but now I can officially say:

**Pardon the language**

I literally scared and kicked the shit out of a chicken!

--
Byron Yee
Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Shoutout to Peace Corps Med

Dear PC Medical office,

I'm very grateful and thankful of your support and access to our medical needs.

Specifically, thanks so much for the Pre Natal Vitamins I was just sent. Even if not the most appropriate mineral supplement, I'll still take one daily "before, during, and after pregnancy." Although I confess, I'm only capable of following a 3rd of those directions. (Hint: I don't think my body is menstruating and to my knowledge am not the parent of a child)

Anything in the name of staying safe and healthy, I guess...

--
Byron Yee
Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

New Years Resolution

If my NY res was to be busier and more productive this year, I think I just fulfilled this goal within the year's first week. Here's a summary of what I just did:

1. Hosted the US embassy and Senegal's local TV for filming a documentary on PCVs. It was a very intense and frustrated 2 days as I was working with a Senegalese TV crew with low tech equipment. So cultural differences and general misunderstanding got in the way.
2. Speaking of miscommunication, how about learning some Pulaar? This would be my 4th local language I'm learning, of which I've mastered none...
3. Just finished digging 500+ sq meters of improved garden beds with my community garden team.
4. Launched 5 new school gardens, with lots of help from Cassie. (thanks dear)

So as today is officially a sunday, I think I deserve a day of rest...

--
Byron Yee
Peace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009

Bonne Annee & Dewenati!

My New Year's celebration was celebrated close by in Toubacouta with just a handful of other PCVs.

The day included a 22km bike ride, 2 beers, a 45 min. nap, half a chicken for dinner, and an immeasurable amount of whiskey. Not that quantifying any of my experience is important...Also, the infamous song "Aude Lang Syne" does NOT translate into Wolof very easily.

Here's to a year of even more exciting and unknown adventures.

*Also a quick shout-out to Garrison's dad, who apparently reads my blog. Just to let you know, your son is in good hands and in the care of a fellow theatre major :) Although, knowing what your theatre son is already like, when you hear that there's another, you may be LESS vs. more comforted...

--Byron YeePeace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009