tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47197989412664197852012-02-01T00:59:35.821+08:00Sinocopia is a travel and photography photo-blog about life in Xuchang, Henan, China. Life in China is super interesting, and hopefully here you can learn about Xuchang city, Xuchang University, and all the rest of China. 许昌，河南，中国 - 照相部落格。Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-66610188736373247282011-07-08T09:35:00.000+08:002011-07-08T09:35:31.106+08:00

So, I got this little beauty awhile back, and I thought I would share it with the world.  Why not, right? Dear Jackson-Thank you for teaching me spoken English, I like you, I like your humor and handsome, you're very cool. I have learnt many things from your class. You are kind and friendly, I always treat you as my friend. I think you will treat me as your friend, too, isn't it? Do you like

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-48491359550786636932011-01-17T06:25:00.003+08:002011-01-17T06:25:00.499+08:00

Recently, in passing, I happened upon a rather remarkable sight. A tree, upon which grew a single, beautiful flower. I can't express exactly why this impressed me so, after seeing so many trees laden heavy with dozens of similar flowers; indistinguishable at casual glance.  But impress me it did. And I couldn't help but wonder why; why should this one be different? Perhaps he was merely

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-57084063988615232962011-01-13T06:12:00.001+08:002011-01-13T06:12:00.857+08:00

Let's play a game!  It's called "Can You Spot the Covert Surveillance Vehicle in the Patch of Woods Near my Apartment?" Yeah, neither can I.  And that's because these guys are professionals. (Disclaimer:  I don't actually know why a car with a camouflage cover was parked in the woods outside my apartment for a few days.  It could be anything!  I hereby attest that I bear no ill will or

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-44036471817529260112011-01-10T03:01:00.004+08:002011-01-10T03:09:31.503+08:00

(Surprise!  I'm still in China!  Still in Xuchang, actually.  God only knows why.) Last summer (I know, it was a while ago) I took my dad traveling around the country for a couple weeks, and one thing that seemed to really get him laughing was a rather strange-but-common sight during the summertime here: the tendency of Chinese men to roll their shirts up above their bellies on a hot day, no

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-58549846838864907602010-04-29T12:56:00.000+08:002010-04-29T12:56:59.781+08:00

While I could certainly do a full blog about Strange Things in China, and probably manage a daily posting, I thought I would introduce one I happened to take a snapshot of during a recent trip: Snickers bars!!  (Batteries Included). For some reason, the Chinese tend to give really unrelated things as incentives to buy certain products, like batteries with Snickers bars.  Other examples I've

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-29486628668933152452010-04-02T20:42:00.002+08:002010-04-02T20:43:32.930+08:00

In the classic style of being a westerner in a city with very few westerners, Ross and I made it into the paper the other day. Original article faithfully reprinted here: 老外包汤圆 (Translation: "Foreigner makes Tangyuan") 汤圆，咱中国老百姓再熟悉不过了，可对“洋先生”来说，绝对是个新鲜物儿。这不，2月25日上午，在我市的一家大酒店，俩“洋先生”就亲身体会了一把做汤圆的乐趣。 “味道还不错！”品尝了自己的“作品”后，Jackson、Ross满意地说，“以前尝过饺子，做汤圆还是第一次。”Jackson和Ross分别来自美国、苏格兰，半年前到许昌学院任教。 “请两位‘洋先生’

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-70251266453810223012010-02-25T17:27:00.001+08:002010-02-25T17:36:21.295+08:00

Now, you faithful readers may have to excuse me for a moment while I blow the cow (This is a funny Chinese joke! Laugh here!), but I had a fairly proud moment recently.  I'm terribly sorry about all the text with no pictures. The Premise So, about three weeks ago, I was contacted by a friend-of-a-friend-of-my-boss who worked for a local traffic-related radio station, and asked if I could help

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-26760207974381666312010-02-18T13:51:00.002+08:002010-02-18T14:00:26.389+08:00

So, while you all were out celebrating your Valentine's Days (Chinese: 情人节 qíngrénjié : "Lovers' Day"), I finally got to culminate my month-long vacation and celebrate my first Chinese New Year!  It was special. (Forgive us foreigners for looking ridiculous in this picture) My friend Ross and I were invited by a friend of ours, 海洋 (hǎiyáng : "Ocean", not pictured above) to have dinner with his

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-65321813664785053752010-02-13T11:58:00.001+08:002010-02-13T13:11:56.407+08:00

  One of the things I felt really set Beijing apart from Xuchang was the typical street scene.  In the bigger cities in China, as in the picture above, you get actual traffic, the likes of which I'm used to.  Perhaps there's more of it than I usually see back home, but generally speaking, it's the same traffic, just expanded.  It has a flow; a sort of life of its own.  But then you compare with

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-64959866776901395722010-02-10T23:38:00.009+08:002010-02-11T00:35:05.197+08:00

To be honest I never really liked spending a lot of time listening to people apologize for being away for so long, so I'm going to spare you a whole lot of explanation and blah blah blah, and cut to the chase: I'm back!  And I have a whooole lot more time now!  Let's start catching up on my life: Trip to Beijing As I mentioned long ago, I spent a weekend in Beijing with my friend Ross, which was

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-78725238177869920062009-12-16T14:33:00.002+08:002010-03-01T10:48:31.505+08:00

Busy, busy, busy these days! So, last week, I finally got some time to get out of the Xuchang for the weekend, to go and see my favorite band ever lately, live in Beijing!  The band's name is Owl City, and they are wonderful in (almost) every way. Firstly, I absolutely love this band.  I accidentally came upon "their" music about a year ago (Owl City is actually almost entirely one person's

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-67051343199935941282009-12-08T13:56:00.024+08:002009-12-08T21:03:06.382+08:00

No pictures in this post!  (Lame!) So, it appears that blogging has become a weekend activity.  This, of course, is no big deal, dear readers, for I am provided with the amazing ability to time my posts as I please, leaving no-one the wiser as to my actual writing habits (so sneaky!).  However, this weekend, I found a much more addictive way to waste a bit of time! In the past three days,

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-52895462860025840982009-11-28T12:29:00.001+08:002009-11-28T12:31:48.512+08:00

I hope everyone in the States had a wonderful time on this lovely holiday based around eating.  I, myself, forgot about it entirely until I was reminded by my thoughtful students, at which point I had the most intense craving for Western food I've had since I got here.  For those who don't know me, I must explain here that Pumpkin Pie is one of my top three favorite foods in the whole world, and

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-84548935958936651412009-11-27T16:03:00.015+08:002009-11-27T18:58:22.495+08:00

Please, allow me to preface this post by saying that I am a born-and-raised Floridian, and that it hasn't snowed in Florida since I was 5 years old.  Please forgive any excess of exclamation points.  Additionally, I am freezing, so I am typing in gloves; please forgive any typos as well.  And without further ado, WOOOOOOOOOO!!!  Ah.  Much better, thank you. So, about a week ago I woke up to

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-49887260731413079872009-11-23T22:57:00.034+08:002009-11-25T18:37:09.335+08:00

(This is the final post of a series beginning here.) Section 3: The "Writing" Exam Actual text reads: "Is the rapid and enormous development of China a chance or a challenge to the remainder of the world?  What is your position on this topic?  Please make clear points and support these points with examples?" Wow! Only one question, yes, but man, talk about baggage!  You've got 200 words and

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-50089214581154736132009-11-15T11:15:00.015+08:002009-11-25T13:29:30.646+08:00

(This is a continuation of Quality Control, China Style, the recap of a test that we foreign teachers are required to take.) Section 2: "Elementary" Knowledge Test I think it would be prudent to say here that when I was introduced to this test, I had a completely misguided idea of what it would be like.  I was chatting with my boss one day when she told me that I needed to take this online test

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-85902947367000067722009-11-11T14:14:00.001+08:002009-11-11T14:15:14.389+08:00

Last week I impulsively bought a Crysanthemum plant from a student selling them on the sidewalk on campus, and I have been amazed at just how much of a positive effect it has had on the atmosphere in the apartment. His name is Charlie. For awhile, he wasn't looking too healthy (although rather photogenic): But he snapped out of it, and eventually came into a nice bloom.  Hooray Charlie!

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-6790608604503172992009-11-07T17:55:00.008+08:002009-11-25T13:32:45.175+08:00

The other day, I was informed that I was required to take part in something called the Evaluation System for Foreign Language Expert, a sort of employment screening exam concocted as a joint venture between the government's Foreign Affairs Department and the Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing.  I hadn't heard of it before, and honestly, I still think it is a great idea.  The

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-25772134882209329932009-10-29T16:54:00.001+08:002009-10-29T16:55:15.537+08:00

One of the cool things about living as an expat in China is that adventure is around every corner, or sometimes even living upstairs.  This particular adventure came in the form of my neighbor, "Laura". So, one evening as I was preparing for the next day's class, I got a knock on the door.  Now, the only person who knocks on my door with any sort of regularity is my Scottish friend Ross, so I

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-13987148993504334852009-10-24T23:00:00.042+08:002009-10-25T09:55:25.366+08:00

(Today is day 5 of the Note Card Series.  The last set!  Too bad, too, these posts are easy.) Today's Category "Professional Relationships" or "How I got fired from my first job in China" In today's category, points are awarded for aggressively pursuing some sort of close relationship with me.  I'm not sure if this is quite as common with the local teachers, but I am well aware now that

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-79318201291607467672009-10-24T08:50:00.004+08:002009-10-24T20:00:04.940+08:00

(Today is day 4 of The Note Card Series.  Yes, there is still more.  These students are ridiculous.) Today's Category Flattery Will Get You Nowhere (Except posted on my blog) In "Flattery Will Get You Nowhere", points are awarded to students who try to make me feel good about myself, for whatever reason.  No genuine goodwill required!  On to the cards... #5 "I hope teacher health, happy

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-51565692728932591502009-10-22T16:35:00.112+08:002009-10-23T16:06:29.004+08:00

(Today is day 3 of the Note Card Series) Today's Category Your English name is what?! I don't think this category needs much of an explanation.  On to the finalists! #10 English Name: "Killy" Bold, but intimidating.  I don't know if I could date a girl named Killy, although perhaps we could be professional acquaintences.   It was a few days before I figured out she must have meant "Kelly"

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-80055562025911820222009-10-20T13:14:00.010+08:002009-10-28T16:42:22.932+08:00

 Today is Day 2 of the Note Card Series. Today's Category The Cat, Yes or No, has been Killed? In "The Cat, Yes or No,has been Killed?", points are awarded for the quality of students' questions for me.  This may include audacity, or sheer innocence.  And without further ado, today we have the top ten: #10 Name: Li Lun Questions: "1) Do you like pop music?" Fair enough question.  Sure, I

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-3816029481039150022009-10-19T17:17:00.008+08:002009-10-19T17:33:08.534+08:00

The Task: I asked all of my students on the first day to fill out note cards with answers to the following questions: Name (in Chinese Characters): Name (in Pinyin): English name: Why do you want to learn English? Questions/comments for me?  The competition for the best result is fierce. Today's Category Completely Incomprehensible In "Completely Incomprehensible", points are awarded for

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-45958447783678584512009-10-18T12:45:00.003+08:002009-10-18T12:50:58.588+08:00

I started teaching classes this week! While I am of course sad that I am no longer on paid vacation, I figure it's about time to start earning my keep around here.  And I am definitely doing just that!  I have 6 different classes, and each class meets twice a week, for a total of about 18 actual class hours.  Now, 18 hours per week doesn't sound like all that much, but including all of the

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-69379508192829202762009-10-15T19:11:00.004+08:002009-10-17T07:12:31.719+08:00

I have a real Chinese friend!  That I actually enjoy hanging out with!  Hooray! The other day, while I was playing Badminton with one of the other Foreign teachers (I just discovered how fun this sport is), I met a new friend!  Her name is Máo Yèyè, but I call her Xiǎomèi (meaning "Little Sister"), ever since she started calling me Dàgē ("Older Brother").  She is hilarious.  And, as opposed to

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-33298784659311501822009-10-13T18:55:00.177+08:002009-10-18T09:43:05.197+08:00

A few days ago, I woke to a beautiful, warm, sunny day--a rare commodity in the chill of mid-autumn-- and decided that it was a good day for some excitement. So, I decided to go buy a cell phone instead.  But that's the thing about living in China: buying a cell phone is no longer an annoying-but-necessary task; it's an adventure! I resisted buying one of these at first; I figured if I could get

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-16600308357033229662009-10-08T10:08:00.003+08:002009-10-24T20:19:38.744+08:00

My Address Jackson Davis International School of Education Xuchang University, East Campus Xuchang, Henan, China (I think you just put all of that stuff on there.  Supposedly that will eventually get to me.  I'm always really surprised that the mail system works at all, though.) I love snail mail!  Who doesn't?  However, I am just as bad about sending it as the next person, so here are some

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-10464061974381790792009-10-05T12:01:00.000+08:002009-10-05T12:01:40.164+08:00

Happy Holidays everyone!  Yesterday was another holiday: the Mid-Autumn Festival. This festival, combined with the Chinese National Day, meant an 8-day holiday break for the whole country!  Not too big a deal for me, though, since I'm on my third straight week of holiday.  I just can't get enough! I didn't do a whole lot of stuff during this festival, since most of the traditions are

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-38319864234764304942009-10-04T21:08:00.006+08:002009-10-05T23:40:57.402+08:00

(Highlights available at bottom of post.  Click "read more".) The Update ------------------------------------------------------------------ *New Set*  "Downtown Xuchang" - 15 new photos  (Slideshow) ------------------------------------------------------------------ "Cute Chinese Kids" - 11 new photos (Slideshow) ------------------------------------------------------------------ "Art?

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-44997342494954561342009-10-04T11:39:00.012+08:002009-10-05T09:01:28.089+08:00

National day was a blast.  The day started off rather normally, although with more morning fireworks than usual (hooray).  After that, one of the other foreign teachers (Scottish, specifically) and I hit downtown to check out what was happening.  Here are some of the highlights.   Chinese National Day As I already mentioned, the color red was everywhere you looked.  However, today, there were

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-26644772626128236442009-10-01T12:02:00.005+08:002009-10-03T19:01:24.400+08:00

(Apologies, of course, for the brief leave of absence.  My 1337 hacking was temporarily incapacitated, and needed some love.  My thrilling imagination likes to daydream that the government is trying to shut me down, but I'm pretty sure it's really just that Vista sucks.  Anyway, I'm back, so look forward to more posts soon!) We have a very special birthday today!  Turning 60 years young today,

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-87539742217020068322009-09-26T09:07:00.007+08:002009-09-29T12:47:19.487+08:00

One of the things that attracted me about China was the food.  I feel like If you're not interested in the culinary experience of eating in China, you're only experiencing half the country.  So, naturally, I eventually found a better solution to my stomach's desires than the bag of soup from the local neighborhood, and that is the campus cafeteria.  There are actually two of these on campus, and

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-34890184650102620982009-09-23T15:31:00.010+08:002009-09-24T09:04:08.945+08:00

Oh, not much, you know, checked my email, had some amazing cultural experiences.  No big deal.  (I am so lucky!!) So, yesterday I woke up a bit earlier than normal (6:30am-ish), and went through the usual morning routine, trying to hack my way through the internet and whatnot.  Pretty much standard program.  However, around 7am or so, some fireworks started going off near my apartment.  Now,

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-3121961355470665602009-09-22T09:05:00.011+08:002009-09-22T12:24:19.994+08:00

One of the things you sortof just have to get used to here is the presence of the government.  Restricted internet, propaganda, etc..  I just try to be interested for the most part, and try not to judge, because it's my understanding that the average person here doesn't usually care too much one way or the other.  They're just trying to live their lives.  So, imagine my surprise when last Tuesday

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-37281413859453497982009-09-21T21:59:00.009+08:002009-09-21T22:09:10.339+08:00

So it turns out, XCU (you don't mind if I call it that, do you?) is pretty awesome.  It's a university of about 13,000 students, outside the city of Xuchang, Henan.  And when I say outside the city, I mean it!  It was a day or two before I realized that the few shops and buildings in our neighborhood were not downtown, as I suspected.  In reality, downtown is huge, and crazy.  More on that later,

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-78618669432475204582009-09-19T11:20:00.003+08:002009-09-25T20:28:46.763+08:00

At the point of leaving the airport, I still had not really grasped at all what my trip was going to be like.  It dawned on me soon after that I had just moved.  To China.  Whoah. The craziness that I witnessed merely on the car ride from the airport to Xuchang is nigh indescribable (although I will certainly make an effort in future posts).  3-wheeled cars, chickens running around, shopfronts

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-74533584192181785452009-09-19T08:38:00.001+08:002009-09-19T08:39:20.304+08:00

...for an important announcement: The Onion: China is hilarious.  Sponsored by the glorious Yu Wan Mei corporation. Interestingly, the onion has no problem getting through the web blanket.  I theorize that the government simply doesn't get the joke.  And what joke is there to get?  None; this is a fine and accurate news service.

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-33956397138077731292009-09-18T17:24:00.007+08:002009-09-18T18:51:27.427+08:00

Getting off at the Beijing Airport was surprisingly easy, and not really intimidating at all.  It was still dark, so I couldn't see much, but it seemed like most other airports I've ever been in.  I think they must try to lull foreigners into a false sense of security, though, because it didn't take long for things to rapidly get crazier and crazier. The first thing I had to do was figure

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-10218904742710693072009-09-17T21:34:00.007+08:002009-09-18T07:16:27.675+08:00

(Note: Due to the unfortunate unavailability of certain websites in my new host country, I was dropped off of the social scene for a bit.  While I have managed to regain access to Sinocopia (more on that later), I am still without Facebook, so you'll have to find another way to get in touch with me!  Also, the next couple of entries are from a few days ago.) Whew!  Boy, are my arms tired! Well,

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4719798941266419785.post-81427234835917668592009-09-09T07:20:00.144+08:002009-10-08T10:47:45.048+08:00

Ticket: Check.  Visa: Check.  Packing: Questionable.  Blog: What? Welcome to Sinocopia, my personal travel blog and experience-based guide to life in China (and, perhaps, everywhere else).  While there will certainly be entries that are less thrilling/amusing/awful than others, and while I cannot, at this juncture, reasonably speculate on post frequency, I hope everyone occasionally finds at

Jackson Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16887169887461356097noreply@blogger.com5