happy halloween: another 3-part series

the million dollar question: Do Chinese people celebrate Halloween?

the answer: Not really.

However, since my students are part of the International Section, many of them are familiar with - or even celebrate - Halloween. Thus I showed up to class on Thursday October 30 (yes the celebration is a little early, but when you're in China I suppose that's close enough) in full costume as a witch. Classes were pretty normal; the students were excited about my costume and I fully enjoyed chasing them with my broom when they misbehaved.

A highlight was showing up to my Year 1 class in the afternoon. Coco saw my costume and her face lit up. Unable to explain to me the source of her excitement with her limited English vocabulary, she ran next door and returned with a black cape and construction paper cone hat. Another witch!

In the evening the ISS had organized a Halloween party, complete with pizza and chocolate fondue (if you've been following my blog you know the rarity of such items in Bao'an), student vocalists, and a student-run haunted house. I consider this "part 2" of my holiday because I underwent a costume change about 20 minutes before the party. Jaris came to my apartment with the brilliant idea that I wear his clothes and go as a gangster. So I showed up to the ISS party with a huge silver cross, Fubu shorts to my ankles, a G-unit t-shirt, and even a do-rag. The students didn't really get my costume - some even told me I looked "cute" - but the other foreign teachers appreciated it.

Not such a great gangster face.

I also got to meet a few of my students' parents at the party, which was fun. They were friendly and welcoming, and since most were wealthy Hong Kongers, they came equipped with American-style candy: Snickers, Twix, Butterfinger, Reese's. If I were at home, this would hardly seem worth mentioning. However, a month in China has changed my perception of blogworthiness!

Finally, part 3: I went out on Friday night, American style, to the expat district of Shenzhen. Andy and Jaris had spent the afternoon downtown putting together '80s rock star costumes, while I sat at home and nursed a mild illness (aka tried not to distance myself too far from the toilet). I wasn't really that sick, so after going to a barbecue with Eric and John in the evening, I put on a last-minute '80s "groupie" costume and headed to the Irish Pub with Andy and Jaris. I thoroughly enjoyed myself for the first hour or so, but my afternoon sickness was apparently unresolved; after a couple beers I found myself dizzy, then almost blacking out, and then puking in the toilet downstairs (while some of the other foreign teachers laughed at me from the other side of the door). I made it home, but barely; I threw up again inside of our apartment complex and then laid down and claimed I would be fine just spending the night on the concrete. For my college roommates who are probably enjoying reading about this, since I have literally never thrown up after drinking in my entire life: yes I recognize the irony of spending 4 years celebrating Halloween in crazy Madison, and then finally puking my guts out while celebrating it in China...