You may or may not know that March 8 is International Women's Day. I didn't know this until I moved to a foreign country. The conversation went something like this:
Student: Miss Miller, what do you do in America to celebrate International Women's Day?
Me: Eh...ah...what's International Women's Day?
Student: It's an INTERNATIONAL holiday. How do you celebrate?
Me: Well, uh, we don't do that in America.
Student: WHAT!? It's INTERNATIONAL. Everyone must do it.
That's basically where the conversation ended. It's really not a very exciting conversation. American holidays were somewhat confusing for my students who had been taught that "Fool's Day" (April 1) was an American holiday on the same par as, well, at least Halloween if not July 4 or Thanksgiving.
During my time overseas I celebrated International Women's Day in a variety of ways. One year there was a fancy banquet at a hotel downtown (not as fun as it sounds). Sometimes there were compulsory lectures (exactly as fun as it sounds). But, by far, the best March 8 celebration was that of 2008. And by "best" I obviously mean "most horribly awkward."
To celebrate IWD (it's just too long to keep typing out) that year, the Foreign Language College was honoring women by taking the whole department (men and women) to a hot spring. Yay! Nothing like being the only white girl in a bathing suit with your entire department of Asian coworkers!!
We all take a bus to the hot spring which is really like a fancy pool complex that's just fed from a hot spring. It's not at all nature-y or what I had imagined a hot spring to look like from my vast knowledge based on movies. Fortunately, unlike in the movies, everybody wore a bathing suit.
Then, we break off to our respective locker rooms where there's no privacy. Zilch. So, you know, I get to the be the only white girl changing. I had a super cute suit with a little skirt because it's important to be modest when you're the sole focal point of attention... and about to go swimming with your male colleagues on a work trip. Some stranger ladies complimented me with a "Oh, I very like your bathing costume" which made me feel totally fashionable in a 1890s kind of a way.
First, we hit the super hot pools. Then we went to the pools where the little fishies nibble on you. (New idea: they should totally combine those two pools and then WE can nibble on the little fishies while we relax - this has to be in practice somewhere in China). I was pretty freaked by the little nibbly fishies. Especially because you're like submerged with them. And what they don't tell you in fancy travel magazines is that all those little fishies poop. So in addition to you sitting in your bathing suit talking about your hometown to the dean of your department while little fish nibble at you, there's also little fish poops floating about. See how fun this is!!!
I didn't last long in that pool. Give me a pumice stone or those skin scraper things at the pedicure place any day. Next up, I did some laps and idly (dare I say awkwardly) floated about and attempted small talk with acquaintances (none of the other foreign teachers nor any of my close friends in the department were on this trip. Perchance they were better informed ahead of time).
That lasted for a couple of hours. I kid you not. It was long. So long.
And then it was time to leave. Yay! Except that required changing and showering. A giant room with lots of shower heads and not a shower curtain to be found. Show time, folks! I just stared at the wall and showered very quickly. Still, I think my biggest public restroom performance is when I had to change a tampon in the super busy Xi'an bus station. Trough style. No walls or doors. They don't use tampons in China. Poor corrupted children waiting in line. (Sorry for using the "t" word twice and with no warning!!)
So that's the story of my most memorable IWD celebration. Now picture your office going on a trip like this. Fun times, huh? :)
Student: Miss Miller, what do you do in America to celebrate International Women's Day?
Me: Eh...ah...what's International Women's Day?
Student: It's an INTERNATIONAL holiday. How do you celebrate?
Me: Well, uh, we don't do that in America.
Student: WHAT!? It's INTERNATIONAL. Everyone must do it.
That's basically where the conversation ended. It's really not a very exciting conversation. American holidays were somewhat confusing for my students who had been taught that "Fool's Day" (April 1) was an American holiday on the same par as, well, at least Halloween if not July 4 or Thanksgiving.
During my time overseas I celebrated International Women's Day in a variety of ways. One year there was a fancy banquet at a hotel downtown (not as fun as it sounds). Sometimes there were compulsory lectures (exactly as fun as it sounds). But, by far, the best March 8 celebration was that of 2008. And by "best" I obviously mean "most horribly awkward."
To celebrate IWD (it's just too long to keep typing out) that year, the Foreign Language College was honoring women by taking the whole department (men and women) to a hot spring. Yay! Nothing like being the only white girl in a bathing suit with your entire department of Asian coworkers!!
We all take a bus to the hot spring which is really like a fancy pool complex that's just fed from a hot spring. It's not at all nature-y or what I had imagined a hot spring to look like from my vast knowledge based on movies. Fortunately, unlike in the movies, everybody wore a bathing suit.
Then, we break off to our respective locker rooms where there's no privacy. Zilch. So, you know, I get to the be the only white girl changing. I had a super cute suit with a little skirt because it's important to be modest when you're the sole focal point of attention... and about to go swimming with your male colleagues on a work trip. Some stranger ladies complimented me with a "Oh, I very like your bathing costume" which made me feel totally fashionable in a 1890s kind of a way.
First, we hit the super hot pools. Then we went to the pools where the little fishies nibble on you. (New idea: they should totally combine those two pools and then WE can nibble on the little fishies while we relax - this has to be in practice somewhere in China). I was pretty freaked by the little nibbly fishies. Especially because you're like submerged with them. And what they don't tell you in fancy travel magazines is that all those little fishies poop. So in addition to you sitting in your bathing suit talking about your hometown to the dean of your department while little fish nibble at you, there's also little fish poops floating about. See how fun this is!!!
I didn't last long in that pool. Give me a pumice stone or those skin scraper things at the pedicure place any day. Next up, I did some laps and idly (dare I say awkwardly) floated about and attempted small talk with acquaintances (none of the other foreign teachers nor any of my close friends in the department were on this trip. Perchance they were better informed ahead of time).
That lasted for a couple of hours. I kid you not. It was long. So long.
And then it was time to leave. Yay! Except that required changing and showering. A giant room with lots of shower heads and not a shower curtain to be found. Show time, folks! I just stared at the wall and showered very quickly. Still, I think my biggest public restroom performance is when I had to change a tampon in the super busy Xi'an bus station. Trough style. No walls or doors. They don't use tampons in China. Poor corrupted children waiting in line. (Sorry for using the "t" word twice and with no warning!!)
So that's the story of my most memorable IWD celebration. Now picture your office going on a trip like this. Fun times, huh? :)
