Syrup, Pancakes, Love, and There's No Price

There is no "I" in "we"...

Awesome.

First try with Chinese stove...

Second Try... better...

Golden Perfection.  That was my nickname in Highschool.

Who needs  Wheaties?

Long-Johns, Rainy Day, Creativity...

So... most people go to Church on Sunday but since the closest religious building is a Buddhist Temple over 100 miles away... so instead I made this video.

Incase you didn't get it, it is about the Communism of China and how students see themselves as part of a collective instead of as individuals.

So yeah, please comment below.

Itunes: The Long-John Cheer - Ben Scarbro

Question: Who is your favorite super hero? And why?

Ifriends

Music is incredible.
Some music can remind you of other places and times and people.
Let's make it a game! My Ipod "Top Rated" is on random. I'll write down the name of the song/artist and who/where that song reminds me of.

*It rarely has to do with the lyrics. More so with when and where I heard the song and who I was with.


Short Skirt Long Jacket - Cake, Kyle Scarbro when we first got MTV.
Baby Baby - Amy Grant, Jesse Rickard, Harold and Kumar
Johnny Be Good - Buddy Holly, Parents Back to the Future
Attention - The Academy Is..., Jeremy Cumberledge Cabin Deuce Fort Rolla'
Cemeteries and Greyhound Buses - Deja Norm'al, Andy Anderson, Chris Miller causing trouble
Us - Regina Spektor, David Courtney Wilson Hall
Meant to Live - Switchfoot, Josh Kennell, hahaha.
Chicago - Sufjan Stevens, The 11, Judson, Founding out there's more to music.
Cute Without The 'E' - Taking Back Sunday, Jeremy Cumberledge Wal-mart parking lot.
Five Days and Counting - Spitalfield, Ian Simkins, Jesse Rickard, dance off.
The Purple Bottle - Animal Collective, Adam Greene.
Walls - Emery, Jimmy Mech, JD Jespersen Oh baby.
She Doesn't Get It - The Format, Kyle Scarbro we're even.
9 Crimes - Damien Rice, Adam Greene Europe... and Shrek Three
Misery Business - Paramore, Kara Hedburg, Pete, Kevin, Munch, Dehaan, Open Mic Night
Time To Pretend - MGMT, Crossroads this summer
Tub Thumping - Chumbawumba, Matt Shields... awesome
Suicide Medicine - Rocky Votolato, Stefan Pfautz
Front Porch - Before Summer Ends, Corey Bienert, Coby, Jake and that one time I was in the band
Bow Down - Born of Osiris, Kevin, Pete, Jon, Eric.
Wannabe - Spice Girls, Arnold Summer Camp
The General - Dispatch, Matt Goasdone and freshman year
My Favorite Things - Titan's Forge, Alex Baddock. We need a Reunion
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - Santa Esmeralda, Graham and his incredible videos
94 Hours - As I Lay Dying, Jon Browne, Jarred Willow Creek FACT team
The Reaping - Coheed and Cambria, Deanna and Chapel Drama
Is There a Ghost - Band of Horses, Luke Tofilon and North Carolina
Title and Registration - Death Cab for Cutie, Natalie, Rayne, Brandon, Chapel Drama '05
Pine - Ryan Almond, Adam Greene, Davie Lamb, Rockford, The Nice List.
Die Die Die - The Avett Brothers, Kyle again
Dark - Terminal, Kylie soon to be Kaufman
Push It - Salt N Pepper, Maryiam Ajayi, Matt Cerny Middle School... Kyle Free(?)
Big Yellow Taxi - Whahahappe?, JD Jespersen, Brian Atkinson, and the Great Justin Donner
Face Down - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Michael Hiskey and Warp Tour 2007
Mr. Blue Sky - Yann Tiersen, Adam Greene, JD Jespersen
The Minstrel's Prayer - Cartel, Jimmy Mech, JD Jespersen
New Hope - Five Iron Frenzy, Graham, Kyle and the Mids.
Not Gonna Get Us - TATU, Matt Goasdone, Jesse Rickard and the 2006 Lip Sync
Take it to da House - Trick Daddy, Kyle Scarbro
Hey Ya - Andre 3000, Luke Tofilon, open mic night
Tribal Call - Madison Greene, Bryan Saul, Daniel Witson, Caleb Wonder
Apache - Sugar Hill Gang, Jason Marshall, Ned Wright, lip sync 2008
Story of an Artist - Daniel Johnston, Joshua Truman
New Noise - Refused, Ian Simkins, late night studying for Philosophy
Song 2 - Blur, Graham and ARC, and starship troopers
My Girl - Temptations, Kurt and Pam, brothers and the living room.
How Far We've Come - Matchbox 20, the Riches and Patrick McGrath
Prague - Damien Rice, Everything Europe
Track 05 - Red Moon Rising, Johnsons, Krafts, Chris and Ashley, Crossroads this summer
La Breeze - Simian, Ryan Casey, the Rausch's, Podcast
The Pretender - Foo Fighters, Kym Gagnon fall '07
Sandstorm - Da Rude, Ned Wright
All of Us - Blindside, Jimmie Blount
The Bruised Reed - Anathallo, Adam Greene, Dan Little, Jake, Corey, Coby, etc
Leader - Phantom Planet, Adam Greene.
What it is to Burn - Brian Atkinson freshman year Wilson Hall
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - Daft Punk, Wilson Hall RAs 2007
For Today I Am a Boy - Antony and the Johnsons, Matt Imburgia and Studio '08
Memory - The Great Scott, Severna Park Boys


And now I'm tired of doing this... GOODNIGHT!

Props?

So this is best watched in full screen mode...






Please don't make fun of me too much. It took me like 3 hours to make.

PS Tonight I laughed the hardest I've laughed in a long time... and it wasn't even me that made me laugh! SIIIMMMBBAAA!

Itunes: Nobody Knows Me At All - Weepies

Question: How will you and have you share the "good news" of Ben Scarbro? wait... what?

Pictures!!!

Me being a tourist in front of the gate to our school.

How do you say "Mac Daddy" in Chinese? And Mac Daddy I mean dumb American.
Vicky, Susan, Cindy, Me, Amy, Jenny

I said something in Japanese from Street Fighter II
Me, Vicky, Matt, Susan, Jenny

Amy, Matt, Susan, Jenny, Ben, Vicky. Team 6.

I thought Roosters crow when the sun comes up... not all freaking day.
It's like freaking Legend of Zelda. Grab one of those and you can fly.

Me in front of the only Pagoda-like building in Loudi.
The city is only 30 years old.

Welcome to the Middle of China

Please comment on my posts, whether you want to or not.

Itunes: Crush - David Archuleta (haha, kidding... kind of)
We Won't Back Down - Escape the Fate

Question: Why don't you answer my questions in the below comments? (Anonymous has been activated)

Prideful Much? All in good fun...

Itunes:Be Mine - David Gray

Question: What should I do to step up my blog?

What the crap is a 'blog' anyway?

Itunes: Track 05 - Red Moon Rising

Question:
What will you mail to me?

Saturday Morning Cartoons

My external hard drive is broken...

Everything I have = gone. 80 GBs of music, thousands of pictures, and movies. All of my highschool-college documents and projects.

Feel bad for me.

But this isn't the first time this has happened, except this time is for real. And no freaking Best Buys here.

P.S. "Sushi" in the middle of China is like Crab in the middle of America... not good. Especially Crab Sushi.
P.P.S. The American count has gone from 3 to 6! YAY Loudi.
P.P.P.S. Suck-ups are not as fun as I thought they would be... just annoying.
P.P.P.P.S. Hey Ben, why is this called "saturday morning cartoons'? The same reason this blog is called "A Christmas Hippo"

Back to School

So, I'm teaching now, 8 classes a week. That's a lot to me. So many students and I don't even speak their native tongue. But I thought I'd give you some highlights so far.

One of my students asked for an English name... I named him "Titan". I thought that was awesome. Most students ask the same questions: "Where are you from?" "Why are you here" "Do you like China?" Do you have a girlfriend?" "What do you think of Chinese girls?" "Did you watch the Olympics?" "Do you like the NBA?"

Some awesome questions have been: "Do you watch Desperate House Wives?" "Do you know Michael Scofield (Prison Break)?" "Will you hook me up with some foreign girls?" Some random girl on the street asked if I would be her brother... man, if I could re-answer I would have said no, and made things really awkward, but i didn't. I was polite and let her think I was nice... even though she was very strange. Matt thought she was a prostitute at first...

Some kids are so eager to learn and are very interested and some could care less, or at least they don't speak enough English to care. It's fun to be in "control" of the class but I'm so easy going and I don't understand many of the cultural differences it will be harder than I thought to teach. My Telecommunication classes are by far my favorite because it’s so easy to see their desire to learn about English and Communication. I believe most other students in Calc, Engineering and Automation are forced to take the class, so they don't care as much.

Cell phones bother me more than sleeping. Is that strange? I mean I completely understand falling asleep in a class doesn't mean you don't like it or you think less of the teacher... shoot I fell asleep in plenty... I mean NONE of my classes... Uh... What? BUT a student that pulls out their cell phone is saying, "Hey, my time is more precious. And there are things that are more important right now than your class." Hmm... Maybe I'm just prideful. But staring at students without saying anything until they realize what they are doing is being watch by the whole class is my new favorite thing to do.

I met another American in a random restaurant Matt, Amy, and I went to. Her and her husband are from Spokane, Washington. They have been here for 4 years! 4 years! They run a teaching center in the city. It’s not really a school. I’m going to try and befriend them. Isn’t it strange that being thousands of miles away from my “home” would prompt me to walk up to a complete stranger and start a conversation with the intention of becoming good friends? I mean, if I landed in Spokane, and saw the same woman, I wouldn’t had two thoughts about talking to her.

I think everything happens for a reason. I think nothing is left to chance. I believe all good and bad things, in the end, are for the glory of God. Blindness, heart attacks, lottery winnings, being in China, the lose of life, the beginning of life, those that society has left “untouched”… all for the glory of a God that the vastness of our imagination can’t even begin to comprehend.

“Teacher, who sinned, this man or his parents, to cause this man to be born blind?” ~Disciples, speaking in absolutes
“Neither, this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” ~Jesus, and His ridiculous way of thinking.



Itunes: Storm – Lifehouse
(I never knew Lifehouse wrote such a good song)

Question for my readers:
What are some clever names to name my students? Remember, they don't have to actually be names... IE Fly, Milk, Creamsicle.

Chris Miller

Chris Miller told me to update my blog.
Done and Done.
He inspires me to be a better person... not because he is one but because he's life has gone to crap since I've left him and he can't stop crying. I'm like his momma-bird, but instead of learning how to fly after I left, he just crashed and burned.
(Chris, remember, my parents read this blog and they'll judge you for using fowl language)

Classes have started. I am awesome. More to come soon.



Itunes: Hard Sun - Eddie Vedder

All About Ben and China

Hey Ben, why are you in China? Good question self.

Hey Ben, that wasn't a good answer! And that wasn't a question.

Hey Ben, what are you doing in China? Teaching English in the forms of Calculus, Engineering, Automation, and Telecommunication. And before you (as the reader) make some inappropriate comment about how silly I am or how crazy/stupid I seem to be, just remember... I did very well for myself in school, despite what you think you know... Minus Amundson's History class... but who does well in that anyway.
And yes, I am equipped to teach Calculus and Engineering and Telecommunication. Its Automation I'm worried about.

Hey Ben, where in China are you?
Foreign Affairs Office
Hunan Institute of Humanities
Loudi City, Hunan Province, China 417000

Can I send you mail? Yes, see above. But it takes a long time and that address is still being tested by those that have come before you.

Hey Ben, aren't these questions lame? You answered you're own question.

Hey Ben, what's "a christmas hippo"? That's a really good question. But I don't have the answer. All I know was it fit.

Hey Ben, when will you be back? I'm still in your heart so don't worry about it. Physicality is over rated anyway.

Hey Ben, where are your pictures? Shut your mouth. My camera is on its way. No I didn't forget it. Stinking backordered. ARG. (Thanks to Dad/Kurt for helping me!!!)

Hey Ben, did you just call your dad Kurt? You are making me mad. It is a family joke. You are, most likely not in the family, therefore you don't get it. And you probably shouldn't even be reading this. Why are you wasting your time?

Hey Ben, I'm the one asking questions. If that was a question the answer would be no.

Hey Ben, why is the fifth question missing a "hey ben"? So the twelfth question could exist.

Hey Ben, what's it like there? If you continue to read my blog posts you may find out.

Hey Ben, do you regret this idea of a blog? Absolutely.



The Hardest Parts of Ben being in China (no order, except the first one):
1.) NO FREAKING PANCAKES - WHAT THE HECK! What kind of civilization can be around for thousands of years and not know what a freaking pancake is? I mean, seriously. UGH.
2.) Limited Western Toilet - you better be on schedule or you're screwed
3.) Limited Community
4.) Freaking no Pancakes
5.) Figuring out how to work Chinese heaters/coolers/everything
6.) Missing my mommy
7.) Having to keep a blog so that people feel included and important to me...
8.) Having say no to so many students.
9.) Being blind to what is to come (see #5 below)

The easy parts of China (no order):
1.) Soda - Thank God, I would die. But no Dr. Pepper or Mt. Dew.
2.) My own apartment - which is surprising clean!
3.) Student Helpers - Whether or not they are actually really our friends is still debatable but they help an extraordinary amount
4.) Cheap stuff and easy to find
5.) Being blind to what is to come


Itunes: Staralfur - Sigur Ros

Take Me Home Silk Road

Matt and I made dinner for our friends. Mainly Matt cooked and I played wife. Susan is playing guitar with Amy next to her. Vicki is across the table and Jenny is in the back corner. Girls from Hunan are called "Spicy Ladies" because the food is spicy... or something...

Itunes: If You're Out There - John Legend

Sofie's Wedding

So I decided my first real post will be my adventure in rural China...

Characters:

Me, Ben Scarbro - Lead, Awesome, Not Chinese

Matt Reise - Other American Teacher, Same Boat, Older, Steelers Fan

Linda - Our boss, Head of Foreign Affairs Office, Numero Uno

Cindy - Linda sidekick, our babysitter, English Grad Student

Amy - Our Student helper, my favorite chinese friend

Angel - Our other Student helper, doesn't like me.

The Driver - Oh God.

Sofie - Another English Grad Student, The one we know the least, bride-to-be

Gameshow Host/Pastor - Does this guy do weddings in English, Incredible, Hilarious

Tour Guide - Annoying, Sang to us, Awkward

Setting: Leaving the great city of Loudi (Lau-Dee) and entering the country-side. Visiting some crazy Mountain with over 200 terraces of rice growing field... things.

Ok, let's begin with CONTEXT!  Matt and I, at this point can say maybe 10 things between us and he can say 8 of them.  My vocabulary includes: Hello, How Are You, I am a bad man, and I am a big monkey, and the word Beard.

We don't know Sofie minus having a lunch with her where she didn't speak a whole lot, it was more of a business lunch for Matt, Linda and I.  BUT we were invited to her wedding.  Meeting at 7:55am outside our administration building. (We're always a little late, Matt and I)

We've met our driver before, he drove us from Changsha airport to Loudi.  It was a two hour drive... terrifying/awesome.  The shoulder and the double yellow line are only there for decoration.  Your "brights" or high-beams are ALWAYS on at night, and you only turn them off for the brief seconds you are flashing someone saying "HEY! GET OUT OF MY WAY!"  Also, the blicker is not only used to signal lane changes but also to tell someone that "I'm going to pass you on this side so don't move."  More about this later I'm sure.

So we pile into our Buick Van.  The Driver, and Linda in front. Then Matt in one bucket seat the other empty (for the time being) and then me in the back... then one chinese girl... two chinese girl, and finally three chinese girls piled in the back seat with me.  Granted the three of them fit fine back there but then there's the huge American trying to be comfortable too.

Eventually the Driver's brother comes and sits in the other bucket seat and we are off.  Well its not very long before I do what is completely normal to me and get up from the crowded back seat and lay down in the trunk-ish space of the van.  They think this is HILARIOUS.  Granted I am awesome and funny but it's normal for me to end up in the trunk, let's be honest.  After three hours of driving, one stop to let Angel throw up from car sickness we arrive in the village of Sofie's husband.  As soon as we get out of the car people instantly recognize we are Americans/White People.  And in China, staring is completely normal, and in Ben's world making faces at people staring at him is completely normal.  The two go together like wings and hot.  

We get rushed into some house, bowing at a ton of people and saying "Ni hao" (hello) to everyone.  People give up their seats for us and we end up sitting with the Sofie's dad, the husband's uncle, linda, matt, and a freaking Kung Fu master! No joke, it is custom in this rural part for old Kung Fu masters to grow long white beards... and this dude was extreme.  I asked Linda if my beard meant anything... she laughed.

Finally, the couple comes in with the Gameshow host who starts yelling and giving what seems to be the ceremony of the wedding.  Eventually we figure out we're suppose to stand up.  They bow, they bow again, and then bow again all while the Gameshow Host is yelling and smiling.

Then we get rushed downstairs and outside.  Luckily the restaurant is across the street from where they live, so we go in.  Matt and I found out that we were distinguished guests and therefor we sat at the third most important table. 1) Bride/Groom and Parents, 2) Grandparents (including Kung Fu Master) and 3) Us.  Not to mention the 100 other people there that obviously know Sofie better than us. Awkward/Awesome.

Well we find out that Matt and I are going to be asked to say something to the Bride and Groom in front of everyone with a microphone in Chinese.  Luckily Matt and I aren't shy.  I said "A hundred years of togetherness for the both of you" in Chinese.  And then the Gameshow Host decided to make a ton of jokes.  None of which we understood but I think I laughed at all of them because he was so awesome.  Then the food/drinks came out... and The Driver, The Gameshow Host, and The Uncle all decided to see how much Chinese beer Matt and I could drink.  So they kept pouring us little cups of beer and cheersing us.  We won. Go America.  I don't like beer but I wasn't going to let those commies get me!  (Can I say that?)

Hunan Province is known to have the spiciest food in China.  That's why Hunan woman, are called Spicy Ladies.  Well if you know me I am a "girl" when it comes to spices. That said... I've done very well so far.  And there was an incredible pork dish that I loved.  I tried turtle too (sorry UMD).

Chinese Wedding = Awesome.  Chinese Bathrooms = Not Awesome.

So we get back in the car and start driving... but we aren't going back to the School. We are taking a "tour" of the country-side.  We end up going to a mountain that is known as like the "Dragon Mountains" because there are like 9 mountain tops and it looks like a dragon flying through the air.  Image West Virginia mixed with North Carolina mixed with a rainforest.  And the mountain has terraces or steps with rice growing everywhere.  And it is the season of the harvest so everyone is busy harvesting.  So we paid some money and got a tour guide to show us around and explain all the folklore that the mountains contain.  There is a freaking legend about EVERYthing here.  Seriously.  See that rock. It was the rock Mao kicked once and turned into a newt that feed the 5000.  Or something. (That one may be made up for the sake of this blog)

Ok, so most Chinese dialect is interesting to listen to and blah  blah blah (covering my bases so I don't sound ignorant, or mean) BUT our tour guide just was horrible. I couldn't listen to her... and then she started singing.  Luckily I wasn't the only one who thought so.  Ok, now I sound like a jerk... but I'm on the other side of the world so what are you going to do about it?

Eventually, (long story slightly less long) we started heading back.  Well MOST chinese teenagers/students don't ride in car through the country side.  Let alone are crammed into a van with a Driver that knows what he is doing but is crazy.  Example! (Mostly to make mom feel better)  We were driving through a village on the mountain side and going what seemed like a reasonable speed... a three year old kid ran in front of our car... Now I'm a great driver.  I pride myself on be VERY careful when driving and such and knowing what I'm doing.  I would have NAILED this kid.  I mean there was NO possible way to not hit him. BUT our driver didn't, He was calm, cool, collected, and knew exactly how to avoid the kid without putting anyone else's lives in danger. There is an obvious reason why he's job is professional driver (in China this is a VERY good job to have).

Any way, girls... Angel wasn't feeling well again.  But this time it was Amy that threw up.  Matt and I were fine. But they just couldn't handle the hills and all that.  Ok so eventually it was dark, and like I said everyone using their high-beams always.  Boy, was this annoying.  I got a HUGE headache.  Stupid high-beams.

We got back eventually.  All in all it was incredible, awesome, there's so much I didn't say but when I get Matt's pictures I'll show you. 

*Pieces may not be completely true due to the fact I have a horrible memory and I want to make myself sound cooler than I am.

**But I am cool.

***what?

So... I'm in China

Well... somehow I ended up on the other side of the world...

I literally have a 12 hour time difference from Maryland.  That's the farest east/west one can go from home.  

More later... it is lunch time in America which means it's bed time for Ben.