or should I say Macgyver DVD player

Katie and Thomas came over for lunch and Thomas began tinkering with my DVD player as he promised. It had broken a few months ago and since I so generously got a screwdriver for  Christmas he promised to take a look at it for me.

Here’s what I had to begin with:

1 DVD player with a power problem

1 DVD player that just didn’t work

1 DVD player with a driver problem

and 2  kind friends who had an abundance of patience and apparently a free afternoon.

So as I slaved away giving finals in my office listening to stuttering English Katie and Thomas slaved away in the living room operating like two experienced surgeons. Between finals I snuck a look and wide eyed I tried to take in the scene before me. Three disassembled DVD players with neat piles of screws, cables and fuses.

The Beginning

In the end a miracle was accomplished and a rather unorthodox player was born. So now lets go through the steps.

1. Remove top cover

2. Remove magnetic disc centering holding bar

3.Insert desire disc for viewing pleasure

At least it works.

4.Replace magnetic disc centering holding bar, making sure sides are flush with base, and the magnet is unobstructedly engaged with sub magnet.

5. Press the close button to engage the driver making sure Step 4 was completed properly without an unidentifiable rattling noise accompanying the spinning.  (the loading dock is not functioning but this step is necessary to trick the player into loading the inserted DVD)

6. Replace cover. (to prevent a second layer of dust settling on the inside although it might seem pointless after the layer of dust that accumulated while completing steps 1-5)

7. Pray the TV is on the right channel or take another 10min figureing out which key to hit on the Chinese remote!

8. Enjoy your film, while keeping your fingers crossed, that none of the parts shift as they are no longer mounted in place.

My first batch of non-microwave popcorn!

Yes, I’m learning to relish the little accomplishments in my life. I blame it on the frustration Chinese is giving me.  This is my first batch of popcorn ever to be made with out a microwave or a Whirly-Pop, and I didn’t even burn it. Fortunate for my waist the butter here is terrible and so I will just have to go with unbuttered, salted popcorn.

My ohh so busy life...

One of the definite perks of Chinese Internet is that you can find any media easily and for free. Although it blocks some sites there are no copyright laws so movies and TV shows abound! Youku unlike YouTube doesn’t piece episodes or movies. Don’t get me started on the wonders of Baidu, just about any movie you could imagine. (the Chinese equivalent of Google)

So as pathatic as the following is, its a comfortable life I’ve settled into.

NCIS: Seasons 1-7

Numbers: Seasons 1-6

Army Wives: Seasons 1-3

The Big Bang Theory: Seasons 1-3

I’ve learned I just have to wait 36 hours and the new episode is uploaded!

Bones: Season 5

Castle: Season 2

Glee: Season 1

The students on the other hand do not get the same pleasure. They are confined to campus Monday – Friday and not just to campus during their free time. To prevent any possible breakouts, each evening from 7:00 – 9:20pm they are confined to their classroom. They can do what ever they like within the classroom they just have to remain there.

Then once they are released they have 20min to get back to their dorms for lock-up. And I thought a 12:00am apartment curfew was a pain, 9:40, really!?!

Any way to ease some pain I’ve brought my DVD player a few times and let them watch some films. Unfortunately the class across the hall who I also teach found out about movie nights so they want in to now. Not really quite sure off far my one DVD player can stretch. So I’ve come up with a new trick, a class will have to earn movie nights. Oh the power of being a teacher or I should say a foreign teacher with a much coveted DVD PLAYER!!! hahaha.  I think I will see an increase in lets see, homework, class participation oh and what else did I mention to them, ah that’s right practice! I have made the rule that if they are going to watch a movie it must be in English with English subtitles. No CHINESE is a rule I stick to in the classroom, during or after class time.

Bond...James Bond. Casino Royale movie night.

While out with the gang and some of Dantzelle’s students I purchased some great classics. I suggested to Dantzelle and Katie we should get together and have a girls night. Dantzelle’s students overheard me and the following day promptly asked when we would be getting together to view the films.

I decided to make a night of it and invited over some of my students, I have finally began to entertain my own students and not just Dantzelle’s. Anyway I crammed 10 girls in my apartment for a viewing of Penelope. I insisted that American culture dictated food and drinks were to be consumed during the film and was finally able to polish off a good portion of the fruit. Unfortunately some students were aware that popcorn was the norm but fruit salad was all I had to offer.

My students - Emily, Melody, Alina, Helen, & Carol

I also offered to take my DVD player to the classroom in the evenings so more students can watch a film. Last night my favorite class and I watched New In Town. Not really funny if your not a fluent American English speaker. I don’t think they got much through the Minnesota accent. Hopefully the next film will be better.