The Cast of Characters

These are the people, aside from students, who formed my social circle in China. Most of them are connected to my school, 衡阳一中 Hengyang Yi Zhong, Number One High School, or to someone there. All are Hengyang locals unless otherwise noted. (Obviously, in most cases, these are not their real names.) Many of them are mentioned elsewhere in this blog, so here's your guide to who they are.

Kitty - my favorite person in all of China. English teacher, Foreign Affairs Officer, Director of the International Department. Tea Master. Boss and best friend. Practically host family. Most responsible for making my China life what it was.

Adam and Alexa - a young couple who were the Worldteachers my fourth year in China. From Nebraska, USA.

Allen - a new assistant in the International Office at my time of leaving. Completed his bachelor's degree in Australia. Has a twin brother. Likely to be in charge of new foreign teachers' academic affairs in the future.

Boston - Kitty's husband. Got his English name when I misheard his introduction at my birthday party.  Also a tea expert. Dubbed my 大哥 da ge, "big brother" (Brother #1).

Bryan - Kitty's son. Was in college in Dalian when I first arrived in Hengyang but is now in grad school in Changsha.

Carl - a Chinese teacher with mostly self-taught English. Was on exchange from Number Six Middle School my first two years in China. We dated for a while.

Cindy's mom - one of the gate guards at the apartment complex where I lived. Daughter is an English teacher who picked me up in Changsha with Kitty. 

Computer Man - what it sounds like. The IT man who connected laptops with the school wifi. One of Kitty's friends. Frequent dinner companion.

Derrick - a kidney surgeon my friends tried to set me up with for a while. Supposedly "a little bit famous in Hengyang."

Ella - an assistant in the International Department for the past three years. Also an English teacher.

Emma and Geddy - a young British couple who worked at Yi Zhong for about a term during my second year.

Erin Lee - an English teacher who became the assistant in charge of Oral English during my fourth year.

Fish - Kitty's niece. Kate and Simon's daughter. Currently living in Beijing.

Mr. Gong - a head teacher at Yi Zhong. One of Kitty's friends. Frequent dinner companion. 四哥 si ge, Brother #4.

Mr. He - the head teacher of International Class 2. Also a chemistry teacher. Does not use technology. Happened to be my landlord my last two years.

Mr. "Robert" He - the headmaster of Huayue Middle School. One of Kitty's friends. Member of the Baijiu Boys. Frequent dinner and tea companion.

Mr. "Tony" He - works at the Education Bureau. Former Foreign Affairs Officer at Yi Zhong. One of Kitty's friends. Member of the Baijiu Boys. Frequent dinner and tea companion. 二哥 er ge, Brother #2. Young son is exceptionally cute.

Mr. Huang - the Vice Headmaster of Yi Zhong. Technically the overseer of the International Department. Always seems to have a camera around his neck.

Mr. "Ian" Jiang - an art teacher whose wife owns a local clinic. One of Kitty's friends. Member of the Baijiu Boys. Frequent dinner and tea companion. 三哥 san ge, Brother #3.

Jolee - an English teacher who was an assistant in the International Department during my second and third year in China.

Kate - Kitty's next-oldest sister and closest relative.

Kim - an English teacher who joined Yi Zhong as a teacher during my third year (she was formerly a student there). Assistant in the International Department my fourth year. Lived in Arizona for a few months during an internship. Likely the new liaison for foreign teachers.

Mr. Li - the headmaster of Yi Zhong.

Lily - an English teacher at Yi Zhong who tried to teach me to make dumplings on several occasions.

Linda 1 - an English teacher on exchange from Number Six Middle School during my first two years. Excellent at badminton. Introduced me to furry clothes.

Linda 2 - an English teacher at the junior school. Stacy's friend.

Lisa - the other foreign teacher my first year in China. From PA, USA.

Mr. Luo - the Communist Party Representative at Yi Zhong.  Looks like a Communist Party Representative should. 

Maureen - an English teacher and head teacher at Yi Zhong. Famous for liking to feed the foreign teachers noodles and take them shopping downtown. Does not hug.

Melody - my best friend from college. Lived and worked in China at Yi Zhong during my second and third years.

Nicky - one of the top English teachers at Yi Zhong. Very diligent worker. Religious. Has an electric motorbike.

Olivia's mom - owner of the two 东北饺子 Dong Bei Jiao Zi restaurants in Hengyang. Her daughter was a member of International Class One and is currently studying abroad in the USA.

Pei Pei - technically the liaison for all the foreign teachers at Yi Zhong during my time there. English teacher. Milk master. Lived in New Jersey for two years with husband, Peter. Son, Billy, born in USA.

Rena - an English teacher who was an assistant in the International Department my second year in China.

Simon - Kitty's brother-in-law. Works at the Education Bureau.

Stacy - an English teacher at the junior school. Regular friend of the foreign teachers. Likes to travel.

Tiffany - a Worldteacher who was at Yi Zhong briefly during my third year. Had to leave early for personal reasons.

Mr. Tang - a head teacher at Yi Zhong. One of Kitty's friends. Frequent dinner companion. Very smiley.

Tom - a British teacher who joined Yi Zhong at the end of my second year. Previously teaching in Xi'an. Has a local wife, Jelly, and a young son, Theo.

Ms.  Wang - the new head teacher for International Class 3. Teaches Chinese.

Yucca - a Biology teacher with excellent English skills. Great at cooking. Has an electric motorbike. From Changsha. Also likes to travel. 

...and me, I'm Seaweed. Some students in Class 413 gave me the name 海藻 Hai Zao, meaning "seaweed," because they thought it sounded like "Heather." Kitty later changed it to 海带 Hai Dai, which translates to "kelp." It stuck so well it was even used on my hospital ID card.