Second rate

Have a short-term gig interviewing high school students who are interested in participating in an educational NGO's exchange program. If selected, the Chinese kids spend a year at a U.S. high school. My job was to interview the students in their hometowns. Last week, I went to Jinnan, the capital of sexy Shandong province. Never heard of it? I can't imagine why. The place is a veritable shit hole. See the pic of the nightlife of Jinnan? That's not fog or frost you see, which means it must be...evening haze? The highlight of the trip, besides being paid well, was the opportunity to meet a bunch of high school kids: some terrific, others were slack-jawed mouth breathers. Interviews were held in a high school chemistry classroom that had slogans on the wall that inspired me throughout the day.