Define normal
Well things are more or less back to normal. My voice is pretty much back and I'm more or less ready for school on Monday. Friday was the second of the 2 day sportting events. None of the foreign teachers (including myslef) were too interested in going out there. The weather was cold and there wasn't anything particularly entertaining going on. Once again when my students saw me they had a fit and I tried my best to keep them calm. Sometimes I feel that the love I have for them is almost that like the love a mother has for a child. Sometimes I refer to them as my kids and I'm so very happy to see them and they are always so very happy and excited to see me. The little english I've taught them so far, they are always excited to use. In the days I was absent, I had my assistant move on with the next lesson which is the numbers.
Yesterday when I saw one of my kids, he had the number one printed on his shirt. He was so excited to show it to me and show that he could now read this word. He probably owned that shirt forever and knew it was an english word but never knew what it meant and now he does. That is an amazing feeling. To be able to share that.
In any event, we (and by we I mean the other foreign teachers and I) spent some time outside just talking and laughing again, until we all got sick of standing out there and all went back to the frat house.
After sitting around for a bit, I couldn't take it any longer. I had been stuck in the frat house for the past 2 weeks and was sick of just sitting there. I just said "I gotta get outta here. I'm going to Zhong Lan Lu (sort of the downtown area)". Then Breanna said that she had to go to Hankou (across the river from us) and if I wanted I could go with her. I jumped at the chance. Anywhere that wasn't the frat house was good for me.
So we got our things together and off we went. On our way walking to the ferry, I saw these amazing boots in the window of a shoe store that was just beckoning me to wear them. They didn't fit but the sales lady was great at finding other boots that she thought would pique my interest. It took a few tries but I eventually found something that fit me, that looked good and that I really want. Once again, I will wait till the end of the month and if they are still there then they are mine and I will be bargaining about the price. Chances are they won't be sold. Not too many people have feet as large as me. So the odds of them being there are really good, but still. I will wait.
Anyway, we went to Hankou and did alot of window shopping. Bre picked up this skirt that she wanted and I just looked around. Nothing caught my eye.
Then we decided to go into the Walmart. This was interesting. I was curious to see if it was as it is back home and it is, but just a little on the chinese side. I picked up a pair of gloves (that actually fit) and a couple of other things. While in Walmart, we got approached by this girl who was giving out free facials from the Spa located therein.
Well as someone said in a movie once "free comes with a dick up your ass". Well that didn't exactly happen to me but while I was getting my "facial" the lady (who's english was actually pretty good) kept pushing me to buy a beauty card. I can buy a one year card for Y800 or a 6 month card or a one month card for Y180.
Yeah right. First of all, there was no real facial. She put some cold cream on my face, rubbed it in, then wiped it off. She did that about three or four times, the whole time pushing for me to buy this beauty card. I kept telling her I didn't have enough money for that. Then she tells me that she has a product that she wants to recommend that would be great for my face and it only costs Y150. So that settled it. I told her that I only had Y30 with me and that there was no way for me to possibily buy what she was selling. But I only lived across the river and that it wouldn't be a problem for me to come back. She said that I had to come back because I had to help her with her oral english. I told her that it would be my pleasure.
So me and Bre finally left got our purchases and headed over to the cash. My items are scanned. I'm shown my total and I pull out Y100 to pay. Bre screams out "I though you said that you only had Y30?" I said, "No honey, that's what I told her. Do you really think they're going to give you a free facial and not expect you to buy their product?"
She was so stunned but I told her that that's how you have to play the game sometimes. I knew I didn't want to buy anything and I knew she would try to sell me something. I knew that if she knew that I had the money to buy what she was selling, she wouldn't let me rest until that product went home with me. I asked several times the cost and she was reluctant but once she told me, I knew what I had to say.
So that was another little adventure. Tonight we're supposed to go out and do something fun. I think I'm gonna get a little dressed up for a change. I will take pics but it looks like I will have to set up the link for you to visit to view the pics.
Thanks for reading and..........
TTFN
Yesterday when I saw one of my kids, he had the number one printed on his shirt. He was so excited to show it to me and show that he could now read this word. He probably owned that shirt forever and knew it was an english word but never knew what it meant and now he does. That is an amazing feeling. To be able to share that.
In any event, we (and by we I mean the other foreign teachers and I) spent some time outside just talking and laughing again, until we all got sick of standing out there and all went back to the frat house.
After sitting around for a bit, I couldn't take it any longer. I had been stuck in the frat house for the past 2 weeks and was sick of just sitting there. I just said "I gotta get outta here. I'm going to Zhong Lan Lu (sort of the downtown area)". Then Breanna said that she had to go to Hankou (across the river from us) and if I wanted I could go with her. I jumped at the chance. Anywhere that wasn't the frat house was good for me.
So we got our things together and off we went. On our way walking to the ferry, I saw these amazing boots in the window of a shoe store that was just beckoning me to wear them. They didn't fit but the sales lady was great at finding other boots that she thought would pique my interest. It took a few tries but I eventually found something that fit me, that looked good and that I really want. Once again, I will wait till the end of the month and if they are still there then they are mine and I will be bargaining about the price. Chances are they won't be sold. Not too many people have feet as large as me. So the odds of them being there are really good, but still. I will wait.
Anyway, we went to Hankou and did alot of window shopping. Bre picked up this skirt that she wanted and I just looked around. Nothing caught my eye.
Then we decided to go into the Walmart. This was interesting. I was curious to see if it was as it is back home and it is, but just a little on the chinese side. I picked up a pair of gloves (that actually fit) and a couple of other things. While in Walmart, we got approached by this girl who was giving out free facials from the Spa located therein.
Well as someone said in a movie once "free comes with a dick up your ass". Well that didn't exactly happen to me but while I was getting my "facial" the lady (who's english was actually pretty good) kept pushing me to buy a beauty card. I can buy a one year card for Y800 or a 6 month card or a one month card for Y180.
Yeah right. First of all, there was no real facial. She put some cold cream on my face, rubbed it in, then wiped it off. She did that about three or four times, the whole time pushing for me to buy this beauty card. I kept telling her I didn't have enough money for that. Then she tells me that she has a product that she wants to recommend that would be great for my face and it only costs Y150. So that settled it. I told her that I only had Y30 with me and that there was no way for me to possibily buy what she was selling. But I only lived across the river and that it wouldn't be a problem for me to come back. She said that I had to come back because I had to help her with her oral english. I told her that it would be my pleasure.
So me and Bre finally left got our purchases and headed over to the cash. My items are scanned. I'm shown my total and I pull out Y100 to pay. Bre screams out "I though you said that you only had Y30?" I said, "No honey, that's what I told her. Do you really think they're going to give you a free facial and not expect you to buy their product?"
She was so stunned but I told her that that's how you have to play the game sometimes. I knew I didn't want to buy anything and I knew she would try to sell me something. I knew that if she knew that I had the money to buy what she was selling, she wouldn't let me rest until that product went home with me. I asked several times the cost and she was reluctant but once she told me, I knew what I had to say.
So that was another little adventure. Tonight we're supposed to go out and do something fun. I think I'm gonna get a little dressed up for a change. I will take pics but it looks like I will have to set up the link for you to visit to view the pics.
Thanks for reading and..........
TTFN
posted by Tish at 4:19 a.m.
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