In other news

Well my cold got worse on Tuesday. So much so that I just stayed home. I didn't do much on Monday anyway. I told my co-teachers what to do and just stayed at home and tried to sleep, but mostly coughed. I felt a little better by Wednesday. Atleast better enough to go back to work. I don't know what it is with the colds here. Usually I get a cold and it's an inconvenience for a few days but here, it seems to just put me out. Anyway, Wednesday is my half day so it wasn't too bad. I did however make an appointment with Wendy, the girl I was supposed to do the recording with for that afternoon. She picked me up, right at 1pm and took me to the south side of Wuchang. A fairly far distance away. Atleast 45 minutes by car. It was cool that she came and got me too. She could have just told me where the place was and I could have fended for myself but I don't think I would have been able to make it and it would have costed me over Y50 in cab fare. Anyway, she got Chris (a friend of Matthew's that we met at our Christmas dinner whom we called "fanny pack" on account of the fact that he had one the size of a back pack on his waist) on her way there. We got to the recording booth and I was half expecting to be talking into a mini recorder or something but it was an actual booth with microphones and headsets. It was pretty cool. We worked for 3 and a half hours and got paid Y350. Not too bad for just reading some dialogue. I'd like it if they called me again.
Today, wasn't a bad day. I gave a test in the morning and then played games in the afternoon. Plus the weather is absolutely fantastic. It's just warm enough. Not hot. Not cold. T-shirts were fine to wear and it was nice and sunny. I think the next few days will be about the same and then it will start to warm up. In any event, I don't know what the weather is like in Canada, but I would just like to say, that it's March and I'm in shorts and a t-shirt. How about you?
Anyway, my cold is still lingering a bit but I think I'll be fine in a couple days. I'm trying to get Jada to come into town this weekend so we could have some more fun together. Also, on another topic, Annaick and I have started running again. When I say running, I mean she runs and I power walk around the track. It feels good and we're both happy to be in our old routine and I'm just happy to get my butt back into shape.
Tomorrow is Friday (thank goodness) and I have a trip to DVD Mecca planned this weekend and Annaick and Matt said they would come along. I plan on partying or something on Saturday night (hopefully with Jada but if I have to, then without her) and that's about it.
Also, I did some more thinking about Herman and I don't think I want to do anymore business with him. He keeps pressuring me about working these classes and asking me to get other teachers. I told him I would talk to some people but I don't have to talk to anyone at the frathouse to know that they don't want to do it. I told him this and he still persisted. Then he tried to use the students as a scapegoat and said that they would miss me and what was he supposed to say to them if they asked about me. NO no no no no, don't do that. I thought it was in bad form and very unprofessional so I told Nick that I would be telling him to forget about me. I felt I had to tell Nick how I felt since he was the one who hooked me up with Herman to begin with. After I told him, he agreed and frankly admitted that he didn't blame me. Nick also gave me the email of another person who may be able to give me some work, so I'm gonna go that direction and see how it goes.

TTFN

It's a blur

Well Saturday night. What can I say. I got really drunk.
First things first. Annaick was acting weird and Matt and I took the position of, we're not going to beg her. If she wants to come, she should come. Anyway, we got into a little thing but she ended up coming out with us. Matt and I started the drinking early so by the time we got to Hankou we were already buzzing. We decided to go to the Thai restaurant for dinner but before that we would go to Cafe Brussel for drinks. Yay, I love drinks. So we got there. Had a quick drink and then waked 10 minutes to the Thai restaurant. Dinner was really good and Annaick and I split a bottle of wine. Then we caught a cab to Soho which was about 5 mins away and a really awesome bar. Well by this time, I was in perfect form. Met some chinese people who shared their liquor with me, plus I had a few whiskeys of my own. I was dancing, dancing, dancing. Then there was this little mini stage. Maybe just enough for 2 people to stand on and there was a pole on it. Well I took this as my stage and the pole was mine as well. I wouldn't go into too much detail but I had a spot light on me and I was the center of attention. Don't worry mom, I didn't do anything that would make you dis-own me but I had alot of fun. Heck even Matt came up there and we danced together.
Well after a few hours there, we decided to head out. Grabbed a cab and started to tell the driver to take us home. However, on the way Annaick said we should go to Blue Sky Hankou since we were in town and not too far away. I was still in a party mood (ofcourse) but by the time we got there, Matt was out for the count and decided to take that cab home. Annaick and I tried to persuade him to come but he wanted to go home. Anyway, at Blue Sky, Annaick met some of her friends and we partied some more. We even got there just in time for happy hour so I ordered a few more drinks. I know I danced, I know I drank but I have absolutely no clue what time we left there. Anyway, I guess after a few hours we left and headed home. I don't even remember walking into my room but I woke up on Sunday with a monster headache.
Now Sunday, I promised Herman that I would come and teach his class in that demo lesson. I really didn't think I should have been there but a promise is a promise. I sucked it up and headed out. It was a nice warm day so that made things easier. Anyway, I got there, we went over what I would talk about and then I entered the class. The students looked petrified. No matter what I did or what I asked, they all just sat there. Then about 30 mins into it, I said "Ok, I'm getting the opportunity to practice my english and you aren't. I'm doing all the talking and you should." They were all still a little stunned. Then I asked if I was the first foreigner they had ever seen. They said no and that they have spoken to other foreigners. Then I asked why they wouldn't speak to me and they replied that they were nervous. I said " You're nervous???! I'm the one standing in front of 20 strangers. You all know each other and I'm only one stranger" They started to loosen up a bit and then I jumped in and shook the hands of all the kids, introducing myself to each of them. They were in shock, some of them laughing out of embarrassment, some just laughing. Now the ice was broken and they all felt a little better. Then I said "Ok, no we all know each other. We are all friends. We shouldn't be nervous anymore" After that, they participated a bit more and things moved smoother.
After the class, Herman paid me the amount we agreed and then on our walk for me to get a cab back home, he kept pushing me to take over these Sunday classes. I kept telling him no but he insisted that if I could make the class today, then I can do it every Sunday. Then he really started pouring it on thick and saying that the students like me (which there is no real way to tell. I've only spent 90 minutes with them) and next week they will be asking for me. What will he tell the students? I thought this was a low blow, using the students against me like that. I stuck to me guns and told him no. Then he said that he can sign me on as a permanent part time teacher and have me booked for the days I told him, but if I give him those days as my availability, then I have to make sure that I am always available at those times. For now, I don't see a problem with that. Then he told me that when I come back in September, he would like to hire me as a permanent full time teacher. Good to know that I have that in my back pocket. Atleast now I know that if this school doesn't take me back (which I'm pretty confident they will) I'll have another job lined up.
Anyway, when I got back home, I forced myself to watch TV for a couple hours then went to bed. Now I've woken up with a cold and bruises on my knee from pole dancing and I have no clue how I'm gonna make it through this day or even this week.
In other news, Matthew referred me to a friend of his who knows a girl that needs a foreign female voice to do some recording. The job pays Y500 for 3-4 hours. I spoke to Chris (Matthew's friend) today and I'll be doing it on Wednesday. Not too shabby.

TTFN

$$$$

Well everything is about the same. Lily and I have been getting closer. Yesterday we were both giddy in the office and just laughing at every thing. At one point Matty stix looked at us as if we were on crack or something and all we did was just smile and laugh. Annaick however was in fine form. She was yelling at everything and got so mad at the music they play for morning exercise. She was saying that it was getting louder but it really wasn't, it was just being played in stereo. I just steered clear of her. There was no way I was going to get near and possibly absorb that negative energy. I was on too much of a high of giggles.
Anyway, I talked to Nick about the fact that I was looking for a little extra work just to make some small pocket change. Just to make things a little easier for me when I'm getting ready to go. He recommended one place but then also spoke to a friend of his Herman. Herman called me that day and asked to see me on Saturday. Well despite the fact that Matty stix and I stayed up a bit late and had a few beers, I woke up early and met Herman. Herman was very nice and his english wasn't too bad but Herman wants me to work on Sundays and that's a big no no for me. I have English corner on Sunday's which I love doing and miss doing. And I don't want to work on Sunday and then work again on Monday. Also, on Sundays I may have a hangover. So those are never ideal teaching conditions. He really really wants me for Sunday but I told him, Saturdays between 1 and 6 pm and Mondays and Tuesdays after 4:30 pm. I did, however, tell him I would help him tomorrow. Just for an hour and a half and for Y150. So he really wants to keep me. The school isn't that far and I can take one bus to get there. I wouldn't mind doing it for a couple days a week at Y100 and hour. He understands that I have a contract with the school and I shouldn't even be talking to him but I need some money and he needs a teacher.
Anyway, tonight Matty sticks and I are going to party.
What's that you say?
What about Annaick?
Well after her "performance" yesterday and the fact that she said she wasn't feeling too well, I don't think that she'll be making it. Heck I don't care. I'm gonna party.
Keep ya posted....

TTFN

Let's state the obvious!!

On Tuesday we had a meeting with the PSB. This is the Public Security Bureau. Basically a police run division that specializes in foreigners in China. This meeting was such a waste of everyone's time. It was the kind of meeting we should have had in maybe the first 2 weeks or even 30 days of us being in China. Not now after being here for 6 months. This woman gave us some info that was so beyond stating the obvious that it almost made me laugh out loud. Then there were some other points that were just a bit on the ridiculous side.
For example, when staying at a friends' house overnight (a chinese friend), you have to let the police know and fill out a form accordingly. Something about a temporary accommodation form. Yeah, I don't see that happening. Then they said that we had to carry our passports with us everytime we left the school grounds and it couldn't be a copy. Well, I don't think so. If I had my passport with me the day my purse got stolen.....where the heck would I be right now? That's right, up shit creek and definitely no paddles. Then she says, if your passport should get stolen, all you have to do is contact them, fill out a form and then take that to our embassy and you'll be all set. Oh! Well it sounds so easy when you put it like that, but I don't think so. I know for a fact, it won't be that easy. Heck, it was hard enough and long enough to get the passport in the first place in my homeland. Do we really think it would be that easy now that I'm in bizarro world??
Another thing she mentioned was that we shouldn't be publicly drunk. Actually the way she put it was "don't be druken in the streets". She said that because apparently they had had some problems in the past with foreigners getting drunk and causing problems with people, cab drivers etc. Well if I can't get drunk, then neither can chinese people. A drunk person is a drunk person no matter who they are. Then she said that we should be nice and courteous to chinese people. Well I will, as soon as they are nice to me and stop staring. So that was my two cents about that meeting. A waste of time but worthy enough for me to bitch about it on my soap box.
That's the news, now in weather. Things have been almost steady. Early mornings start off sunny and then by 8:30 it gets overcast. The days are not as cold as they were before but I still have to wear a sweater, but only a sweater. Today, seems to be looking up and the sun may last but who knows for sure. I can't wait for it to really warm up so I could go back to t-shirts and shorts and skirts and sandals. I'm tired of socks and long pants and sweaters.
This weekend should be low key, although Matty stix, Annaick and I will be going out to party on Saturday night. Just to celebrate life. Hopefully I can make it to English corner on Sunday, since I haven't been there in a while.

TTFN

Bricks don't have eyes or a sense of direction

Well yesterday was another fun filled day at school and by fun filled I mean full of crap. First we had to go to this show lesson and it was basically watching one of the chinese teachers carry on a class. Now this would have been beneficial for me if a couple things happened. 1) She pronounced english words properly. Instead of visitor she said wisitor. 2) If the whole thing wasn't rehearsed. It was this big show. All the kids knew what they were supposed to say already and she had teaching aids that would take you forever to put together and then only use for one lesson. Plus she had an overhead projector to assist. C'MON, THIS ISN'T REAL!! Anyway, that was a big waste of time. Then off to class for me.
Lately I've been starting to get tired of the food. Especially the slop that the school provides, so I've taken to eating at the restaurant for lunch. Matty stix has been doing it almost everyday and I think I'll be joining him. So now we'll be going there for lunch and dinner. Anyway, after lunch, back to the grind.
After school I spent about an hour or so practicing my guitar and after my fingers were good and numb, Matt and I went to the restaurant for dinner. After dinner, on our way home, we got ring side seats to the fight of the year. Now there is no way to tell what set these chain of events into motion. But my guess is this guy was at a restaurant across the street, got a little drunk and then got alot testy. Him and this other guy started off fairly slowly, just raised voices and gestures. Then this woman, I'm assuming the waitress, tried to separate the two. Well she got the first guy across the street but while that was happening, the second guy went into the restaurant and grabbed a meat cleaver. Then some how the first guy, grabbed a brick from the street and started running across the street to the second guy. He was running on a mission to get this guy in the head with that brick and when he threw it. He got the second guy straight in the head. Then the second guy started slashing away with his meat cleaver missing the first guy by mere inches. Then they wrestled on the ground and this poor kid was crying for his dad. I'm assuming is one of these 2 fools on the ground. Then some other guy stepped in and pryed the meat cleaver out of the one guys hands. They both got up still fighting and then one of the guys hit the ground. And when I say hit the ground, I mean hit the ground. I can't remember if he fell or was pushed or just tried to throw a punch and missed but his head went to the sidewalk with a loud thud. Matt and I were in utter shock. We couldn't believe it. Anyway, by this time a huge crowd had formed and eventually the two guys were separated and sent on their ways. But even in watching this I said to myself that this was definitely blog worthy material.
So there you go. The witness of my first physical fight in China.
Ding! Ding! Ding! All fighters to their corners!!

TTFN

Yeah, I don't get that

Ok, well last week my contact Emily sent me an email about a party she was having. Supposed to introduce new teachers to China, to old teachers (like myslef) that are already in China. Just a mix and mingle type of thing. I got the email and ignored it. It was scheduled for Saturday and I really didn't want to go. Anyway, Friday evening, she called me and asked me if I was coming, I hesitated but I told I would be there. I felt bad because she sounded like she really wanted as many people there as possible and she went out of her way to call me.
Anyway, Saturday came and I had to force myself to get ready. Matthew was supposed to go but Amanda wasn't going to let him go. I was recently reminded that Matthew had Emily as a contact as well. Emily told me that if I wanted I could bring friends as well. I asked Annaick but she didn't want to go. I asked Matty stix and he said he would come. On the way there I told Matt, that he shouldn't be surprised if we left after an hour or so because I wasn't really looking forward to going to this thing.
So we get there and Emily is really happy to see me and glad that I brought a friend. Luckily there was free beer so things were starting to look up. After an hour, Matt got a call and he had to go, but by this time, the ice was already boken and I was doing fine. I met some awesome people and made contacts with people I had met before. I met this guy Graham from Canada and his friend Jada from Ohio, who is now my adopted sister. We have so many things in common. She's malato so I think that's as close as I get to having a black friend in China. Her and Graham teach at a school 3 hours outside of Wuhan but apprently, they come into town alot. So next time they're in, we'll be hooking up.
Well after things were beginning to die down, everyone suggested that we go to this bar called Vox. Never heard of it before but they were all saying it was good. Heck I was half drunk by then so I was up for anything. Anyway, Jada and I head to the club and the other girls met us there and soon the whole bunch of us were there. Vox was like a real bar and the drinks were pretty good. Priced the way you would expect but good nonetheless. When I walked in at first, I was a little concerned because there was a band playing headbanger death metal but they gave way to a DJ and he started off with jungle. I was happy to hear it for about the first 30 seconds, then it got monotonus. Then my night got much much better. Another DJ came in and he started to play hip hop. And that was all that played all night long. I was in heaven.
Anyway, I met some other people, had way too much to drink and at about 2 am or so, I called it a night. But what a night!!

TTFN

Mother nature is such a bitch

This entire week has been a weather roller coaster. One day warm and sunny, the next day cold and rainy, then back to sunny again. Then last night, very foggy. You could see more than 10 feet ahead of you.
Anyway, this week has been ok. Eva is slowly learning the ropes but I know my life would be easier if she just went away and I had only Lily. Other than that I've been ok. I had a cough all week that I couldn't explain the reason for. It seems to be gone. Now that Thursdays and Fridays are my busiest days, I'm so very tired at the end of the day. Yesterday however, Annaick....actually Valerie, Annaick's french friend wanted me to come out with them for dinner. So I decided to go. I try not to go to everything they invite me to because sometimes I end up regretting it being the only anglofone in the group, but I had a good feeling about this time and I was really craving western food and they said that they would be going to Giano's. Anyway, Matt became a last minute addition and we headed out. First we went to Valerie and her boyfriend's apartment for drinks. It's a long story about what they do and why they make alot of chinese money, but they just do and they live in a beautiful apartment overlooking south lake. It is definitely not a chinese style place. Very western and very modern. Like a condo. It was at night so we could see out but the apartment itself was very beautiful. Plus they had this huge wall mounted flat screen TV. It was really good.
Anyway, after we finished our drinks, the five of us headed out and had a fantastic time at Giano's. We talked about everything and drank and ate and really had a nice time. Today I'm going to be telling Matt that it is not always like this. I think because there were now 2 anglofones (still a minority in the group but more than one) everyone spoke english. Usually when it is just me, they speak french and every once in a while make a comment in english or Annaick will translate. Also, because it wasn't the big group it normally is, that made a difference as well. Valerie and her boyfriend are very nice and they both speak english quite well, so carrying a conversation is not a problem for them. Anyway, we barely got home at like 2 am despite the intense fog. I was going to go to Hankou today but I think that is just out of the question with this crappy weather.
In other news, even though I'm very happy to be here and I hope to return for another year, at this point in time I almost feel like I have had enough. I've been told that everyone hits this wall at the 6 month mark and I definitely think I hit it. I crave western food more than I used to. I'm starting to get sick of rice. The people are annoying me all over again. In any event, I'll enjoy this ride for as long as it takes me but I've had thoughts of getting off a stop early. I wouldn't act on those thoughts but they are there nonetheless.
Also at the frat house, things are the same and now everyone can't stand Melissa and Christa. However, my guitar was out of tune for the longest while and I was feeling kinda low about it but I took it to the guitar shop and the boss there (who knows me quite well) saw my dilemma and fixed me up good. Now I spend alot of my time practicing the way I used to. In addition to that Matty stix and I have been jamming to songs and me learning new songs. We've been having fun. I've been learning many things about the guitar from him.
Anyway, I know this entry has been all over the map but I just woke up a little while ago and I wanted to get these things down before I forgot. I'll keep you posted.

TTFN

Unit 69

Well yesterday we went on our trip. It was just for us foreign teachers and we were going out to plant trees. So we meet up with, I think all foreign teachers currently in Wuhan. We go about 30 minutes outside of town and up this big hill. The holes were pre-dug and the tree was just there waiting to be planted. We were all provided shovels and then as we climbed the hill we would "plant" a tree. Then there was a little piece of paper attached to the tree where you would write your name and where in the world you were from. I stuck with Harry for the most part. We dug and planted together, then when it came time to fill out the form, we put both our names and the fact that we were Canadian and American. Then there was a place to put a unit number. We had no clue what the unit number was or what it was supposed to mean. When Harry asked me what I should put, I just told him to put 69. He actually did it, which made me laugh and I knew would make the chinese people confused. Anyway, after the fact, we found out that this was an official Arbor day thing. For the most part, neither myself nor Harry wanted to work too hard. He was now doing this for the third time and I'm not a huge fan of the back breaking manual labour. Especially on a fairly steep hill and with very rocky soil. So we made our way up to the top of the hill and just hung out there and when I say "hung out" I mean hid. Then after maybe 40 mins or so, some of the other teachers, including Annaick and Matty stix made their way up to the top. Then after 10 mins or so, Mr Ye made his way to the top. Anyway, we hung out there for a while, chatting, making jokes and taking pictures, then it was time for us to board the buses again and head out to one of the many universities in Wuhan for lunch.
The lunch was quite good, except for the fact that most, if not all of us, have gotten used to the spice of Wuhan cooking and this food had lacked that. On the plus side however, we got free beer. Also, I don't think I had been surrounded by so many foreigners since before I came to China.
After lunch we headed out to the geological museum of the university. It is actually the largest university museum in China or Hubei province or Wuhan, I really don't remember, but it was very nice. Mostly rock formations and naturally occurring crystals etc, as well as evolution and life size dinosaur skeletons. We spent quite some time there and then Mr Ye suggested (after we had seen everything) that it's time to go back to the school. Melissa and Christa are still being freak-ish-ly withdrawn and seem to make no attempts to make friends with the rest of us or even wanting to be with us for an extended period of time. First to begin, they ducked out early, so when we were coming out of the building, they were already sitting outside waiting. In the van on the way home, we were all talking and making jokes (the usual) and they never once, volunteered info or even agreed or disagreed to anything. Then when we finally got back to the school, they couldn't get back to the frathouse fast enough. I just don't get them. Myself in addition to everyone else has taken the position of defeat. We all just give up on them.
Anyway, the weather was really nice. Sunny and fairly warm, plus I was thankful for a day away from class that I was able to enjoy. Heck, I did some good by planting a couple trees, I was fed and given free beer and I saw a different part of the city.
Sounds good to me.

TTFN

That's what they all say, they all say d'oh

Well not very much actually “happened” but prepare yourselves for a long read.
First, in news. I started with my new co-teacher Eva on Monday. Her English is quite good and she is very pleasant. Thankfully I only have her for one class. Class D and they are a fairly good class. No major problems and I can keep the troublemakers under control. However, once they realized that Lily was no longer there, they went crazy and were very difficult to control. So much so, that I had to tell them to stop and make them all go to sleep. I don’t think Eva was given the full run down of what was expected of her. After I told her that the kids were just a bit too excited, I guess it occurred to her that the class shouldn’t be that way. She also spoke to them with more English than Chinese and it was English that they didn’t know. Heck, this is the reason why she’s there, to translate my English not to speak to them in English. Anyway, after that class I told her that she had to translate what I was saying because the kids don’t understand anything other than what I’ve taught them. She gave me ok ok ok. Then we moved on to the next class. She translated more but she still left much to be desired. I know I shouldn’t compare, but Lily and I work effortlessly. I don’t have to tell her anything and we work as a unit.
Anyway, I finally let Eva know that, not only did she have to translate, but in her translation she has to teach. Explain not only the meaning of the word or sentence or question, but also the concept of it to. She got a little better but still, we had a hard time, especially with the kids. Then I convinced Lily to come to a class and watch what was happening. Now on top of everything else, the school wanted us to change our teaching format. In a 40-minute class, they want us, the foreign teacher to teach for 30 minutes and the Chinese teacher to teach for 10. This made no sense to anyone. Lily and I agreed that with the way we taught we didn’t need those 10 minutes. Besides she may end up talking for almost the entire class for any particular lesson because when I bring up a point or new vocab or whatever, she takes her time to explain it. Eva however wanted her 10 minutes and Lily actually got mad at me when she saw that I gave it to her, but when I explained, Lily was ok with it. Then Lily asked Eva to come to the next class and watch us together. When Eva saw how we worked together and what we did and how we did it, she realized not only what she was supposed to do but also what I needed her to do. She came up to me after class and apologized and confessed that she may have given me a lot of problems during the week. I told her no and it was ok, but she still apologized. She also admitted that if we did things like that (as in the way Lily and I did things), then we didn’t need to save those 10 minutes. Today, things went pretty well. She’s not Lily but she not too far from getting there.
In other news, the school has plans for all the foreign teachers to go out to some place and plant trees. After this “fun” event we are also supposed to go to a museum. I have no clue what to expect but I think I’ll have some fun. Will take my camera too for pics. Also, just in case you are wondering, I am aware that I have to put my pics together for viewing from my trips to Hong Kong and Beijing.
Now, for the weather. Last week started off quite warm and sunny. Then on Wednesday, it started to chill up a bit and got overcast. Then Thursday got worse and Friday even worse. Cold and overcast. Friday night, Russell had a party. Just a small gathering for all the teachers to get acquainted or whatever. The turnout was horrible but I had a bottle of wine so I was too drunk to notice. After things started to die down I met up with Annaick and her French friends for more wine and some laughs.
On Saturday, a girl that used to be my co-teacher for activity, Delia, invited me to her house for lunch. I have never been to a Chinese person’s house before, so this was quite a new experience. She lives an hour away from the school by bus. Luckily, it is only one bus but it is a very long ride. The area that she is in, is a little bit like a country area but not quite. It is very quite and not very busy or populated at all. Her mom made lunch and it was very, very good. Her mom is an excellent cook. We spent most of our time just chatting and such. Then we ate and after lunch I knew, according to the culture of this area, they take a nap. So I just told her I was going to go home, even though she offered her bed. I’m not one for taking naps in the day. She was really concerned about me getting home but I assured her I would be fine. Just as I got home it started to rain and as the evening went on, it was raining even heavier.
The next morning, it was extremely cold, or so I was told. It didn’t rain but it was overcast and very cold out. I had Russell run errands for me and bring me food, so I was a lucky and happy camper but I didn’t dare venture outside. I didn’t even go to the office, even though I have 5 stacks of books to correct. I pretty much spent my entire day in front of the TV and was fed by a man willing to do my bidding.
Well the weather actually cleared up today. It wasn’t nearly as cold and it was sunny. Now we have to get ready to go on this trip tomorrow. I can’t wait to see what happens but I’m glad I got you caught up.


TTFN

That's what they all say, they all say d'oh

Well not very much actually “happened” but prepare yourselves for a long read.
First, in news. I started with my new co-teacher Eva on Monday. Her English is quite good and she is very pleasant. Thankfully I only have her for one class. Class D and they are a fairly good class. No major problems and I can keep the troublemakers under control. However, once they realized that Lily was no longer there, they went crazy and were very difficult to control. So much so, that I had to tell them to stop and make them all go to sleep. I don’t think Eva was given the full run down of what was expected of her. After I told her that the kids were just a bit too excited, I guess it occurred to her that the class shouldn’t be that way. She also spoke to them with more English than Chinese and it was English that they didn’t know. Heck, this is the reason why she’s there, to translate my English not to speak to them in English. Anyway, after that class I told her that she had to translate what I was saying because the kids don’t understand anything other than what I’ve taught them. She gave me ok ok ok. Then we moved on to the next class. She translated more but she still left much to be desired. I know I shouldn’t compare, but Lily and I work effortlessly. I don’t have to tell her anything and we work as a unit.
Anyway, I finally let Eva know that, not only did she have to translate, but in her translation she has to teach. Explain not only the meaning of the word or sentence or question, but also the concept of it to. She got a little better but still, we had a hard time, especially with the kids. Then I convinced Lily to come to a class and watch what was happening. Now on top of everything else, the school wanted us to change our teaching format. In a 40-minute class, they want us, the foreign teacher to teach for 30 minutes and the Chinese teacher to teach for 10. This made no sense to anyone. Lily and I agreed that with the way we taught we didn’t need those 10 minutes. Besides she may end up talking for almost the entire class for any particular lesson because when I bring up a point or new vocab or whatever, she takes her time to explain it. Eva however wanted her 10 minutes and Lily actually got mad at me when she saw that I gave it to her, but when I explained, Lily was ok with it. Then Lily asked Eva to come to the next class and watch us together. When Eva saw how we worked together and what we did and how we did it, she realized not only what she was supposed to do but also what I needed her to do. She came up to me after class and apologized and confessed that she may have given me a lot of problems during the week. I told her no and it was ok, but she still apologized. She also admitted that if we did things like that (as in the way Lily and I did things), then we didn’t need to save those 10 minutes. Today, things went pretty well. She’s not Lily but she not too far from getting there.
In other news, the school has plans for all the foreign teachers to go out to some place and plant trees. After this “fun” event we are also supposed to go to a museum. I have no clue what to expect but I think I’ll have some fun. Will take my camera too for pics. Also, just in case you are wondering, I am aware that I have to put my pics together for viewing from my trips to Hong Kong and Beijing.
Now, for the weather. Last week started off quite warm and sunny. Then on Wednesday, it started to chill up a bit and got overcast. Then Thursday got worse and Friday even worse. Cold and overcast. Friday night, Russell had a party. Just a small gathering for all the teachers to get acquainted or whatever. The turnout was horrible but I had a bottle of wine so I was too drunk to notice. After things started to die down I met up with Annaick and her French friends for more wine and some laughs.
On Saturday, a girl that used to be my co-teacher for activity, Delia, invited me to her house for lunch. I have never been to a Chinese person’s house before, so this was quite a new experience. She lives an hour away from the school by bus. Luckily, it is only one bus but it is a very long ride. The area that she is in, is a little bit like a country area but not quite. It is very quite and not very busy or populated at all. Her mom made lunch and it was very, very good. Her mom is an excellent cook. We spent most of our time just chatting and such. Then we ate and after lunch I knew, according to the culture of this area, they take a nap. So I just told her I was going to go home, even though she offered her bed. I’m not one for taking naps in the day. She was really concerned about me getting home but I assured her I would be fine. Just as I got home it started to rain and as the evening went on, it was raining even heavier.
The next morning, it was extremely cold, or so I was told. It didn’t rain but it was overcast and very cold out. I had Russell run errands for me and bring me food, so I was a lucky and happy camper but I didn’t dare venture outside. I didn’t even go to the office, even though I have 5 stacks of books to correct. I pretty much spent my entire day in front of the TV and was fed by a man willing to do my bidding.
Well the weather actually cleared up today. It wasn’t nearly as cold and it was sunny. Now we have to get ready to go on this trip tomorrow. I can’t wait to see what happens but I’m glad I got you caught up.


TTFN

That's what they all say, they all say d'oh

Sometimes

Well yesterday was a pretty good day. I had to get out of the house so I did some shopping. I had a hard time getting around town. The bus I would normally take to Zhongnan Lu has just disappeared off the face of the earth. I was waiting at the bus stop for a while and was thinking that the bus was taking way to long to get there. Then when I checked the sign, that number bus was no longer there. Then, there is some construction in the area and the bus stops have changed so I had no clue on where to go to get a bus that would take me where I wanted to go. So I decided to take a cab. I had to wait a while but finally a cab came. I hop in and I tell him where I want to go. I'm saying Zhongnan Lu and he's saying Zhonghan Lu and has a look of confusion. Well fuck dude! You're not going to know where I want to go when you can't even say the name of the street properly. So I just told him Wuluo Lu, which is the street that you would take to get to Zhongnan Lu. So he starts driving and he gets about 20 feet and he slows down to stop. Then he says something in chinese and I just couldn't be bothered. I told him to stop, I got out of the cab, called him a jackass and slammed the door. Fortunately I got another cab and when I told him Zhongnan Lu, I was on my way without a problem.
Anyway, I went to the book store and picked up a couple things and then I figured I would go to Hankou to DVD Mecca. The girl told me on Wednesday that the next time I came in she would have what I wanted. Well with the bus changes and the fact that I never took a bus from Zhongnan Lu to Hankou, I wasn't going to take a chance so I figured I could just take a cab. Well I was just having a bad cabbie day because I spoke to 3 or 4 cab drivers and they either didn't want to go to Hankou or if they would, they had no clue what I was talking about when I said where in Hankou I wanted to go. So the next best thing would be to take a bus that would take me to my part of town and then take the bus I knew to get me to Hankou. That started to work out well but when I got to the stop that I thought I would find the bus I needed, I found that it didn't even stop there. Now I'm screwed all over again because I still need a bus to get me over the river to Hankou and I didn't want to take the way that Matt I went the last time because that meant alot of walking.
So I thought of another bus that would get me across the river and near to the stop I knew I would get the bus I needed. Well that was ok, until I got off a stop early and had to walk quite a distance to the bus stop I needed. Well anyway I finally got there, got the bus and got to where I needed to be. However, as I was walking to DVD Mecca, I almost punched this guy. I've gotten used to the fact that people stand very close to you here, but as I was standing at an intersection waiting for a bus to pass by, this guy stood next to me. I didn't think much of it at first until he started leaning on me. So I backed up a little and he backed up. Then I took a big step back and he looked at me as though I was supposed to be there to hold him up and what the hell was I moving for. I looked at him and he mumbled something. Then he started following me. I raised my fist and told him to fuck off and I think he got the message.
On my way to DVD Mecca I got the idea to call my friend Chris. I figured since I was in town that maybe I should call him and we could hook up. It would suck if the next time I spoke to him I say "you know I was in Hankou the other day" because I know he would say "what the hell?? and you didn't call me?? BITCH!". Well he was in class when I called but, was going to be available in an hour and a half. So I got something to eat to waste some time and wait on him, then we met up.
We went to this place and had Irish coffee. Then we went to another place and he got something to eat and I had a beer. Then we went to a bar and he had many beers and so did I. Around midnight, we called it quits 'cause Chris had to work the next day and I thought it was best that I got home before I really had problems telling a cabbie where I wanted to go. Anyway I got home around 12:40 and went straight to bed.
This morning I woke up, feeling pretty good and then I got ready to go out to english corner. Today was a good day. I made some new friends and met up with my old friends that I hadn't seen since before Christmas last year. We had fun times and good laughs. Unfortunately, all my chinese friends spent all there time speaking chinese over the past couple months and now all of them are having a hard time getting back into english mode. We had a very good time though. Well atleast I did.
So I got back home this afternoon and put together my unit 8 test to be given out on Wednesday and emailed it to Lily. Monday oughta be a fun day. I have no clue what's going on but I guess I'll find out.
So really long blog of crappity crap crap but it's all here for your entertainment. As am I.

TTFN

Hark, I hear a change coming

Well past few days were about the same. Except for the fact that the power was out for most of the day on Wednesday and all day on Thursday. After lunch on Wednesday, Matt and I went to Hankou to score some DVD's at the DVD Mecca. This always seems to be some kind of adventure for us. The bus that we normally take to go out there, the stopped has moved and we walked to where we thought the stop would be, but alas it wasn't there. So because we didn't want to walk anymore, we just took another bus that would take us into Hankou and figured we could just walk the rest to the DVD Mecca.
Well we got to Hankou fine but the walk was very long. Since I've been here I've adopted the habit of walking pretty fast. Mostly because I have to keep up with Matt and his long legs. At first I couldn't keep up, then I started to be able to keep up, then even when I was by myself I still walked pretty fast. My mom said while she was here that she felt as though she was in a car since all the shops seemed to blur by as she tried to keep up with me. However, this is nothing in comparison to when I'm walking with Matt. I gotta move my fat ass and walk double time to keep up. So needless to say, when we got to our destination, I was right tired. Anyway, we picked up a few things and then headed home. Then back out to the restaurant for dinner.
On Thursday, the power went out again and was gone all day. It didn't make things fun for us and the frathouse is so cold as it is, now that the little heat we try to live on is gone, it makes things even worse. We had hoped that the power would be back by the time school was over but, no such luck. I knew I wouldn't be able to survive staring at the walls of a cold room. I had plans to go to Carrefour on the weekend but I figured, today was as good a time as any. Besides, it would get me out of the house for a few hours and hopefully by the time I came back, the power would be back.
Anyway, Matt decided to join me, 'cause I guess he thought the same thing too and he also had some shopping to do. Carrefour was pretty ok, it wasn't very busy and I was able to stock up on some essentials. Luckily by the time we got home (exhausted and with many a heavy bag) the power was back and we could live normally again.
In other news the weather has been looking up. The past few days have been sunny and today was actually a little warm. It looks like the temperature will rise slowly but we still have a few days of rain ahead of us.
Back at the school, more changes. I was told today that all of the chinese teachers are getting a schedule change. At first I didn't think this had anything to do with me but in fact it does. After many months of getting to know each other and swinging into a comfortable groove, I'm going to be losing my Lily. I'm not sure if it's for all 3 classes or just one. Also, I'll be getting a new or some new activity co-teachers as well. I met my new co-teacher for my class D. Her name is Eva (a new teacher to the school), she seems very nice and her english seems quite good. I'm sure there is nothing wrong with her but I know I will miss Lily. We have such a great dynamic in class. I don't have to tell her anything, we know how the other thinks, we work well together. Now I have to start all over with someone new with March, April, May and June ahead of me. Well there is no real point in me complaining. What's done is done and there isn't anything I can do about it, other than make the best of the situation.
As far as this weekend goes. I'm not sure there will be much going on. I have some books to correct as well as some games and stuff to make and plan for the kids. Sunday I will be going to english corner and I have semi plans to meet up with Chris. We see each other online every once in a while and everytime we talk, the question always is "when am I going to see you?" I have unfortunately only seen him twice since being here. It's a shame since we live so close to each other. Anyway, that's about it. Not much else going on...

TTFN