SERENITY NOW!!

Coles’ notes version of the past weekend. My friend Gary called on Saturday in the late morning saying that he had a bad day and was looking for a party. I told him that I had a birthday party to attend and he was more than welcomed but he was looking for a party party. Anyway, Matthew’s birthday was on Thursday but he decided to celebrate it on Saturday. Anyway, that night we had a good time laughing talking etc. By the time 11 o’clock came around, we were all pretty drunk. Anyway I got a text message from Gary saying that he was at Hankou Blue Sky and I could meet him there. Very drunk I hailed a cab and was on my way. I go there had a few more to drink and then we were all pretty much kicked out when they closed at 3am. Somehow (and I say somehow because I actually don’t really remember how this happened) we got to Soho and I assume we partied there but that part of the night was pretty fuzzy. Anyway, I got home at 5:30 am. Yeah, if you are wondering, I had a hangover and it would have to be later that day because I can’t really say the next morning..
Anyway, I had this whole fiasco going on. Like I said, I wanted to go to Dali but Matty stix didn’t want to leave on the Wednesday because he was concerned about stepping on toes. For his sake and because I care, I agreed to try to get the train tickets changed. Daisy offered to go with me to the ticket counter but at the last minute she couldn’t go anymore. However she gave me a note to give to the ticket agent explaining the situation and what I needed to have done. I knew the note wouldn’t do much to help me because if the ticket agent had a question or something, I would have a bit of a hard time understanding and providing an answer. Anyway I went with my note and what I thought would happen did actually happen. The woman was babbling about something in Chinese and I had no clue what she was saying or what to do. Luckily there was someone in the line that spoke a bit of English that was able to tell me that in order to make the change I had to go to the train station. Actually all she said was train station and I figured out the rest. <<>> Anyway, I practically begged a friend of mine to get the tickets changed for me since I obviously couldn’t do it on my own. Anyway, they went but by this time it’s already too late. The holiday is on Monday, everything is booked, we had no choice but just refund the tickets. Now we’re stuck. Too late to buy another train ticket to anywhere and we don’t want to just sit around for a week.
In any event we took a plan B. I bought plane tickets for Guangzhou and Matty stix and I will be going to Hong Kong. We’ve made hotel reservations and have the whole trip planned out. I think we’ll have an awesome time.
At the school, they all planned a trip on Friday that they all knew about (well in advanced by the way) and neglected to tell any of the foreign teachers until 10pm the night before and this was done by email. Well I was already in bed by then, Matt doesn’t check his email regularly and the rest of us found out the morning of. We were all pretty pissed and none of us ended up going. Mind you I was kind of upset because I was looking at my last time to spend time with my kids outside of the classroom but still, it was ridiculous that they never sad anything until the 11th (in this case the 10th) hour. They all knew about it and still…. nothing.So anyway, we’re working this weekend and I found out from Harry (still no info from the school) that we are working Thursday and Friday schedule for these days. Everything is so fucked up here and it’s all because of this new headmaster. At first I was thinking that maybe because I was in a state of euphoria that I didn’t notice that there were problems and because now I’ve made that decision to go home, everything just seems to bother me more now. But I’ve come to realize that it wasn’t that I was just “putting up” with things before, now, they have really just gone down the crapper. Anyway, I could go into so much more detail but this entry is long enough as it is. I’ll try my best to keep you regularly posted for the next few days but when I get back, my updates will be all about my trip to Hong Kong.

TTFN

Yeah, I would like to revise my previous statement

Yeah, I remember when I said that I loved the school. I'm not so sure if love is the word I would currently use. I love the people I work with and I just adore my students but I'm not sure if I'm loving the school. There is a new headmaster at the school and he's turning everything into shit. Prime example, the way he is treating Nick and myself in additon to what they have done in the upcoming weeks. Matt and I planned to go to Dali for the May holiday coming up. Now according to the last week long holiday, we had to work the weekended after to make up for 2 days not worked. Now you are probably a bit confused but I will explain. The holiday is actually a three day holiday for everyone in China. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The school however, gives us the rest of the week off. Thursday and Friday, so that we can have one full week, but because those last 2 days are not part of the holiday, they still insist that we work the 2 days to make up for it. So we get Thursday and Friday off but then we have to work Saturday and Sunday and then still work the Monday to Friday week that follows. Still confused? Well, sorry, not much more I could do. Anyway, Matt and I made our plans to go to Dali. We were originally going to leave on the 28th and return a week from that day but when I went to the train station, there were no tickets available. Plus no tickets for the 27th. The earliest available time was for the 26th. So I booked it, prepared to know that we would have to take 2 personal days on Thursday and Friday and we would be on our way. I sent Mr Ye an email letting him know my plans and felt that everything was taken care of. Then yesterday afternoon, by no official method, just by discussions in the office, we find out that we are working the weekend before the holiday, not after. This poses a big problem. I already have tickets booked, hotel booked and I've alread told Mr Ye I would take those 2 days. I don't have 4 days available. Now I'm not sure if I can get the train tickets refunded and I don't know what the changes would do for the hotel. So now in addition to not knowing what to do, I'm really pissed that they waited until now to say something. I want to go to Dali and I don't particularly care whose toes I step on. I know they probably won't send me home early and I know they don't want me back but Matt stix is concerned because he doesn't want to step on any toes because he has intentions of re-signing with the school. So I just don't know. I suppose if push came to shove, we could leave on the Sunday or the Monday night and come back the next Sunday. It's just the way they do thins here. It's something I would never get used to. Even Annaick got into an argument with Julia about it. Annaick went through alot of trouble to make plans to go to Tibet, going under the same assumption that we were all under, then she finds this out. Well for her it's way too late to change plans but Julia thinks that even telling us a week in advanced is still too early. We all believe that atleast a few weeks advanced notice is reasonable. Especially for something that is a national holiday, where everyone in China is going somewhere. You have to book as erly as possible to ensure that you get what you want. And for us it is doubly difficult because we don't speak the language and either have to get someone chinese to go with us or get someone to write out what we need in chinese to give it to the ticket agent. However, in that case, if they ask a question and you don't have enough chinese to understand and formulate an answer, you can be screwed. They were actually going to tell us about this plan next week! but somehow it slipped out yesterday. I just don't know anymore. But I'll tell you this, now more than ever I want to come home. Don't get me wrong. No regrets. I'm enjoying myself and I will continue to do so, until my last day here but there are just some things that the chinese leave to be desired.

TTFN

Well piss on that

Ok, so things haven't changed that much in the past few days. From what I've heard, the school has spoken to everyone except myself and Nick. Now me, I could sort of understand. I don't have alot of experience and I am quite loud, but not asking Nick. I don't get. He has tons of experience and he speaks chinese, he has a very strong knowledge of chinese culture and teaching in chinese schools. I just don't get that. Now before I was told this information (which was actually just a few hours ago) I had already made my decision. Regardless of whether or not the school wants me back ( and I don't believe that they do), I'm coming home to Canada and I plan on staying there. Mind you I have many opportunities with other schools if I did decide to stay. Ultimately however, it was my original decision to come to China for a year. I guess part of me wanted to stay because I was having such a great time and I was meeting so many new and interesting people from all corners of the world and I guess I just didn't want to see those good times come to an end. But, like everything else, nothing can last forever. I have a life in Canada and I have a future to think of. The longer I stay in China, the longer I'll be putting my plans, my life and my future on hold. And when I really thought about it, what was I doing that for? For a couple more weekends of bliss filled parties? Well I could do that any day of the week with my friends in Canada and I don't have to worry about asking for what I want in broken chinese. Nick and I are seeing that they are treating us as the back up plans and I refuse to be treated that way. Not by anyone and certainly not by the people in this country. Unfortunately because alot of them allow their ignorance to make decisions, they are missing out on a good thing. I'm a great teacher and I know it. At the end of my contract, I've gotten y 2 semesters of experience and I'll ask for my letter of recommendation (something that they cannot deny me) and I'm coming home. Home to Canada, where things are normal and I can say, think, feel and be whatever I want.
So that's my story. I don't know if I would continue my blog after I return. I know my life can be pretty interesting sometimes but I don't know if everything that happens after I get back would be all that blog worthy but I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there. So to everyone at home, put the champagne on ice and tie a yellow ribbon around the tree (I heard that in a movie once), I'll be coming home. I'll be coming home to stay.

Love
Litisha

Up in the air

Well I managed to recover from my weekend. I don't know if that is something I would readily repeat. I was able to get a good night's sleep last night but I still think I have some residual effects.
In other news, I still haven't heard anything from the school. I have a strong feeling that Mr Ye was talking to Julia about me today. Julia is the head of the english department for the chinese teachers. I'm sure he was probably asking her her opinion of me etc. I feel even lower now because Matthew didn't think they would ask him and apparently they have. He didn't specify whether or not he made a decision as of yet.
I've heard from my contact after I emailed her, she said that she would look into the matter next week and let me know if there is anything she could do. Either way, I will get an answer from the school by next Friday. If not from them voluntarily, then from me demanding an answer. I can't just sit on my hands and wait for them. I have a life I have to either get back to or put on hold for another year.
Annaick and I were talking about the sisters today. If you notice they don't come up in the blog very much (or at all). They always just stick to each other and barely carry on conversations with the rest of us. It's like we don't even exist to them and as far as I'm concerned they really don't exist to me. Anyway, they have plans on doing this big trip around China for 10 days and then going back home for the summer. Now, by their own admittance, they don't like what they are doing, they think it's too hard and the fact that they don't do anything other than spend all their time locked up in a single room, they are probably not enjoying themselves here either. Which, yes, is their own fault but it is the situation they are faced with. Annaick and I truly believe that they will not return to China in September. They will justify it some way and will just not return. If that is the case then the school will be seriously fucked. Why would you go home for the summer when you have an amazing opportunity and 2 months to discover a different country and even other countries in the area?? Well, I just don't see them coming back at all.
Anyway, so I'm still hanging in the balance and with every passing day I just get more and more antsy and frustrated. I try not to think about it, but not knowing is what I think frustrates me the most.
I'll keep you posted.

TTFN

There is a strong possibility that I'm getting too old for this

Ok, so I managed to make it out to that school and had to tell Herman to shut up several times. He just talks and talks and talks. It is quite annoying. So far I've been out to the school twice already. He called me once while I was on the bus to figure out where I was. I told him I was on my way. Then as I was waking up to the school he called me again. "Oh Litisha. I think you may be lost. Where are you. I am waiting for you" I ended up yelling at him "I live in Wuhan and I've been here twice already! I'm not lost! I'm just walking up to the school now!" He kept talking and I just hung up the phone. I know it was rude but I couldn't take his voice anymore. Anyway, they were paying me Y100 an hour and I would work for an hour and a half, ultimately walking away with Y150 at the end of the class. Well I told him for the trouble it costed me to get out there (40 minutes by bus) I wasn't going to do it for less that Y150 an hour, which would give me Y225 at the end of the class. He tried to convince me that they only pay their part-time teachers a maximum of Y100. So then I turned the tables on him. He kept telling me over and over before that I was a very good teacher and how I could be so helpful for them and even changed the schedule to accommodate me. He was saying this to convince me to stay. So then I said that if I was such a good teacher and all this then I would be worth the Y150 an hour. Anyway he came to me at the end of class and said that he would pay me Y200 for the 90 minute class. It was Y25 less than what I wanted but atleast I got closer to what I wanted.
Anyway after I left him I met Jada and some friends of hers. Carolyn, Kari, Liz and Brandon. Really great people. I took them to Giano's and they were so amazed at the menu selection and then in heaven once they got the food. I know that Jane (the owner) was really happy that I brought some more clientele in. Anyway, we started off the night with really good food and then some vodka shots. After a few of those we started to slow down and get a bit tired so we got our bills and headed out to Vox.
We had a really great time. The music was bumping and I once again had that feeling of almost not being in China. One of the girls was freaking out because she hadn't been around so many foreigners since maybe before she left Canada but she got drunk so she soon got over it. I had quite a few drinks as well but I think since it had been my third night in a row, my liver processed alcohol faster and I really didn't get very drunk. Maybe just a bit tipsy. Anyway for the most part I was on the dance floor all night but then I would sit out every other song. Then I would sit out 2 or 3 songs at a time. Then I just sat there. After I felt I had enough and I looked at my watch and saw that it was almost 4am and the cub would be closing soon anyway, I decided that it was time for me to go home. So now I've made some new friends whom I said goodbye to and made my way to my beloved frat house and my bed. It was just after 4am when I got home.
(Just as a side note; thinking about my upbringing and living in a place like Toronto. Everyone knows that the city is very diverse. There are many different types of people etc. I always felt that I had known alot of people from different races, cultures, backgrounds and countries. I believe that I have met more people from different parts of the world here in China than I have in all my years living in Toronto. I guess many people come to China for different reasons but we (and by we I mean us foreigners) all come together and share in the fact that we are "aliens" or strangers in this country. We have a commonality that we probably wouldn't have acknowledged if we met anywhere else - like Toronto - there would be no need for us to try to bond because seeing someone from another culture or country at a club is all very common place in western culture. It was just something that occurred to me that I felt I should share with you)
Anyway, I was able to wake up this morning and made it to english corner. I promised John and Jane that I would be there so I knew I would feel very bad if I disappointed them. Besides it was a nice day out so I had no excuses. Anyway I made it there and my chinese friends were surprised and happy to see me. Anyway, I was beginning to get so tired that I had to leave them early. They understood and the important thing was, that I made my appearance. Anyway, that 6 o'clock bedtime that I was going for isn't going to happen but it is almost 10:30 and I'll be going to bed now. The sucky thing is that I have to get up earlier than normal tomorrow because I have to do the sentence of the week. Oh, how I hate that thing.
In other news, I would like to take the time to say Happy Easter to everyone. I had to be reminded that that was actually today. Unfortunately, living in China is like living in the Bermuda triangle. You have no clue of what is going on outside of this world.

TTFN

There was no ducking out early

Ok, so last night we went to try this restaurant. It's called the Club Cafe. Apparently it's well known for having the best steaks in Wuhan. Annaick and I met up with Valerie and then we met up with Gary. Then Barbara and Richie came and the brought their friend Monika. Then some other people showed up and before you knew it, we had this huge table of loud foreigners going.
Anyway most of us got steaks and they were oh so good. Definitely an experience I would like to repeat again and more often. Anyway by the time things really started going, I didn't really feel that tired and I was having a good time. They were playing some really good music and we were dancing up a storm. When I thought the night was over, someone suggested that we go to Soho. I was on the fence as to whether or not I wanted to do that but I was quickly pushed off and over to the side that meant we were all going.
So we get to Soho and the place is still bumping. I didn't really dance this time because they were playing all chinese techno and that kind of thing. Gary and I just sat at a table and played drinking games. Annaick found some of her french friends and hung out there, Monika left early because she had an early flight to catch, Barbara and Richie got into a thing with the bar staff over money. Apparently they gave the bartender Y100 and they either got no change for their drink or the change was incorrect. After a little bit the crowd started to thin out. Gary left because he had an early morning as well and I was really starting to feel tired. Anyway I pryed Annaick away from her friends and told her it was time to go. I didn't get home until 4:30 am. Now, I had to pry myself away from my bed this morning and am starting to get ready. I have to make sure I have everything in order because after I leave the school, I have to go straight away to meet Jada, go out for dinner and then we'll be heading to Vox to party again. That will make 3 nights in a row of partying till the wee hours of the morning. I wish I could say that I'll spend all day Sunday sleeping but I really have to go to english corner. I haven't been there in a while and I know they are probably all wondering where the heck I am. Maybe I'll go to bed really early on Sunday. Maybe around 6. Who am I kidding?

By the way, if you should ask......... yes, it is totally worth it.

TTFN

Oh what a night!

First I'd like to say happy birthday to my friend Harry.
Now, I have been having a crappy week with this whole school business, so I haven't really been in the best of moods. Anyway, Harry was going to have a party on Thursday night to ring in his birthday. He asked me to come and I accepted. I wasn't sure what to expect and he did mention that they were going to a karoeke bar. Karoeke is different here, than we all know back home. At home you sing for the entire bar, here you rent a room and sing just in front of your friends. So now I can say that I've done the karoeke thing in China.
Anyway Harry, his wife Melanie and I first went to my favourite (and really only) Thai restaurant for dinner. We had an awesome meal. Then we headed over to the karoeke hall. The floor almost looks like that of a fancy funky hotel or something. Anyway, we get into this room and it is really nice. A big long couch, a large coffee table a big screen TV, a mini stage. All the essential requirements for a night of fun. Now, Harry has this friend Ben, who I'm not a huge fan of but because it was Harry's birthday I resolved myself to play nice. Anyway, we ended up having a really great night. Everyone was making me laugh, including Ben. We drank and we sang. Even a little Michael Jackson came out. The place was really nice and we all had a really great time. Then right at midnight we sang happy birthday to Harry and then he ended up with icing all over his face. Well it wasn't so much icing (because the Chinese don't really know very much about it) as it was coloured whipped cream. We took so many pictures.
In any event, I got home after 3am and it felt like as soon as I closed my eyes, it was time to get up for school. I barely made it through my morning but got a lucky break in the afternoon. The morning was on high speed and the afternoon classes were cancelled. I should have taken the opportunity and taken a nap or something but I hate sleeping in the day Now, I'm heading out with Annaick, Gary (whom I haven't seen in a while) and some friends to try a new restaurant for dinner. I hope I can make it through the evening. If I see the night going on late and myself slowly fading, I may just duck out early and get some well needed rest. Tomorrow I have to put up with Herman and his non stop mouth. Also I have to start negotiating what I am worth and whether or not he will be giving me an actual part time contract. I ain't gonna just fly by the seat of my pants.

TTFN

People forget

You know, people seem to forget that I'm a very sensitive person. I mean, when alot people meet me they make assumptions. Alot of the time people think because I'm big and I got a serious look on my face that I'm this super balls busting kinda chick. On many occasions, I come off as a raging bitch but this is not always the case. I am quite sensitive and I have moments of insecurity and times when I cry. Unfortunately, not too many people get to see this side of me. The people at my school, don't even know that this side of me exists.
The point I am trying to make is this. I really want to stay with the school another year but it's not the kind of thing that I could just sign up for. I have to wait for them to ask me to come back. The crappy side of this is.... because I am black they would rather renew my contract if they had no other choice but to do so. I'm not trying to imply that I got dealt a bad hand or anything OR just playing the race card for fun. This is actually how these people think. They are in fact racist against black people. So if they can't get another teacher, they would ask me but if they do get another teacher, they'll say "Thanks for all your great work Litisha, but we won't be needing your services next year" and this is no matter how could of a teacher I am. They are just that brainwashed.
Anyway, as it stands right now, they have asked Annaick to stay (and by asked I mean practically begged) but this I could understand. She is a teacher with a decade of experience. My problem lies in the fact that they have already asked Matty stix to stay another year. COMA WHAT!!? I've been here longer than Matt, not much longer but longer nonetheless. Technically I have more experience than him but they asked him first. Mind you, I love Matt and am very happy for him but WTF?! So here I sit, just waiting for them to give me the thumbs up or down. I've done a couple tactics to see if this would help get me anywhere but really, I don't know what to do. I just have to wait. But I'll tell you this, I won't wait forever and definitely not till the last minute. They better tell me something soon enough so that I could get my stuff together. Whether I have to pack all my things or just a few. Whether I book a one way ticket or a return. These are things I need to know. So, I'll see how things go and as usual, I'll keep you posted.

TTFN

Nice weekend

Well we went on that trip. The thing is, the Chinese people are almost always vague on details. Originally I was led to believe that this trip was only for us foreign teachers. Then I was led to believe that it was for the English department. Come to find out, it is the entire teaching roster including teachers from the branch school. A whole 4 buses full of teachers. In addition to that I was led to believe that we would be staying at the hot springs resort. Come to find out, we’re actually spending Friday night at some hotel in a city and then going to a mountain and then after that going to the hot springs resort to only use their facilities for a few hours. Anyway, this is how the weekend broke down.
Friday around 2pm we were on our way. Three hours later we stopped at a hotel and had dinner. Then drove around for another couple hours and landed at another hotel. To my surprise, this hotel wasn’t the hot spring resort and was actually where we were going to spend the night. Well it was around 8pm and none of us foreign teachers wanted to turn in for the night, so we walked the streets trying to find a pub or a bar that we could get a couple of drinks at.
The city was a very nice one. I don’t know the name but it was on a river, was very clean and was probably a quarter of the population of Wuhan. Maybe even less. It almost had an uptown Toronto feel to it. Anyway, Russell and Nick had started their drinking on the bus, so by the time we got to the pub, Nick especially was pretty drunk. Anyway we had a few drinks but the place was barren so we didn’t stay long. We picked up some beers on the way back to the hotel and stayed in Matt and Russell’s room for a bit. After a while Annaick bailed. Twenty minutes after that Nick bailed and then maybe half an hour after that I bailed.
We got up the next morning and had a Chinese breakfast. Annaick and Matt were complaining about the breakfast “I don’t like Chinese breakfast. Who eats this stuff?” I’m not a huge fan of Chinese breakfast either but I had no clue when our next meal was going to be, so I was going to take advantage of this now and eat whatever was edible and move on. Anyway, we left the hotel and drove some more. The city we were in was quite beautiful and you could tell that it was a more “financially advantaged” kind of town. Anyway after that we headed to the mountain. It wasn’t like climbing a raw mountain there was a path and all that. The scenery was quite nice and the mountains were truly beautiful. I got some great pics. After a while I had had enough and decided to head back down and wait till everyone showed up. After about 10-15 minutes, Nick showed up and we chatted for a while. Then after maybe 45 minutes or an hour, everyone else showed up and then it started to rain.
So we left the mountain and headed out to the resort. When we first got there, it was a huge “hurry up and wait” situation but eventually we got our keys and were on our ways to the change rooms for an afternoon of relaxation. I was expecting the hot springs (as the name suggests) to be natural springs that are naturally hot, but alas, what was I thinking? That would make WAY too much sense but nonetheless it was very nice and to be fair it wasn’t just a field of hot tubs either. It’s a little difficult to explain but some of them are like hot tubs with bubbles and all that and others are like hot tubs without bubbles. They all have different looks. Some are very big, others are small. Some are square and made of marble and others have fake stone and a more “natural” appearance. Then there was also a heated indoor pool, which was very nice. It was something I was looking forward to since we left the school (when I thought we would be actually staying at the resort). I simply adore swimming and I was in heaven once I was in that pool. Anyway, when we started we tried to go into the pool that registered at 45 degrees C but found that it was too hot. We figured out after, that we have to start at a low temperature one. Maybe 30 degrees C and slowly work our way up. We also spent some time in the tea bath and that was very nice. It did wonders for our skin and made us feel pretty good too. Then Annaick and I decided that now was a good time to get messages. She got a back massage and I got a foot massage. Now, had this been 2 years ago, they wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near my feet because I hated my feet being touched (except if it was my mom) and I hated other peoples’ feet touching me. Now I’m over that and found that it was well worth it. That massage felt so amazing. The man had magic fingers. Plus the massage house was quiet and beautiful and we lay on these heated marble floors. That was very nice. Anyway, by the time we got our massages, it was the end of the day, so after a rinse and we got ready to go. Annaick and I were feeling amazing and were so happy to be there but the Chinese girls, like my friend Winnie were just like “Yeah, it was ok.” I’m thinking “Just ok? I had a blast and I feel fantastic.” Then she gave me the excuse that I found it to be so great because I’m a foreigner but if I was Chinese I wouldn’t feel the same way. I told her that if this place were in Canada I would feel the exact same way.
Anyway, after another 45 minutes of “hurry up and wait” time, we left. Then we headed to a restaurant for dinner. This place didn’t look great and even the guide said that even though it didn’t look great, the food was good. Well first things first, the place was near a sketchy river and when we walked in, there are women selling fish right at the front door begging you to buy some. We sit at the table and come to find that the dishes are from the local river and not the greatest. According to Annaick and Roy, the frog was the best thing on the table but there was no way in hell I was going to eat that. I found another dish that I knew and pretty much stuck to that and rice. I knew that when I got home, I would have to eat something at Blue Sky. Anyway, after dinner, we headed back home. The trip back home didn’t take as long as it took to get to the place but whatever.
It was after 11pm when we got home and we were all pretty tired so we all just headed to bed. Matt and I went to Blue Sky yesterday and that was awesome and very satisfying.
So that was my weekend. Ultimately I had a great time despite the fact that it was properly planned and I was given info half assed and by the way.

TTFN

I love Wuchang Experimental Primary School

Well these past few days have been pretty nice. Wednesday (my half day) started off pretty good and then after Matt and I came back from dinner, we stopped off and bought a couple beers and hung out in his room (for a change). We sang and played guitar and even danced a bit. Then Russell came down on his way to his second beer run for the night, and said that him and Nick were having a few upstairs and we could join them if we wanted. So we head upstairs and a whole new party started. Anyway I hung out there till about 1am.
Now we all received some info on Wednesday, it was pretty half assed and came from so many sources but we were told that the school was supposed to have a sports day. Well when we got up in the morning, the rumors were confirmed. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the kids were playing. We were being referees and keep time for the races, heck I even entered a race. Not a running race by any means because we all know that my at ass can't run, but it's the race where you have those 2 planks, like skis attached to your feet and there are about 3 or 4 of you with your feet strapped to this plank and you have to walk in unison. There were camera men taking pics of me and some other teachers on that race. It was tons of fun.
Then we get some other info from Mr Ye. The school is sending us on a free trip to a hot spring resort today. We'll be spending the night and will be back tomorrow. I love this school! Now that is an awesome hook up that I don't think any other school would offer. So today sports day will be completing and around 2pm, we'll be going out to the mountains.
Pretty cool stuff.

TTFN

Not even worth it

Well I don't even know where to begin but I do know that I don't want to even bother recalling how my weekend went. Just know that my weekend was both good and bad.
Yesterday after work I met up with my friend Chris in Hankou. We hung out for a bit, then him his girlfriend and I went out for dinner. After that we went back to his place, watched a movie and I crashed there for the night. Just got home this morning and am currently getting ready for work.
The weather has been getting amazing. Yesterday was hot and sunny. Today is overcast but still pretty hot. Yay! The hot weather is on it's way and I've washed and put away all of my sweaters and converted my closet back to summer wear. I am so happy and excited.
I'm just gonna kinda cruise through this week. We'll see how it goes.

TTFN