The stuff you come across

Well what can I say? It was a pretty uneventful week. I guess it makes a difference when there aren't any other foreigners in the mix. Last time I was here, there was almost always some kind of drama. But then, I lived with 13 other teachers in the same apartment building and some of those teachers also taught at my school. In this case, I'm the only foreign teacher at the two schools I teach at and I'm the only foreigner in my apartment building. I do see Klaver occasionally but we don't live so close that we can see each other daily. In any event, I'm getting to be ok with being in Shanghai and slowly feeling better. The weather has cooled down a bit so it's no longer a sauna out there. That is one plus to my daily commute.
The kindergarten isn't that bad. Since I've been planning my lessons, it makes life a little easier. I just dread every moment I'm in that place. But no biggie. I'll survive. Only less than 3 months left. This week at the middle school wasn't as painful as it usually is either. I played a game with all of my classes so the time went by pretty fast and in one of the classes, the students actually enjoyed themselves. Nancy (the head of the English department) came to see my classes and was impressed with what I was doing. I had complained to Charles that I was incredibly unhappy with the way things had been going in the class and I guess he spoke to the headmaster and they thought of a "solution". So in addition to Nancy just coming to observe the class, she also helped me assign a student teacher. So I pick one or two students from each class that help me with the lesson. These students have decent enough English that I can explain the lesson to them and they can translate it to the rest of the class. I'm gonna see how this pans out next week and if there is no improvement, well I'm unsure what I'll be able to do other than complain again. Frankly speaking I'd prefer not even to be involved with the middle school.
A few students in my C1 class always seem to have a few snacks and are gracious enough to sometimes share. This past Thursday they introduced me to one of the strangest things I've ever put in my mouth (insert perverted joke here). Imagine a cookie. It's sort of thick and chewy. Almost like a biscuit. Kinda like those date and nut cookies. Now imagine this same biscuit with minced chicken in the middle. It's sweet on the outside with all it's cookie-like goodness and then savoury on the inside with it's "delicious chicken center". This snack is called a chicken biscuit surprisingly and these kids love them. It just kills me the odd combinations of foods you find in this country. Who would think to put a cookie and minced chicken together? Only in bizarro world.

TTFN