Lovely Flowers!

Go Teletubbies! (Right Steve!) 

 

Today was a lovely day. I slept in and had some lovely time with Dad. Then took a walk to McDonalds by myself. Wasn't quite sure how I was going to order once I got there, but I had a craving for chicken nuggets. Am I spoiled or what? When I got there it was so busy. And one thing that is very hard to get used to is the absence of lines. It simply works that the next person to be served is the one who squeezes their way the front first and get the attention of the cashier. I took a deep breath and made my way to the front. Then I spotted a student who I recognized. I remember her name is Tina, but I can't remember if she's in my class, how horrible am I?! But she helped me order and it was so nice of her. The people are very hospitable and kind to help. I also got to meet her mother. This is rare, as most of the students live on campus and only see their families on the weekends. I got my McD's, and on the way back I got some banana's from my favorite vendor lady. She is hunchbacked and somewhat disfigured, but she is so kind to us and always gives us a fair deal.

 

The rest of the day was spent talking with Brenda about this next week’s lesson. We both teach Senior 1, so our classes have to correspond. It's great to have a person to discuss lessons with and we can use each other’s ideas. Makes things very easy on me.

 

Later Brenda and I met up with one of the Chinese English teachers, Maggie. Maggie took us to a place where Brenda could get her hair cut, and afterwards Maggie took us shopping for dinner. Sometime I want to show you a picture of this market; it's wonderful! Many different smells, some good, some bad. Lot's of fish, many veggies, the meat is sold freshly butchered...no refrigeration. Just slabs of raw meat hanging around. Kinda crazy! Many different things I have never seen before. Maggie paid for everything!

 

We met up with another Chinese teacher, Maggie's roommate who teaches geography, and didn't speak English as well, but learning; and we went to their place to have dinner. It is interesting to see how the other teacher's live. Maggie lives in a small room with six other female teachers; there is a common bathroom for the entire floor of teachers, and a community kitchen. We helped them cook dinner there, and it was fabulous. They made a huge meal for us. We had a bean sprout/garlic dish, an egg/garlic sprout dish, mi fan (rice), cabbage/garlic/ginger dish, cucumber/garlic dish, pork/mushroom dish and pineapple and oranges for desert. It's a lot of garlic! But it was so yummy. It was good to see how they cook, I have really been interested in what they like to eat... what they serve in restaurants is not the same. We had lovely talks about Chinese and English and Geography. I think I get most excited about being a new place when I can see how the people really live, and experience what they experience. I absolutely love to know them on this level. I don't think I could ever genuinely love them if I never left my cozy apartment and had a taste of their real lives. I hope to visit them often. I learned a lot of Chinese just having dinner with them. The whole experience was fabulous.

 

I learned something very interesting just tonight (Sunday night, the night before the second week of classes begins). Most of my classes will be having military training this week, so I have only 4 classes this week! Leave it to China to not tell me till the night before, and I wasn't even told by the school, I was told by another foreign teacher who was told by some students he was hanging out with. Oh, well.... like I said, flexibility and a sense of humor. I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands! But I don't have enough money to travel since we haven't gotten paid yet. I think I might sit in on some other classes to see how others do things. As always, having a very interesting time. And it's good. It's very good.