Bits of This and That

I wrote this on Saturday, but for some reason it didn't make it to my blog. Well, here it is:

I've kinda been in a weird state of mind. Very quiet, very kinda blah... I don't want to be. Brenda says its cuz I’m still adjusting and may have a bit of culture shock. Its’ weird too cuz I’ve only been here 2 weeks... I was in Thailand 5 weeks and never felt like this. I guess knowing that I won't be going home in 3 weeks changes things, and in Thailand I was constantly busy and had a huge group of close nit peeps with me. Here is different. I’m alone quite a bit.

I usually wear skirts to class. They look nicer, and they keep me way cooler in this hot weather. I try to dress nice. But other teachers seem to wear whatever they want. Some even wear jeans and t-shirts. Maybe when it gets cooler I will dress down a bit. But right now, skirts keep me the coolest. I wear whatever I want every other time. No one cares much what you wear.

When I shop I am usually with other people, but occasionally I go alone. But it is still a little scary. I don't know enough Chinese to feel comfortable. It actually can be very frustrating and a chore. It’s easier for me to go to the big stores where they have registers and I can see the amount, and know exactly what to pay, and no one has to open their mouth. But when I shop in the street, it gets more complicated. But I want to learn, this is the best way to practice… in real life.

It’s actually very modern and developed here. I can get all the convenient things that I need... except for random things you’d think they’d have like spaghetti noodles and sauce, mexican foods, coconut milk and curry paste... I really miss those things. I guess its mainly foods that I miss. But I’m learning to like these foods also.

My classrooms do not have air-conditioning, just fans. It is different in China because unlike the US where the students move from classroom to classroom and the teacher owns their room and can decorate how they like... here it’s the teachers that move and the students stay in their designated room. They are known by their grade level and class number. They stay with their class of about 60 all year, even thought there may be about 2000 in their grade. So I had to run all over trying to find where all the rooms were. Interesting, eh? The 3 liaisons that we work with teach English also. They are actually only a small fraction of the teachers. There were 80 new teacher's hired this year. The Chinese English teachers teach about 12-15 classes a week. Like I teach Sr. One...(Like grade 10) there are 28 Sr. 1 classes. I teach 16 of them. Each class also has a Chinese English teacher, I have met several of them, because they sit in on my class sometimes.

Most of my students come from this city and it's where they've lived their entire lives. But there is a small handful that are from the surrounding area who's parents scrounged up enough for them to attend this school. Most students do live in dorms here and are not allowed visitors till the weekend. Other students may live at home close by, or their parents are teachers and they live at home. Even the single teachers live in the teacher dormitories. That’s where I had that lovely meal with my friends. The school does own a bus, but it’s for the teachers, not the students, because many teachers who live in the dorms here are taken each day to the new campus. It was supposed to be completed last July, but the grounds are very much still under construction, even still they saw fit to start using the school. Most of the senior students already go there and live there, and I teach the remaining 16 classes here. Next term my students will be moved there, and possibly me... but I don't want to. The conditions are not suitable yet, and the students hate being there. When I say senior students I mean like 10-12 grade. They divide grades into: jr1, jr2, jr3, sr1, sr2, and sr3. So this old campus where I am will be only jr students next term. Its’ kind of a sad thing. Not as glamorous as it may sound. Our apartments will not be as cozy either. We will have squatty potties and be on the 8th floor. So no one is really excited about it.

I was asked if there are a lot of bikes here. he ha he. I will take a good picture for you. You should see all the thousands of bikes parked outside the school at night, and the morning. THOUSANDS! There are just as many motorbikes zooming through the streets and they also drive on the sidewalks. There is no rhyme or reason to the traffic. Then there are a few cars, but not as many. The food chain is backwards here. Pedestrians do not have the rightoway. The food chain is: Cars first, then motor bikes, then bikes, THEN peds. Crossing the street here, your life may flash before your eyes. It takes a little getting used to, but I think I figured out how to do it without feeling like I’m going to die each time. Keep in mind I’m in the most populated country in the world, it's crowded everywhere. And I'm in a city that is not known for tourism, so the stares take some getting used to.

I do not take many pictures, because I don't feel right taking my camera everywhere. I hate feeling like a tourist in a place that is now my home. I want it to feel natural. I don't want to make everything a spectacle... but at the same time I see things and wish I could take a picture... like the bikes. It just looks kinda bad when you whip your camera out for every little thing.... it's a weird feeling. Nonetheless, I will try to get some good shots for you.

I have not seen any rats, and ever since we got the poison we haven't heard Nigel scream anymore (he's got a phobia.) But I do see cockroaches everywhere… big ones. I don’t know if I’d rather have them or the rats. Another pesky thing is the fire ants. I get bit by one at least once a day. Any they hurt and burn worse then mosquitoes. Ouch!

Well, tomorrow is Mid-autumn Day. They celebrate it as the moon in full, kind of like a Thanksgiving type holiday where they get together with family and eat a lot. But the special things here to eat are moon cakes. They are kind of like little fruitcakes. I got so many of them as gifts already. There is a long folk-tale that goes along with the story of the full moon. Not exactly sure of the correct version.

Today the new teacher arrives from California. I guess his name is Martin. So it will be interesting to have a new person around. Now there will be five of us.

I’ve been convicted lately of not taking advantage of opportunities to share the Love with my fellow teachers. I chicken out easily and am very disappointed in myself. But then He showed me how much I focus on myself and my performance, and that all I really need to do is focus on Him and things will fall into place. PTL! Sorry if this doesn’t make sense. I want glorifying Him to become the norm. I will tell more when I return and can speak freely.