September 1,2010
Today I taught in China! It was wonderful, but hot and sweaty. Air conditioning is not something the Chinese use much! We have units in some rooms and our office. The westerners come in and flip it on, the minute we walk out, off it goes by the Chinese teachers! So my hair is in a pony tail today. I am drinking water and carrying lots of toilet paper with me. (No TP anywhere, carry your own!)
My classes start at 10:30 for an hour and a half then a nice long lunch for an hour and a half. I come back to class at 1:30 and finish at 2:55. It is wonderful. One class today had 25 pre IB students all 10th graders the other was 3 fantastic HL students. It is a great way to teach. One of my HL’s asked me to sponsor the Ice Skating Club, and I accepted! Can you see me on ice skates? Zip, zip –boom!
I have a Chinese phone now, so if you need the number just email me. I wanted a number I could remember, therefore I picked an easy one and was told it was a lucky number! Yeah a lucky number, but it took longer to process because it was this lucky number, yes an extra hour. Can you believe that was my luck?
School started with an IB faculty breakfast. We had fried bread, hot soy milk, meatball bread dumpling, a loaf of sliced western bread all of which was yucky! They did have instant Starbucks with real milk and a pastry with sesame seeds on top. That was ok! Found a little mom and pop cafe outside of the school campus that serves vegetarian food and the menu is in English. Had sautéed broccoli then beans and mushrooms with fried egg rice and white rice. Really great. Learning to use those chopsticks, but picking up a mushroom is not so easy. Very cheap, three of us ate for 44 RMB or $6. Plus we had green tea. I will be eating there again.
Off to yoga class…… It is fixing my back. The bed I am sleeping on is just about to eat my lunch. I have my down comforter on top of the mattress then a sheet on top of it. Some better.
Namaste!
So what do you think of the kids? I am so proud of you! You seem to be enjoying your adventure! Post more pictures of you and the kids!
wow so you are only teaching 3 hours a day! talk about having it MADE! Sounds great, lots of time to relax and meditate 🙂
Thursday and Monday I teach only one and a half hours. It is really nice for a change. My office is with the other IB teachers and that is fun. Lots of visiting.
The Chinese kids are just like the kids in the States. Their English is not as good, but they try very hard. I like them so much, they are so sweet. Many of them come from very good and affluent families, just like Allen. It is all very similar, but different, if you get my drift.
Sounds like a good schedule for exploring the city.
Are you starting to like any specific foods? Eating any meat?
Tads! I love these blogs, I just imagine your voice while I’m reading them. I miss you! Most of my classes are in A hall so I always think of you and our class. Sounds like you are surviving out there even without air conditioning! Ha tell us more about your students. What are they like? I wonder how their art will come out! Keep us posted! Take care!