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Published: September 24th 2009
Oh, so life continues here for me in Nanchang. I have just finished my second week of teaching and I have mixed feelings about it. The students are sometimes mostly very sweet, and discipline is hardly an issue in these parts. There have been times, like today where I seriously was dangerously close to homocide. However, I have noticed the tendency for the Chinese to be very...very passive aggressive. It often takes some time to recongnize that you have just been insulted. So there have been times where perhaps I was taking things the wrong way, but I got the impression that students were telling me that they felt like I had no idea what I was doing. Which, in a way is sorta true. On Monday, I totally decided to wing my lesson plan because, honestly, I had to scrap everything on my syllabus for the simple fact that some of the students don't even have the basics (hello, how are you doing? etc) down. So my first class (seriously..my most retarded..uhh..i mean learning challenged..I suppose thats why there are only 13 of them) was going well. It is an International Business class, so I decided to teach them about professions. As I'm winging it and thinking I'm doing a pretty good job at all of it, one of students approaches the front of the class, grabs the chalk out of my hand and corrects the spelling of 'confident' and 'professionalism'. I was mortified! Why would she do that? and more importantly..how in the..did she know? Then she sat down and started giggling..Ooooo.. I wanted to throw her out of window..seriously. But instead I just said 'how wonderful, I was wondering when someone was gonna catch that'. I don't know if they bought it or if she was probably the only one in the class to get it. But I think I will for here on out religiously make lesson plans.
Then today during my first writing class of the morning, which is a fairly large class, 40 students. They would not stop talking for anything! I told them numerous times to be quiet and they would for some time, but then 5 minutes later the chatting continued. It is funny to note that when you call on them to say something out loud in front of the class they act like freakin mice but when they should be whispering amongst each other, they are louder than neccessary.
So after 5-7 times of telling them to be quiet I lost my cool and told them I was gonna lock the doors and set the classroom on fire if they didn't shut up (It is ok to say because Chinese teachers will tell them that they will murder them if they don't shut up..and ironically they are very quiet in their Chinese teachers classes). This threat did the trick and I no longer had any more issues for the duration of the class.
Then there are some of the girls who are sooo sweet. One of students came to my appartment over the weekend to play badminton with me. I was at first reluctant to go, but the previous night I had seen her at an event at the stadium and she had invited me to go then where I had agreed. (anyone who knows me should know I detest plans because when it comes down to it..I just might not feel like going when the time arrives). But I go anyway, cause she had clearly walked a long distance to come collect me (evidently, I shouldn't have told her what building I lived in, cause she knocked on every door until I answered.lol). She proceeded to invite me to her dorm room for a 'feast'. I arrived to standing ovations and literally a feast! There were 8 other girls from my classes in the room and they had prepared all this food for me. So after I was forced to stuff my face and asked time and time again if I liked it, I posed for about 20-50 pictures in a large variety of poses. The entire experience was sensation over load, but they were really trying to be so sweet and just wanted to practice their Engrish..i mean English.
So, yea, I was thinking about charging people money to take photos with me. Almost everyday I am either approached to take photos with people, or inadvertantly my photo will be taken while I'm shopping or just walking. All this Chinaratzzi action has been making me really make sure that I am always on point before I even think about leaving the house because bad hair days and pajamas are simply not an option.
During the usual mob scene at Engrish.. I mean English corner, I was bombarded with the usual questions about 'How do you like China?' 'Can you speak Chinese for us?' or ' Where are you from x1000?' or 'Can you use chopsticks?'.etc. but usually it is always those 4 questions. However, for some reason, Obama was on the tip of everyones tongue. I have intentionally been remaining ignorant to what is going on in the states right now, but has Obama recently christened China or something?
They absolutely adore him! At first I was being honest about how I really feel about Obama (you know, his halo, and his identity as the giant skinny black bandaid etc) and people were gasping in horror. Evidently, Obama can do no wrong in China either. who woulda thought. Operation Globalization Domination Order in effect!
Other than all that, I have been keeping myself busy watching countless episodes of LOST and venturing downtown on random excursions. I have a 8 day holiday approaching called 'Moon Day'?? and Shelly and I are thinking about taking a trip to an undisclosed location. These days are very busy traveling days in China, so we will take a train trip to any destination where tickets are still available.
I have had about 4 offers from students to take trips with them to their hometowns, but I feel like I must draw the line with traveling with my students and staying in their homes. They are all very kind offers, but at this time, I'd like to do some traveling with another fellow westerner so I can at least laugh because, oh man, the Chinese sense of humor is a bit bizzare to me (They think suicide and other mental ailments or general disease is funny amongst other things that are just simply not funny..what..is.soo..ever). There are some of the teachers who travel with their students as well, but I do suspect some hankypanky action is going on. I could be wrong, but I would like to be cautious until I know it is an absolutely ok thing to do.
At the moment, I have a rather severe ear infection. It is painful to touch and I can barely eat and yawn without almost being brought to tears. I blew my nose this morning after my cricket ordeal (will explain later) and my brain felt like it was coming out of my left ear. My thoughts are too loud and I'm kinda devastated about it all. I'm trying to stay calm and waiting for at least the next 2 days to see if it gets any better. This all happened about 24 hours ago, so now it is a waiting game. I suspect it is nothing serious, but I am a bit nervous as 3 ladies in my building have all developed a severe flu that required hospitilization, all within a few days of each other. My ear infection appears to just be affecting my ear only so hopefully it is just bacterial and will subside with my lemon and garlic drops that I will concot once I am finished writing this blog.
I also had a nasty fall in the shower this morning as I was washing my hair, I felt something jump on my leg, I opened my eyes it was a freakin' cricket!! I almost died! I jumped and slipped agaisnt the washer (yes the washer is in my bathroom) and fell bottom first with my back slamming agaisnt the toilet. Then this thang would not die. He kept jumping at me, even with my repeated attempts to drown him. This sucker continued to defy physics by jumping into the currents of the blasting hot water shower head. Meanwhile I screamed everytime it jumped near me, because the fool wasn't drowning so I had to search for another weapon of choice to murder this varment. Eventually, with the water still boiling and on fire hydrant power, I had to chung my shampoo bottle at its stupid face with the force of a Yankees pitcher and it finally died.. I thought. Oh no! It had only been crippled! and it continued to leap only half as high and lopsided but this time agaisnt the wall, as it was attempting to flee the bathroom. At this point I was furious and knowing that it wouldn't get too far, I ran to the kitchen and retrieved the mop where I went into a state of insanity and beat this thang like it stole something from me. So it died, and was swept under the drain. and I hope, that God will be a fair God and punish this thing in the hereafter for the misery and mental torture that it subjected upon me.
Well as I'm reminiscing about the horror that befell me this morning, I have become acutely aware of my throbbing ear drum, so I must go take care of that before my eardrum falls out of my head.
Zaijain
Latifa
P.S- I will post pics next time because my computer was just stripped and I only have the Chinese version of windows and I don't know how to access my pictures. Kinda sucks. But I am going into town tomorrow to buy a English version.
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PinkiLaFleur
Dena Sanford
Engrish!
Wow! You seem to be having one hell of an adventure! It's got me seriously thinking about saving up money and vacation time to come visit or something lol :) I miss you bunches, life here is somehow just not the same without you! I'm gonna have to figure out a way to get in on this engrish teaching racket of yours lol cause it seems to be the way to live. Don't worry about the stalkerazzi, they just know who the coolest people are! But you're right, don't leave the house looking anything but devine lmao Sucks about the ear infection, I've had them before and they do hurt really really really bad, but hopefully it clears up soon and you'll be back to normal, msg aside, and running around nanchang carefree again :) email! email! email! email!!!! Love you! Miss you! Stay safe!!! Dena