Feeling a bit more comfortable at work...

I stupidly checked the weather today. 95 degrees F. 38 degrees C.

I had the realization today as I was eating sunflower seeds during one of the 15 minute breaks between hours one and two of our last afternoon set of classes with a bunch of the other teachers that I am starting to feel really comfortable with the other teachers. I know more about what I am doing and know my students better and am able to swap stories a bit more. For the first month of so during those breaks I'd be running around like an idiot trying to find supplies and asking questions. For the last few weeks I've been pretty prepared in advanced and am having much more fun teaching and I do feel accepted by the rest of the staff. I was thinking this as I was watching our new teacher running around crazy-like during the break. Everything has it's own season!

Of course, this feeling may only last another day before the crazy summer academy begins, but I'll take it!

Today I had an enjoyable Saturday morning preschool class. I really like those kids and they think I'm funny. I also have the best TA for that class, Amanda, who really enjoys the children and looks like she is having fun, which I don't get that feeling from many other TAs. This job is usually just a job for some extra cash while in school. Little Leo was celebrating his fifth birthday today so we sang him the birthday song and he got an extra Roddy sticker.

I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoons on an Oral Placement Testing shift and I tested a lot of kids. Many parents are trying to decide whether they want to place their children in a summer course or not. There was one little girl who could only smile and not throughout the entire test. She was adorable.

After work I visited a little, new produce market in the shopping complex across the street from the school. I was welcomed by this man who I was able to exchange "hellos" with and then he went into this long speech and I had to just smile and nod and say "No Chinese." The fruit and vegetables were the best that I have seen so far in Beijing at the best price. One of the teachers found out that it all comes from the same family's farm. I can see myself getting food there at a daily basis.