Suitcase of Surprises

You know that the people you work with are pretty awesome when they want to spend their day off at a Halloween stall in the middle of the Pearl Market helping you buy Halloween decorations! I had been there about two weeks before with Ryan and Nick, but the others hadn't been there before and they were like kids in a candy store trying on costume accessories and playing with the toys and decorations. I went around filling up shopping bags full of the list of supplies that we needed. Stephanie and Joyce were amazing bargaining with the lady of the shop. Of course, a huge line began to form as we we getting all tallied up. I am always amazed how most of the shops here do not have cash registers. Most of the people in the cue were foreigners. The shop keeper had remembered me from a few weeks ago, and told Stephanie that she would have raised the price if it was just the three of us American buying the supplies, even though the two boys can speak Chinese pretty fluently! We got out of the store after spending 3,000 RMBs of EF's money! We transferred our goodies into duffel bags, back packs, and my big plaid suitcase. Earlier that morning when I grabbed the suitcase from it's dusty corner, I noticed it wasn't as light as I was expecting it to be. I opened it up and found a vacuum pack of three Winter sweaters and my vest that I had just assumed that didn't make it here! I was so happy!

We still had more prizes and random supplies to buy for our party. We went up a few flights of stairs to a huge stationary store that sold a crazy amount of art supplies. Jean, this place would be like a beacon for you! We bought paint, paint brushes and new sets of color pens for all our small star classes! It's those little things that preschool teachers get excited about! Marie had to get to work, so James and I went back with her in a taxi with all of the bags to haul back to the school. We were met with Ryan looking joyous because he talked to the nice fruit stand people that we share the block with and they are able to sell us 100 pumpkins. We made lots of progress today.

I went and grabbed some sushi to go for dinner. As I walked home in the crisp fall weather, I thought of how pretty awesome it is that I work with such wonderful people. I remember thinking that when I left college I would never find friends that awesome again. Then, when I worked at Outdoor School, I never thought I would find another group of people that special, but I got surprised again by my cohort and then another group of Outdoor School the following year. These groups of people have been been all unique and special in their own way, but I know I'm a better person for knowing them all. Glad my luck came with me to China!