Excessive amounts of stamped paper

I went on a few missions this morning. First, I had learned at the beginning of the week that I can not transfer money into my bank account at home from here unless I went to a really big bank far, far away. So, I decided to get some money exchanged and send it via mail. Didn't sound so hard and other people at work had done it before...

I spent forty-five minutes with a teller seriously staring at me, staring at my passport and re-entering my passport number a million times. At least, that is what I think she was entering because it sounded like the same number of key types each time. Was she finding crazy information about me that I didn't even know? My mind went wild with possibilities, but in the end, I got some US cash and a lot of paperwork I can't read! She gleefully stamped every single piece of paper!

Then, I went to the post office. I talked to a man who was taping up boxes and he told me where to stand in line. I was luckily able to talk to someone with some English language and they were able to help me out. It took a long time. Does that mean my address here or my home address? Do I really need to provide ten secret questions and answers for my Mom when she signs for it? Questions like that... It was kind of hilarious how many times I would mess up a form or we couldn't communicate and have to start the form over again with a dramatic toss to the waste basket. After a lot of stamping and laughing at my passport and forty-five minutes later I was on my way to mail my postcards. I had gotten pre-paid postcards which was great, but the lady at the desk had to write USA in Chinese, which looks pretty awesome... At least I know how to do it now. China Post is not so bad as I thought it would be!

I got in to work and had to quickly write a lesson plan for today's class. I hadn't thought my errands would have lasted quite that long! I taught a three hour lesson to them on newspapers! My Journalism degree came in handy. There are only three other students in the class right now, but EF is hoping to add more in a few weeks. After that, I taught two more preschool classes to round out the evening. I did get home tonight and talked to Crystal and Reilly on Skype. Reilly waved to me!

Boom! Two Month Anniversary in Beijing!

It's my second month anniversary in Beijing today. I had the day off and have been pretty lazy. I slept in, chatted with Annie Erickson on Skype, and watched the "Bachelorette."

I attempted to find the National Museum of Art, but I couldn't find it after going through all four subway exits. I must have read something wrong. I did spend the afternoon walking around the Dong Si Hutong neighborhood. There were a ton of cute shops and lots of restaurants. I found a Wu Mart and got some cleaning supplies and mosquito plug in. I have seen a few mosquitos in my shower so I hope this will help get them out of my apartment. I found some pre-paid postcards at a China Post. I wonder how long it will take to get to the states? I went back to my neighborhood, picked up some sushi for dinner and have been enjoying watching the movie "Roxanne" on Hulu and writing out my postcards.

I did have a talk with my boss yesterday about the little boy with some issues in my Monday class and she was very supportive. She's helping me find an action plan and having a conference with the parents. She is also going to try to get that class out of the awful room we are in!

Tomorrow is my first day of teaching the summer course. We are teaching about the different countries featured at the World Expo. Tomorrow, we will be learning about China... I'm not sure that's such a great thing. The students have so much more to teach me about the subject!

FIrst Day of the Summer Academy

We all survived the first day of the summer academy. My day was nothing out of the ordinary for a Monday since I won't be teaching my half of the summer term course until Thursdays and Fridays. We received a big shipment of Roddy crowns for the preschool classes to wear and they were a hit in the staff room.

I taught my awful Monday night preschool class tonight with the little boy who hits everyone. Today, he picked up a little chair and was about to pummel another student with it before I stopped it. I'm going to try to talk to my new boss about getting some support to help me with that class. I hadn't received any help from my previous boss and the customer relations person in charge of that class has such pressure to keep as many students enrolled as possible, I can't really count on her for any support in moving the student out of the class. The other two little boys are starting to pick up on the violent child's bad karma and it is making the class utterly miserable to teach and, I am sure, to be a student in. The EF kids and teens centers do not have any behavioral policy at all. My final class of the evening is very energetic, and of course, lost it as they always do during the final 15 minutes when they really should already by at home. I was also ready to go!

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July to everyone out there!

I spent my fourth at work. I had four long classes today. I did teach about space and showed NASA clips in one class, so I felt a little patriotic!

I went out to dinner for Chinese food with a few of the other ladies from work. I really enjoy Chinese food when someone with Mandarin skills can order for me.

Our final stop for the evening was going to KTV (or karokee) at a place across the street from work in the basement. They were celebrating their opening weekend. At a KTV place you don't sing in front of a bunch of people in bar, but each group gets their very own room that looks a bit like a space station. There is a large TV that displays the music videos/lyrics, a panel to choose your songs, big couches and a cool applause machine. We sang our hearts out. There was a lot of old school Backstreet Boys that were butchered tonight.

I missed fireworks and my Mom's potato salad, but at least I got to spend the night with some fun people.

Hope you all have a fun and safe holiday! Someone please have a garden burger for me!

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.

Summer in the City

Summer in the City has truly began today in Beijing! When I left the building for the first time to go to the gym this morning and I wanted to just run back into my nicely air conditioned apartment building. It was hot. I mean, really hot. Like, I want to go back a year ago to my former self complaining about spending a hot day in a pioneer dress last summer and give her a stern "Suck it up" speech, kind of hot. The kind of hot were my arms got a little pink on my ten-15 walk to the gym and back!

After a good application of sunblock and finding my EF baseball cap, I made it into work. We had a meeting introducing the new boss to the entire community staff and then we had our academic meeting where we learned a little more about our summer courses. For the first four weeks of the summer course I will be teaching a high school class every day for four hours in the afternoon and then my normal evening and weekend classes. I was told I was most likely going to be teaching a preschool class in the morning, have a bit of a break, and then go back to work. I'm thankful to be able to keep some of my morning routines. The morning here is the best time for me to talk to anyone at home, so I am glad I don't have to give that up.

I spent the rest of the afternoon getting all my lesson plans that had been piling on my self organized and into a binder. I also got all my teaching supplies neat and tidy. It felt good to have that done. I taught a special study club class for low level elementary school students about space. It was pretty fun... but I had left out the planet Jupiter for about half of the lesson. Whoopsie! The kids enjoyed that I had made a mistake. We watched some awesome Nasa videos, too.

I went to a little market with my friend Cindy in her neighborhood. I bought my mentor teacher Amy a plant as a thank you present for all the help she has given me and making sure I was ok while I was really sick. Cindy and I chilled at a Starbucks were I had a yummy sandwich and a huge hibiscus iced tea!

Little Girl Madonna Impersonator

Today was an easy Thursday. I went to the gym early, (well, early for me so far) and there was no one there. I had the place to myself with the exception of a few staff members.

For the first time I am completely done with all of my planning before the end of the week. It was nice to just chill in the staff room and organize my computer files and chat with everybody about their weekends. Every work afternoon should be that easy! Our new boss came in and is really making an effort to be very kind to everyone. I really have my fingers crossed that we will have a smooth transition.

Both of my preschool classes tonight were exceptionally good. In the second class, there is a little girl with the Western name of Sissy who was dressed Madonna style, circa the mid eighties. She was wearing a small little black shirt, a see-through black gaze skirt and fish net tights and lots of little girl jewelry. It was pretty funny. She started telling me about her outfit in Chinese and the TA was able to translate for me. She told me her mom let her get dressed all by herself for class.

Even though today was the first day of July, it was the coolest weather I have experienced here so far. It must have rained last night and it continued to rain until this afternoon. The air was delightfully lighter and smelled much better during my stroll home this evening.