The Routine

October 10, 2007

This is the third day of our “teaching English” adventure. We are more comfortable and not so stressed being assured we are not holding the balance of China’s political policy in our hands. We each found our comfort zones and developed our own schick. Rich and I both use our family photos as a way to introduce ourselves. Today I had a group of students who were in Rich’s class yesterday so they acted as if they already knew me and told me they saw the photos. There went my routine. So I then launched into the story of how my grandparents came from China. They were fascinated especially when I told them that my grandparents on my mother’s side had 8 children and my grandparents on my father’s side had 9 nine children. Because of China’s one child rule, all these students are an only child. Very few have a sister or brother. It’s sad to think that they will all miss the life experience of growing up with sisters and/or brothers.

Our challenge is to do the same things over 3 times a day for 3 weeks and keep it fresh. Fortunately my music teacher bag of tricks is being reopened. I had forgotten much since it has been so many years since I needed them. I wake up at night remembering tunes and tricks.

We have been here a week and it’s time to do some laundry. We were directed to a local laundry that is cheaper than the hotel. It took us two trips to find it as we were told it was “just a little way down the street.” Their idea of a “little way” is different from ours. We finally found the little hole in the wall place. We left a few pieces and will see how they turn out. We then walked down a street where the local people shop. I found a pair of knitted gloves as the weather is cold especially in the morning on our ride to the school. Almost every two cubicles is a food place with people cooking in a wok on a blazing coal fire on the front step. Everyone seems to cook the same things: noodles and stir fry vegetables.

Tonight we all had dinner at a hot pot restaurant just around the corner from the hotel. Many had never had this kind of dinner. We sat at tables of 8 with a huge divided pot of boiling soup. One side was very spicy with chilies and one side was seasoned without chilies. We first started very carefully dipping the meats in but then decided to just put everything in and fish it out with the ladles or our chopsticks. The soup was at a rolling boil so we figured safe to share.

Because of the weather, people in the group are trying Chinese remedies to keep well. Some have tried acupuncture and massage for their aches and pains. We are doing all we can to keep healthy with our vitamins and careful eating and washing.