I have had two of my sections so far today and then one more this afternoon. Since the periods are 90 mins we only meet 4 times per week so my schedule shifts everyday; so much more confusing (I think I would prefer the other way)!
I had been told before I arrived in Jinhua that the students have to go for a run every morning (an idea that should probably be implemented in Ontario). Sure enough the first morning I woke up at 5am and soon after the students were all trotting around campus. Music is played throughout campus during this time; I can hear it in my apartment. For the first day or two I did not pay much attention to the music as it was played during this time and during breaks. Then one morning I had my window open and all I hear is "We are never, ever, ever, ever...getting back together...." They were playing TSwift! I laughed about this to the other teachers later (since all of my friends/ family at home HATE this song.... my brother's fiance and I agree that it is kind of catchy) and they said that last year the school played Party Rock Anthem like 20 times a day for two weeks; horrible song or not, a song is going to be horrible in any person's opinion after they are forced to listen to it that much!
The students have a thirty minute break between 1st and 2nd period (from 9:30 to 10:30) and I did not understand why; what a weird time for a break! Today during the break I went across the hall to chat with one of the other teachers and he said that the break is for the students to go for ANOTHER run. I still think mandatory exercise is a good idea; but I like the idea a little less when it does not allow time for them to shower or change and then they come right to my class!
I have only had one section of my classes twice so far and they have already loosened up a little. I had been told that they would be extremely shy at first; but they were already asking more questions today and volunteering to answer more. For a couple of questions (which I have asked 100 times already I swear) they even answered in unison today!
I don't think the students must have been allowed to use calculators in their Chinese math courses because I mentioned yesterday that they should be bringing them to class (assuming they all had one) and today there were only 3 or 4 floating around the room. I finally asked one of the students and she said that a few of them had forgotten but that they are not usually allowed them in math and since the students are not permitted to leave campus until the weekend there was no way they could have gotten one yet... it made a lot more sense after she said this.
Two small victories: I haven't had anymore fights with the photocopier yet (key word being yet) and I figured out how to use my projector! Having the projector today was nice because it meant I didn't have to write my notes on the chalk board, but my hands are still getting dry and gross from all the chalk; makes me miss white boards!
I had a memo on my desk yesterday when I got back from class saying that there was a meeting today at 4:40 with the principal of the Chinese school and that he was then going to take us for dinner. I informed my principal that I couldn't go because I have a class during that time and he said oh okay cancel it then. I assumed he meant the meeting at first (as in I just wouldn't go) but he meant my class! I guess when the principal asks us to go for dinner we have permission to cancel our classes!
Last night I went off campus for the first time by myself, it was fun. I just went to the market to get food. As you go to each of the vendors and hand them all money and get random change back (one lady uses a calculator to tell me how much it is, which is super helpful! A few of them talk slow enough that I catch how much it is, others I just give them a bill and trust them to give me change) you feel like you've spent a lot of money. Last night I got 5 bananas, 5 clementines, a cucumber, 2 apples, 2 green peppers, 2 small spicy peppers, garlic, 2 carrots, a bag of lettuce, a small piece of ginger and cherry tomatoes; so I thought it would for sure be worth however much I spent. I got home and realized I spent 20 RMB, that is less than FOUR DOLLARS! I could not believe it. It was also funny last night because when I was buying the spicy peppers I was not sure how spicy they would be so I only wanted one and the lady laughed and told me to take it. But I didn't want to do that so I just gave her 3 jiao (which is like 30 cents in their money) and she flipped out because she thought it was too much. People here are really weird about things like that. This woman where we were eating would not LET us tip her. The other day a cab driver drove us all the way to our apartments (they usually drop us at the gate) so we tried to tip him and he fought us on it for a full minute until he took it.
The people at the market are funny too because when they see a white person they always charge them more than they would a Chinese person, but they're also expecting you to barter (which I haven't done yet) so when you just give them what you ask they get really excited and then switch whatever you got for better ones or one lady yesterday just gave me a bunch of little orange things with my carrots. The guy selling the lettuce got SUPER mad at me for not knowing what he was saying, he's the only person who has so far, most people just laugh at us when we don't understand them, or when they don't understand us.
Anywho, I should keep lesson planning since I won't get much done while I'm out with the Chinese principal tonight.
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