China, Day 4

These last 2 weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions for me.  I have gone from super excited to come to China, to scared out of my mind, to just overly emotional and crying about nothing.  Part of the last part I chalk up to having 2 X-Chromosomes.  Even this morning, mom Skyped me and I became emotional.  Part of it is that I haven’t been sleeping well….i have a bruised hip from this bed.  Also It is just being in a new place, which no matter what place it is, is scary.  The third part that adds to my emotional state is just being bored, which brings me to today.  Today was my 4^th day here in Cangzhou and it was fabulous!! I met up with Edwina and Alistair at noon and they took me to a Japanese place for lunch.  It was great!! It is our favorite place so far.  After lunch we wandered over to the grocery store-what an experience.  Walking in it looks like a market that you would find in a smaller town in the US, not like a huge Vons in Long Beach, but more like the Piggly Wiggly in Louisiana.  In the stores there is a more open area-similar to a produce section in Vons-and here is where you know you are in a Chinese market.  There are tons of veggies, different than I have ever seen.  Some fresh, some dried and some just I don’t know.  There are tubs to scoop of different types of rice and other grains, and noodles.  Then there is the seafood section.  You know those restaurants that have the big lobster tanks when you walk in and Dad always says “we are eating them for dinner”…well Cangzhou may not have lobster tanks, but plenty of crab and fish tanks.  Big fish too!! It’s quite fun to walk around.  And as you are walking around, there are about 20 workers (everywhere is staffed likes it’s Disneyland on Christmas) in groups staring at you.  Not in a rude way, just in the Chinese way.  After, Edwina took me off the main street to walk down “the back streets of Cangzhou”.  It is more like what we westerners think China is like.  Just a little dirtier, but similar to what you would find the floor to look like after the Rose Parade.  We walked by the fire station, the fire fighters wear army print uniforms in their off time….we saw them outside cleaning up their garden and it took us a few minutes to realize they weren’t army.  A cool street to walk down was the produce street.  It is scattered with people riding their bikes and driving their little car wagons, old men playing chess and people selling fruits and vegetables.  Although we didn’t need anything we walked down and looked around, having a great time.  It was such a fun day! It was great to get out and see more of Cangzhou and to just not be bored.  I am so happy to have Edwin and Alistair here; we are the only westerners in the whole city.  For a while this didn’t make sense, because I figured a city this size would have multiple English schools (which naturally attracts more westerners), but DD Dragon is the only English school in the whole city.  If I was the only westerner this would have been a really difficult 6 months, but I am so fortunate to have 2 others, one more on the way, and to like them and get along.  I mentioned to Edwina that I was interested in taking a Martial Arts class, since we are in the martial arts capital of China, and she said that she was really keen to do it too, so yay!! We are going to be looking into that.  We also want to travel as much as possible so we are going to have travel/tourist Tuesdays, our off day. 

I observed my first class last night and was informed that I am doing a demo class tomorrow.  A demo class is when parents being their children to the school and see if they want to send them to the school.  So 10am tomorrow I am teaching not only my first class here at DD Dragon, but a demo class.  Edwina ran through it with me and gave me a demo, demo class.  They kids in the classes are great though, so I am not worried, but it is a little nerve raking since it’s my first time teaching here and the parents are going to sit in.  I have realized though, watching Edwina last night and Alistair tonight, that the best way to make it a fun lesson is just to act like a goof (which Mom informed me I do very well, haha) so that should be good for me.  I am very excited to start working and have a schedule again.  I also get to start at least 2 new classes, which will be great, because then they will really be mine, and I get to choose they western names! I am already thinking of fun names.