And Back Again...

Hello
Hello
How are you?
I'm fine, and you?
I'm fine.

And I'm back. I teach 16 periods a week (45 min. periods) to all new
classes (14 different classes in the Software College, 2 with ACCIS,
about 40 kids each), but now with students who know who I am. It
seems a little easier to make friends now... maybe because my Mandarin
has improved, and certainly because we've seen each other around
more... This also includes the teachers - now I join in the office
badminton games, played to wile away the Chinese teachers' mandatory
office hours of 8-8 (albeit with breaks for lunch and dinner).

It's good to be back where the food is always "delicious," "less
delicious," or "more delicious," and things are generally "less
beautiful," "beautiful," or "more beautiful..." Where in class I talk
about race and try to dispel the idea that everyone in America has
blue eyes and yellow hair... and that d) all of the above, is a
legitimate answer.

I taught one of my ACCIS classes how to play Spades - as their main
interests seem to be (for the boys at least) computer games (all
weekend... i.e. internet cafe from Friday after school to Saturday
afternoon... amazing dedication), basketball (and they're continually
astounded that I know so little about the NBA), and playing cards. So
we played cards. I attempted to make them follow English rules... and
they had a good time playing with their friends. The head teachers
choose that day to observe my chaotic classroom encouraging illegal
gambling.... good times good times.

My other ACCIS class held Cheryl and I hostage after the Spades class
for about three hours - chasing and giggling and and dragging us back
to class when we tried to leave. They took us to lunch, and
demonstrated that when you open the door to their classroom silently
and quickly at lunchtime, you can find Roy and Rose making out. hehe.
I'm going to play Spades with them on Monday.

I still play ping-pong almost every day, but in lieu of break-dancing,
I've been attending semi-mandatory Software College teacher events.
They're very serious. My friend (who Cheryl and I affectionately call
"Mathguy," as he teaches math) ran the three-legged race, and my team
lost by only 3 jumps (136-139) in the team jump-rope competition.
Saddest of days.

The next night, another friend (who Cheryl and I affectionately call
"Japaneseguy" as he teaches Japanese) tied for second place in the
two-person balloon-popping competition, while my office-mates dressed
our boss up in newspaper as a hula girl - I think his wife found him
quite fetching in the hoop earrings.

I'd forgotten about the multitude of competitions... and the gazillion
students I have wandering around, teetering on the edge of friendship.

Towards the edge...