100 days - Reflections

I intended to post thoughts from my 100^th day gone from the States. However, after preparing lessons for the following week I was exhausted so I just went to sleep! Tonight, I am tired again, but I feel I should write a few thoughts about the last 100 days in China. 

How did I celebrate our 100^th day in China?

First, I ate a big, juicy delicious steak! (Our program director came for our semester visit and he paid for lunch!) The steak came with a side of fried rice, French fries and a passion fruit/orchid yummy drink. **interesting combination**

Second, I took a three hour long nap. I was tired. 

But Miss Lora, why are you tired?

Typical morning routine:

1. Get my groggy body out of bed. (My alarm goes off at 6:30 am. This step needs to be completed by at least 7:00 am if the other steps will go smoothly ... namely steps 2 and 3.)
2. Shower. (A bigger event than just a regular shower because of the whole shoilet thing! aka everything in the bathroom area gets wet)
3. Grab something to eat.
4. Plan how many layers look needed based on a brief behavioral analysis of the people walking outside. (Questions to include: What is the average weight of coats? How quickly are people walking? Do they look like they are cold? Are the girls scurrying? Are the boys scurrying?) Depending on the results of my brief study I will then plan how many layers I need, which type of socks and shoes to wear and whether I should also bring a scarf and gloves.
5. Say “Ni hao!” and wave to the A Yi (Auntie aka house marm) as I leave the dormitory. (Around 7:30-7:40 am)
6. Prepare myself for the stares and Chinese comments as I step outside. I often wonder what people are saying to their friends. “Look at the weird foreigner, she looks like she just woke up. Why is the foreigner wearing a coat with a fur collar? etc.”
7. Practice running up six flights of fake marble stairs (This only works if I’m not stuck behind students who are literally hanging off their friends coat tail who is walking on the step in front of them. I know they are a collective society, but I still don't understand how pulling your friends down on the stairs because you're tired is helping either one of you). My goal is to be able to run up six flights of stairs and not be winded when I arrive to the office. I have yet to achieve this goal.
8. Hang up my coat. Breathe. Maybe eat a piece of candy left over from Halloween. Pr and ask Father to bring energy to the class and to help me teach.
9. Go down two flights of stairs to fourth floor.
10. Check the room number before entering. Attempt to remember the day of the week in order to confirm I am indeed about to enter the correct classroom. (I skipped this step one day and it was embarrassing.)
11. Again ask for strength and wisdom for the day to teach these students.
12. Enter the classroom to typically find the students in a half-vegetative state of exhaustion. Some are passed out on their desks others reciting English texts from their textbooks to themselves.
13. The bell rings, I say, “Good morning class!” (With a ton of excitement!) Maybe three or four students answer “Good morning teacher.” I sigh, give a joking you’re-killin’-me-smalls disapproving head nod before mustering up even more energy to say, “GOOD MORNING Class!” This time about half of the class responds. The students who were actually asleep when I arrived are still asleep and their partners haven’t poked them to wake up yet. Once everyone is awake I’ll ask them, “How are you?” They will try telling me, “Fine, thank you.” Again implement the you're-killin'-me-smalls head nod. Feed them lines for how they are probably actually feeling (tired, exhausted, EXciTed, HUngrY, etc.). Thus, class begins.

Since you have now read my morning routine and if you're like me you're probably now feeling exhausted, I’ll leave you with this thought:

Be sure to read the story behind the chair!

 ** I sometimes I wish we could function by the old timer’s habit of working from dawn til dusk. If so, I’d only have to be up 6:30 am – 4:00 pm. Yes, it gets dark here at 4 pm! (And getting up at 6:30 am wouldn’t be a big stretch because that’s what time my alarm is set for even though I will press snooze twice normally!)**

The classes are having some type of art competition. This means the back of the classroom vaguely resembles a fourth grade science fair/art show. One group made a chair out of water bottles and newspaper. The students convinced me I should sit in the chair (after explaining to me a student in a different class had created the chair.) Nervous the students were setting me up to sabotage a different class' project I timidly sat down. Surprisingly the chair actually supported my weight and was oddly comfortable.