Christmas post

圣诞节快乐 bloggers! (That means Merry Christmas) I know it's not exactly Christmas but since I'm not sure what my schedule looks like for Christmas yet... I'll post as usual and if I can get online on Christmas, I'll post another message for you all. But the internet here isn't always the most reliable. It shuts off randomly to prevent students from using it. So last week was crazy and Charity Concert rehearsals are absolutely chaotic. The director said that if he sees even the slightest problem with any pieces, he'll pull them from the show. Ummm yea talk about pressure! Luckily he wanted me to perform more than he wanted my students to look good... so we're performing whether we're performance ready or not... Time to kick my students' butts into shape! I had another student who has had professional singing training help my singer since I can't sing and therefore can't teach her. I worked with my student who I'm dancing with and hopefully everything will be good.

 

On Friday I had a foreign teachers' Christmas dinner. It was entertaining to see all the administrators from the various campuses wasted! I told one administrator who didn't speak much English that if I get drunk I can't talk to him in Chinese and we won't be able to talk. So he helped me escape from drinking that night. He told everyone who tried to spike my drink without me looking that he would "GanBei" them, which means that they have to finish their glass out of respect to him. It's nice to have people high up :) I had a ridiculous vocabulary lesson though... He kept teaching me words that I couldn't say >.< It was a great night regardless and I'm glad I was able to converse with someone with my limited Chinese.

On Saturday I went hiking at 9am. It was FREEZING! But also really fun. The entire hike took a couple of hours and then I went to lunch at Parc 66, took a nap at Cafe 89, and went to dinner at Parc 66 again. I was out all day and it was AWESOME! Normally I get bored staying at home so finding places in town where I can feel comfortable enough to just hang out in all day... it's like being a cast member of Friends and just sitting in Central Perk all the time! I have two cafes that I hang out in now... Cafe 89 on FuRongJie and T House near ShanDong Normal University. The staff speaks no English so it forces me to practice my Chinese. 

On Sunday I ran around town doing a bunch of errands. I finished my Christmas cards for my Chinese friends and started working on the cards for my foreign colleagues. It was a very productive day but today is where it gets FUN!

This week is Christmas week, which brings a lot of scheduling issues. Tutoring and club/activity time are cancelled for the week. Today (Monday) is the IC Christmas party for students. Each foreign teacher is paired up with a class. Of course Giles and I combined our classes so that all of A-Level 12s are together instead of class 18 with me and 19 with Giles. Byron and Angela (our Chinese co-teachers) left the entire thing up to us because we were (and by that I mean I was) so excited to be celebrating Christmas with them :D 

On Tuesday (Christmas eve) and Wednesday (Christmas day) we have classes as usual. We were supposed to have those days off but our schedule changed last week so that we're working. Thursday the foreign teachers have the option to take a holiday because the students have a national exam on Friday so they'll be doing self-study all day Thursday... I don't really get that day off because I have Charity Concert rehearsal on the stage. So I don't have to go all the way to work but I do have to go to the stage. Friday we have to come into work but we don't have classes. Saturday, if you're not in the concert you have regular classes. If you are in the concert, you have dress rehearsal at 7am... So That's meeeee, dress rehearsal 7am. The concert starts at 1 and ends at 3 (Saturday is supposed to be our go home at 12:30 day but we get an extended day because of this concert).

Here's where the fun starts: Sunday... This starts a new week with two possibilities for schedules. Possibility 1: We work full days Sunday and Monday with normal classes (not sure if it'll be a short or long week schedule yet). Then on Tuesday students get a half day and the staff stays late to celebrate the new year during which I have to perform during the faculty talent show (so yes we're at school more than 12 hours). With this possibility, we get January 1-5 off and start a new week January 6. Possibility 2: We have a half day of work Sunday, which will really be the faculty celebration since the students won't come in at all (again this is where I might perform). Then we have off Monday-Wednesday and then work a 10-day work week starting Thursday. So full days normal classes January 2-Januray 11. Either way, we need to make up those days we take off for the New Year. It will be a rough few weeks! I'll be sure to update you when I know what my schedule looks like. Until then... Laters!