A day in the life of a wandering Norseman.

Thursday, March 10th.

8:58 AM - Wake up before the alarm goes off.  I love doing that.  I then slowly wake up by playing some music (Ani DiFranco today) and checking email.  Any mail I get overnight usually comes from the States (time difference), so I'm always excited about it.  I take a shower, now that my toilet is FINALLY fixed, and eat breakfast.  I forgot to buy milk yesterday, so no oatmeal today.  I must pick up something outside. 

9:45 AM - I walk to a little shop outside the school, pick up a roll with bean paste inside.  I love these in the states (from Chinatown) but don't usually have them here.  Much more common is steamed buns with pork.  But not today.  It's very warm today so I don't need a coat.

10:00 AM - Back inside my place.  I read an article on the New York Times, then study some Chinese.  I don't usually do this, but I just had my Chinese lesson yesterday and my tutor said to me "You should study everyday", so I'll try again.  I stick in a load of laundry, grab my class list, and am out the door. 

10:35 AM - I head to class.  Thursday and Friday I have my old classes, which are not necessarily better, but I'm familiar with them.  The devil you know, you know. 

10:50 AM - Class 21.  I teach them about newspapers, and did an exercise where they write a letter to an advice column.  It doesn't work out so well.  Either some don't understand what 'advice' is, or don't care to bother to think of questions.  This is somewhat expected, as this is the first time trying out the lesson.  It usually takes a few tries to fine tune it.  But I got them!  I make them all ask one good question or they cann't go to lunch. Today's tongue twister is "Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear".

11:50 AM - Go to lunch.  Usually 2-3 of the 4 dishes are palatable, not unlike school lunches in the States.  Today we have tofu with peppers, bai cai (Chinese cabbage), rice noodles, and bean sprouts (which I hate).  3 out of 4, plus rice (of course).  To drink is a soup broth.  Today is seaweed (not my favorite). 

12:30 PM - Head back home for a rest.  I used to think that Chinese student were really deprived not having afternoons off (from 3-5), but then I realized that they have those same two hours, just moved to 12-2.  During this time I really hit up the Internet.  I read the Times and the Washington Post op/ed pages, and any other articles that catch my attention.  I realized that although I had put my laundry in before class, I had neglected to push the 'on' button. (which, incidentally, is the 'open' button in Chinese.  For example, when  they want to watch TV, they would 'open' the TV.)  I think about going to the bank or to the store to buy milk, but decide instead to waste time on Yahoo! Personals.

1:55 PM - Class 19.  Probably my worst class this semester.  I teach the lesson until it just got too noisy and I have everybody put their heads on their desks.  One kid, Jimbo,  would not stop talking.  I tell him to go to the teachers office, but he wouldn't.  He pleaded with me to let him stay.  I am very angry at this point because I couldn't make him leave (despite my efforts).  But after class was over I just say "lai le" (come here) and walk down there myself.  He follows.

2:55 PM - Class 20.  I love this class, there are so many adorable kids.  The lesson goes over very well.

3:50 PM - Class 18.  Also a good class.  The lesson is the best yet.

4:35 PM - Go to the English office and chill.  I like to talk with the teachers, practice a little Chinese, make them laugh (hopefully two unrelated activities).  Wang Shuxiang brought mangoes for everybody, so I ate some.

5:15 PM - Dinner time.  There are many dining halls in the school.  Michelle and I eat at the Foreign Language School grade 2 and 3 dining hall.  Tonight was dog with white carrots, one of my favorite dishes (I'm not kidding), sour green beans (yuck), peas with a sort of chopped up hot dog (the quality varies, tonight was good), and bai cai.  The broth was potato (yum!)

5:45 PM - Coming home from dinner I stopped to watch the student basketball game.  There is no school team, but each class has its own team and the students organize an informal tournament.  I then walked by the teachers playing volleyball, so I got Michelle and she and I joined in.

6:15 PM - Get in, check my email (this batch usually from people in China, most often WorldTeach business that is not very interesting), write some emails, read some more online news, then check out the Daily Show online clips and the Onion.  I download  "Nothing Compares to You" by Sinead O'Connor.  Move clothes into dryer.

8:00 PM - Go out to buy milk.  As I go I take a nice leisurely stroll around the neighborhood, and say hi to the local DVD merchant.

8:45 PM - Get back and watch the movie "A Christmas Story", which I borrowed from Michelle.  Drink hot milk with a pinch of instant coffee for flavor.

11:00 PM - When the Movie ends, I am surprised at how tired I am.  I write a little on my computer, starting a new story called "Three Wishes".  It's a sort of philosophic parable about a man having a discussion with a genie in a bottle.  I don't get very far before...

11:30 PM - Go to sleep.