Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Same old. Same old.


Mundane. No, I do not like to admit it but sometimes I find myself in a rut. The explanation being I have now lived in China for three months and a state of “normalcy” has set in. I go to work, I eat, I nap, I go to restaurants, and the occasional outing to a park or shopping mall. I have a routine that is busy but not devoid of free time. I do not write as much as I should, which is evident in my sporadic blog posts, or even as much as I would like. It seems my perpetual procrastination has followed me from College. I have come to realize that not all of you know my schedule. 
Monday: I have class from 10am to 11:40am. At 2:30pm I meet with my “tutor” unfortunately I do not think he will really tutor me. I think he would rather improve his English. Then at 4:00pm I head over to Tim’s apartment, on the way I stop for some jiao zi to save for lunch the next day. Then Tim and I learn Cantonese cooking from Yin (a Chinese-English Teacher I have mentioned before). Finally, Jelly, yes Jelly, comes over for an hour of English. 
Tuesday: I have class at 8am(Sophomore Non-English Majors) and 10am (Freshmen English Majors). Then, I am sad and embarrassed to confess, Alex and I go for McDonald’s. What can I say it is much better in China than it is in the states and it is something different to eat. That is one thing I did not realize. The Chinese eat Chinese food and not much else. Of course they try other foods-- just as we do. However those “other foods” never become a regular like our Mexican food or Italian food does. 
Then, if it is not cancelled for lack of a practice space I go to a Jazz and Hip-Hop dance class from 2:30pm to 5pm. It is instructed by one of my friends Pinki who, I must say, should quit her Accounting Major and become a dancer/choreographer instead. Pinki and I usually go to Dinner after then my night is free. 
Oh, actually now I will meet with my new Chinese (Mandarin) tutor. Yes. It is three months in. I go on vacation in a month and I am just figuring this out now. 
Wednesday: I have class at 10am (Sophomore Non English Majors-- this is probably my most difficult class) and then 2:30pm (Sophomore English Majors). 
Thursday: I have two more classes one at 8am then another at 10am. Then it is, technically, my weekend. I usually go out with Yin or another friend. We walk around Jiangmen or go shopping. 
Friday: Is my one free day. Usually it fills up with errands, Skype dates or outings with Yin. But then us foreigners gather at Tim’s for Happy Hour where we have Pot Luck or go out to dinner. 
Saturday: A mostly free day. Except, in the morning, Alex and I help with the kids for two hours. (from 9am to 11:20) Oh, and now, at 3pm, I meet with my new Chinese tutor again.
Sunday: I have my last class of the week from 8:30am to 10:10. After this I usually got o my coffee house substitute TCBY. Grab a cup of Colombian coffee and a scoop of coffee ice cream. Hunker down and revise some writing or read. After this is planning for the next week. At 5pm Alex Tim and I have mass and go to dinner. 
Thus a week has passed and nothing is new. As I have told students, “same old, same old.” Yet, you never know, one day some students may just invite you to climb Guifeng mountain. The mountain you have waited for three months to climb and-- for lack of a better cliche, you just haven’t gotten around to climbing. So life is great here in little old Jiangmen. My home. 
Side Note: My black board handwriting looks better. And who knew a container of instant Folgers coffee could smell so good. Thanks Melissa and Stephanie!

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