Tuesday Excitement

I really should be planning classes now but the problem is that I don't know if the book I was given for class A is the book they will be using and I don't have the right book for class B. I know what I'll be doing at lunch tomorrow. At least my morning classes are easy: it's the same thing I taught today in the morning.

Excitement for today: My BAD 7th grade class was so horrible today that I ended up teaching the one girl interested in learning one on one. Every few minutes I got up to put the other students back in their seats. There's nothing I can do to control that class. I've tried every teacher trick in the book. I think the language barrier is the biggest problem plus I have nothing to hold over them. There's no tests or grades thus no motivation to learn. I can't use (and wouldn't want to use) physical punishments like the Chinese teachers. Hopefully next week I'll have a Chinese assistant that can yell at the students in a language they understand.

Hannah and I have power again!!! After an unfortunate misshap with the DVD player on Wednesday night (that's right last Wednesday), we haven't had lights or anything. It was mostly fine during the day because we have enough windows and could charge computer batteries and keep food at the Joshes' apartment, who live across the hall. Nights I spent at other people's apartments. (Me: So, um, you guys doing anything tonight? Jon: No, why? Me: Well... Umm... Jon: You can come over and watch a movie at our apartment. Me: Thanks!) I have to say that I'm enjoying sitting in my own apartment tonight without out having to constantly watch the battery on my computer and being able to get hot water from the waterbottle.

I got a new tea today. I love trying new teas! This one is orange flowers. In the bag they are dried out and small but when I put them in hot water they open up and look alive! It's really pretty and tastes good too. I have to drink it out of a special cup that has a tea filter in it so I don't drink the flowers too. My other favorites here are chrysantimum tea (dried flowers) and jasmine (Lipton bags... oh the shame! I need to learn what it looks like dried or what the characters are for it so I can get real jasmine tea).

I found some (cheap) furniture to buy for my bedroom. As soon as I get it, I can rearrange and reorganize my room and maybe finally feel moved in! So much of my stuff is still in bags and boxes because I don't have a place to put it. Hopefully on Thursday morning that will all change.

Well, I should get to bed. I need to be to the Great School (the main offices) by 8 tommorrow which means waking up at 6:45. Yuck!

Hope everything is well back home. Write me an e-mail and let me know what's up! I love getting mail from home. Oh and speaking of which, I have my snail mail address and landline phone number now, if you would like either of those, let me know and I'll send it out.