Hey, It has been sometime since I was in contact with you yeah? I have mostly been able to keep regular contact with Maradee but unfortunately not for everyone else. Hope you like the postcards; I'll keep sending them. Some amazing ones come out all the time. So I have stocked up enough to send you several different ones in the new year. Things are going all right for me. I'm pleased with my progress in my work and settling in. It has taken some time but I think things are going to be all right. I really like in it Jiamusi. The weather is extremely cold but I have gotten use to it. (I use to wear two hats with ear muffs but now I only wear my ear muffs.) I know how to get around and I keep discovering different things that make me self-sufficient which is something I crave. To give you an idea of the big picture, I'll give you small little ones. : ) Health: I'm in mostly good health (I say this with a sore throat and a semi-runny nose.). I have never been so sick, constantly ever. I am on my third cold, probably flu. In between my second and third bout of the colds/flu I got a lymph node infection that swelled up the bottom left side of my face. I have had three allergic reactions (rashes). My throat is constantly dry and raspy. The air in my apartment at night gets so dry I have had to buy a humidifier; it has help so so much. Still, I'm in mostly good health. Yes, sounds incorrect but I have some theories. Theories: First, I have had no experience with any of the influenza strands in China. None. My bodies is therefore has none of the antibodies ready to fight off an attack for the viruses floating around. Second, I work with kids 4 out of 7 days. I touch kids; they touch me. Unfortunately, washing hands has never been a big deal ever in China. Children are especially harbingers of germs and Chinese kids...well. I can understand the not washing of hands to point. The tap water is not clean in China. You drink it and your body will be disagreeable for some time. Using dirty, *cough* polluted, water to clean dirty hands is not that practical. Plus, they don't heat the water so it's like putting your hands in ice water. Also, there is no public soap dispenser at my school. So you have to bring your own soap to wash your hands in polluted fuck-cold (Literally, the first time I washed my wands in the water, not expecting the temp, I said "Fuck!" in front of 4 students and 2 mothers. o.O') water. Third, I am a teacher. As a teacher I talk and talk and talk. Sometimes I whisper and sometimes I yell (very seldom- not that kind of teacher). But I talk. So even when I have lost my voice, I have to talk. That is not so advisable when you are at the point, if your swallow and you die a little inside but I can't help it. I've taken to have cough attacks, where I cough-cough-cough-cough-cough-cough-cough. It is so unattractive. But I always done it. It really sucks though when I start to cry because I am coughing so much. Today, that happened. It is so awkward. >.<' It happens suddenly too. I will be in the middle of talking, get a tickle in my throat and cough-cough-cough-cough-cough-cry-cough-cough. I now, for every class have at least one cough drop in my pocket just in case to pop in if it starts to happen. This has happened in maybe 50% of my classes so far, my coughing fits. The teachers look so alarmed the first time it happens. Then I pop in the cough drop it stops and we go on. Of course some students have chided me about eating what they think is candy or when I drink water. It takes some interesting gesturing to indicate the cough drop is medicine for my throat. It's a learning experience; how to present oneself when sick. I have learned so much. Fourth, the environment I live in isn't perhaps the best to be in. There is the water situation. How no one washes hands. I live outside a coal/steam facility. So the air isn't that breathable, but compared to Salt Lake City- it is about the same. I wear glasses so I can't hike up my scarf to cover and protect my cheeks from the cold, dry air so my nose runs to protect itself from falling off. I did buy contacts but then I took them off and put them in the box to soak and clean, I left the bathroom to collect my glasses and did not notice that one of the contacts in my attempts to put it in its container, flung itself across my bathroom and shriveled up – it broke when I found and touched it the next day. : ( So, I need to get a replacement. Will do so maybe next week. Then I will be able to wrap up snugly. The cold will last until March, at least. I'm waiting to be in my first blizzard but it hasn't happen yet to my utter and real disappointment. Fifth, the causes of my allergic reactions are still unknown. I have enough allergy medicine to last me for a year at least before I will need to buy some more. So far the lotions I have used to keep my hands from drying out have trigger the reactions. The only horrible part of this, is with the colds/flus, in combination it makes it hard to breathe sometimes and living on the 5th floor of a building isn't so great in that situation. So, as long as I take my Zyrtec pill a day, I'm good. Sixth, I still don't drink as much water as I should. Water [filtered] still taste gross whether in the U.S. or in China.. : ( But I have a system of strategically placed water bottles I keep filled in my apartment: 2 in the bedroom, 1 in the office, 1 in the bathroom, and 1-3 by my laptop in the livingroom. It is a work in progress but it is definite progress to my usual non-drinkage. I now need a new water jug every week and a half. Score! The first time I had to replace the jug it was after 3 almost 4 weeks of use. All together, this sounds awful, but it is not that bad. The lymph node infection sucked ass- very painful. But I have a doctor friend who took me to the hospital and got checked out for free, only paid for the blood test and medicine- so cheap. It went away in 4 days. Bless my doctor friend, Alex. Since I have gotten that humidifier, it has worked wonders for my throat at night. I am optimistic that my health problems, all of these colds/bouts of flu will disappear soon as my body gets accustomed to living in China and all that entails, I stand by my first theory. Also, for health... I'm still fat. I have lost weight though. I'm not sure how much but my pants are definitely looser and I'm pretty sure it is not because I wear long johns underneath. In the next week or two I am going to start the process of looking for a gym and then using it, daily save Sundays. I want to buy a treadmill for my apartment but I will hold off on it. I'm not sure why I've lost weight. It may due with the fact that I have not been eating that much meat; I haven't bought meat to cook at home except for eggs. So a lot of vegetarian meals. For the longest time I didn't know where to buy meat and now I know but I need new pans first. And a hot plate- it can get them together really cheap in a couple of weeks. So yeah. Just so you know, the butchery of animals takes place right there as you decide what part of the ox, pig, or chicken you want. Right there, as in right in front of you. I'll take a picture sometime. It's eye-opening. Back to the topic, yeah, still fat...on my way to slimming down. So health... mostly good. Satisfactory is the label I would put. Work: I have been teaching for close to three months now. I have taught a total of 167 classes. Right now I have 18 regular classes per week. My schedule is so forth: Monday: Off Tuesday: Go to Shuangyashan (Two Duck Mountain) 4 classes Wednesday: 2 Evening Classes Thursday: 2 Evening Classes Friday: Off Satuday: 4 Morning and Afternoon Classes Sunday: 6 Morning and Afternoon Classes Last month, I had another class on Fridays. It was for 1 hr long at the University of Jiamusi. It was a Teaching Training Program. I gave 4 lessons in total to professors of the University on how to teach bilingually in Chinese and English. Want to know more? (Anybody know the movie reference? Extra postcard for the correct guess. Hint: Title is 3 words long with Star as one of the words.) So yeah. On 1 December my headmaster comes to my office to let me know that I would be teaching a course at the University starting 4 December. He had no idea what it was for or what I would be teaching, only that I would have a class at the University and he knew the time. WTF, right? Part of my contract is that if I don't have work 21 hrs per week, 85 per month, that the headmaster can choose to "rent" me off as a teacher to other facilities. When I hit that 21 hrs per week then I can so no to extra classes. It wasn't WTF because of the extra class, it was WTF because it was so sudden and I had no idea what was going on. Oh, and I needed to have a guide for Teaching English at the University ready by the next week. The first class, there were 26 out of 38 teachers seating in front of me. I was asked for a teaching plan immediately upon arrival. I said no. I didn't know I needed to have one, I have no idea what is going on and I'm just going with the flow. Introductions, I have found take some time. It was wonderful way to pass time. Also, when you are a foreigner, you are very exciting and everyone wants to know something about you. I went over my one hour mark, thankfully, but everyone was introduced to me and everyone got to ask a question. I have lost so much shyness being a teacher. It's like non-existent now. So they asked, if I have a boyfriend, if I want a Chinese boyfriend, if I like Chinese food, if I know who Colby Bryant is, if I like Jiamusi or China, what the differences were between Chinese and American Universities, what are the differences between China and the US, how many people are in my family and what do they do, and how old am I. The last one got everyone giggling, even the men, when some shouted out "Secret!". Seriously, everyone was giggling and then were pretty shocked to know how young I was. By the second class I was down to 12 students. I had everyone talk about what they did the past week and then taught them Jingle Bells as requested. It went pretty great- until I noticed I forgot to add a line to one of the verses so we went "ba-ba-ba-ba-ba". I told them next week there would be mini-presentations on a variety of topics. Third class, only 5 people showed. A real kicker. It was a pleasant class and enjoyable. The last class was on Christmas, I made them No Bake Chocolate Cookies which were so sweet, all 7 students played an interesting game of nibble-nibble-Yes the cookies were yummy-Oh my god, this is so sweet I'm going to die if I eat it all-I'm saving the rest of the cookie for later-nibble-nibble. I had them make a recipe and spent 40 minutes going over teaching techniques- of which I just came up with because there was no guide and I only had 3 months experience teaching little kids. That was my first bout of teaching at the University. I'm told I may have classes teaching University students when term begins in March but I don't know. I hope not. The class with the teachers was difficult because I couldn't figure out if I needed to focus on Oral English or teaching them how to teach bilingually. Sigh. It's over. The whole point of explaining what happened besides maybe having me potentially teaching and scaring off hundreds of students is this: While I was working on Fridays I only had one day off. This put me in a position to negotiate Two Duck Mountain. When I first said yes to going to Two Duck Mountain to teach there every Tuesday, I was told it would only be for two months. Also, that was when there was no ice and snow on the roads and so it only took an hour to get there not two. When I agreed to teach, I did not factor in the travel time it would take as part of my salary. But, with the Teaching Training Class, I was able to negotiate my schedule. Right now, I will have at least two days off work, never again will I not have two days off in a 7 day period. I will be going to Two Duck Mountain until March (I finally got a date for when this would all end!). If the school there finds a foreign teacher before March, of course I will stop working, but March is the deadline. The headmaster wants me to start working Fridays. I won't work Fridays unless I have Tuesday off. So yay! Also, the travel time to and from Two Duck Mountain is now factored as 4 Class hours per week, 2 hrs for going and 2 hrs for coming back. That brings my total of Class hours to 22 hrs per week. I have therefore reached my class limit and starting 19th Jan, that payday I will be paid extra. I could as, Kyle or Alan said or wanted, to not go to Two Duck Mountain in the first place, because the roads are very bad between the cities and if the car breaks down, it breaks down in the middle of nowhere, or made the classes at Two Duck Mountain bonus classes anyways and not bother with adding the classes or travel time to Class hours per week. I wasn't comfortable trying to go for either option. I feel very satisfied with what was agreed. 18 Classes per week. It's great. This month, well next month the Chinese New Year will occur on 13 February. Around that time I will be given a Winter Holiday which is 10 days. I am very pleased with the prospect- read jumping for joy. 10 days of bliss. The University teachers now get a 2 month holiday so they are going out of town and traveling. I'm thinking of going to Harbin, the capital of the Heilongjiang province. There is a famous Ice Festival. Plus there are bookstores that are taunting me with what they hold. I am contriving to see who can go with me. I am hopeful. (It has been suggested I get a Chinese boyfriend until my winter holiday ends so I can have someone to go with me but that just freaks me out to be honest. I'm not a people user kind of person. Regardless of if in this culture it would be thought of being so "bad." The scheduled that I typed out above has changed a little since the Chinese New Year is soon approaching. Like I said, I will get 10 days off but that does not mean I will not, not not work those classes on different days. Each week will be a different schedule until 13 February. So my schedule is a little crazy plus, I will have more classes at Joy in March. I will be excited when that happens. No more Two Duck Mountain. There are 729 students at Joy; I teach around 200 of them not counting the 80 students in Two Duck Mountain. Most of my classes are good classes and I like the students a lot. I was going to say no kids cried in my classes for a month but that is a lie. :( I'm told kids cry all the time but still, until this weekend no one had cried for at least 5 weeks. Two kids cried this weekend. One boy, Victor who is only 8 but a big tall kid, started crying because this tiny 7 yr old wisp of iron named Ruby, decided she was upset with Victor because she assumed he moved her chair which is next to his, and that he was pay for it with blood, sweat, or tears. She definitely got the tears and I don't doubt if they were 10 yrs older, she would have gone with blood too by beating him up. [The girls named Ruby at Joy just seem to all be spirited bossy little predators- the ones that smile at you before or during the metaphorical stabbing of the back, so to speak. The Ruby's all seem to be BAMFs. Weird. And Worrisome.] The other crying kid was my fault because I didn't notice that one of the kids had gone last in two activities and was upset. Her name is Ivy. She is so shy and I forgot. I think I have done well to encourage shy kids to talk in my class, to come out of their shells. I don't think it is appropriate for anyone to hide behind their classmates because they don't want to talk. Many of the Chinese teachers say I am a good teacher because I am responsible to include everyone in class. Responsible was a word I would have never used before in my teaching method- amateur is so much more like it. In one particular class a month ago, I noticed I never called on this boy, Wilson, the entire class period. I was so shocked and upset that I did that. I still mentally flog myself over what happened. It really re-enforced how I should/need to make everyone talk in class. I have a couple of successes so far in my classes. There are this two boys, Sam and Bob, in my last class on Sundays. Before Sam never opened his mouth except to struggle and always seemed to not even want to look at me, and Bob, is so small and quiet, he would whisper words or sentences so softly it was almost as if he didn't say anything at all. Now, when I ask for volunteers or questions, they raise their hands along with the entire class. It makes me very happy. In other classes that I have inherited from Alan, I had noticed how only certain kids use to raise their hands to answer questions in the beginning of the "takeover" (so very military-ish and so appropriate with my plans of conquest). Now like in one class on Saturday, instead of four students leading the group, I have ten out of the fifteen making an effort every time to answer questions. Kids were so outspoken, as if I could only act in a certain way and they were always correct no matter what. Students in that class rebelled, truly, for maybe the past two months and are only starting to adjust to me and how things are going to be. I am the boss and I can be trusted. Only one kid keeps acting out and trying to be funny- his name is Will(!) and he is such a butthead! It's funny how the kids in that class are beginning to self governing themselves, and working in teams to make sure all of their classmates really behave themselves. It's pretty nice to have accomplished that so far. That self-governing has happened in a lot of my classes in fact, now that I think about it. I make sure to reinforce good behavior from teams that I assign kids at the beginning of every class. When students do not listen I take away points, if they are very bad and intolerable, I take away more points. If they are sassy or so competitive that they voice satisfaction over other teams loosing points, I take away points from them. I don't permit bullying and when everyone picks on one kid, I make sure they know it is not acceptable and stop the behavior. I know that Kyle and Alan have class leaders that they always pick on to use as examples. There is one boy in particular that Kyle just almost seems to torment and has for the years that Kyle has been teaching him. He expects it with out question and so therefore acts like it is okay for everyone with Kyle as the teacher and the leader to use him as an example. Kyle says that it will only make him stronger for it when he grows up but I can't take it. Alan also agrees that there are leaders in every class that I need to use effectively because all the students look up to them. That would drive me nuts to be honest. I don't like it. I can't remember what it was like being a student and whether if I recognized Queen Bee behavior. So with my teaching style I foster the team work and good behavior. I treat my like adults and children. I am charged with teaching English to every student in the class, not just the brave ones. Maybe this will continue to evolve to where I do teach like Kyle and Alan because that is just the way it is, but I don't know. Your thoughts? I have so much more work to do in all of my classes. One teacher is particular, assigns so many things to review or talk about, that I can't keep up with time and before the class is over, only 70% of what was suppose to be reviewed was gone over. It happens in both of her classes and makes me so frustrated. It is a struggle in one of my classes with older students how to keep them engaged and not bored. They are 13 and 14 and so not okay with being around the opposite sex. I once wanted to move them to the opposite sides of the room and them downright refused. It becoming easier to work with those students but sometimes it is like being stuck between a rock and a hard place with nowhere to go or how to improve- not enough experience. I think my students act in a way that reflects my moods or my tone of voice or what I think of the students. Like Will(!), the butthead, I want him to stop being such a butthead. It's so damn annoying. I figure, I need to change my attitude first in order for Will to change his, so he can learn being the class clown is so not cool. It's not when he doesn't learn how to speak English properly but messes up first for the jokes. I have other students that joke and purposely mess up because they already know the rules so now they know how to mess up and be funny. I allow that fooling around because I figure the playing with words encourages deeper understanding of English and not inspiration but awareness and determination on how to make English funny. Those kids that can do that, are doing well... Self-fulfilling prophesies are so unfair. I refuse to let my students, classes, and flaws with time management continue to carry over and repeat. Things don't change that way. So Will(!), the Butthead, and Ivy, Shy Girl, had better watch out. Before I would not have noticed how classes differ from one another. Now, I see it like night and day. Social Happenings: I have settled for the most part of being a novelty at work and at the University (only a little but it is progress). I have made friends with several girls here and have spent time with them outside of work. I like most of the girls here. They are all teachers or assistants so I somewhat lumped them together on the onslaught; it has been diverting teasing out the differences and the little quirks that make each of them stand out besides how they style their hair. I would say I have about 5 very good friends, and many acquaintances. Here are a couple at the very top. I believe I have mentioned Alex, or Noushad, before. He is my doctor friend. He is wonderful to talk to. Yesterday for New Years we had lunch. On the Eve he tried to convince me to go clubbing with him, but alas, I declined. We had a lovely lunch. I like him a lot. He is very honest. And Ember, unfortunately, he is gorgeous and just as equally unavailable. He is a practicing Muslim who after he is settled in his career as a doctor, will marry the wife his father/family tells him he should marry. Sometime, maybe as a move away from China, I hope to met his family in Dubai, UAE. I have already been invited. : D Above me, lives a family of two teachers and their daughter. Alla, a Russian, and Stephen, a Ghanan/Londoner, and their almost 4 yr old daughter, Stephanie, are fantastic. I met Alla and Stephanie at an impromptu Black Out Party of the 5th and 6th floors of my building a couple of months ago. The power went out, I heard some voices on the stairs, investigated and discovered my neighbors for the first time. Since then, I am a regular feature in their apartment. Playing with Stephanie is a lot of fun. They have been so welcoming and it is hard not to feel like I've ever been a stranger. Since the Winter Break for the University is upon us, on Monday, Alla and Stephanie will be going back to Russia for the next two months. As soon as I get home today and tomorrow I'm going to just go over to their apartment. I will miss them very much. At the end of the summer they are planning on leaving Jiamusi, and China altogether to live in Russia and start an English school in Alla's hometown. I am positive that when I visit Russia, I will be welcome to their family at any time. Random Topics: I bought the first tailor piece of clothing in my life. It was some long johns. How this came about comes from the Teacher Training Program. Some of the teachers sought out acquaintance and come over to my apartment. One of the teachers, who I believe is named Mary!, came over with her daughter and another teacher. The Mother Syndrome took place. Mary, immediately asked to see what long johns I wore. I showed her my wool long johns and she immediately cried "No, you need cotton!" So when our schedules permitted, we went to shop downtown to get the cotton "trousers" made. We entered a building with 4 big red lanterns hanging in front. Now that it is winter, entering and leaving buildings has become complicated of sorts. Most doors have blankets hanging in front of them. So you have to open the door and sweep aside the blanket to enter. Well, a lot of buildings have more than one set of doors. The average is 6-10 doors per building. Entering the building we were encased in an area of blanket covered locked doors. It took a few tries but we found our way into the building and went up the stairs on the right to the second floor. I didn't really pay attention to what was on the first floor but the second floor was filled with tailors and seamstresses galore. Every tailor/seamstress had a donut-shaped booth, only square shaped- does that make sense? Every part of the booth was loaded with bolts of cloth. We found the right seamstress. She took my measurements. I paid her 45 RMB. Three days later I went back because they were done and I needed to test the garment. It is made of this material that is slippery smooth, I don't know how to describe it. Chinese fashion for women does not acknowledge the waistline or belly button as places where bottoms should end. Instead, they go up until the beginning of your ribs. Very odd looking. Not that comfortable in the beginning because the top digs into your ribs when you sit down. The outside is very slippery so exercising in them isn't a good idea. It is extremely warm though. I walked half way home a week ago with them without freezing to death; I only stopped because my feet started to hurt. My building may be renovated in this next month or so. In the time, if it happens I will be moving into the International Hotel next door for a month and a half. It's a good thing if it occurs. There is a leak from the floor above that is causing mold to grow in my spare bedroom. Pretty disgusting. I'm in the process of figuring out what to do in the future. I'm indecisive right now. A year ago, hell almost two years ago, I decided I was going to go to travel, go to China, and that was that. Every decision I made was to that point. And I made it. I said I was going to be in China by the end of 2009 and I did it. I'm very proud of that accomplishment. Score! I'm going in circles a little bit over what I want for my next goals. Learning Chinese and slimming down are just that. It's been very easy transitioning into living in Jiamusi. I have a good job and my headmaster doesn't play loose. Many times, Alan and Kyle have both suggested to just staying here in Jiamusi because it is so very easy and very nice living. I won't be going that far. I won't be staying in China forever, no worries. In 2014, I will definitely be My contract is up in 18 September 2009, baring any unforeseen happenings, I think I will stay in Jiamusi for another year to learn Chinese, to be fluent and then see where I go from there. Random Facts: -Chinese people love sunflower seeds. It is a national pastime to eat sunflower seeds it seems. People buy them by the lbs. well kgs but they are very popular. And Chinese people all have a little trick to opening the seeds using their front teeth. It causes notches is you look, in everyone's teeth. Kyle and Alan both say you can tell if a person is left or right handed based on which front tooth the notch is in. I never would have guessed this. Ever. It is so true. In 99% of all the Chinese I come in contract with, I notice that notch. -I found a tongue twister. Here is the words in English: 4 is 4. 四是四 Sỉ shi si. 4th tone, 4th tone, 4th tone. 10 is 10. 十是十Shi shi shi. 3rd tone, 4th tone, 3rd tone. 14 is 14. 十四是十四 Shi si shi shi si 3rd tone, 4th tone, 4th tone, 3rd tone, 4th tone. 40 is 40. 四十是四十Si shi shi si shi. 4th tone, 3rd tone, 4th tone, 4th tone, 3rd tone. So not easy. My mouths wants to go: Blah, blah, blah. So do my ears. I still can't hear the tones yet. My mind is now blank. So I will end this very late letter at this point. I love you.
Eva
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My teaching name is Eva. I have come to like it a lot. It's so awkward to hear my real name almost.
This past week's schedule has been awful. I've been working so many hours. This week will total 30. It should be limited to 21 hours a week. I can hardly wait until the 11th of February. 10 uninterrupted days off. I am craving that time off like crazy. I really want to go to Harbin during that time. I am thinking it will work out in the end. Tonight I want to go see a movie with Alex but Tracy is finally back in town for the last night so I may sup with Tracy, Ripple and their significant others.
<i>A post finally...
took this long to realize...I...
some things need to change</i>
I'm not going to promise anything about updates or whatnot but I will make an effort for Maradee, at the very least, to update regularly. I love you, Magmar! And I will be sending off a surprise to you tomorrow and will be buying your so very late Christmas presents tonight. *grins*
Have a wonderful day.
