Last Friday they took away my perfect schedule. August is my school's busiest month so I kind of saw it coming. Now I don't have ANY days off until like August 24th. But it's not so bad. I'm teaching a 3-week summer program with teenagers, probably the oldest students I'll teach at my school. It's fun and funny. One of them calls himself Eminem (grandma, you can look him up online and see why this is funny - he's a rapper.)
Last Friday I went to a party with my roommates at somebody's apartment. The cops came by like three times telling us to be quiet. So turns out house parties are the same everywhere.
Shanghai has changed a lot since the last time I was here. I'm happy to report most people now know how NOT to cut in line and usually when people spit it's with about 60% less audible buildup. However they still like to let their kids pee wherever. They just pop off the kids pants and dangle their little bottoms over the ground until things are taken care of.
Things I never expected would determine the quality of my day:
1) How many people (usually middle aged men) race (and beat) me to the open seat on the subway.
2) How much urine is on the seats and floors of my school's bathrooms. The children really haven't mastered western toilets.
Tonight I'm going out with coworkers for the first time. I haven't really spent any time with the other teachers yet so I'm looking forward to it. I'm just a little nervous about the chosen venue - Mexican.(yes, in China)
Here are some fun photos...
my tiny room. the bed slides all the way under that bench thing, so it's not QUITE as cramped as it looks:
my kids:
health inspection:
the ladies out to play:
digs:
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1 comment
1. maggie (anonymous), Aug 5, 2009 5:21:20 PM #
boy am i glad i randomly clicked on your fb profile this evening.
i will definitely be checking in to get my fill of vicarious shanghaieyness. i miss china. i realize that most of your readership probably already knows this, but i'd love to hear some background on why you decided to return to shanghai, as you noted you did not like the city back in 2k6. i think i deserve a perk or two for establishing myself as one of your premiere commenters.
can't wait to read more, and fuck internet censorship, but it's pretty sweet that you get to have the url jess.blogr.com--you wouldn't be gettin that over at blogger, that's for sure!