busy busy busy

I gave my first powerpoint lecture today for a class about the culture of english speaking countries. I thought it went well. No serious fuck ups or anything but it is odd how engaged the students were. Just put a pretty picture on the screen and they ooohhh.. and ahhh.... I will give the a small quiz next week to see how much they took in. I am not so sure they were really paying attention to the information that I was presenting but they seemed to enjoy the slides. I have another two classes in the morning but these are about the history of western civilization and I have made a pretty good powerpoint for that. Again I worry that the students will not really take it in but will be passive observers to the screen, but hey all I can do is present the info in an engaging way if they dont want to learn it, well not much I can do. I must go to buy some beers and think about the classes for next week, these days go by so fast, already I have been working for 1 week and I need a vacation. Thank the lord I only have 15 more weeks to go.

shout it out

Just want to start by giving a little shout out to my father sister and niece. They all got a little older in the past few days and I want to take the time to tell them happy birthday and best wishes for the year that is in front of them.

Ok. enough with the family and wishy washy crap. What do I want to tell you about today. Ah the level of ineptness that seems to be all about. So i mentioned yesterday that I had a fairly long talk with the FAO and had asked about the other facilities at the college. I learned from a student that there is a library. So I was sort of feeling that the orientation wasnt up to snuff. After a moments thought the FAO told me well you know where the classrooms are and you know where you live so that pretty much covers it what else do you want to know? Oh jeez let me think? Anything that may make my life here easier, lets start with a copy machine. Where is there one? And water how do I get a new 20L bottle? And any other fucking information that I may want to know. Blank looks. So I said ok if you think thats all then ok. Well today after class I go to the school canteen to have lunch, and I try to pay with cash. Oh sorry no cash you must have a card. Well if that doesnt beat all. So as I am going back to my home I happen to run into the FAO and mention that the canteen doesnt accept cash. She says of course not use your card. What card I ask? She says you dont have one? Like where in the name of all things holy would I have gotten a card? I say no where do I get on. She says in the FAO office. I thought to myself someday the world will pay you back. I may not believe in karma but nobody that inept can continue unscathed. I had lunch and took a nap. Now I feel much better.

Fight, Fight

The glory of combat fell upon me like a drunk and a sidewalk. Here is a good story. At least I think so. The contract that I signed for work here in beijing(defended from the inside) states that I must work 12 teaching hours. I am currently assigned 10 per week. No big deal right. I thought that perhaps I would be working extra hours in the next term and thus I was prepared to go along with my business. Well yesterday I stopped by the Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) and they said I would be teaching another class but made up of staff that needs to improve their english. And it would be tuesday and friday for 1.5 hours each time. I went home and slept on it. I am not a sucker (no matter what my friends tell you) and I remember that during the application process a mention had been made of an informal small english corner and that it would be 2 hours a week. I wondered if this was the same english corner. So today after teaching (I am the greatest by and by) I went to the FAO and asked about this anomaly. Low and behold they actually expected me to have not an informal small group but instead to teach 23 staff for 1.5 hours and another group of 23 for 1.5 hours. I said that ain't gonna happen. So almost two hours later we worked out that I would have 2 one hour classes and I get paid extra money for doing it. So in the end I work the hours that my contract states but got a slight raise for doing what is my job. And who says the economy is in the crapper.

butterfly in the sky

So I begin the new term tomorrow and I must admit that I am a bit nervous. I always get nervous before the first day of school. I think that I am ready but you never know. Do I have enough material for the class? Is it going to be interesting? What level are the students? How interested will they be? Will I be able to find the classroom? Will I remember my pants? You know the regular anxieties that we all have on the first day of class. I remember the same feeling when I was a kid going to a new school for the first time, but I had no idea that the teachers felt the same way. If I had known that I would not have been so nervous myself. I guess that is a little of what being an adult is all about, not letting the world see the truth. I am sure it will be fine and I will tell you all about it after the fact. Can I just mention that I am really not looking forward to waking up early to go teach. I have been getting up whenever I please since the 26th of December.Now my work day will begin at 8 am. And I have to get up that early 3 times a week. Ok finishing touches on my powerpoint presentations.

arggghhhh.....

Have I ever told you how much I hate to type? Let me tell you why. My childhood was full of hope and lies. Fortunately these went hand and hand and danced a fine waltz that left all of us children slack-jawed with wonder. However when it was much to late we realized that the lies and hope were unable to continue to coexist and soon the whole thing came crashing to the ground, bleeding profusely and teaching us all never to trust again. Here is how this relates to typing. When I was in middle school computers for the home were just coming out, and they were expensive so naturally everyone wanted one. After a few years my parents bought a commodore 64/128. I entered high school and while debating the elective courses that were offered at my school I was going to take a keyboarding class, taught on real typewriters, but the counselor told me not to do that. She was sure that the computer would have voice recognition and typing would be a thing of the past. So I listened to the wise sage of my school, and stood with my mouth agape as hope and lies took to the dance floor once again. I think I took a cooking class instead and I am by the judgement of others a pretty good cook. Unfortunately I can not type at all. I use two fingers and never remember where the letters are. It takes me forever to write anything. And right now I am writing 4 different syllabi and lesson plans for all my classes which begin next week. Just took a break to vent. Funny that I have to type this out doing exactly the thing that annoyed me in the first place.

meetings

I had two different meeting today, and neither of them were very productive. The first was a general meeting and classroom viewing, in this meeting I understood absolutely nothing as it was all in chinese and at the end I was able to ensure that the laptop actually connects to the overhead projector. I did. two hours later and I have figured out something I was already 99% sure about. Them off to lunch but not lunch on my own oh no lunch as part of the college group, fun more sitting around and not understanding. Lunch was average at best, For all the love of food that is evident in the way most chinese talk about the food of china it is constantly a source of amazement how much of the food is more or less the same. Of the 13 or 14 dishes that the restaurant brought 10 were in a brown sauce only one was uncooked, and the others were stews of some variety. I really wanted a big salad with fresh lettuce and tomatoes and cucumbers but alas this is not in the repertoire of the cooks. After lunch I had another meeting with the dean of a different school where I will have a part time job. He was nice enough but a little strange. I am not sure if the way I look threw him off but he seemed under the impression that I had not taught before. Just a feeling that I got. anyways now I am home getting ready to cook dinner, chicken and mashed potatoes and a huge salad to start.

making paper

As the new school year approaches and I prepare to start teaching a new set of subjects I have a new and daunting task in front of me. The school when it hired me told me that I would be teaching Intro to Western Civilization. That was cool as it was my major in college and teaching history is something I actually really enjoy. Now when I got here they told me that there was no book for the course and that I would need to consolidate some other books into one book for teaching. Crazy people. I now have six american college textbooks that I need to read, organize, get copied and prepared to teach. I have no idea what level the english is of the students, I have no idea what they have learned in their high schools, I have no idea what the chinese standards for college students is. I have no idea. I am doing it anyways trying to make a 15 week course that would interest me if I were a student while touching on the main themes that helped to shape and define what western civilization is all about.

shows and snow

Last night after exploring the neighborhood I went to a show by a guy called jose gonzalez. It was a good show lots of people and good music. It made me think about some things though. How is it best to live life? I get paid enough money that I can afford to go to shows or to dinner now and again, however if I go to dinner every night or go to a bar every night I will not have enough to really enjoy any of those times. In essence is it better to save a little everyday in order to go out big now and again or is it better to go out small more often? These are new questions for me as I used to live in a village where going out was not an option. Anyways back to the night of music, after the set and compulsory encore jose left and the lights came up, I was close enough to take three step, mount the 4 stairs up to the stage and pick up the set list. It was cool, afterwards ea few of the fans asked to take a picture of it. I left the venue and went outside to one of my favorite things in all the lands, white cold flakes drifting and swirling from the sky. It began to stick and as I write this there is still more falling though now it is much less. I get a snow day from school. Not that I am working but I am going to act like it.

coffee

The world is getting better. I had my first cup of coffee this morning in my new apartment. I havent had coffee in maybe three weeks. I had forgotten how glorious the taste, smell, process, and product it is. I am not sure if there is anything I enjoy in the morning so much, a bloody mary is nice as are a few mimosas, but really coffee is king. Also yesterday I finally got around to getting a coffee mug. I went with a light blue one with a dark brown interior, kind of a fluted shape, holds a whole bunch of coffee. Aah..also it snowed last night and now the city is cloaked in its winter shroud of white. That will make for some fine exploring. Speaking of which the world calls, I am all wired on caffeine and I have lots to see.

im back.

Well you all thought that you could get rid of me that easy. Ha fat chance. I am safe and sound in beijing, after spending a few days settling in tomorrow i am off to explore the neighborhood. What I have learned about beijing so far is that there are a fuckload of people here and most of them love to shop. I made a huge mistake yesterday and went to the store to buy somethings that I need for work. Dont worry I am still trying to live with as few things as possible but a man needs an iron for his clothes right? Well the mistake wasnt going to the store but going on Sunday. Ugh. what a teaming mass of humans that was. Anyways I really like the new house, its comfortable, convenient and free. I know where to get most of the food I love already and am looking forward to sleeping in the rest of this week and starting back at school next week. I promise you I will have an interesting story for you tomorrow but right now I am exhausted I want to soak my feet, drink a few beers and sleep like it is no ones business.