Expats who have been in China for a while always seem to say that time moves really slowly here. I'm starting to see what they mean because so much happens and then you realize it has only been one day.
So after my lovely week of vacation I had to return to work. I missed three days of work in a row because the Jewish holidays were right before and right after the Chinese National Day (the Chinese Independence Day) so it felt like I was away an awfully long time. I am slowly starting to get back into the swing of things at work again but it seems like a lot happened while I was gone.
Everyone got a stomach bug. Four kids threw up at school today, one of them did it on a teacher. One of the first grade classes had 9 kids absent. One of the kids in my class had to go home early because he wasn't feeling well. I'm just getting over a cold and I really hope I don't get sick again. Working with kids leads to way too many pesky illnesses.
Our school has an assembly every Friday and each week a different class leads it. This Friday is my class' turn. I am feeling slightly stressed out by the fact that we aren't even close to ready. Our unit of inquiry is how we express ourselves so the students are learning about film and making movies to show at the assembly. I'm pretty sure half of the movies will not be completed on time for the assembly though. I hope I don't find out half my class is sick and can't come to school tomorrow.
While the kids were working on their movies today, I noticed a bag of dead bugs on one of the kid's desk. I got really scared I was going to find out it was their snack. I asked what it was and was sort of relieved that it wasn't. They apparently brought it in for their Mandarin lesson. After getting a very unclear reply from the kids and asking the mandarin teacher (in my very crappy, but slightly improving, Chinese) I found out why. I think there is a Chinese saying that is their version of not judging a book by its cover that says something about a bug "tuo ke" shedding its shell. Apparently the poem refers to these bugs and so they brought in the bugs shed skin. I'm still very grossed out. One of my students, Linda, said she didn't like them and she seemed as thrilled as I was about the bag of dead bug skins on the desk next to her.
I also found out that one of the Chinese teachers is pregnant. There are some really interesting and bizarre customs about pregnancy. Apparently, as soon as women here get pregnant, they start to wear a smock over their clothes. In the states usually people don't say they are pregnant until after the first trimester, in case you have problems and lose the child. Here they wear a smock and announce they are pregnant to the world starting the day they find out. At first I thought it was only worn so people would know they are pregnant, then my friend Michelle told me it is to protect them from radiation. She also told me they also don't wear contacts or makeup because it may be toxic.
I also was told that women are extremely careful and don't leave the house for like a month after giving birth. I knew a little bit about that from our friends at home who followed some of the Chinese customs. They aren't supposed to bathe for a month after giving birth and if they really need to they use water with ginger in it to wash. They also are supposed to eat all kinds of Chinese herbs. I'm not really sure which of these customs make sense and which are just completely impractical traditions.
After work, on the bus on the way to dinner (which shall henceforth be referred to as the trip of doom and destruction) my friend Michelle saw a dog that had been hit by a car. It was laying in the road and a street sweeper was sweeping the dog up with his broom and throwing it in the trash. Michelle pointed out that it was still twitching and not quite dead yet. Michelle was horrified that some people watching were laughing at the spectacle. We are pretty sure the man we saw on the side of the street after we got off the bus and walked towards the restaurant was dead. I once again didn't notice him until Michelle pointed him out but she said his eyes were opened wide like he had been shocked. He was lying on the sidewalk clutching his heart and not moving. There was a building guard standing next to him but otherwise people just kept on walking right past. At least they didn't throw him in the trashcan.
We also saw this guy on the way there carrying a load of garbage 10 feet high on a wagon attached to his bike. He is carrying all that on a bike. A common sight in China.
So in all just a typical day here.
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