It turns out we will be going to Xi'an. After days of "Yes. Just kidding! No." We got fed up. Especially when they told us the night before we were supposed to leave that they couldn't get the tickets they told us they already had. So Jenna yelled at them and since they love her, they actually offered to buy us plane tickets to Xi'an and pay the difference from the train fare. It was an extremely generous offer and we, of course, accepted. We're taking the 30 hour train back. We can build character then.
Re. my camera. I found the battery charger cord, but I lost the upload cord. So when I find that one, I will post pictures. You know I totally don't even have a digital camera and am making this up because of my sociopathic tendencies. As usual.
Our travel plans continue to get dashed. They don't sell tickets to Xi'an more than three days in advance, but today they are sold out for the 28th. Now I wasn't a math major, but it looks like someone's not being entirely honest. We're hoping to go to Guilin or just tell the school we are going to take a bus to somewhere and visit small villages. They don't like it when we do that, but if they really cared they would have gotten us tickets to Jingdezhen (our first choice).
Oh, and I read my camera manual. So now I just have to brave the smoky hole that is China Telecom. And I think that I brought the adapter to some random appliance from home instead of the battery charger. And my battery is low.
I learned how to say and write archaeologist last night. Julian, Jenna, and I were talking to the old man at the school ("DVD-watching Huang) and he was telling us we needed Chinese boy/girlfriends. Jenna said that she has three boyfriends (her students tell her she is dating all her guy friends), Julian said that he is on the lookout, and so the old man decided to help me. He came up with someone who was tall, good looking, rich (whatever his definition of that is), doesn't drink or gamble and only smokes a half a pack a day. But he didn't go to college (i didn't ask, the old man volunteered that) and when I told the Old Man that I am an archaeologist, he said that the guy wasn't educated enough for me. Also, the guy doesn't speak English and I don't speak Chinese. Right, so I had to learn how to say archaeologist in order to tell the old guy. I said it for my students -- they were quite impressed.
The kids are finally starting use the same verb tense throughout a sentence and putting "the" and "a" before nouns. I started out calling them "articles," but had to switch to "words before nouns" b/c of the confusion with newspaper articles.
The kids are doing well and teaching is actually fun. Of course, since I have been spending all my time learning a new career, I haven't had much time to study Chinese.
We signed up for health insurance today. You see, last week I went to the hospital with pneumonia/bronchitis, depending on whether you ask the older respected doctor at the clinic or the dashing young resident at the hospital. I *would* choose the resident, but he was only 5'6", so I'm going with the doctor and pneumonia. Also, I have had bronchitis and it doesn't feel like that at all. So, not even in China for two weeks and I get pneumonia.
Right, health insurance. I think that scared them into getting their acts together, so the insurance guy came out today and I claimed never to have been sick in my entire life or so. Jenna and I wanted to make a note by our signatures that we neither read nor spoke Chinese and that the contracts were read to us, but they wouldn't let us. So I said that if there was a big problem we could just leave the country, at which point either Jenna or Julian pointed out that that wouldn't be in the school's best interest. All this was said in front of people from the school, so hopefully they realized that sick teachers = gone teachers.
Next week, after we finish our intensive classes, Jenna and I hope to go to Xi'an. It is the city with the Tomb of the First Emperor and the thousands of terra cotta warriors. It will be Spring Festival and travel is supposed to be hell, but as our other option would be to stay in Zunyi, we are going to brave it.
Last week Jenna went to Kaili, in eastern Guizhou, and the surrounding minority villages. She managed to go to a Miao (yes, pr. meow) village when they were preparing for a wedding and they invited her to participate and let her take photographs in exchange for taking official wedding photos. Lucky girl. As everyone knows, wandering into a small indigenous village and being allowed to participate in a wedding is the ultimate travel story. The Miao are known for their embroidery and Jenna got lots of neat things. She brought me back a small piece as well. She is planning to go back and I hope to go too at some point.
Also in Guizhou are some caves in the southwest with petroglyphs of horses and hunting, which I am going to manage to see. Unfortunately, there are no postcards in Zunyi, so don't expect one anytime soon.
Some "quirky" things about Zunyi/China: everyone honks. all the time. slowing down? honk. turning? honk. stopping? honk. see someone somewhere in your general vicinity? honk.
There is a water truck that comes by the apartment between 12 and 12:30 that plays Christmas music. Just the first lines, of about five different songs.
Everyone spits on the ground. It's gross. I guess it keeps the gross stuff out of their lungs and with the pollution here, I can understand the desire for that, but really. Yuck. Especially when they blow their noses onto the ground.
People love to say, "Hello!" to foreigners' backs. We don't know why this is. If they said it to our faces, we might answer, but they usually wait until we have passed.
I think that's all for now. I hope everyone is doing well. Still working on the pictures. Eh.
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long as lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Throw "a book" in there somewhere. For "this" or so.
Damn, I rock hardcore.
That's over the door of Shakespeare and Co., Paris for the rest of you.
I start teaching tomorrow. 12-year-olds. I have a plan. Lesson, that is. Nothing involving night vision goggles. It's an intensive class. Four hours a day (2AM, 2 PM) with the same kids for 10 days. While they're supposed to be on vacation. Should be fun. Units include: "Where I Would Like to be Now", "Why my Parents are Evil", and "Why I Don't Want to Learn English". Fortunately, 10 days vacation after that.
Yesterday, I went for a short walk up Phoenix Park Mountain. Two-and-a -half hours later I came down. Things never just get wet here; they get slippery, because of all the crud on the ground. So I spent the whole time trying not to slide down cobblestone paths and kill myself. Also trying to figure out how to get back to my original path.
Then I bought the cutest bag. It's that oriental brocade- blue with a red medallion. I signed my contract, too. Instead of giving me the lower pay, they are going to be paying me the highest amount. Pretty sweet. Still below minimum wage.
Right now, I'm the only non-Asian girl in town (Jenna's still on vacation). It brings to mind that Soul Coughing song, "White Girl." Especially the end, when he just says, "White Girl" over and over again.
Going to review lesson plans with Julian. Damn Canadian.