2004-10-19 - 9:53 p.m.

I am very sad today because our picture upload connection thingy is still broken. So we will have to all put on our trusty imagination caps... have I got some stories for you!!!!!!!!
First, I got a job! It's at an international school, and my boss told me it's the #1 international school in Shanghai. I don't know how they could possibly know that, because the school doesn't do tests or participate in any national testing. Maybe it won the 50-yard dash at some point. That's a first place I guess. I teach 3rd grade, all subjects- even PE and Art. Their morning is spent in traditional Chinese classes, and the afternoon is with good ole me! It's hard because there are 24 of them, and I am used to 10 kids at the most. Granted, these kids aren't plotting how to take me out every morning (not for coffee but --OUT, like hurt me really really bad)but it's still quite an adjustment for me. I bet anyone who is/was a public school teacher is laughing right now. Ha ha ha. I'll manage eventually. Yesterday I turned my back to write something up on the board and I turned around and there was an empty seat. Bobby was gone. I panicked, but soon relaxed when I saw him at the back of the room. He was trying to escape out the window. Lovely.
A loudspeaker blares to life twice a day, and a very very happy song comes on, accompanied by a very very happy lady singing to the kids various exercises to do. They all know the routine, and they jump up and start the vigorous workout. The kids completely ignore me when the songs come on, and I say, " Yes, right, excercises. We'll finish spelling later..." None of which is heard because the speaker volume is set to "Hurt Julie's Ears". There is a whole song devoted entirely to massaging your face, especially around your eyes. I feel cheated. These crows feet around my eyes would probably not be here if I had attended this school. Thanks, mother. (I am so kidding. I love all 15 elementary schools I attended.) I'll keep you posted on the goings on. I'm sure you'll want to know when and how Bobby makes his escape.
We went apartment hunting today and we found one, but not without suffering.They took us to the most amazing place you would never ever want to live. This is the part where you've got to use your imagination. Imagine stark white walls and tile floors- so white they hurt your eyes. Add lights. Not soft white lamps in nice little fixtures. We're talking disco lights. Every room had these shelves that run all the way around the ceiling, and on these shelves are those long halogen lights IN DAYGLOW COLORS! One room had pink lights, another green, and the living room was layered- pink, green, and blue. kitchen was blue too. Turn these lights on, and the place plunged into a florescent nightmare. I got a little scared. And then there was an extra panel wall sticking out of the regular wall in the living room with about 20 holes the size of big baseballs. In these holes were--yes, lights. blue ones. dining room had a blue lamp, a yellow lamp, and green lamp hanging down from the ceiling, casting a hideous circus-like glow to the room. I half expected bears on bikes with dogs balancing on their shoulders to come parading out of the closet. ( I was a little disappointed it didn't happen.) Oh yeah, and in several random places there were strips of jungle wallpaper. Not covering entire walls, just little sections. Someone explained that the owner was from Northern China,and "...he has bad taste." Really? I wouldn't have guessed that. Mike was getting a tummy ache from the place, but I kept flipping the lights on and giggling. I would have lived there in 2 seconds. Mike wasn't having it, so we settled on an apartment in the same building with the same floor plan, minus the lights. Imagine that a picture of our new place is right here below this line...it's pretty, isn't it?

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