Mid-Semester Visits

Wow. Today was a long time coming. Steve from the ILP offices came to our school today for a mid semester visit. He spent the day with us. He observed our teaching, interviewed us each individually, we had a group meeting, and then we went to walking street with him. I was so nervous for him to be here and watch our teaching. And of course, my class came unglued the moment he walked in. That would happen. :) We were making hand print flowers with paint today. So I painted the kids hands and helped them put it on the paper, then we'd wash hands and it was very organized and went great in my first class. But the class Steve sat in on went bazurk! Nathan tore up everything I gave him, the kids didn't say anything but "I don't want",coloring got really old, and Jason spilled paint all over my shirt. However, an upside to his visit... he was really funny and very nice, we got some useful tips and some great constructive advice that will hopefully help us in the future, and MOST importantly, he brought us all a favorite American candy bar. Oh YES! Symphony Milk Chocolate with Almond and Toffee bits baby! Mmmmm. They do have chocolate here, it's just not what I choose to spend my money on, and it is just not the same. That was a lovely surprise.

I inherited a necklace today. In a weird sort of way. Jeanie, the new Bond teacher from Canada gave it to me. I walked in and simply complimented her on her outfit. I told her she looked very cute, then I noticed her necklace and I told her how much I loved it. It's a beautiful necklace, very authentic. It's from Africa and it was made for her. So just like that, she took it off, and handed it to me. She said, "Do you love it?" and I said, "Yes, it's beautiful. It looks great on you" and she said, "okay then it is yours" and she handed it to me. Uh.... I felt horrible. I STILL feel horrible. She told me later she said that she has so much jewelry and accessories that when people compliment her things, and she can tell that they really love them, she has to give it to them. She told me that she wore that necklace today with the intent of giving it away and she told me that she had a feeling it would be me who would end up with it. She is a sweetheart. But it doesn't feel right to keep it, especially because of how authentic and special it is. Evidently she gives her things away all the time. She's already given away another pair of earrings. I don't know if it is part of her culture, or if she is just that sweet. Jeanie really is a neat girl.

Tonight we were visited by a couple of police men. For the first time in the [almost] 4 months that we've been here, we have yet to have policeman knocking on our apartment door at night until tonight. Because we don't speak Chinese, and they don't speak English, the purpose of their visit remains unknown. They knocked, we answered, they tried to communicate, we tried to communicate. We couldn't. They couldn't. So they left. Hmmmm, curious.