Also Chinese medicine isn't that strong, as they believe drinking warm water cures everything that makes you sick. I shouldn't say warm water, it's more like boiling hot water. I don't know how Chinese people drink such hot water, even hot orange juice. I've had a constant cold since I have been here because of the dry winter weather and no heating in the apartment (they are installing a heater soon, I believe). The cold that I have is probably the worst sinus infection that I have ever had, I literally have neon yellow snot, but besides blowing my nose a lot I feel fine; my roommate on the other had to go to the hospital to get medicine for his sinus infection.
My two new roommates have been doing great. It gets quite cold, so I bought them a heating pad which also comes in handy when I am cold. I have built them many homes, but since it is so cold most of the time they are sleeping.
My new kindergarden classes are so adorable, I wish I had pictures to show you how cute they are. Most of the time the classes are very well behaved and they love when I step into the room, which makes teaching the best thing in the world. But there are times when the class is too big and they children are too noisy, that teaching becomes difficult and frustrating. Children are naturally noisy and energetic, but when there isn't a lot of space for the kids to move around or do activities its hard to control them. Chinese classes in general are packed full of children, so much so that the children never have a real chance to know their teachers or even their fellow classmates, this goes for any grade level. I believe the US is starting to become like China is this way because classes are becoming fuller and some children are being left behind (no pun intended for Bush's - "No Child Left Behind: campaign). Sadly, with as many people as there are today children will be left behind as there isn't enough room for everyone anymore.
I did a promotion this week, to make up for the hours I missed last week whilst I was sick, but this was no ordinary promotion. I went to this really nice school, dressed in my new uniform: angry bird sweater, with my flash cards, ball and hammers ready to use for teaching the kids some new things. I didn't need any of those things. They gave me a witch hat and told me I would be speaking to a large group of children about Halloween in America. In my mind I was thinking like, "Okay, fifty students at the most." Oh, was I wrong. There was a bout 1,000 students dressed up for their school's Halloween day and I was given a microphone to talk to them.
They began a huge parade around their outside courtyard, where I would great children with high-fives and or candy. I was so nervous I even danced to some of the Lady Gaga songs with the children. When i tried to give out candy it never worked and I would nearly be pulled down by the children for a piece. I then sat down to watch the teachers put on a performance using their swords and music from Mario Party and Gangman Style. I said goodbye to the children and took some pictures with the teachers. The school principal gave me 100 RMB and the teacher's class gave me a plant as a thank you. It was a hell of an adventure, probably something I never would have volunteered to do back home, but here I didn't have time to think I just reacted which made it a pretty awesome day overall.
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