Right now, I'm in the computer lab of the new kindergarten school that I'm working in, sitting on a miniature chair clearly made for a 3-year-old, trying to tune out the result of the extraordinary lung capacities of my Chinese "colleagues"....i.e. their voices are f-ing loud. I still haven't figured out if they're actually angry or passionate about something, or if their forceful speaking, as if they're trying to shove the words and sounds out with all of their mind, is simply their way of communicating. Sometimes I try to catch one or two Chinese words that I might possibly understand, so I'm not ALWAYS that "oblivious foreigner," but I'm pretty sure they're speaking in Shanghainese dialect, which makes it even harder to understand. In order to protect myself, I try to limit my time around them, seeing as I can literally feel my eardrums vibrating with fright and shock. I was hoping to make friends...or friendly acquaintances....but I'm not so sure now. Eh, maybe I just need time to adjust. Random note: one of the teachers has one super long K-9 tooth (yup, just one) - vampire style. I find myself staring at it whenever I'm near her....it's pretty creepy. The little kiddies have a ton of energy and make a whole lotta noise, so I need to speak/yell pretty loudly so they can hear me. When we sing songs, which we do often, I find myself struggling to sing loud enough while staying in tune. When the pitch gets too high, either my voice softens....or it stays loud and I sound like a pre-pubescent boy. Either way, my voice and throat are taking a huge beating.
Speaking of the new kiddies (ages 2-6), they are SOOOO ADORABLE! Their cheeks are so pinchable, and their bodies are so huggable, and their eyes are so huge and gorgeous, I just want to hug them and smile at them and stare into their beautiful eyes all day. I'll take pictures soon and put them up on the blog so we can all enjoy the cute kids. :) Too bad that most of their teeth are completely rotten. :( It's like they have spent the entirety of their short lives eating sticky sugary candy and never once brushing their teeth. One girl barely had any sign of anything resembling a tooth in her mouth. I feel really badly for them...I guess dental hygiene is just not the norm here. Overall, I really like my new job teaching English to kindergartners. So far, really fun. Requires a super duper amount of constantly streaming positive energy, but not so much intensive intellectual/brain power. :)And being in Shanghai is really great. Lots to do. And I can go to pilates classes whenever I want, which is helping my back pains.....slowly, but hopefully surely. It's been a little lonely since almost everyone I know in Shanghai, including Jon, are out of town, mostly at the Ultimate frisbee tournament in Kunming...where it's sunny and warm and surrounded by scenic hiking areas (can we say jealous??). Jon gets back Sunday (3 days), so I'm pretty excited.....I really miss him (yup, I said it. I miss my man). Also, Jon wanted me to tell you all that he apologizes for not updating the blog diligently since he has had very limited computer and internet access along his travels. When he gets back, he'll be sure to share detailed accounts of his adventures. So here is where I leave you for now. I am off to lunch and then to wander the area and read my book (I have a total of 3.5 hours break in the middle of the day; not too shabby). Ciao for now!
- Emma
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