Recent highlights from my daily life include the following: Thursday was International Women's Day so I got the afternoon off of classes. Yea for women! I feel we should celebrate women everyday (if it also means I get the afternoon classes off everyday too). On my walk to school yesterday (Friday) I passed one of my cute little first grade girls accompanied by her mother. My student, Angel, put on a big smile and squeaked out a "Hello." I responded with a "Good morning." Angel's mother then proceeded to tell her daughter something. Since I didn't understand it and since I know how Chinese mothers can be with their children, it could have been something like, "Your teacher is here and all you can say is hello? You need to work harder than before! The next time he shows up you better have something better than 'hello' to say to him!" Of course, I could be wrong since a simple conversation in Chinese can often sound like yelling. They tend to raise their voices here when talking a lot. They are either very quiet and silent, like on the bus, or they are very loud, like on the phone.
My students have now grown to see me as their toy, their thing to play with in between classes. The teachers should have a friendly relationship with their kids, but because I'm a sucker for these kids who get their childhood stolen from them, I show mercy and sympathy. I don't do much of any discipline in class because I can't discipline in their language. My co-teacher takes care of the discipline. It can be a bit frustrating just trying to go from one classroom to the next. 4 kids try to hug me and 6 more are around them chanting my name over and over and over and over again. They love to call me a monkey, a pig, and a woman. The life of a 1st grade teacher in China. One other funny thing I spotted during class was a coat of one of my students. It had the words "dear deer" on the back of it. I'm not sure what this was supposed to mean at all. Either the coat was addressed to a galloping animal or it was a poor attempt at a term of endearment.
I will also try to share some info about the food I'm eating over here. Sometimes I stop by a little shop where a nice lady sells baozi. The first syllable is what you do at the end of a recital followed by a z sound. This little creation is bread filled with various delights. They toss beef, pork, spinach, vegetables, or whatever tastes good into this wrapped up bread. Then they steam it and serve it up hot for a nice quick breakfast or snack. On the way to Fat Angelo's in Hong Kong, I shared a taxi with James, a shepherd in Hangzhou, and Micah, a teacher in Beijing. Micah was asking what my highlight was from first semester. I told him about two friends in Wuhan that attend studies. They were washed this past fall and what a humbling thought to think that I might have had a hand in the preparation for it! Oh, how the Alpha and Omega can use filthy lips and stumbling speech to accomplish His will on earth. That he would choose such disgusting creatures to carry on His high calling! What a highlight indeed! James then asked if I was staying another year. I told him after the encouragement received at the retreat I could stay for the rest of my life, but realistically I will return home after this semester. Micah said, "It's a little harder to say you'd stay forever once you get back in the saddle, isn't it?" When the cross weighs us down, remember that the Lamb took the cross onto His back and carried it to Calvary where he won for us salvation. As we journey to Good Friday, may the Dove continue to bless your meditation on all the Son did for you on the cross.
