Christmas Everyday

Sorry my friends for being a horrid communicator. Its great to be back in the Big B and life here is nothing short of a beautiful blur.

This year I'm teaching 880 students! I thought 440 last year was a lot. But this year Becca Balge and I are teaching all of the 8th graders and freshmen Oral English. Name cards are my bestest friends. The 8th graders wear red sweat suits and the freshmen wear a teal green, so it's Christmas from Monday through Thursday from 8:00am to 12:20. Chinese school uniforms are the ugliest but probably the most comfortable uniforms on the planet. Here is a shot of them doing their morning exercises. Kind of an intimidating sight when 880 kids move, stomp, and thrust in unison.

I'm really glad that I could stick with my kids from last year. It was quite the self-esteem boost to walk into Class #5 and receive a standing ovation. I love seeing their faces and looking in those dark eyes and trying to treat each one as an individual blood-bought soul, but its tough to do when there are 880 blood bought souls. Ninety-six percent of these kids spent their summers taking classes and primping there cerebellums rather than be Tom and Tanya Sawyer. It makes me sad to see the avalanche of pressure, hopes, and dreams dumped on these kids by Mom, Dad, Grandpa, and Grandma. When you are the one hope for your family's future, childhood vanishes like a fart in the wind.

I also started taking a Chinese class for an hour and a half Monday through Thursday in Wudaokou (the Gringoland of Beijing). So I'll hop on the DeLorean (my faithful rusty steed) and scoot from school to school. I can't tell if I like being a teacher or student better.

Alrighty, I better scoot and squeeze in a run before dinner. I'm running a Marathon in Hangzhou (near Shanghai) on November 7th. So if I stop posting, its either because my lungs are too blackened to breath, I've been taken out by a taxi, or I got lost.

Your brother. His peace.
米佳 Mi Jia