Since You've Been Gone

Actually, since I've been gone, but that's just not the way Kelly sings it and I have her song playing in my head right now, and I'm singing to it. I'm full on belting it. All in my head, of course. I'm in the school office right now and I already draw enough attention being born from the grand ole' US of A, so I'd rather not draw more to myself by showing off my totally awesome singing skills.  I mean, then they'd probably start asking me to sing for every event the school has. Parent meetings, conferences, city events, where would it stop?! It'd be ridiculous, you guys, and ain't nobody have time for all that.

"Since you've been gone!!! I can breathe for the first time! I'm so moving on!!! Ya. Ya. Thanks to you..." Sing it with me now. "Thanks to you...now I get, get what I wannnnnnt. Since you've been gone."

Reader, just so you know, since you've been gone, more like since I've been gone, has not provoked any of the emotions of Kelly's song in me. On the contrary. I've missed you terribly. :)

But I'm baacccck. And excited. Except I need some inspiration. Any blogging ideas for me? Are there any questions I can answer for you about us? This blog? Our life abroad? Teaching abroad? Anything. You ask and I'll answer. If I get 0 comments and 0 suggestions, that's okay. I'll just assume you want to know everything about everything and keep blogging about that. ;)

These past two weeks have been full. Good and full.We spent countless hours preparing for the new school year, which has, as of yesterday, come upon us. I love the first days of school! Especially for Grade 1 students (which is kinder here). They are just so excited and pumped up to learn!

Yesterday, Catherine (coworker, sister, former roommate) and I were walking to the school cafeteria and one of the Grade 1 boys yelled, "Lao wei!" Which means "foreigner." He yelled it, tapping his buddies and pointing, as if they didn't already know that they would be getting foreign English teachers at this school. I laughed  and told him, "No, Say,  'Teacher,' 'Teacher.' " I said it slowly, helping the little guy out, to which he loudly yelled, "Shen me yi si?!" (What are you saying!?)
The kid doesn't even know the word teacher. They're blank slates people.

Another student, who I named Jean today, told his Chinese teacher that he didn't need to speak English because he was NEVER going abroad and he didn't have an English name because he's Chinese, of course. Clever little guy. Today, I got him to say point zero words in English. But I got a head nod and a Chinese 'xing' of approval at his new English name. So, we're progressing. By the end of the year my goal is to have him to be able to recite the entire first 4 books of Harry Potter and like it. ;) It's all about that quality education really.

I forget that all children are not like the Chinese and Korean children I've taught the past 3 years. They are alike yes, in that they all love to play and laugh and are kids. But I mean I forget that other Kindergarten and Primary school students can have conversations in English and can listen to you and respond to what you are asking, even when you only say it once and there are few hand motions involved. I saw an American woman and her 5ish year old daughter at Starbucks the other day and the girl started talking to her mom. Like a real conversation in English. And I flipped. I thought she was a freaking genius or adult in a child's body for a good 30 seconds before realizing, that "oh duh" kids actually have thoughts and ideas at that age. We can call that a symptom of reverse culture shock.

Okay. Enough rambling for today. It's just been so long! There's so much to say.

Until tomorrow,
Looove you Readers. Thanks for being so awesome.