School Stuff

Outside the logistical nightmare that is the pointless graduation ceremony, school has been fine. The kids in my class are great and I am really going to miss most of them. Some fell through the cracks of my interest a long time ago but in general, the kids really have come into their own from the start of the year. I have been teaching take away recently (thank god its not algebra...just kidding…that comes when they are 6) and getting kids to use their fingers is a nightmare as the Chinese have their own system for using fingers for numbers. Example – when I ask for the number six most kids give me a hand that looks like something from the archives of “Ridgey Didge.” For the non – Australians in the crowd, its like a “cowabunga” finger gesture. Are you lost yet?

These subtle differences make teaching a nightmare sometimes but I balance it our by teaching the kids the words to the Kingsmen’s hit “Louie Louie.”

Last week Sab and i gave our kids vegemite on toast as the theme was "Healthy Food." Most of the kids liked it which was surprising and we did get some pictures but i have to get them from the school.

School has been great this week as the previously mentioned lizard of a boss Anna hasn’t been at school this week. When she isn’t there the place is great. Teachers feel relaxed and don’t have to look over their shoulders for her. Anna just has no idea how to communicate to the western teachers so she scolds the Chinese teachers instead. Three kids in my class are going to another school next year and the main reason is the parents just don’t like her.

As a parting gift I’m going to give her a parting gift of one of my books. The book is about the Fish guys at Pikes Place Market in Seattle. I’m sure most have you have heard about them. She’s on a power trip and you can’t get a straight answer out of her. One of my kids parents asked me out for dinner a couple of weeks ago so I went with my co-teacher. Sometime between the waiter taking away the poor excuse of a steak and waiting for the insipid cheesecake I thought to myself “Funny…now im the teacher instead of the student asking my teacher over for dinner.” Yes parents I still have vivid memories of roast lamb, Richard Clayderman playing on the stereo, chocolate mousse and seeing the teacher the next day. A surreal moment.