I'm sorry I haven't written in awhile. First, our wireless internet stopped working, and now we can't get on the VPN at home so we can't use facebook or blogs while we're there. I can get on at work though, during my crazy long breaks.
Sooooooooo I got a job!!! It was crazy. I answered this add in the newspaper, but I didn't think I would get it because it was for the Beijing International Language School (BFSU) which is linked to Beiwai University, so I didn't think I was good enough to get in, but they called me up for an interview last Thursday. I went to the office (of the person who wrote the ad, not anyone who works at the school) and she said that they need someone right away and can I start tomorrow? Long story short, I observed on Friday and had training, taught for the first time on Saturday (Chinese holiday messed up the weekends again), and I've been here for about a week so far and I like it a lot. I'm teaching 1st and 3rd graders oral English, which means that they have other Chinese teachers who teach them English, but I come in and make sure that they understand things and are pronouncing them correctly. Since I am not the only English teacher, I don't give out homework (which is good considering how many classes I teach) and I don't give out tests, I just make sure they understand the material and pronounce things correctly.
I teach 27 classes a week, 9 classes 3 different times. So, I don't have too many lesson plans to make, but since I have two grades I have to make twice as many as everyone else, but it's not bad at all. The teacher emails me the material for each day and I just put it together.
The principal went into my class yesterday (she was visiting all the classes) and said she really liked it and I asked my teaching assistant how it went and she said it went very well and she thinks I'm a better teacher than the person I replaced (which is probably a good thing). They said the teaching assistant, who is in charge of the foreign teachers and is close to the principal didn't like the other person because he wasn't prepared, but she seems to like me a lot, so that's really good and it's relieving a lot of stress.
The only thing about it is the traveling, which is a good and bad thing. I work two stops north of where Dan goes to school. So it takes me almost an hour on the subway then I have a 20 min walk, so I have to get up at 6, BUT Dan and I get to ride the subway to work/school together now, which is nice, except for days like today when we're going down the escalator and we see people getting off our train so we're going down really fast and Dan runs into the train and the doors start to close and I'm trying to get in but slip and fall right outside the train (I wasn't going to make it anyway). So we didn't ride together today, and I think I got laughed at by a lot of Chinese people, but at least I wasn't late for work.
My schedule is a little crazy. The latest I'm going to get back is a little after 6 2 days a week, but it could easily be a lot worse (working 3-8pm) and I like it here a lot. Today I have a 4 hour break, so I'm updating my blog, I finished my lesson plans, and I might read, or take a nap or something.
I'm also getting a 6th month tourist visa, so that should relieve lots of stress too.
Our lives are going well, we're eating pretty healthy food...maybe...Dan has a two week break coming up which is soooooo not fair, but he's been working hard so he deserves it.
I have a new favorite food. It's this thin strips of pork in sauce stuff and onions and you put it on these thin tofu "pancakes" and fold it up and eat it. I can't remember what it's called, I don't think I ever knew. Sooooo good but I think Dan got tired of ordering it.
One day, when we both actually have our passports, we're going to go to a Bible study or something. I will write about that too if there's anything interesting to say.
OH! And Dan and I both get paid this weekend!!! For the firs time since we've been here. We're excited!
I hope everyone is doing well. We miss you guys. I like getting updates from people too.
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