The "SO RONERY" China-feeling has dissipated again, and I'm back to being excited about... Well, everything! Going to class, dicking around on the internet and with my bass, reading, and exploring the city on my own (with the cunning use of public transportation!) have a tendency to make it all better.
Met with a very professional educational administrative type named Cathy who told me the details of what I'd be doing re: New Job. The position sounds amazing - basically talking to senior high school kids for four hours every Saturday morning (from 8:00 - 12:00pm) about whatever topic happens to strike my interest. It can be philosophy, science, technology, history, sociology, environmental sustainability, travel, linguistics - ANYTHING, as long as I have a coherent, fleshed-out lesson plan, a PowerPoint, and incorporate about 10 - 15 higher level vocabulary words. The students and I have a discussion at the end of every class; I find out what they learned and what they thought; then get feedback for the next lesson. Fucking awesome.
Contemplating taking up the Beijing Forestry University on their tutoring offer again, even though the original proposition was sketchy. Told the director and his assistant that I do not feel comfortable padding my resume for parents, so they're arranging for me to have classes with older students from the university. Same pay rate, fewer hours, but no lying - and that does a hell of a lot for my conscience. The hours would be 7:00-8:00pm, on Tuesday and Saturday nights.
Classes at CUGB began again today, and will continue throughout the week - until National Day, when we get a seven day holiday. Talked to a few of the masters and doctoral students, who have been BUSY socializing (two were holding hands and touching each other suggestively, it was great :D) Apparently the date we get to move into the international dorms has been delayed (again), to some time near the middle of October. Lovely. Going to go talk to Mr. Liu tomorrow afternoon, before I go to meet with Director Wang at the Forestry University. Hopefully can at least finagle a student ID number out of him.
Things that have happened!
- The district where I bought my guitar seems to be populated almost entirely with tall, Asian musicians sporting long hair, pensive expressions, deep voices, and lots of black clothing.
- Thought you'd enjoy that, Clare :)
- The Beijing Olympics might have been two years ago, but tons of the infrastructure still exists around various districts (especially Haidian's Wudaokou, and downtown, closer to the inner rings). Skyscrapers still sport huge banners; streets still have the iconic rings painted on the way to the stadium; and there are direction booths (they look like phone booths) placed on basically every street corner. A lot of the street vendors are still selling 2008 Olympics paraphernalia, too. Kind of adorable - it's like a proud parent keeping their kids' second grade artwork on the fridge.
- Overheard an American speaking very authoritatively to two Swedes in Pyro Pizza about how "Bush wants to insert bar codes into people in the USA, the government already does it with pets"; how he "emailed Obama about China, and a week later he gave a speech talking about my ideas, Obama's a good guy"; "no one in the United States can get a job, even if you graduate from Harvard"; how his "Mandarin is developing so well, and [he's] only been here three months, [he] just can't believe it" and how "it's impossible to get a job in China, if you're an international person, they just want Chinese people". Really wanted to punch him.
- Got really confused as to where to find an artistic/scientific/philosophical crowd in Beijing last night, then realized that those are hard to find anywhere. The fun part is looking.
- Tattoo isn't infected, and still looks great!
- When I went back to the China University of Geosciences last night, there was a group of three guys sitting in the courtyard outside of my dorm strumming on acoustic guitars. When they saw me, they got really excited, primarily because they'd noticed me carrying in my bass the other afternoon, and starting saying random stuff in Mandarin. All I could do is shake my head really sadly, say "Bu shi" and "Jiba" and "not yet, still learning".
- Hate language barriers, by the way.
- Music festival coming up - featuring Rooney! Still remember buying their self-titled debut album the day it came out in Waco, and drooling over Robert Carmine. Missed seeing them eight times in the States (when they came to Houston, and also when they dropped by Dallas while I was still in high school). Seriously contemplating buying a one-day ticket.
<3
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