Who Says Teachers Don't Work Weekends? (May 27th)

It’s Sunday, so that means it’s another Amy’s Coffee morning. Well, not for me today. I felt bad for not going along with Erin and Tom this morning, but I was in the groove of getting some school stuff accomplished. I was working on a PowerPoint presentation, making test questions, putting questions on my Jeopardy template for the next time we play, and updated the grades sheet where I had incorrect formulas. Maybe for you, it doesn’t sound like much. But I was on a roll. I also think I’ve come up with some plans for the dreaded practice week. I have to have rubrics done by Wednesday for that stuff. Twenty hours worth of class in one week and I need to have rubrics for all the stuff they are to be working on that week!

It’s a gorgeous day in Jinhua! The sun is out, it’s warm and not too humid but I’m inside working. That’s ok, it’s a temporary situation and there will be time later.

 Most people at home have tomorrow off for Memorial Day so I’m sure there are cookouts with hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, you know – all the American food. I bet you are thinking I’m having rice … wrong! The three amigos, Erin, Tom, and I started out to Nick’s Beergarten, the German restaurant. When we got to the place, there was a gate and we thought they were closed. Well, they were closed alright. The place had been destroyed! I’m talking the place was gutted. It was the most bizarre thing. The last time we were there Nick, the owner, said something about hope to see you soon. The note on the gate was dated for just 4 days after we had eaten there. We couldn’t read anything else because it was written in Chinese of course.

No German food for us tonight, so we hailed a taxi and after several unsuccessful attempts we finally got one to take us to Fei Rook. I felt like we were in the arcade on one of those car racing games. We were going around corners so fast with the horn blowing of course. The restaurant was nice. They had couch-type seats like they have at Amy’s Coffee and our waitress could speak English. The habitual chicken sandwich with French fries was my choice. Actually, all three of us had chicken of some sort or fashion at dinner. My sandwich came with sautéed onions, but I decided to take them off. We were only about a seven minute taxi ride (another taxi ride where we were the closest we’ve ever come to hitting a baby … literally there was a mom with a baby on a bike inches, probably two at the most, away from us) away from our apartment, but it looks so different than where we came from! There are neon signs, bright lights, shopping, and restaurants galore where we ate. Not so much of that where we are! I’m not complaining, I’m sure it is quieter where we are, well, maybe not with the construction of these giant apartment buildings across the street.

Back to the apartment, meant back to work for me. I don’t have class until 2:00 tomorrow, so it will be a nice start of the week!