Learning Chinese, Fast Food, and False Assumptions

Last night was our first Chinese lesson! Harriet has graciously agreed to spend a half hour each night after school teaching us basic Chinese. Yesterday we learned counting numbers, quantities, and how to order a drink from a restaurant. I felt really slow, but already I am hearing some of the basic phrases we practiced around the school. I need to get my numbers memorized by tonight because we will play BINGO with Harriet to practice....eek! It will be really helpful to get the basics down though, because when I ordered coffee the other morning it was ridiculous.

Also, things are looking up in terms of food...for now. Alaina and I cooked spaghetti at home last night and let me tell you, it was delicous. Also, we found some grapes which tasted heavenly. They always tell us how students' basic needs must be met before their secondary needs can be addressed. Well, I can testify first hand because I was one happy girl after I ate those noodles, finally a good meal. Also, today, our principal ordered pizza and chicken for all of the teachers, sort of like a staff appreciation day. So, another good meal! We will be more adventurous for dinner, I promise. It was really nice though because we got to mingle with a lot of the staff, who are very interesting because everyone is from somewhere different, and has a different story to tell.

Almost done with our first week of school, and I still feel like I am riding a roller coaster! One minute I seem to be adjusting alright, and then the next, I am "shocked" again. However, school is becoming more and more comfortable. Alaina and I did more observing of various classes yesterday and today. We are getting to see all levels (proficiency and grade wise) before we make a choice with which we would be most comfortable taking over. Tonight we will choose a mentor and then begin with our teaching duties next week. I could go on and on with EVERY detail about our school day because I find it fascinating and extremely different. However, probably only one or two other people would be interested so I'll keep it to the minimum and spare you all!  Here are a couple of things that are surprising me so far about the school culture:

Students here are always talking in class. I mean, always. Even if the teacher is speaking that doesn't matter. All of the teachers we have observed thus far try and talk over the students but to no avail. I keep thinking, "When I get in there, I'm going to demand their attention and wait until they are quit." However, I am probably naive in thinking it is that easy. We approached our supervisor about this yeterday and she agreed that it was shocking to her at first too, but it's a cultural habit, so I am very curious to see what happens when I'm up in front of the room.

Most teachers here are at least tri-lingual. Yes, at least half of the teachers are foreign, so they speak their native language and then typically both Chinese and English on top of that. I just keep thinking how difficult it would be to learn English for these students when every one of their teachers has a slightly different English accent? And now throw our plain midwestern English in there.....

Student expectations are very different overall. In the hallways, the students run, push, jump, scream. In America, the teacher usually will stand in the hallway to monitor behaviors, but not here. It's OUT OF CONTROL in the halls. Additionally, each day the school lunch is placed in containers throughout the hallway and it's the students' job to serve their food to their peers, then clean it up and clean their classrooms as well. More responsibility, more misbehavior....although I'm sure if allowed American students would act the same.

We're learning so much, and one thing I have learned is that I am very ignorant in a lot of ways and so many of our assumptions about food, people, school, and culture in general have been very off. I cannot to come to more realizations; I am keeping a list and it keeps on growing!