here, fishy fishy.

I woke up this morning for some conference calls and baby kitty bug was not happy that my attention was not on him...

Then I headed to class to find this on the door...

This sign should say, "Going to school in a developing Communist country was a huge mistake, no wonder you are so frustrated," but in reality it says that my class has been canceled and moved to NEXT YEAR.

We've already had class for 8 WEEKS. Lord help me. I'm going to die at age 40 from all the stress going to school here has inflicted on me.

BREATHE. BREATHE.

Ok. Moving on...one last look at the BARRED CLASSROOM DOORS...

I did not have enough time to go home and change and get to the gym before I had to leave for the 1.5 hour bus ride to work, so I sat in Starbucks and drank a frappucino and read my Kindle for 3 hours when I should have been in class. Not a horrible thing to be doing, but it felt like such a waste when I was mentally prepared to go to class then work. I could have gone to Walmart and then home and back again, but I was in heels and still don't have a bike. #slavetopublictransport.

I had two more observations that needed to be done, so off I went to Zhejiang Media and Communication University to sit in on a tutoring session and have a meeting afterword with some students about thesis and life....

I needed more than just a frappucino in my belly to make it through the evening's work, so I stopped at a convenience store for an ice cream sandwhich. I'm eating my feelings today. And I don't care. Because I have to go to that dang class all over again and I sit on the bus for 8000 hours for work and get paid less than my students at their jobs.

I'm so whiny. Someone slap me. Preferably, with this fish ice cream sandwhich...

Work went well as it usually does. I like my job, so I've got that going for me on this day of blahhhhh...

Teaching American students is hard because they have so many feelings. Chin.ese students generally don't question teachers and are taught to keep quiet and do what they have to do. American students feel like they have rights and a voice and if they are not happy with a program or class, feel as if they should voice their opinions and share their feelings. If an email is not sent fast enough or detailed enough, they feel they have not been treated fairly or with justice because it is all about their education. It has been so interesting to go from teaching all Chin.ese college students/adults to all American graduate students. What a different world of opinions and voices. I'm happy I can be there for my students when they need an ear, but man all these feelings are exhausting to manage! (when not my own...)

I love having my voice, so I relate to my American students on most levels. But it is fascinating to recognize the differences between student cultures - and to see my own culture from a different perspective. My reaction to my canceled class was, "This inconveniences me so much! This is such a waste of my time!" Yet the Chin.ese students are like, "Oh well..." I think the Chi.nese are just used to harder times than we Americans.

I'm home now and after catching up on the latest episode of Survivor, I think I am not angry any more about my canceled class and can go to bed. (Going to bed angry about Ch.ina experiences gives me nightmares! True story.)

I've been practicing the old 'act how you want to feel' adage and so I am going to act grateful and content. Then maybe tomorrow I will be grateful and content. Or at least more so than today.

Here's hopin'. I can't eat ice cream for dinner everyday. :0

walk slow. xoxo.