Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Night life is Shanghai! Pretty exciting. There is an unlimited number of bars and clubs in Shanghai. I had the opportunity to check out quite a few of them this weekend. Thursday, Andrea and I went to a popular spot we kept reading about. It seemed to be most popular amongst old American business men and young Chinese girls. It is not unusual to see this combination in any bar throughout Shanghai. Saturday night I hit up what would be considered a dive bar here. Started out the evening playing a little foosball and then ended up at some crazy Chinese club. The bartenders spoke very little English, but seemed to have a clear understanding of the term vodka. I danced on the limited dance floor space to the greatest hits of 2007.
Monday nights have become the new Thursdays. I played ultimate frisbee for the 1st time. It is way more strenuous than kickball (not even comparable). We even practiced for about an hour before the game. Sprints, leg ups, and frisbee drills. My captain and co-captain were determined to improve my skills and ensure I understood the concept. My teammates were so supportive pushing me out on the field. Being out there reminded me of this time I played basketball. I was just out there to make an even number on both teams and no one actually threw the frisbee to me, even if I was wide open. I haven’t quite grasp the strategy behind the game, but will with time. After running around for 2+hours I crashed on my couch afraid I might not be able to walk for the next few days. But fortunately today I felt great.
Today was my first day of school! I had taught 4th grade. I will teach this class 2 more times this week. They were smart and spoke and read English very well. The girls were so well behaved (so typical). I had a few boys who were silly and fooling around (also typical), but they still listened fairly well. Right away they knew Florida because their classmate had just moved there with his family. Tomorrow I teach 1st grade. This will most likely be there 1st year of English. It will take a lot more energy on my part. Together with the students, we will have to create their English names. Sometimes in a class you might have John 1 and John 2. It is funny because that is how they refer to themselves in English class, instead of switching it to Johny or adding a last name.
It was a bit of a trek home today and I got to experience rush hour in the subway station. People push and shove. Everyone must fend for themselves. In the beginning I tried to be courteous by saying sorry or excuse me, but when it is down to the last second and I might miss my stop, I push and shove my way right through the crowds of Chinese people. Luckily I made it.
