The Day to Day

The students have all begun classes and campus is filled and bustling, but I won't actually begin teaching until October 8th. I've received my course load and am really excited about it. I will teach two classes of PhD students (much older than I!) English Writing and four freshmen classes of English Pronunciation (similar to 'Hooked on Phonics'). I'm nervous about the freshmen--if they don't know how to pronounce English words, how will they be able to understand the words I am speaking?

My days are mostly free until Oct--which has been nice, but I would rather be teaching. I would like to travel, but I'm grounded in Wuhan until the police station approves my residence stamp for my passport (probably next week). I'm thrilled that Fawn Bauer and I both have Monday's off, so we are hoping to travel together with our long weekends. Fawn's been here for a semester and mostly knows what she's doing, and I think we are quickly becoming great friends. She's incredibly hilarious with a dry humor and perfect comedic timing, and I feel incredibly lucky that she's in Wuhan.

But with no travel options yet, I usually wake up around 9 or 10 and spend a little time on the phone with friends using their Skype credit or phone cards (it's evening for them). It's pretty pricy to call home from here--but there are good deals on calling to China from the US, so I'm dependent on their generosity. I'm pretty sure I'm buying my own internet service next month, so my Skype will return!!!

I go to the market and buy lunch from street vendors or pick up fresh vegetables for home. I don't have an oven (the Chinese don't cook with ovens at all), but I'm getting pretty good with a wok. I love walking to market--I can buy bananas by the banana, not the bunch! A week's worth of veggies costs maybe US$2!

And now I've found my favorite vendors. There is a woman selling leek-filled fried dumplings for 1 yuan (maybe US$.15 for a bowl). She likes to touch my curly hair. There are two young girls with spicy fried potatoes who know how to ask "how are you?" but nothing else. There's the bread-guy who offers me cigarettes.

Any market endeavor includes lots of staring, whispers and giggles in my direction. Several fathers have had their small sons walk up to me and say "halloo". I smile and shake their hands and try to see if they know other words--but it always ends with them shyly running away.

The people here are so kind, so quick to laugh, so bright. The girls wear bright colors and heels and always look pulled together. The nice taxi drivers have tried to chat--one I think asked how old I was (maybe? there were numbers involved and pointing at my face), another offered a cigarette (makes me wish I smoked so I could accept the offers!). At grocery stores, the workers walk up and 'present' items to me--holding a shampoo bottle Vanna-White-Style--"ahh yes...shampoo..." as I motion 'no', they turn it over and (I assume) read to me off of the label. "Ting bu dong, xie xie" (I don't understand, thank you). I move down the aisle and the ritual continues (so--it turns out that this is their job and not an act of kindness--but they're very friendly). Any attempt to speak the language is met with laughter and good humor. When I leave I think I hear them imitating my pronunciation. I'm ok with it if they're just making fun of me--why should I expect anything else!

I made another friend on campus the other day. There is a man from Mali (in Africa) working on a PhD in soil science and we spoke for some time, mostly in English but also in French (his official native language) for about 15 minutes! He is a professor of agriculture in his country and has studied around the world (Russia, France, elsewhere in Africa).

My afternoons are random. Some time figuring out the city, I've babysat a little (the 3-month-old daughter of another American at a nearby campus), some time with Adam and Jeremy, some time exploring campus, working out lesson plans, cleaning, talking on the phone, riding my bike etc... For dinner I cook or reheat lunch, meet friends and try out restaurants, or go to the staff caf.

So that's life for now. I'm pretty sure that this is the calm before the storm--next week a girl's group is relocating to my apt and Fawn and I are hoping to become close with them and encourage Family possibilities. Every Friday afternoon, the foreign girls meet for support and Thought. On Sundays there are Family gatherings throughout the city. And when I begin teaching, I'll have "English conversation hour" in my apt for students.

There is so much opportunity here for Connections with students--so much that it can feel overwhelming as I see it looming in front of me. I keep Thinking, "Dad, you better be the one doing this, b/c it's way to big for me." I remember the Thought of M__ on Sinai Mountain "...if you don't go with us, don't send us up from here. How will anyone know you are pleased with your people unless you go with us?"

I'll confess that I have a very strong temptation to stay locked in my apartment, under my covers, and only come out to teach and eat. My friend Jonathan Harrison is in another city in China, and he wrote about that urge on his blog (http://jonathan-weblogofamadman.blogspot.com). I had to share it:

"You ever slept to get away from the world? I hope not. I guess its a form of alcoholism. Although the consequences are a lot more beneficial. I wouldn't advise it though, it starts to become an addictive behavior. You know, it gets to a point where you can't go 24 hours without sleeping just a little. That is when you know you need help."

It would be very easy to go inward, to be a recluse, a Jonah, and forget my Purpose. But my Book just keeps showing me my Dad--who Sends, who shoves us out of the nest and pushes us Outward--over and over again.

I will say that it is only by the strength of all your Thoughts for me and his Promise of Help that I'll be able to give the love and the time to others that I should. Because it's too easy to be introverted, to be lazy, to be tired...and I really don't want to give into it at all.

I'll try to get some pics of campus and Wuhan loaded next time!