Written 8-28-12
It is finally here! I have officially moved into what will be my home for the next 10 months. My apartment is very cozy and quaint. It is not so big that I feel lost and alone, yet, not so small that I feel cramped if I have visitors. The walls are a delightful light pink which strangely enough matches the puppy calendar pictures I packed to hang up here. It is very cute and very me. There are Golden Retriever pictures EVERYWHERE. My kitchen is tile which means I can draw on it with dry erase markers! It is so much fun to be able to write on my walls. This will come in handy for when I cook and such.
This afternoon I got invited to play Ultimate Frisbee with some students, our leader and fellow team mates! As you know dear friends, sports always perk me right up (I have been suffering from a bit of homesickness today but am better now). I have never played ultimate Frisbee before, but I caught on pretty quick. It took my competitive side a little longer than normal to come out, but it did eventually. I accidently ran into my friend Hannah who was on the opposing team and knocked her glasses off in an attempt to block her. Then later on, I got knocked to the ground by my friend Andrew when his shoulder caught my right cheek as he unsuccessfully tried to keep me from catching a scoring toss. Nobody was hurt, but my legs will be scratchy tomorrow from playing in the grass and from falling a lot (thank you allergies). My feet are also quite dirty, though I scrubbed them very good in the shower tonight. Guess that is what I get for playing barefoot (again is anyone surprised at me being barefoot?). Though I was definitely not the best player (actually I was the WORST, let’s not kid ourselves) I had a lot of fun.
To make things even more entertaining, I had a classic Hilary moment later tonight. So Emily, Depreena, Tempestt, Melissa and I go to Dining Hall 3 for dinner together. I get my food first and go to sit down. The dining hall is big and circular. Many students are sitting down and chatting. The chairs that go at the tables are connected to each other in twos, so if you sit down on one without someone on the other seat and you lean over, you could tilt the whole thing. Well, wouldn’t you know it, but I sat down and accidentally leaned a little while moving my chair unit closer to the table when, PLOP! The stupid chair-unit tilted me right onto the floor in front of about 50 students! So there I am, the stupid foreigner laughing like a hyena on the floor while the chair unit is sitting straight up in the air like a beacon saying “look at me, the silly foreign teacher!” The students just sat and stared which made me laugh even harder. They all looked so shocked. Giggling and breathless, I picked myself up and righted my chair-unit. I was pleased to find, once I gingerly sat myself down again, that my soup did not spill at all. So my dinner was saved, even if my dignity was not. Lesson Number 3: don’t sit at the table without someone to balance out your chair.
All in all it has been a very good day (despite the homesickness). I have had a restful evening. I found my favorite book Jane Eyre in our resource library and after doing laundry, spent a good portion of the evening curled up on my couch reading and listening to the gentle rain outside.
Written 8-29-12
So today we went through a confusing tour of our offices and got our schedules. China has taught me two more lessons today. Lesson number 4 is, don’t put your clothes on the ledge in your room. The window apparently leaks and during typhoon season water seeps in and will soak your carefully laid out clothes. Lesson number 5 is, don’t wear flip flops into the dining hall on a wet day. Those floors are slicker than snot. I slipped and almost fell down on my way in. At this rate, I will earn most clumsy teacher of the year award. I have a feeling I shall have no dignity left when I come back home.
To end on a happy note, our fearless leaders are taking us to an English coffee Shop and book store in a little bit. I am so excited!!!!
Till later!
Hil
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