Patience is better than being efficient

So I am learning about the Chinese culture daily. For example, Dylan and I went to Papa John's for lunch. Yeah they actually have a restaurant and take out for Papa John's. Weird yes but go with the flow. So I ordered a garden salad and Dylan ordered a 6 inch pepperoni pizza. Well my salad came out as normal but we continued to wait on Dylan's pizza. Then about 15 minutes later, the guy comes out and says "Uh sorry we do not have pepperoni do you want a Hawaiian pizza instead?" Dylan was fuming mad and goes "It is 20 minutes what have you been doing?" and the guy goes "Yes it will take about 12 minutes to make". Actually it was kind of humorous to watch the whole thing. Dylan getting ticked at a guy who doesn't understand what he is saying. Finally he got over it.

Another example of not being the brightest crayon in the box . . . So I get in a taxi from Dylan's work to go back home and I told the guy where I wanted to go. Then we proceed to go a way I wasn't familiar with. We ended up passing the Wal-Mart and I was "Oh no this is wrong we are heading in the wrong direction way out of the way too." So I called Dylan and said put your boss on and tell him where I live. So the guy was not so smart and I ended up having to pay extra for stupid taxi driver's mistakes. I was like "GRRRRR".

Last night Dylan and I went to a social function for my new school. It was fun . . . had a couple of drinks ate some food talked with a few staff members I had already met. Then decided it was time to leave. A guy comes in and says "No man you don't want to leave right now its raining really hard out there and the rain is going sideways." So we stayed a little bit longer. Then Dylan noticed it was lightening up so we decided to go then. As we are walking out there is a guy at the end of the little walkway with his pants rolled up and starts motioning us to do the same and Dylan was like "Oh no we are not going that way" so we decided to go another way. It was flooding everywhere. I have never in my life seen weather so awful and flood waters so high having to trudge through. Needless to say we had another monsoon last night and all day yesterday. All we could say was "Oh my God" and a few words I shouldn't repeat. We ended up laughing the entire way home and I almost wet my pants in the process. The water level at times was up to our knees and moving water at that too. As I was wading through it, I kept remembering what I was told about flood water areas in Georgia and that is to stay away from moving waters that you can get pulled away. Oh well right??

Being a teacher here is interesting too so far. Grant I have not started my job but listening to the teachers who are different grade levels and probably don't know each other well all have many things in common to say about the school. It is going to be a learning experience thats for sure. For example, at the school I taught at in the states if you are sending a student to summer school you have to fill out a profile for the summer school teacher to have an idea where the student is academically and language ability. So they do not do those here. Funny huh?? I am also discovering that the administration is not what it is like in the US or at least in Gwinnett County Public Schools. For instance, their main purpose is what they were hired for so the school I am at right now had problems with enrollment and so they needed a principal who could increase enrollment so that is his main purpose. Not organization. It's interesting but a learning experience at the same time. I still love the fact that I only have to give the ITBS which is not so bad and at least their progress does not inflict me as a teacher which is good too. I don't know about that though but I pretty much have free reign to do what I want as a teacher which is nice. Lots of Koreans go to the school . . .not much different from Suwanee Elem. And there is not as much parent involvement in the classroom. I get a parapro but they might speak good English and they might not. So they will either make copies for you all the time or they can help out in the classroom and make copies. Oh and the kids eat lunch in the room but you don't, your parapro eats with them. That can lead to disaster as so I have been told. Crazy things happen when the teacher is not in the room. So I might be eating very close to the classroom and stepping in when need be.

So I have to go in tomorrow (Sunday) to get ready for Summer School which starts on Monday. Yeah pretty amazing huh?? Also I was told about the playground situation....evidently there is a neighbor nearby a very old Chinese man who does not appreciate children at all. This man has gone so far as to yell at the kids in Chinese, go on the playground and take the kids play equipment, throw bottles at them, video tape them right in their face and be a complete jerk. So we are only allowed on the playground during his nap time which I need to find out soon it sounds like. They can't do much about it either. Now in the US they could but not here so thats a difference.

Well gotta jet now. Hope all is well with you guys. Remember to take each day at a time and to enjoy each experience even if you are stuck in traffic. Never wish any part of life to go faster. Use that time to reflect. This is coming from someone who absolutely hates waiting in lines so I take that time and reflect on the things around me and thank God for the time I have to be alive and serve his purpose whatever that might be.

Sunshine and flowers to you all . . .
Amanda and Dylan :)