What I did today

So, aside from getting yet even more slightly close to acquiring internet for my very own, I now have a chinese language tutor!

 

In about 2 weeks, Zhu Ting (Grant's girlfriend) takes a test to be certified to teach chinese to foreigners. You know. Cuz I don't want no uncertified tutoring! No siree. Anyways, so, once she gets certified in a week or two (which is fine because I did not want to start for a week or two) we're gonna sit down and talk about a lesson plan.

 

This is a good situation because I know Zhu Ting's english is quite good, and also we are pretty buddy-buddy at this point with me hanging out with grant all the damn time and her doing Ava's job all the dang time and so on. The only possible downside to this is I need to kind of ensure the seriousness of the lessons. I don't want the fact that we're chummy to get in the way of the class. I want to LEARN, damn it! If not to read, then at least I want to be much better conversationally when I return home!

 

Other than that, things have been pretty low-key. I had a horrifying dream about teaching the other night that i'm still bracing from. That was upsetting. My stomach is coming to grips, which is nice. I'm starting to look for maps and propaganda and bull-pockey caligraphy scrolls to put on my walls because this apartment is BORING. I'm glad these are my concerns now, not "will i be forcibly removed from the country". Teaching has gotten much easier, and things are beginning to make sense in a country gone MAD. I even have a favorite restaurant!

 

So, yeah. Life in the fast lane alright. Life in the fast lane.