Unity is Power!

Thursday, September 4. A rainy day. Have to put plastic bag over "teaching basket" to keep everything dry. This week, I'm using spare plastic waste basket to carry everything in: fuzzy yellow "mushroom" for tossing, poster with rules, flyswatter, pictures of Jed and Eleanor (for Getting to Know You), pens, small water bottle and so forth.

One class this morning at 8:40 (I have "early" classes only on Mondays and Thursdays) and one this afternoon at 3:25. The morning class is a lower ability class but they still seem to understand everything reasonably well (except for a few). I'm still doing what the other senior teachers are now calling my Olympic theme lesson plan: You and Me. We are family! And Mr. Zhang loaned me a big Chinese flag to use during my classes! Once when I talk about being happy to live in China, and again when I talk about my favorite colors (red and yellow!).

Lunch in the cafeteria with Tyler, Jack and Jenny (three other senior English teachers). It's nice to be making some friends among the teachers. Rice, carrots (good but swimming in oil), and something made with tofu that I don't like very much. Will skip that the next time.

Singing practice again. Mr. Zhang tells me that these are "classic" Chinese songs. One is from WW II and the other from the 1980s (after Reform and Opening). The older one is called "Unity is Power."