Mike In China

Things are going pretty well in Shanghai. I have spent the time trying to get a schedule down for teaching, sleeping, eating and having free time. Teaching is going really well. We all keep getting weird calls "recommending" us to go observe other teachers and we couldn't tell for a long time if it was required, or it was a hint that we were doing a bad job. We finally asked someone that wasn't our boss (who never gives a straight up answer, apparently that is how things are done in China) and found out that they usually have people observe so its not just us. In fact, I had the head Chinese lady in the office of our company come observe me today and said that I had an excellent lesson and she even thanked me for working so hard! I was really pumped because everyone else has been getting really weird sketchy compliments/criticism so I was excited that I got a straight up answer that I am doing a good job. Most of my kids are absolutely adorable. I'm talking I wish I could adopt them and bring them back to the states with me. They get soo excited about everything and during breaks they just attack me to play with them in the hallway. Its great. It just sucks that I don't speak their language and they speak very very little of mine! There has been some sketchy things going on with our company with changing schedules and whether or not we are all actually full time teachers. Either way we are all going to be paid full time but we might not be teaching enough hours to receive the end of the year bonus. Its sketchy and I intend to ask more at the meeting on Friday. No matter what, I am looking for another part time teaching or tutoring job so I can have some more money to travel and live it up in Shanghai. Speaking of, last Saturday we tried to go out in Shanghai. Phoebe had some magazine with clubs listed in it so we let her take charge. Complete wild goose chase. We would get dropped off at these clubs (yes we tried multiple) in the middle of nowhere that sounded hopping only to walk in, buy a drink and see that literally we were the only people there. WHERE IN THE HELL WAS EVERYONE?! It was a Saturday night in the second biggest city on the planet and we saw NO ONE ANYWHERE. We obviously went to the wrong spots, but still. Hopefully the quest will go better this weekend.