So I realize I never debriefed you all on my birthday. The day was acutally not so exciting, it was raining and cold, as it has been everyday, it is winter after all. I stayed in and lounged around, applied for jobs, checked email and watched the Sex in the City movie. Then L and I went to do some errands and met up with a Chinese friend, Mickey for some Xiao Long Bao, the famous Shanghai dumpling. Mickey brought us to a place a couple of blocks away, down an alley in a small little shop with traditional dishes. Oh man were those succulent, hot dumplings a sensation to my tastebuds. Xiao long bao are cooked traditonally in a bamboo steamer and they contain a soupy like substance in addition to the meat base. We tried 5 different kinds, one with shrimp and pork, crab eggs and pork, spicy pork, traditonal and one with green onions I think. Mmm mmm good!
We continued on to our apartment where everyone came over for a pre party before we headed out for my first night of clubbin' in Shanghai. The clubs are something else, great architecture, light fixtures, good music, beautiful fruit platters, staff to keep your drinks filled if you have a table, chilled green tea as mixers.That particular night , a thursday, there was no cover charge or coat check charge however the drinks were comprable to those in the US which is expensive here. people bought me all sorts of crazy drinks, most of which I handed off so to avoid a hangover. Levy decided to go big and buy me a cake, mango mousse, which came dancing through the downstairs with a song from all the people with us. The dancefloors are clouded with the fog machine and cigarette smoke, but fortunately at this club much of the cigarette smoke wafted to the 2nd floor. The go go dancers all dance together on a ledge and do very fluid chinese style dancing with a bounce to the western music. The best part was when we danced our booties off until the early hours of the morn, I was even a little sore the next day.
Since then my days have mostly consisted of me, the couch, a blanket, scarf, jacket, my laptop and the job listing websites. Today I trekked all over town, arising at 4:45 am (not my style at all) to head out on the interview trail. It was a wet, windy and frigid day outside. I went from bus to subway to more subway lines to buses to taxi's and it goes on like that until 4pm. At the first job interview, Shanghai Taiwanese Children's School, and the most prospective opportunity for me I was handed the materials for 3 different grade levels and asked to make a lesson plan in an hour for all three classes. Then I taught the classes. NOT EASY folks! I thought the books would help and they do but it just provides basic info I have to fill in the blanks and make it interesting. Suprising right?! Haha, yeah we all know this but it was a lot harder than I anticipated to evoke their involvement in the activites i created. These kids are taught repetition and to immitate, not as much to think creatively. Any suggestions from experienced individuals are welcome! While the job offer here is good it is literally on the complete opposite side of town from me, hence getting up so early in the morning. I'm not certain I can maintain that schedule.
Next stop, Children's Technology Workshop, hmmm teach children how to build lego windmills and the importance of all the features, thinking outside of the box and using fun tools to learn, teaching creativity, I like this! But I can't sign a year contract or else I'd be in there like raingear, I had a great interview. =(
Last stop, a school with smaller classes close to my house, can offer me a change in visa types, full time schedule of 20 hours a week, mixed level classes age 3-6 =playtime learning, ready for the drawback- all nights and weekend hours. That just won't cut it when that's the only time L and I have to travel and hang out together. So there you have it. More interviews coming...
Maybe I should just tutor and be a little poor but enjoy life here?
Ohhhh life and it's darn dilemmas.
Zaijian!
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