the last typical Saturday

As this week marks many of my "Beijing lasts", today exemplified the last of what I would like to call a "typical Saturday".

As with all of my Saturdays for the last four months, this one started early. I met Carmen at the train station at 7:50 (we had planned for 7:30, but again as in all usual Saturdays, we always run late). We hopped on the ditie, and rode line 13 to the Xizhimen stop, got off, and walked really quickly to the bus stop (in order not to miss the bus like we usually do). After grabbing a breakfast jiaotzi (sp?!), we hopped on the 632 and rode to the Kindergarten at Shuguong Huayuan.

Today was our last day of class. I was really prepared to be sad, to get all mushy with the kids and say goodbye and how much I was going to miss them... well, that didn't happen. It's probably a good thing. The performance that we had prepared for parents and other family members turned out to be mass chaos, with kids walking around everywhere, not sitting where they were supposed to, everything going for shorter than we anticipated (thus ending about 30 minutes early), and other students coming late and missing their performance. I guess it was a typical Chinese get-together. After two hours of running around, herding stray children and leading them in song and dance, I was ready to say goodbye. And although I will miss them and their cute little Chinese English... I truly hope this was my last foray into teaching children. Yes, even teaching my own children. For as cute as they are, there is something a little annoying about trying to tell a group of 20 kids to sit down and listen when they really don't understand a word you're saying.

the little rascals

Phew, I'm tired even writing about that morning. SO, after the end of the semester performance for my class, Carmen and I had our last "after-teaching" ritual (so it seems my life is a little "ritualistic"... I can neither confirm nor deny that). Often after an exhausting day of teaching, we indulge in a little Xinjiang food, and then hop across the street to the Shenmei. I know I have written about this before, but the Shenmei is seriously one of my favorite Beijing experiences. The Shenmei is a place where you go to get your hair washed, cut, colored, etc. We are officially Shenmei regulars, and I feel like I know all of the staff (despite the fact I can't talk to them). Unfortunately, I have not yet been bold enough to do a China cut or color, but when we go we pay 20 yuan for what is supposed to be an hour massage and hair wash, but it usually ends up being about 2 hours (plus, we get our hair dryed by the super cool "laoshi", or teacher). We told them today that it was my last day and after a little mourning that I will "hui guo"-ing it, we decided to take some friendly pictures (and promptly walked next door together to get copies made). Ahhh, I will really miss my friends at the Shenmei.


I think that's all for now. I don't have much more to report (or that I'm willing to report at this time in a blog!); I'm spending all of my time with people, sleeping, or working. Maybe after I sit on a plane for 15 hours, I'll have a little time to reflect and write something worth reading.

I will return to America on July 2nd. Please be friends with me when I get back.