terrible {but adorable} two's

I guess it's time to actually post something about the whole reason I'm here- school! I am working as an English teacher Monday through Friday at the Shiqi Preschool and Kindergarten. I've been assigned to teach two "baby classes" which is the two year olds and two Junior classes consisting of three and four year olds. MY OH MY! We teach twenty-five minute rotations in each class so that's four rotations a day for me. Turns out, twenty-five minutes is a LOOOONG time to entertain two year olds and get them to speak english. But they're Asians so naturally most of them speak more english than I did when I was two. These kids are s m a r t! 

Here's some pictures of our school!

I can't lie. Teaching is hard. But I'm learning. Just as much as they are. I'm learning not to give Jonas a ball because he'll chuck it across the room. I'm learning that if Coco doesn't sit right next to me I won't have her attention for more than a second the entire lesson (I swear she's deaf). I'm learning that Dora likes to be first and when she's not she pouts. I'm learning that Jayden can kick. Hard. But he'll smother me with hugs two seconds later. I'm learning that Shan is a girl and NOT a boy. (That was a biiiiig oops!) I'm learning that Dodo's parents think that Dodo is a respectable American name for their child.... I still laugh every time I say it. 

Despite how hard and stressful teaching can be, I can't help but smile when I hear "IT'S TEACHA LINSEE!!" as I walk into class. And my heart melts when they ask me to bend down so they can kiss my cheek. These kids are cute! Cute. Cute. Cute. See for yourself :)

This is Dodo! The first week he literally cried non-stop. He still cries but has totally warmed up to me and smiles quite a bit! I haven't been able to get him to say a word in english though. One day! 

I looooooove Lucy! (little girls here have the most unfortunate haircuts) 

Nelson. We have a love/hate relationship. 

I feel blessed to have such cute kids to test my patience :)

i like china! my hair does not.

Today we had Chinese painting class after school. This was my finished product! Took me twenty years, two months, and ten days to get this talented. 

It's a cactus, by the way. 

Every morning I sincerely pray for strength to make it through my shower. It's rough guys... Our shower smells SO BAD ALL THE TIME!!!! Plumbing here is just no bueno. I just have to close my eyes and think about other things. Sometimes I play "would you rather" with myself. My most recent debate: Would you rather wash your body with a bar of soap used by a stranger or share a toothbrush with your dad? I still can't decide. 

So basically I take two minute showers and then stay out of the bathroom as much as possible the rest of the day. Which is good because looking in the mirror is a real shot to the confidence. MY HAIR IS UNCONTROLLABLE. It's frizzy times ten and I don't know what I was thinking when I bought the "Hello Hydration" version of my shampoo and conditioner. Use your brain, Linny!

Let me tell you about Washi Washi. Because it's quite possibly the best thing that's every happened to me. There is a salon down the street from our apartment that is full of stylish (and possibly gay) Asians and one Asian that we call the he-she because we literally don't know if it's a guy or a girl. Anyway, they will wash your hair, give you a twenty minute scalp massage, then massage your back neck and arms, and then style your hair. OH and it's like less than 5 bucks. Here's a picture: 

On Saturday we went on a little adventure to Walking Street! I'm not quite sure how to describe Walking Street... It's like a giant room with a bazillion little huts that sell random Chinese crap. It's a great place for bartering and I bought a watch that has a mustache on it and some perfume that really doesn't smell that good- but it was cheap! When we first got to Walking Street I was a little excited and they were playing American music so naturally I started dancing a bit... the owner of one of the shops laughed and mimicked me. So I made him dance with me! 

It was so fun being in downtown Zhongshan! Tons of people staring at us, tall buildings, pretty lights, and far too many smells. Always an adventure :) 

first impressions

I'm officially in China!! Can you believe it?!

apartment

I share an apartment with six girls (don't worry, we have two bathrooms) and there are six more girls in the apartment upstairs. They're all great and everyone is getting along fine! HAIR EVERYWHERE. Our apartment is also freeeeeezing. We put our coats on to go inside and take them off when we go out- I'm not kidding. There are three things that the Chinese refuse to use and I will never understand why: 1)Dryers- everyone hangs their underwear out their windows for the world to see! 2) Forks- chopsticks have been a struggle but I'm starting to get the hang of it and will come back a pro. 3) Heaters- every building is at least ten degrees colder than outside... Maybe this will make more sense in the summer? Anyway we live on the outskirts of Zhongshan which is pronounced Jongshanne. We live in a really nice/wealthy area that has a lot of gated communities. There are tons of shops and restaurants on the streets surrounding us. Tons of convenient stores and several kids clothing stores for some reason... Gwen, get ready. I can't wait to go shopping! Everything is insanely cheap- I love it!

food

I am pleasantly surprised!! And thank goodness! The food we eat at school is actually quite good although I'm still getting used to eating noodles for breakfast. In China they don't have drinks with their meals... that's another thing I don't understand. Oh and no napkins. I'm a mess after every meal. As far as American-ish food they have quite a bit! A lot of soda- Coke, Sprite, Orange Soda, etc. They also have Ritz Crackers, Oreos, Snickers, Dove chocolate, and ice cream! So far I've seen McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, and 711 but haven't been to them yet. So don't worry, I'm eating plenty :)

Me and Gretchen eating our first meal in China at the Kaiyin school! (She doesn't like rice...)

surroundings: 

CHINA IS BEAUTIFUL. So beautiful. I feel like I'm in a rain forest. So many trees, plants, and flowers. Everything here is well kept- it's a landscapers HEAVEN. No weeds! My city has lots of parks/public gardens that are gorgeous. The one in the pictures below is right across the street from our school. Everything is very decorated from Chinese New Year and everything is lit up at night. 

the people

We are straight up celebrities here. People will try to sneak pictures of us all the time and when we pose and smile they freak out and we get swarmed with cameras and people- especially when we're in the city. Yesterday at the park there was a huge group of Chinese students about high school age taking a group picture in their matching uniforms and they asked us to get in the picture- they were SO excited! Later while we were waiting for the bus an old lady with three teeth started talking to us and all we could understand was "sing!" so I started singing the first song that popped into my head and it happened to be One Direction. So we sang The Best Song Ever on the streets of China and attracted quite a crowd. I've never seen a bigger toothless smile! 

traffic

Yes, traffic deserves its own section. Because it's wild. I'm 90% sure there are no traffic laws. No speed limit. No signalling. People usually don't even drive in a lane. It's just a free-for-all and crossing the street is like playing Frogger. You just go when there's a gap. And if only one direction of traffic is clear you wait in the middle of the road until the next direction clears. And this is not just on neighborhood streets-like BUSY streets in the middle of the city! So if I get hit by a car a couple times don't be too surprised. Just kidding mom... I'm careful :) Volkswagen's are everywhere. I miss my car. 

Still can't believe I'm actually in China. But I love it!!