The notes home said to drop the student off between 7:40-8:15 for breakfast and parents need to be on the school grounds between 8:10-8:40 else be locked out. Parents stay seated with your kids when waiting, there will be some parent interaction. I knew I'd be disappointed and it would be chaotic. I was right!
Kids got there about 7:55. No breakfast. Huh. Waited well past 8:40 for the kids to assemble outside in a parade style. Each class is holding something different like hula hoops, balls, pinwheels, shakers, streamers. Anything actually sports related like balls and hula hoops are not used and only held for show.
Each group of classes performed their routine they've been practicing for weeks. Wensen & Ethan did a flag routine. Aidan did a duck dance. All the teachers are young. The oldest is the principal. One group of teachers dressed like cheerleaders and did a cheerleader routine. The other group of teachers did a dance routine. We are not talking about 30 seconds either. Like 3 painful minutes. I guess they wanted the spot light too. But me, I'm here to watch my kids. The after school paid for programs like roller blading and ballet each did a routine.
Finally the kids are pottied, given a snag bag and released to parents. Now it's parent participation time! Each class separates. Since I can't be in two places at once, Aidan goes to the boys class with me. Their idea of games is a duck waddle parents holding on to each others shirt tales. And musical chairs that you couldn't hear the music over the loud loudspeaker music and too many people per the number of chairs. The kids weren't really having fun, so we left the group and they got to ride on some bikes the older class rode in the parade.
I went over and talked to the foreign teachers and asked why they didn't perform in the teachers dances. Mind you the foreigners are all guys. They weren't asked. I was also to find out if there was school on Monday, a holiday like our Memorial Day. No, there is vacation from Monday through Wednesday. There is school on Sunday. I asked why they didn't tell us this time, since they sent remembers the last 2 holidays. We are supposed to check the publicized Chinese holidays.
So I sent the kids to school on Sunday and I went in search of a bookstore.
I wish I would've boughten my map earlier it imprints the city map with the subway. So now I take the subway everywhere. (I don't mind taking the bus, but if it's not a place I've been, it's too difficult to find where to change and then where to walk to pick up the next bus). The subway took me to Wanfujing Street, I came out in a mall. It was lunch time, I looked around for food. Almost chickened out for Burger King, but a Chinese fast food noodle shop was next door and had a spicy noodle with bread and drink for 22rmb~under $4. I only ate like half the noodles, my mouth was on fire and I was out of tea.
Luckily I found an ice cream vendor. My choice was macha softo or jasmine softo. I tried the jasmine. First bite was yummy, then sort of bitter like macha.
First bookstore I came too was the Chinese bookstore, went to the kid section and bought several books as Chirstmas presents. Then I went further and found the Foreigner Bookstore. Imported books are way expensive. But I did splurge for the British version of Harry Potters Philosophers Stone. Cheaper than a plane ride I reckon. I wanted to get the English version of "The Dream of Red Mansion" (remember The Grand View Garden). Well it's 4 volumes for 99rmb ~$16. Sold. My in-laws worried the translation might be bad or not a good buy. I bought it from the Chinese book store. It's okay then. Mind you it was the exact same one sold at the foreigner bookstore.
It's never a good idea to show my buys to the in-laws. My mother-in-law tells the boys, your mom buys you this. Hello, Christmas gift! Not any more.
exercise equipment found in parks, apartment complexes or the side of the road
No comments:
Post a Comment