Tonight though I've vowed to start. Let's work backwards...
I recently vacated a freezing shower. This was only a slightly horrific experience, made somewhat better by the fact that it provides perfect poetic justice to our time in China, and is a nice touch in the war our apartment has decided to wage on us during our last week here. Between explosions in the kitchen, a broken water dispenser, getting locked in bathroom, and a near flood (to name a few mishaps,) cold water seems not so bad. Plus, for the entire first month I was here I was taking cold showers (that was before we learned how to change the batteries in our water heater.) So yes. I guess either the apartment is sad we're leaving, or is sick of us and is trying to get us out sooner.
Earlier this afternoon I dragged my packed suitcases over to the school so that I could make sure I'm not going to incur any over-weight baggage fees at the airport. Assuming the archaic scale we used is correct, I should be close to good. So keep your fingers crossed for me. There is something kinda neat about knowing that 4 months of your life can be neatly packed into two suitcases and a backpack. It's kinda weird to think that I'm leaving so soon....
...but on to happier thoughts.
Yesterday we had our Christmas program at the school. There was dancing, singing, parents, costumes --- when Happy ABC's Kindergarten puts on a show, they do it all the way. Because we're the English teachers, we got to be the final dance number. It was a slightly intimidating experience... but I think we pulled it off well. We danced to "Frosty the Snowman" and had a marvelous time play-acting as little children who build a snowman and then dance around and play with him. We even threw paper snowballs at him at the end of our song. After the performance we ran upstairs to don some festive holiday-type costume things. There were a couple of Santas, a Frosty, and I ended up with a tree skirt tied around my neck as a cape. (A fact I hope you find as amusing as I did.) We were given bags of goodies and I got to wander around the school asking children to tell me what color my cape was in English and handing out legos and sweets.
Post party we ate hotpots with everyone at the school. Basically you sit down at a table with a bunch of people, and there is a pot of boiling water in the middle. You start with a soup base, and then add whatever you like. We had fish, beef, and all sorts of sausage and meatball-esque things to throw in, as well as vegetables and noodles and even wantons. You can add sauces to your own bowl, and grab whatever you like out of the hotpot. Dinner was divine -- if it weren't I wouldn't bother telling you about it. When the meal began to wind down they started a drawing for prizes. I wound up with a massive bag of tissues. Yes. You should be jealous. It was the 2nd best prize I could have won. Anna got even luckier --- with the largest prize they offered: laundry soap! We had so much fun, and it was good to laugh and enjoy the company of the people who we've come to care for so much.
Megan and I were walking home this afternoon from some errands and I was marveling at how different I feel from the girl who came to China 4 months ago. Everything here was so alien then... but now it's home. A home that I'm going to miss terribly. I watched the taxi drivers and felt the stares and glanced into the myriad of shops, and it all felt so incredibly normal. I'm interested to see what the reverse culture shock will be like coming home. I'm afraid I'll have to watch my mouth --- I've gotten used to saying whatever I want whenever I want without regard to who is listening, for in China the chances that the person I'm taking about speaking English are slim. And even if they do speak English, I'm willing to bet big money that if I talk quickly enough and use slang terms, they still won't get what I'm saying.
But enough of that. The past couple of days have been wonderful. Saying goodbye to my children was hard. Wednesday we had a party with out children --- sort of a goodbye thing. And at one point I found myself sitting on a kiddie chair, while being swarmed with little arms and little kisses and hearing these children that I adore so much say "I love you teacher. I miss you forever." And it melted my heart. I nearly cried.
Oh golly I'm going to miss this place...
