girl conquers china

Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001
From: Ceels
Subject: girl conquers china

I am writing from Melinda’s room. It always smells like butter tea and dried yak meat. Very exotic.

I finished off the lying game and I got an 'I feel lonely everyday' and a 'I hate myself and I want to die'.

I also had another nice young chap come up to me and ask me if I was Christian. And I replied 'um, no, not really.'
He appeared stunned and said in disbelief 'but I thought all Americans were Christians.' (and that just about sums it up, doesn't it) What could I say? I just shrugged.
'So why aren't you a Christian?'
(Y'know, kid, I’ve never really given it much thought)

nevermind.

The beauty of teaching is that I love all the kids. The spotty ones, the dumb ones, the geeks and dweebs, the kids too cool for words, the smarties who don't want to show off, but desperately want you to know that they know. I even love the irritating ones. There is a boy in one of my classes, I’m pretty sure he's the smartest kid in the class. We are playing a game where he pretends he is disruptive and rude and I pretend that he is stupid. This week he called me a pig and I said 'now that's not very nice' in my best 'speaking to a five year old' voice. He kept repeating it and with wide-eyed innocence I said 'perhaps you do not understand what you are saying.' slowly clearly, slowly clearly. 'But it is very rude.' 'and-if-you-keep-saying-it-then-will-send-you-to-the prin-ci-pal.' he stopped.

The moment he stops being disruptive, I drop the stupid act.

I am having second thoughts about my new watch. I had my old watch a long time and I am feeling a little unfaithful with the new blue one. My grandpa gave me my old watch and it has seen me all the way through high school and uni. It survived horsemanship, a fall in the Yarra and my short-lived apprenticeship. But I don't think it will survive China. I dropped it on the floor of my room and cracked the face, and the band is about to give out. I am utterly attached to it, but let me not be spoken of as one who loves not wisely but too well. I have packed it away with my spare pair of glasses, and will suffer valiantly along without it.

I am becoming very Chinese. I went out to a banquet last night and didn't even think of asking for rice with the meal. I am getting used to the amount of personal space and if I could just do something about the way I look and my command of the language...

But then maybe not, I bought a DVD player yesterday and christened it with The Matrix. (So very good to hear English)

love and kisses
ceels