jINhua: Oh the rain....

If you look closely, it has rained so much the water has come
right up over the bridge!!

There is so much of it!! GAH! This is supposed to be the rainiest month of the year in Jinhua, and so far it has proved to be correct. This causes a few problems, but most importantly, the main problem is laundry. Since we hang our clothes to dry, and it is not sunny long enough to totally dry them, this leaves a really nice fragrance on your hoodies of...mildew? Love.

The second problem is state of mind. Rain, as we know helps many things, but your good mood is not one of them when it is raining for days on end. Most days right now are wet and dreary - with some sunshine mixed in there somewhere. Trying to pull yourself out of a funk when it is hard to get some outdoor time and soak in some much needed Vitamin D, is one of the drawbacks of a rainy season. I know it will be over soon, and I will be talking about how ridiculously hot it is outside, but for now the rain is upon us...so bring it on mother nature.

I am having a really hard time right now with the decision to come back next year. There is a a continuous feeling apprehension on many levels. The only positive I can see right now are the students, and the money. Almost all the teachers are leaving, including our principal, our secretary, and there is a new change in management on the Chinese side. An odd time for change...almost nearing the end of the school year, but such is the case. Change of secretary sucks, but in this situation, this is a huge deal. Secretaries are the glue. The glue that holds everything together, especially here at our school. I think it is actually the biggest problem we are going to face out of all of the above issues. Since the pay for the secretary job is terrible, finding a qualified, english speaking, hard working individual for the job is really hard. With all of the translation that has to happen between the students, the parents, the Chinese side, our side, our Canadian side, report cards, visa issues, transportation, communication, university application forms, the list goes on and on, having a secretary who has a very hard time speaking English makes it really really hard to communicate. Not to mention the copious amounts of things Harriet (our previous secretary) did for us that has made our life here much easier, her list of amazingness could go on forever. Her replacement "Strawberry" who we have now shortened to "Berry" for professional reasons has been working for us for three days, with the help of Harriet. When Harriet is gone I might cry, but here is to hoping that Berry can do the job.

Change is a good thing. We all need change, and anyone who knows me, knows that my life is in a constant state of change. I do well with change in most cases, and this could be a positive experience. An entirely new staff and management could mean endless possibilities for this school. Right now there are issues that I cannot fully understand with the Education system here. I have had four students leave the program I am teaching to do TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) full time in order to get into an American program instead of a Canadian University. The students are somehow being filled with the idea that they will be able to breeze through the SAT exam, and that going to an American University is much more prestigious than going to Canada. I want to add that when they choose to leave the program (which is three years long) they forfeit any money they have paid. They pay the three years in advance (around fourty thousand) and they do not get any of this money back. It is something that I am having a hard time understanding, it is important to note that the Principal of the Chinese school has his daughter in the American program and not our Canadian one, which is setting the precedent for the students and parents in our program. When they see that the Management is not taking advantage of our program, it gives parents a message that going to America is a much better option.

There is so much more to the ins and outs of obtaining a foreign University Degree for these kids, and their belief in American education, but what it comes down to for me is that I am worried that numbers are going to be less and less, as more students leave, they follow the others lead. No students, no job, even if they paid for three years. I wish them the best of luck, but when you are learning all of your English language from a Chinese teacher, who does not speak to you in English, how will you advance your skills? Anyways, I digress. Without two years teaching experience my options are limited, but I am trying to remain positive and remember that we are where we are for a reason, and although I may not be able to see the "why" or the purpose right now, when I look back, something will have made sense, it has tooo! Until I find my next adventure (or it finds me, as it usually does)...which I hope lies in clean air, mountains and swimmable water....I will have to somehow find some inner peace in this crazy country.

I have added some photo's which have nothing to do with my blog above...hahaha, but I spent some time this weekend eating some yummy food, drinking some wine and hanging with friends. Wine helps. It really really does. :). I hope you enjoy - oh and I am VERY happy to say that my Uncle Paul has made it through heart surgery like a BOSS!!! It makes my heart feel so happy that he is doing well and kicking butt. Without that little ticker that works so hard for us every day, none of these worries, adventures and sharing of stories would be possible.