I'm at school right now. Currently, we are in a 45 minute "do homework or sleep" period. I don't have any homework, and I am not used to sleeping during school--this makes for a very boring period. At least there is silence, though; I find listening to all of the classes taught in Chinese even more boring.
At the start of the day, beginning at approximately 7:00 (early, I now), the students practiced their English by reading a simple story. After that was read about five times, an actual class began. I am not quite sure what it was, so I just twiddled my thumbs for the whole period. Next, we went outside to usual Changzhou weather--hot--for a lovely assembly/flag-raising ceremony (if you haven't sensed it by now, "lovely" was used sarcastically ;) ). After the ceremony, we had astronomy, English, study-time and lunch...which brings me up to now! English has definately been my favorite class, but it's not just because I was able to understand everything--the teacher is really cool! He hails from Halifax, Canada, and he has a slight Italian accent. He's been teaching here for only three years, but he's been all over China--and the world! I have a small "study" office right next to his, so that should make the school-year interesting.
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Once the rest period was over, we had biology, what I was told was politics and gym. I must take gym before I graduate, but I'm not sure whether I want to go through the mindless drills here or back home. The excercise was unfamiliar to me, so I watched from the side. Then, we got to have another lovely, hour-long, all Chinese assembly out in the yard. If the teachers weren't watching us every second, I probably would have gone to sleep...and now I must do that--for another day begins tomorrow...Ya!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Another day now begins--bright and early! Getting up at 6:00 doesn't really affect me, since that is when I would get up back home; the hard things are starting school at 7:00 and, if like yesterday, ending at 5:00. Things are made even harder because I do not neccessarily like school right now. They are having me be in the regular classes with a group of students (Senior 1 first, then Senior 2) in order to "experience what Chinese school is really like." After that, I will be able to pick my own classes. I don't understand why the time must be so long. Since I can't understand anything, I'm not really gaining anything from the experience (except a deep appreciation for my Western-education back home). Things are very boring right now. Compared to anything that I have ever experienced, this is the most void of life; there is hardly any spirit or soul in the students. They are very immature for their age, which makes things even harder to deal with...The high schoolers at how American kids act in...probably sixth grade; yes...it's that bad.
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Today, for the most part, has been equally as boring as yesterday. The English teacher had me go with him to the Senior 2 (higher grade) class with him, marking the only highlight of the day. That class knows more English, making it more fun to talk with them; I miss talking for pure pleasure instead of as a chore. Other new classes of the day included math, chemistry and what I think was physics (I'm not sure, though). Coming as a high-ranking student from my school (not trying to brag), it is hard to just sit in the back of the room and not know what in the world is going on. I guess we'll just have to see how this whole "chinese school-thing" ends up working out...
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