JambaLyle: "Figuring it Out & Giving Thanks"

So it turns out being a teacher and living in China is more tiring than I anticipated. For some reason whenever I thought about what it would be like to a teacher, I always imagined myself in a classroom being creative, witty, caring, authoritative—basically the guy/gal in one of the TFA promo videos (yes, I'm bitter they didn't let me in). What the promo video doesn't show is what goes into making that happen.

Syllabi, lesson plans, vocabulary lists, and a host of other things that seem about as mundane as they are vital to conducting an effective class; these things are hard. That might not make that much sense and maybe they're not for other folks, but I've been having to make them up as I go. It has definitely been a very unglamorous struggle too; involving copious amounts of google, textbook reading, and staring at the blinking cursor of a depressingly blank word document. Two weeks into my teaching debut and I'm starting to figure it out, but it's going to be a long process.

Changing gears, I would like to say Chinese people are great. Obviously someone reading this is going to be like "oh yeah? what about…" I don't care. I have been consistently moved by the hospitality shown to me not only by my friends and co-workers, but by strangers and shop-owners. This hospitality far exceeds ogling the hairy white guy on the street, or snapping a not-so-discrete photo of him with a cellphone. I'm talking about inviting me to sit and join them for tea, while they go about their business. No nagging questions, not asking for money, or sticking me with the bill later. I'm sure that I'll have a bad experience sooner or later, but it will be an exception to the rule.

This was the sentiment that guided my decision to spend thanksgiving with my Chinese friends and travel to a nearby town, Luoyang, rather than go to a local expat meet-up. I wanted to give thanks with the folks who have been giving so much. Before this post gets too long / emo-esque or preachy I'll stop.