Computown, Giano's and James Bond

Sunday, July 08, 2007
It has been some time since I have updated my blog and that is because I thought my computer wasn’t working. So after venturing to Computown to buy a new computer, I realized that the reason why my computer wasn’t working was because ZOZ unplugged my internet connection in the dining room. Now I have a brand new computer that I don’t need. Does anyone want to buy a new computer? This weekend I am home alone because all of my roommates went to Beijing for three days. I didn’t go because I had to work this weekend. On the fourth of July, we went to Giano’s (the pizza place). It was so crowded with Americans that it took almost two hours for us to get our food. Finally when we told them that, “if we don’t get our food in five minutes we’re leaving,” did the food come out. It has been getting hotter here in Wuhan, yesterday it was almost 100 degrees. I usually work in the evening so I spend most of the day inside. When I do leave for work, I make sure I wait for the 1.80 Yuan bus because it is air conditioned. Today I finished my part of the summer camp activities. This week New Oriental showed us the evaluations that the last group of students did on us. On one set, I got the highest score out of the interns and on the other set, I got the second highest score. The students rate the teachers on a scale from one to five with five and they write comments if they want to. I was really pleased with my scores and the comments that the students made about me. This group of students was much different from the first group that I worked with. I don’t know if it was the heat or what, but it took so much just to get them wanting to participate in the activities. The only thing that they really respond to is when we act really silly. Like when we role play or make fun of each other. Ethan and I work really well together because we both are willing to just make total fools out of ourselves to entertain them. We did one role play where Ethan was James bond and I was an evil villain. The class was patrons at a casino and I came in to rob the casino. The look on the students’ faces when I burst into the room demanding that they put their hands up and valuables on the tables was priceless. It was if they really believed that they were being robbed. If I can’t decide what to do after graduation, maybe I will become an actor. Tonight I worked with Kari (another student from Baruch). The night went well. The students were really into the activities that we prepared for them.
I have been here for a month and I am getting used to China, but I don’t think China is quite used to me yet. I would say that one of the most difficult things for me here is the staring. There are two looks that I usually get, one is of amazement and the other is usually of disgust(like you don’t belong here). The Chinese that can speak English will usually try to strike up a conversation and some of the Chinese that don’t speak English will still try to speak to me, but most people just stare. Then there is the pointing. I will be walking down the street or getting on the bus and people will nudge the person they are with and point. Sometimes I get annoyed by it, but most of the time I will engage them in some way to let them know that I am aware that they are pointing or staring. The funniest thing that some Chinese do is make their children talk to me or want me to take a picture with their child. Most of the Chinese kids that I encounter love to say, “Hello.”
Working with the Chinese students at New Oriental and meeting many people on the street has given me a better understanding of how some Chinese think. I have learned so much about Chinese people and their culture in the month that I have been here. Going into this experience, I didn’t know if I would like it or not, but I can honestly say that, “I like it.” All the interns always talk about would we come back if they asked us back and I think…well, I will save that until the end of the experience, but so far so good.