What A Week

It's been a week... an interesting week.

Two times the power has gone out.

Three times the water has been turned off.

The post office is undergoing construction which makes me look like an idiot every time I go there and some person has to personally take me to another building because I can't speak or understand enough Chinese to follow their instructions.

I'm catching a cold I think.

It's cold here!

My language tutoring got cancelled, twice.

The new tutoring gig turned out to be a wreck that just threw my whole week off.

[THE STORY]
Last post, I talked about this new, potential tutoring gig.  Well... NO.
Short summary in case you didn't read the last post and to fill in a few more details: A student named Emily calls me asking me to go to a primary school.  I said I couldn't, she asked about a different day, I caved.  Her friend/boss calls me Monday, we meet that night, I agree to help tutor on Wednesdays or Fridays.  Here's the new stuff...

Tuesday I have my freshmen class with Emily.  I asked her if she called me the other day and she says no.  So at this point, I have NO IDEA who this 'Emily' is.  She's not my student.  [People I don't know, or haven't given my number to, are always contacting me.  It's strange.]  Tuesday I get a call from one of the 2 ladies I met on Monday and she says she'll pick me up at 1 on Wednesday.  She told me Friday, but I'm flexible.  We said one class, but she told me I'd teach 2, each one being 40 minutes.  Fine.

She picks me up and we drive about 10 minutes to the school.  That means riding my bike is kind of unrealistic which means she either picks me up every time or I take a taxi.  Strike #1.  She doesn't really say anything to me, even once we got to the school.  I ask how the day would go and she told me I'd start teaching at 2.  So I'm thinking an hour and a half of teaching and then go home. NOPE.  She says 3 classes, 20 minutes each, but with a break in between.  Well, each class starts on the hour so that means I'll be there til 4:30 at the earliest.  Strike #2.  I teach, I wait, I teach, I wait, I teach, I wait.  She asks me if I'm tired and I said yes, because I was exhausted (this was before I thought I was catching the cold).  Her friend takes me to the teacher's office and I thought it would be a few minutes and then we'd leave.  NOPE.  Almost an hour later her friend comes back and I ask if this is how it would be every week.  That's not strange to ask, right? WRONG.  She says I teach on Sundays.   Yeah.... so I had to clarify that I'm busy on Sundays which is why I said Wednesday or Friday, not Sunday.  Strike #3.  She looks shocked that I said I was busy.  Weird.  So, then she says, "Now we go to dinner."

Oh.
My.
Gosh.

So I think, quick dinner, go home, sleep... oh wait, I have lesson plans and papers to grade.  We go to dinner and it's silent.  Nobody says anything.  Luckily, it was really loud there and I was fighting the urge to face-plant into the table and take a nap.  Around 7:30 I get to go home.  6 1/2 hours later.

I told them I could help them if they needed it on Wednesdays or Fridays.  A few hours ago I got a text: Can you teach on Thursday evenings?  My answer: No, I tutor then.  That whole day is busy.  Next text: What about Tuesday?  My answer: No, I'm sorry.  She asks what day works for me and I finally had to just say, thank you, but I'm really busy and I don't think I can commit to one more thing.  Haven't heard anything since.

It's been a week.  I know I'm complaining a lot right now.  I'm tired.  I need a nap, or 2, or 3.  I just got caught up on grading only to have a new bunch to grade now.  Thankfully, it's my last chunk for that one class.  77 more papers and I'm done w/ the freshmen papers.  WOO!  This week I'm planning finals and then only 2 more weeks and my first semester is done.  CaRayZay.

Tomorrow I get to pick up a package, curl up in a blanket, drink some tea and breathe... for a bit.  I can't wait!

The next post will be the good part of the week.  There's always a good part.  Sometimes I just feel the need to throw in the things that bug me just so nobody thinks everything is always dandy here.  Some people still think I'm on a prolonged vacation.  It's an awesome journey/trip/experience, but it's not just vacation.

Every day is a good day, but not everything is good every day.