Getting the Good Qi Flowing Again

I could tell from the very start that today was going to be a good day. There are some days when you just wake up, and you can feel it in your bones. This was one of those days. When I woke up at 5:55 (after 7 hours of sleep I may add. That is the most I have gotten all week) I didn't feel like springing out of bed (seriously, who would?) but I felt much better than yesterday, almost like there was no rush to do anything. For once, I could go at my own pace, and do things at my leisure.

I left home at 6:30, caught the bus, and didn't get to school until 10 to 7. I got charged more for my breakfast again (I'm not going back to that place, those bao zi in the morning are not good for me) and walked to school. I started a conversation with my math teacher who just so happened to be walking to the elevator as I was walking to the stairs, so I got to ride up the elevator with him. It was a great start to my day. And perfect, because I actually had to ask him some questions on the homework and on our test, so talking to him in the elevator was a good segway into that.

After going over math problems with my teacher, I walked back to the classroom, preparing to do homework. However, I was distracted. My friend had arrived, and I had to help him with one of the math problems that I had just learned how to do. That was finished quickly, and our studies quickly turned to Chinese. My friend, Chris, handed me his flashcards, and said "Quiz me." It may seem that me quizzing him (I say the character, he writes it on the whiteboard) is not helpful to me, but it also helps me learn his characters, which are harder than mine (he is in Chinese 6, I am in Chinese 4). It helps me to expand my vocabulary.

We only had 7 vocabulary words for our first Chinese class last night, so that class was relatively easy today (I say relatively because I am studying Chinese: nothing is easy.) The second Chinese class flowed just as smoothly, and then it was break. The first real class (not Chinese) was Calculus, and because that is in the same room as my Chinese classes, I didn't even have to move my stuff, except to one chair over, so I could sit in my normal seat for Calc. Break is my time to catch up with friends, and generally be a teenager (with limits, of course.) Because I treat it as my social half hour, it normally passes way too fast, and then I am required to put my brain to action again.

Today's topic in Calculus was rather intimidating (I don't even know what it is called. That's a good start, isn't it?) but I dutifully took notes and copied down problems. I had some good will today with the teacher because I came in early with questions, so the class was relatively easy. Then it was off to Chinese history. As I have mentioned before, I am still not sure how I feel about that class. TBA, I always say. Today, by the time I got to class, I was starting to get seriously hungry (I don't eat breakfast, so I get hungry. So shoot me) so it was already hard to concentrate. Then my teacher said that, in lieu of the test on Tuesday, we were going to break up in small groups, and present some aspect of the Qing Dynasty, based on the previous night's reading. This was a problem, because I didn't have time to do last night's reading. Neither did anyone else in my group, as it turns out. Our topic was Qing conquest, and we just faked our way through it. We did a fairly decent job, with only one minor hiccup. Then we were free to eat, and a scramble for the door ensued.

The cafeteria food, while not being bad, is also not good (and when in China, why would I subject myself to bad food?) so I planned on going out with a friend to a market that sells these really good wraps. On the way down the stairs however, my plans were almost foiled. As I was talking to Mr. Bissell about what the official names of my classes are (for my college applications) the bottom of my pants hooked around the heel of my shoe. This would have been okay, if I hadn't been practically running down the stairs at the time. Instead, my foot slipped (I was on the flat part between flights of stairs) and went down, hard, on my knee, in front of a lot of my friends. It was great. I am actually developing a bruise on my knee right now, and if I had fat on my knee, it would be an impressive bruise.

The super market was just next to the school, so it was a quick walk to get lunch. After some sleuthing at the food list (which was only in Chinese characters) my friends and I figured out that we were eating was actually a massive spring roll. It was delicious. Because I had to go talk to Mr. Bissell about the formal names for my classes, I didn't go across the street to buy flashcards, but instead went straight up to the cafeteria, where he was eating lunch. What ensued was an enlightening conversation about college apps, much more helpful than anything my college counselor has told me. We talked about where I am applying to, and he told me he was friends with the guy that does interviews for Georgetown, and he would helpe me get that set up. Really, Mr. Bissell is the shit.

After lunch I had English first. We were told that because 1/3 of the class got "unacceptable" grades (I got a 93, thank you very much) we were all going to retake the vocab quiz on Monday. While this aggravates me more than a little bit (why should I have to retake it) there is nothing to be done about it, so why bother stressing? The rest of class was student lead discussions on various essays' that our teacher had given us to read. Nothing worth mentioning was talked about.

Every Friday, I have my study period last, so I get out of school at 2:20. I had planned on doing homework or college stuff, but on Friday afternoon, when it is a glorious day, that is a little tough. A couple friends of mine (who are actually a couple) invited me and Chris to go with them to explore a park. Finding which park though, took another 30 minutes. And neither Chris nor I had a bike, which made things a bit more complicated. When it was clear that we were going to go to a park relatively close, Jamie and Julia hopped on their bikes, and we jumped into a cab. The cab driver didn't know where the park was, but vague directions were given (in Chinese) and we arrived close to the park 10 minutes later and 10 kuai lighter.

The park was actually very pretty, with huge fields of grass and a lake. We all walked over to an area where a lot of people were sitting around, and kinda set up shop there. There were a bunch of men drawing characters on the ground with water. They were using this thing that looked like a mop, except it had a pointy sponge end, and they just kept dipping it into a bucket of water to get it wet, and then they just drew poems I think. It was really interesting to watch. I couldn't recognize all of the characters, but I got a few, and the ones I didn't know, my friend told me.

I got a little bored after an hour, and wanted to walk back to school to see how to get to the park on foot. Chris didn't want to be the awkward 3rd wheel, so he came with me. Julia and Jamie stayed in the park (probably to do couple stuff. I don't know.) The walk back was fun, actually. We stopped in a bakery and bought a small roll of garlic bread (it wasn't particularly lovely, but hey, it was garlic bread) and then bought a couple drinks. We took some detours to walk around some ghetto alley ways (ie, there were apartment complex's surrounded by barbed wire fences, and it was just sketchy) but otherwise a nice walk.

I wanted to go buy some dvds before going home, so I headed for the guy that is normally always on the bridge. He wasn't there, but a guy selling flowers was, so Chris bought some flowers for his mother. (Aw... how cute.) I stopped at the dvd store on the way back to my bus stop, and bought the Mummy 3 (for 1 dollar, I can't go wrong) and then made a mad dash for my bus as I saw it pulling into the stop. It wasn't full, for once, and I even got a seat. Granted it wasn't for very long, but it is the action that matters.

My night was more interesting than usual. We had a friend over for dinner from Canada (Chinese of course) and my dad didn't come home for dinner. I had a conversation with the friend (although it jumped from topic to topic) and she seemed impressed with my Chinese (although even if I had just said hello she would have been impressed.) After dinner, when I was excused to go be a kid (my parents let me leave right after I finish eating, but I wait until they start clearing the table to leave. They won't let me help. Seriously, they grab dishes out of my hands if I try.) I decided to watch my movie, the Mummy 3. I wasn't expecting it to be good, but I also wasn't expecting it to be as atrocious as it was. What a waste of 2 hours. At least it was only 1 dollar. That is the only saving grace.

Now, peace out. It is 11, and I am going to bed. Later gator. (Oh, I had another conversation with my mom again. She just walks into my room and starts talking. I love it.)