Mid-week Slump

I always get back in the swing of things on Wednesday morning. Monday and Tuesday mornings, are useless, but by Wednesday, I am under control. This morning, my alarm went off at 5:15, and after sending a wake up text to my friend, I was up and studying for my Calculus test by 5:30. Yes. I even did 2 related rate problems, and got them right. Again, it was incredible.

For some reason, this morning was really dark. At 6:30, it still looked like I had just woken up. This kinda threw me off, and I waited longer than normal to leave, because I know that my mom doesn't like it when I leave in the morning before it is light (it doesn't even matter if she isn't here. She will still know...) But at 6:23, I decided to risk my safety, and walk to the bus stop. I didn't miss m bus this morning. In fact, I was 5 minutes early, so I pulled out River Town (our English book) and started reading (I am about 30 pages behind.)

My bus wasn't crowded, but I still didn't get a seat. I was too absorbed in my reading to care though (yeah right...). I was proud of myself for getting to school by 6:45, but Julia and Chris were already there. I'm not liking this thing where they beat me to school every morning. This could be a problem. Chris lent me his notes from Calculus 1 from a year ago (he has already taken it in the US, lucky bastard...) so I tried to absorb his knowledge, before just giving up and accepting my fate.

I got my Chinese homework from Sterling as soon as he showed up, and did my best to do it. Really, I did. And I did get it done, which is the important thing. I turned everything. In Ma Lao Shi's class I felt good, so I could answer questions. Much better than yesterday, if I do say so myself. Shen Lao Shi did not have nearly as fun of a class. We got new books, and then a 30 minute lecture (in Chinese) on how we have to step up our act in class. It would have been much more meaningful if I hadn't had to pee like a racehorse at the time (I have to stop drinking tea in the morning...)

After class was over (and a quick run to the bathroom) it was time to study for Calculus. We (ie, Elle, Chris, Warren and I) gave it a go, but all gave up after 10 minutes and surrendered to whatever grade we were going to get. I went in, and did my best. Of course, because I am an incompetent fool, I forgot how to do one problem entirely, that I definitely should have been able to do. That is 10 points I will never see again. (As soon as the test was over, I went outside and asked my friends how to do it, and then felt bad about myself.)

The last class before lunch was Chinese Culture and Society. Normally, we would have a discussion, but Mr. Bissell secured another guest speaker for us. His name was Kaiser Kuo, and he is extremely funny. He founded a popular metal band named Tang Dynasty in China a while ago, and now he writes a column for the Beijingr, a local paper. He came in to talk to us about the history of rock in China. And he had some pretty good stories as well. He described tour as a vaudeville act, with ballet, dancing, and metal. The mental picture is enough to make you loose your cool. It is for me at least.

I didn't want to spend a lot of time for lunch, because I just wasn't in the mood. So Chris and I walked to the small street stands just by school, and we each got 2 small chicken and cucumber sandwich's, which were pretty good. Especially since it was freezing, and these things were warm. I was so excited. On the way back to school, we passed Mr. Bissell and Kaiser Kuo, and after a quick hello, it was back up 6 flights of stairs.

I almost didn't change my clothes for my music lesson because it was so cold that I didn't want to go through the act of changing. What can I say, I'm a wimp. But I buckled down, and did it extremely quickly, before putting on all my jackets and stealing one of my friends' as well. It was a cold walk to the subway station, never the less. The worst part of the subway is also the best part. It is warm. This is good, because it is warm, but also bad, because where did the heat come from? Yeah, I don't want to think about it either.

I practically ran to the music school, because I was so insanely cold. My lesson today did not go as well as I would have hoped. I felt like I couldn't do anything, and then of course, Ma Lao Shi beat out a melody without even practicing. I felt like beating myself over the head with my cup of tea. And then, of course, after she did a lovely little melody, I had to sit down and do it. I couldn't. So my teacher flipped the page back to the beginners section, and let me just do scales. It was crappy. I got a copy of the melody I am supposed to practice, and ran out the door as soon as I could.

The rest of my day was not interesting. It consisted of homework, homework, and oh, more homework (with a small break for the end of Mamma Mia, which always perks me up.) I have gotten so used to feeling like a failure here that it almost doesn't even bother me any more. Now, I want to go to bed so I can at least pretend not to be a zombie tomorrow morning. Peace.