Black.

     Prior to leaving for Saudi, I had asked everyone if there was a clothing restriction or if I had to wear certain clothes to school.  The ONLY thing I was told is that it had to be long and cover the arms.  Ok, so shopping at the last minute, I was able to purchase 5 long, flowery, patterned dresses, and 3 long skirts.  Of all these items, I had just one black skirt and 2 black sweaters.  After being there for 3 weeks, with nothing being said to me, I was finally informed yesterday, in writing on a memo I had to sign, that there was actually a dress code for teachers and that we were required to abide by it.  The other teachers let me know immediately that the skirts had to be black, so I simply wore the same skirt and changed my tops.  When I purchased my second abaya, I had found some inexpensive black skirts so I upped my count to 4.  I still wear the same one every day, and take it off when I come home at lunch and at the end of the day.  I am also required to wear the black blazer/sweater top over whatever shirt I wear.  Someone was scandalized by the sight of bare arms.  It was not me, of that I am certain!
     On the subject of clothes, while I don't mind the abaya, I could not convince them to cut it short enough to keep me from tripping over it.  When I pick it up to keep from falling, I am certainly showing more skin then if they just took another inch or two off the bottom!  My long sleeve shirts from China have served me quite well, and meant I did not have to buy any new tops.  The one thing I do need is new shoes.  I wore out my go to shoes in China, but didn't want to buy anything new until I knew what I was up against.
     I am almost completely finished with setting up house so I will post pictures of the place next time.  After my last scramble at Ikea, I decided that this time I would take my time and look at everything.  If I am still missing anything, it is only because Ikea does not carry it.  Because I was going back on Saturday, I did my grocery shopping and cooking on Friday.

Behold, one pan of veggie lasagna with spinach noodles and a pan of brownies with pecans to take to work.  The lasagna will give me 9 meals plus a bit extra to share.  I wrap the individual pieces in saran wrap and foil and freeze them.  What you do not see here is the huge batch of chicken sloppy joes I made as well.  After spending almost 2 hours slicing and dicing the veggies for both items, a work space went on my Ikea list.

     I have to admit the second trip to Ikea was TONS better, except for the part where I lost my phone!  OMFG I FREAKED OUT!!!  The other teachers, who had been in Saudi before, told me not to worry it would show up.  After retracing my steps, to no avail, I was THRILLED to death when the security man handed me back my phone.  

     I have been remiss in blogging because I have had nothing but trouble with my computer and its various programs for the past week or so.  My internet, better then China but not by much, was fighting with my programs.  I was not able to connect without VPN and VPN was not letting me into my usual sites.  The help desk at ExpressVPN told me to uninstall the program and reinstall....yeah, remove the only program that let me into the internet kinda sorta!  It did not work and I was out of touch with the world.  I can use the wifi on my phone, but that is at home only, unless I find free public wifi...not so much in Saudi.  One of the teachers at school is a techno wiz and she told me to restore the computer to a prior working date.  I hit the wrong button and returned it to a prior version of Windows and POW, I was back online. 

      Ok, having caught up on the second debate, I have become more convinced then ever that I have to vote.  I have registered online, dropped my paper copy with signature at the embassy, and now I just have to keep my fingers crossed my school gets my ballot in their mail AND manages to get it to me...LOL  Now it is time to nap.  I have a long night ahead of me.  Did I mention I hate the hell out of working until 8:00pm?  I am taking left over lasagna for dinner.  I have a 20 minute break at 5:50pm and I am finding that if I bring food to eat then, I am ok to try and make it into bed at 10:30.  Baby steps.

A typical day and how anger is a great motivator!

     Our work week is from Sunday to Thursday.  We are off the weekend on Friday and Saturday.  Our working hours are 8-8 on those days.  The bus to school leaves at 7:45am.  The SECOND the clock strikes 7:45 the driver is off.  It is only a 10 minute ride to my school, but I am not allowed to drive, so having a driver is actually quite nice.  I do not teach in an actual school, but rather an adult language center.  The girls, mostly teenagers or young women, pay to be there and it is allegedly expensive.  We have classes from 8:00 to 12:00 noon, and then the driver takes us back to the dorms.  We are free until the bus leaves again at 3:45pm and we teach until 8:00pm.  The classes last 50 minutes and there are 4 periods in the morning and 4 periods in the evening.  I teach 2nd and 4th periods in the morning and all 4 periods in the evening.  We finish working at 8:00pm and then they take us home.
     The working hours are the EXACT reason I did NOT want to work at a language center.  While it is nice to have 4 (well, actually 3 because of commute time and effort) hours free in the middle of the day, eating dinner at 8:30pm sucks.  Because I am supposed to eat 2 hours before going to sleep, this means I am not getting to bed until 11:00pm, on average.  This makes waking up at 6:30am difficult at best for me.  I am totally an 8 hours kinda gal and it is killing me.  I don't mind getting up early, I DO mind going to bed late.  I may have to start eating dinner in the classroom...LOL  I am sure that will go over like a lead balloon!
     One of the weirdest things in Saudi, is that they fingerprint the bejebus out of you.  They took full fingerprint scans at the airport and I have to sign in and out with a biometric timeclock that requires my hand print.  I wish I was kidding.  The funny part about this is that the women usually line up to clock out the SECOND it is time to leave.  In order to insure their place in line, they leave their handbags.  I call it the parade of bags.

     Through trial and error, I try to get all of my errands and projects done during the lunch break so I can come home and relax.  I find eating salads for lunch and soup for dinner to be a great way to eat the good stuff while not eating heavy meals.  I made my first "meal" on Saturday.  I made a pot of chicken soup and cooked a batch of quinoa.  I can eat this all week.  I am slowly starting to stock my pantry with the basics, like seasonings (I brought 2 jumbo containers of Jane's crazy mixed up salt so I am good), crackers, quinoa, pasta, pasta sauce, canned tuna, etc.  I have some beef and chicken patties in the freezer, so I am good there as well.  Because I have a full size fridge/freezer, I have plenty of room for ice-cream as well!

     Now let's talk about the abaya.  YES, I am required to wear the abaya, a black covering that pretty much looks like judges' robes, or the gowns we wear for graduation.  It is worn to cover you from neck to the ground.  They tend to be very lightweight, and aren't really that cumbersome.  My complaint is that you HAVE to wear it ANY TIME you leave the house.  I was given one (finally) by the school, and had it shortened so I was not tripping over it.  I purchased a second one with lace trim on the sleeves and I have every single intention of blinging it out!  Apparently, full black and black on black are the standard, but trust me, the younger gals have fancy ones.
     I am not required to wear the hijab (the head scarf that covers your hair and head) or the niqab (the thing that covers the face but leaves a slit for the eyes).  I wear my hats for sun protection and gets tons of looks from the older women and the women covered from head to toe.  Spending time in China made me totally unconcerned about the stares.  At night, when it is dark and much cooler, I don't bother with the hat so I don't leave it in my basket at the store....LOL

     Now to the anger part.  Apart from salary, the ONE THING I made a point to ask about was access to a gym or healthclub.  I was told that I would likely have an exercise area/facility in my compound.  If the compound did not have a healthclub, there was likely to be one nearby so working out would not be a problem.  Reality is a bitch, and my apartment building (not even CLOSE to being a "compound") doesn't have squat.  The only facility nearby (remember the part about I cannot drive and there is no public transportation?!?)  is expensive and restricted to men.  So, "access" to a gym means finding one (good luck with that), paying a HUGE amount of $$, and then procuring a driver to take me and pick me up.  

     I can work out at home, but I hate having to spend money to buy something I won't be able to move, like a treadmill.  One of my fellow teachers thinks she might have a wiifit at home...hmmm.  I have some sort of 90 workout dvds, and I bought a cable to run my tv via my laptop...we shall see.  Today I went running....YES, in the heat, and in a full abaya...it sucked really, really, really, bad, but I did it.  Who knows, maybe the neighbors will be soooo offended by this, they will contact the school and shame them...one can only hope!

IKEA!

     YES, I made it to Ikea to shop.  I did NOT get the lamp of my dreams, but I did get a fairly decent alternative.  Pics will follow when I have finished putting my place together.  The gal who arranged the ride had informed me that she had nothing she absolutely needed, but was willing to shop at my pace.  She then invited another gal along and the three of us set out on our journey.  The first gal (FG) had told the cab driver the night before that we would leave at 9:00am.  When I went upstairs at 8:30 to see how she was progressing, we googled Ikea and found out they were NOT opened at 9:00am on Friday, the Muslim holy day, but rather, at 1:00pm.  When the driver then called us shortly thereafter, we all agreed that he could come after noon prayers, so 1:15ish.  FG had repeatedly told me she didn't want to stay that long, and that she was only doing this for me, but that she loved to shop and was happy to come along.
      The other gal, the second gal (SG), was very anxious to shop, but FG INSISTED we HAD to stick together like glue.  The SG agreed, but indicated that she, like me, wanted to look at most things to get what she needed and wanted.  When we got to Ikea, I explained that I was an expert.  I explained that the upper floor tended to be bedding (as in actual furniture that had to be purchased from the bins downstairs) and room mock-ups, and that unless you were planning to actually design an empty apartment (and our apartments had all the basic furniture), it was best to proceed downstairs to the actual shopping part.  They BOTH indicated they wanted to look around so we headed about the maze that is the second floor.  We had told the driver to return in 2 hours (based ENTIRELY on how long I could get through Ikea by myself), and I kept telling FG, that she should just tell the driver to not wait.
     EVERYONE agreed that we were hungry and that the food court, which was VERY empty, as prayers had begun, we would take time to shop and eat.  They do not have the traditional Swedish meatballs, that we all know and love, but I had food that was very good.  When we were almost finished with lunch, the driver called to indicate that he was there, as it had apparently been close to 2 hours, and FG freaked out.  I explained, in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, that I was NOT finished, and that everything I really needed was downstairs and I was not leaving without lamps and a shower curtain at the very least.  SG agreed that we would need at least another hour, and FG spoke to the driver.  FG is on a very tight budget (and she is a tightwad), so I had told both gals I would pay for the taxi.  When the driver called and FG freaked out, I told her in no uncertain terms that she could leave me there and I would pay for her cab home.  She refused and INSISTED we all had to go together.  The SG told her she was willing to leave and headed to the check-out, but I still had no shower curtain, as I missed them when I was bum rushed through the bath department as they were hidden in a corner, and I had no lamps.  Shower curtain, living room lamps, and bedside lamp were NOT negotiable, as they were the SOLE real I had wanted to go to Ikea in the first place.
     We then proceeded downstairs to shop and FG kept telling us that it could take HOURS to get through check-out.  She kept saying she wouldn't buy anything (although her bag of stuff said otherwise) and I explained I was not leaving without the non-negotiables.  I again told her to leave without me and offered cabfare.  She again insisted we stay together as she rushed me to the checkout.  One look at the ladies only line (which was seriously short for Ikea), she freaked out again and just left.  I didn't offer to pay for the cab because I was not done shopping.  They left and I was relieved.  I took the time to go and procure the shelving unit I wanted from the bins and proceeded to check out.  I spent about 1000SAR ($266), but walked out with almost EVERYTHING I WANTED AND NEEDED!  Imagine that!  The only problem with everything I brought home is that I wound up with the wrong lamp, although the second for the living room was cheaper by half then the one I wanted, and only one light bulb that fit.  Fortunately, the one bulb that fit was for the bedside table lamp.
     I was home by 4:30 with my bags of treasures and I was ready to start assembling.  I bought 2 lamps for the living room.  One corner, by the TV, now houses a paper shade, tall, standing lamp that provides soft light when I get home and just want to relax.  The lamp behind my desk contains a bulb that simulates daylight so I can work.  The shower curtain was about a foot too short, so I bought curtain, hooks, and took about 25' of the wonderful black cord they provided at Ikea to rig a proper working shower curtain.  I bought one cheap metal storage shelving unit to put by the front door.  It functions as a book/dvd shelf, place to set my phone to charge, and is cheap but highly functional.  I bought everything with the idea in mind that I am leaving it when I leave.  Of the entire 1000SAR I spent, I consider only about 200SAR to be "wants" instead of needs.  I purchased the shelving unit because I need a bookshelf and a place to store my art supplies.  It is ugly but works.  I bought the 2 lamps for the living room because, even though there is plenty of overhead lighting, I HATE overhead lighting, just ask Mike and Ian about their new lamps....LOL
     I do NOT consider my bedside lamp a luxury because it is how I best fall asleep at night and the biggest problem with overhead is having to get out of bed to turn off the light.  I purchased a small humidifier for my bedroom and it was a waste of money.  It only lasts for about 2 hours so it doesn't go all night and I wake up every morning with a headache, feeling hungover.  I am going to try and figure out how to get a venta for here, or a comparable substitute.  It will be expensive, but I cannot keep going like this if every morning I wake up feeling hungover and with a sinus migraine brewing.  It would be one thing if it was only some days, or every now and then, but so far, I haven't had a trouble free morning yet.  If I wanted a hangover, I would NOT have taken a job in Saudi Arabia,  As for the drinking, I really don't feel like I am missing anything.  For a country that does not allow alcohol at all, they sell a lot of alcohol free drinks like sparkling cider and near beer.  It is weird.
     I promise to post pics when I am finished, as there are still boxes lying about and I had to wash the fitted sheet I purchased at Ikea.  Are we the ONLY country that regularly uses fitted sheets?  "Sheet sets" in Saudi are 3 piece sets, but that means one flat sheet and 2 pillowcases.

     Finally, for today, I will say that I was able to figure out my washing machine after I googled the brand and model number.  Turns out, it is pretty idiot proof.  Unlike China, the buttons ALL have English translations AND you simply put the clothes and detergent in the machine and press start (+25 points KSA).  Life is not great, but it is getting better.  Maybe I should bake something IN MY OVEN!

(very heavy sigh) Trials and Tribulations or why I hate liquid yogurt.

     Those who followed the blog or spoke to me about China, and who brought up the topic of coffee, know that I have an issue with finding real milk in foreign countries.  Those who know me, and love me anyways, know that I need milk for my coffee.  I drink coffee for YOUR safety, so to not have milk....makes for a bad day.

Istambul Airport.  I was told NOT to take pictures at the Riyadh airport, so this is it.

Where China was just kinda dirty all around, Riyadh is DUSTY!  It is all under construction, and because the air is so dry, EVERYTHING is covered in a layer of dust.  It gives the entire city a tan/gray tinge that covers over everything.

My street

My building

The entryway.  My apartment is past the stairs to the left on the first floor.

Looking to the left from the front door.  Yes, the couch and chair are pretty outrageous red and gold crushed velvet.  Looks like I will need furniture covers...LOL

Looking to the center from the front door.

My BEDROOM DOOR!  I HAVE AN ACTUAL BEDROOM! (+5 pts KSA)

My new kitchen.  Note that there is a sink in the bath AND in the kitchen!  I wanted hot water in the kitchen and I HAVE HOT WATER in the sink,  Be careful what you wish for as the water gets SO hot, I generally turn the water heater off so I don't burn myself in the shower or while doing dishes.

The bathroom.  Not much better then China and I have no shower curtain.  I have scrubbed it down, but the shower base is sketchy at best and the walls just don't want to come clean.

Looking out from the bathroom.  WOOHOOO I can shit and watch TV :-)

This is an ACTUAL STOVE with an ACTUAL OVEN!  They sell all sorts of baking mixes at the grocery store!

     Now to the real blog.  So, I arrived at midnight on Friday/Saturday morning and woke up to the previously described situation.  I have to start off by describing my living situation.  The promised "compound" is actually just an apartment building.  There is no access to a health club, no pool, no common areas, and we can't really walk around outside due to the heat.  That said, we are actually about 3 blocks to  a small mall and a store (Jareer) that is almost a combo of book store/craft store/art supply store/electronic store.  It has a bit of everything, and it is walking distance!  Just a bit further, there is a small mall.  The mall is meh, at best, but it does have a grocery store (Carrfeer) on the level of a super K-mart, in that it sells food and some small amounts of electronics, small appliances, clothes, etc.  They do NOT sell lamps, unless I want to use a camping lantern.  The mall has a food court that serves mostly hamburgers.  I found a small assortment of desk lamps at Jareer, but it wasn't what I wanted it and it is expensive as hell.
     I had mentioned earlier that I just needed to shop to fill in the blanks.  It turns out there is an IKEA in Riyadh.  YES! an actual Ikea.  I will be able to buy the exact same lamp for my bedroom that I knew and loved in China and at home in the US.  I LOVE IKEA!  Another teacher and I have arranged a taxi to take us there and back.  I CANNOT WAIT!  I have no plans to go wild, but the lamps I need and the shower curtain are NEEDS, not just wants.
   

Grand Adventure Part Deux - a sneak peek

      I am going to preface this post by saying no pics yet, still feeling out what is an is not allowed when it comes to taking pics.
      I arrived in Saudi at about 9:30pm and proceeded to customs.  In and out in a breeze and on to baggage claim.  I was toting 2 checked bags, a carry-on, and my "purse".  Some guy standing next to me at the carousel tried to help grab my bag and managed to drop it on my foot.  Not having really walked anywhere, it only now is starting to hurt like hell.   I manage to make it all the way to the exit with the help of a man who insists on "helping me" until I inform him I have no cash. :-)  I left the states with about $15 USD but I knew I had cash in my accounts and it made no sense to keep converting dollars until I knew what I was up against.  My cards all have chips so I was good.
     My "driver" did eventually find me, and my name was spelled correctly on his sign. (+1 point for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)).  The driver was to provide me with an abaya (the long black cloak that covers a woman from neck to ankle), but he did not have one.  So, wearing clothes that fully covered me and were lose, I headed to the parking garage with a scarf wrapped badly around my head.  We drove directly to my new "home" and I believe the guard gave him a ration of grief for letting me come out without an abaya.  Regardless, I was now officially "home".
     Before I go any further, I must say that I fail to understand why every single TEFL recruiter feels a need to lie about everything and anything related to our work, our lives, our homes, our pay, etc.  I am in an apartment building, not a compound, and there is NO gym nearby that will allow women to work out.  (-5 points KSA).
     So, by the time I arrived at my new apartment it was pushing midnight and I was exhausted.  Fortunately, I was provided with an actually comfortable bed with clean sheets and a pillow! (+2 points KSA).  I did not pack a towel, but the shower had no curtain and the bathroom was poorly designed.  (no points as = to China).  I was too exhausted to think too much about this so I simply took a whore's bath and went to bed.  I did not sleep much on the plane, had been up for more then 24 hours, and knew my inner clock would be off, but WTF was that loud noise (horns and singing???) at 4:30 AM?!?  Pre-dawn call to prayers....really??
     So, when I finally got out of bed at about 11:00 am, I found myself in a spacious apartment with minimal but functional furniture, a full size fridge, a four burner stove WITH OVEN (+10 points KSA) and a washing machine.  I do have a microwave but NO counter space.  Anyone who saw or recalls my pics from China knows this is not even an issue...just have to shop!  What I did NOT find easy to deal with was the fact that they left me with an empty fridge and no drinkable water!  Throwing on clothes, I wandered down the hall until I found an open door and was able to borrow an abaya and 100 riyal in order to run next door to the ultra MINI mart and procure coffee, milk, sugar, water, and some cheese and crackers.  More to follow.
 

SAUDI!

     So, I am "officially"going to Saudi Arabia on a one year contract with a training center.  It is NOT my first choice of jobs, the pay is NOT what I hoped for, and they still refuse to send me pictures of the housing, but it is an actual contract and an actual job.  I am currently in the throws of processing my Saudi visa, and I am almost at the point of tears.  Like China, I am trying to do this with a company overseas that keeps sending me documents, only some of which are in English.  After the pain and agony I experienced getting my Chinese visa, I was fully prepared for the uphill climb that was likely to be the process of obtaining a Saudi visa.
     I was right.  I was sent a stack of paperwork, only some of which is half in English.  I was referred to a website to start the visa process, and of course, most of it is in Arabic (even the English translation page), and is as clear as mud.  I found a company, Travisa, which has an office in Chicago, and physically went there to ask them to help me figure out what I needed and what paperwork I already had.  They had no clue what some of my paperwork was either, but guided me to a webpage and printed out the list of documents I would likely need.  Again, almost clear as muddied water, I felt I was making babystep progress,
     I am about half way finished with the preliminary steps to the online part of the process, but now I am being asked for plane tickets, or an electronic itinerary.  The company informed me that they would send me a ticket and then I would have a week to book?!?  I just sent them an email requesting that they book my flights for the date of Sept. 12.  Because they are closed on Friday and Saturday, and are 8 hours ahead of us, I am not expecting a response until tomorrow.  I have to return to the VA on Monday to pick up my medical paperwork and possibly get more bloodwork done.  I had very specifically asked them if I would need a medical exam for my visa BECAUSE I had about 7 doctor appointments at the VA in the past 3 weeks and could have had the doc fill them out WHILE I WAS THERE ANYWAYS!  Of course, I was told it was not required, but the online form says I need it signed as originals in triplicate.  (very heavy sigh)
     So Catie, what have you been up to since you left China?  Good question.  I have been on 3 continents and spent time in 3 countries.  I spent 6 days in Berlin with Nikka.

I then spent the night in Paris.

After Paris, it was off to London!

I promise to post more pictures at a later date.  Today, I am just informing the 2 people who read my blog that I am going to Saudi Arabia for a year.

     So, Catie, where have you been staying after you left China and after you came home from your gallivanting about Europe?  Glad you asked.  I have been literally crashing on my sons' couch in their living room.  Ian is working back-to-back double shifts so I am not willing to ask him to give up his bed.  Michael is working, but he has done god knows what/whom on his bed....not going there.  So, I bought a brand new futon ($99 Target) and a foam topper to cover it and I am sleeping on the most miserable futon imaginable.  I thought the Chinese bricks (read mattress) were bad, they have nothing on the futon from hell.  The metal frame hits you in all the wrong spots, so I wake up every morning feeling like I was beaten to death, if and when I actually sleep.  They do not believe in A/C and won't let me buy a unit for the room I am sleeping in.  (very heavy sigh)

     They too (Robert) complain about how much food I make, and except for the chipolte chicken stew and the quinoa, they have eaten everything I made.  Today it is Italian beef, yesterday sloppy joes, and tomorrow, chicatacos.  I am stocking their freezer :-)

Enough for now, I will blog like mad from Saudi.

Poke me with a big, giant, freakin fork!

     This will be my last post from China as I am officially "homeless" as of tomorrow noon.  My contract, with Shitty City College of Shenzhen, expired June 30, but we are not going to be paid until July 11.  Also, we are being kicked out of the dorms on June 30 as well.  Because I had to teach 6 classes on June 30, I was able to have SCC deduct the money for a few extra nights from my pay so I could stay until July 4 to finish packing.  I didn't have the cash to stay in a hotel and I did not want to use my credit cards before I hit Europe.  Almost everyone else is gone so the place is pretty quiet.  The teacher who went on a full blown bender and didn't show up for any classes last week, may or may not still be in his room, passed out in a pool of vomit.  He is like the Yeti...there may or may not have been sightings.
     I will NOT miss the dorms at all.  EVERY SINGLE TIME I take a shower I curse this place and SCC.  The place is soooooo small, and my life is in such flux right now, I am constantly bumping into corners or edges or banging something against something.  I will NOT miss the building managers wild and drunken card parties outside my window.  He has taken to having large groups of people over for dinner and cards.  The games involve money and drinking, so by 11pm, it is pretty loud.  He is the one we would complain about the noise to.  Yup, not working for me.  I will also NOT miss his barking dog.  About a month ago, he moved his dog into a small cage outside the entrance to our building.  The dog barks CONSTANTLY and the noise echos up the stairwell to the 5th floor.  I truly hate that dog, but I blame the landlord who keeps him caged up for long periods.
     I am supposed to get paid July 11, but because they have been a bit remiss in paying us in full OR on time, I am not departing until July 12.  That being said, I have informed them that I have closed my bank account in China and will be by on July 11 to collect my final paycheck in CASH and then someone from the college will walk to the bank with me to change RMB to USD.  NO clue what my final pay will be.  When my original school in XiLi closed early, for construction, SCC told me that they might not be paying me my full pay for June.  Then they said I was being transferred to another school in Qianhai.  So, on June 14, I started teaching at a new school for the last 2.5 weeks of my contract.
     I went from teaching 15 classes over a period of 4 days to teaching 18 classes in 3.5 days.  At my first school, I had Wednesdays off so I could attend "training" at SCC.  At the new school, I had Fridays off.  It wasn't until AFTER I started that I was informed that the day off Friday was to be used to teach ANOTHER 6 classes at another school.  WTF???  I informed the head of SCC that my contract limited me to the 18 classes I was already teaching and there was not enough money in China to make me teach another 6 classes all day Friday.  The teacher I had replaced was from South Africa and was likely here on an illegal visa, as ESL teaching visas require the teacher come from a native English speaking country.

     I also went from teaching grades 4, 5, and 6, to teaching grades 1, 3, and 5.  There is more then a HUGE difference between teaching 40 kids in grade 5 who will listen to you when threatened with their lives, to trying to corral about 52 first graders who really speak very little English.  I equate teaching first grade with trying to herd cats, except you can put the bad cats down or lock them in a cage.  One of the biggest hurdles I faced was my commute.  I went from a 20 minute walk, or a single bus ride for about 4 stops, or a 7 minute scooter ride, to a 45 minute bus ride or a 1 hour bus/metro ride.  The good news was, the bus stop for the bus to my school was closer by a block then for my old school, the bad news was that the new bus ran less often.
     As cash broke as I was, it was easier to catch a cab to school and then deal with the bus coming home.  The problem there is that cabs do NOT like to stop for foreigners for fear they will be unable to tell the driver where they want to go.  I made sure that the name of my school was written in Chinese so I could simply show the driver where I wanted to go.  This worked great IF I could actually get a cab to stop.  I learned very quickly that in China, you simply get in first and THEN tell them where you want to go or they will roll up their window and drive away.  I was taking the B796 bus when I could, as it stopped by the dorms and a block from school.  It didn't run very regularly, but as long as I allowed time to travel, I was fine.
     My last week of school was...........where to begin?  On Monday, I waited at home for the shipping company to come and pick up the two boxes I was shipping home of stuff I did not want to throw out, but I was hoping to avoid having to check a bag to lug around Europe.  It didn't start to rain until the driver called.  He was speaking Chinese, and even after I told him I did not understand, he kept talking, and talking.  I finally hung up.  A few minutes later, the company called from the UK to tell me the driver had indeed called, he was lost, and he had left the area but would return.  So, I waited some more.  The driver did finally show up at my door and carried out my two boxes without leaving a receipt.  My fingers are crossed.  The company was quick to send me an invoice and ask me to check a few more boxes on the customs forms.  This involved downloading them to a USB, taking the USB to the local "print shop", having the form printed out, checking boxes, and then having the updated form scanned back onto the USB so I could email it back to the company.  This was my third trip to the "print shop" for said documents.
     Tuesday, I did not have to teach until 9:20 am, so I left my house at 7:45 am to get to the bus stop by 7:50 am.  I figured that an hour and a half for a 40 minute bus ride was good enough.  Did I mention it was POURING?  I do not mean raining cats and dogs, I mean raining cows and elephants.  The new, larger, prettier umbrella I bought was going to be great.  One of the teachers down the hall asked if I had an extra umbrella so I gave him the slightly broken, but sturdy, umbrella from home.  I set out for the bus and very soon felt cold water dripping down the back of my next.  New umbrella?  POS umbrella that leaked like a sieve.  No good deed goes unpunished.  He later informed me that he left my umbrella in Hong Kong and gave me a replacement.  The replacement was good for neither rain nor sun.  At last my POS umbrella had a UV protection layer,

     As I waited, and waited, and waited for the bus, I noticed other buses going by with a number I had never seen before.  I looked on the list at the stop and sure enough, not listed.  I finally asked the driver if it went anywhere near my school and he said no.  So, after about 40 minutes, I contacted my school and told them I was running very late.  I could NOT catch a cab, and the few that stopped were snatched from under me by Chinese.  I did not blame them.  Finally, at 9:18, I contacted my person at SCC and told them to call the school.
     I showed her the picture of the bus stop, and while I was waiting for her to send the Chinese name of an alternate stop on an alternated bus, they came and changed the bus stop sign.  I SHIT YOU NOT!  My bus no longer stopped at that stop AND the alternative bus no longer stopped there either.  I then went to the further bus stop and caught the bus to the metro.  It had not really occurred to me to take the alternate route, as I was focused on my bus and the fact it was pouring rain.

     It had stopped raining when I got on the metro, but by the time I exited my stop, it was raining again.  Apparently, I took the wrong exit at the metro and wound up walking the wrong way.  After wandering for about 15 minutes, for what should have been a 2 block walk, I simply stopped in the middle of the vast sidewalk, and under my leaking umbrella, simply broke down and sobbed.  When I finally composed myself a bit, I asked someone where my school was and they pointed me in the right direction, or so I thought.  I did, in fact, arrive at a school, but it was not MY school  There are two schools relatively close, and they were able to point me to my school.  I finally arrived in time to teach my 4th period class.  That the AC was blowing cold air on my soaked person did not help.  After I composed myself, and I just sat down and showed a cartoon.  I was too wiped to actually teach anything.  After that class, instead of eating in the school cafeteria, I simply pulled out my cot, put on dry socks, and curled up in the fetal position on my cot.  My afternoon classes were treated to a movie as well.  By the time I got home that night at 5:30pm, I was ready for bed.

     Wednesday, hoping to avoid the fiasco of Tuesday, I left early again and attempted to catch a cab.  I was able to catch a cab and was only 20 minutes late for my first class.  I did all 4 classes and I seem to recall I may have actually taught a few.  Most of the other teachers were finished, so I was one of the only ones still teaching.  On Wednesday afternoon, I was able to pick up the "yearbook" photo album my first school had made for me.  It is quite heavy and is very impressive.  They did not put as many pictures in as I had hoped, but you get what you pay for.

     On Wednesday, I also started the effort that was downsizing and beginning to pack.  I realized that I had way more stuff then I shipped home, so I was glad that my oversized suitcase had not sold.  I then started to get rid of "stuff".  My kitchen is now as tiny as it really is.

The large metal shelf went to the guy who also bought the large oven.  I will NOT miss my almost non-existent "kitchen" in China, but I know my former teachers will miss my cooking and baking!  I made a batch of cookies with a donated stick of butter and all the ingredients I had left in the pantry.  They were oatmeal, cherry, raisen, walnut, pecan cookies.  They were amazing and may have been my best batch ever!

The served me well for breakfast a few mornings.  I cut this into squares and shared some with others.  I had learned from previous attempts, the only way to bake cookies was to make a pan cookie and cut it into squares.  They were little squares of joy and yumminess!

     On Thursday, I again left early and took the bus to the metro.  I had hoped to score a coffee at McDonald's, as I had not had time to make a second cuppa at home.  Nothing was opened.  When I got off the metro, I found an open KFC and scored a mocha and a latte, which combined to make a reasonable cup of decent coffee.  I poured it into my thermos and took it to class with me.  I had every intention of showing movies all day, my last day at a school that was not even mine, but the teachers seemed fascinated with why the kids loved me so much, so they sat in on most of my classes and I had to actually teach.  There was no teacher for my LAST class, of first graders, so they watched Monsters University.  My give-a-shit meter indicated not a fox to give.  I don't think I actually ran out of the school at the end of the day, but it was damned close.  

     On the way home, I contacted my person at SCC and asked if they could contact the landlord to let me stay a few extra days to actually pack and downsize.  I was NOT in any mood or condition to finish packing after my week from hell.  Done.  I was good until noon on Monday.

     My agenda for Friday was simply to stay in bed as long as possible (I lasted until about 9:00am) and then do a lot of nothing.  The guy down the hall had the same agenda and asked if I wanted to wander for lunch later in the day.  We took the subway to an underground mall and walked around.  We ate lunch at what may be the only remaining Kenny Rogers Roasters??

The food was identifiable and adequate for China.  I ordered the chicken dinner and was THRILLED to see that they served a breast and wing that was NOT hacked to pieces.  I had stopped earlier for a cappuccino and purchased a new travel fan for ambient noise, and I was content to come home and veg.

     Saturday I did laundry (it was sunny), and picked up the clothes I had made in China.  They are poorly crafted at best, but comfortable and if I throw them away when they wear out, no love lost.  One teacher down the hall had to administer tests at his school on Saturday (yes his contract expired on Thursday, but he is returning to his school and there is mutual love and respect), and when he got home, 3 of us remaining popped the champagne I had in the fridge for a toast to surviving a full year of teaching in China without having to hide any bodies. 

Last supper with other XiLi English teachers.  I will miss these gals terribly!

Last supper with some of the gang from the dorms.  I will some of these folks, and others, not so much.

     So I am about to start packing for my last night in the dorms.  I really won't miss this place, and I hope that the next place I go is a lot better.  I know I will make more friends.  I know I will see more exciting places.  I cannot wait to get home so I can get ready for my next adventure.  I will post from home when I know where I am going next!