Oh what a beautiful morning!

On Thursday, I tried to get a doctor’s appointment, but they messed up and made it in some other state because that’s where my last doctor is currently, so I had to redo it –twice.  Finally I got an appointment Saturday morning.  This is difficult because I travel about 45 minutes to go to this really amazing hospital I found.  All I needed was a refill on my BP medicine, by the way.  

Anyway, I got up and went yesterday.  My Didi (like uber) driver was unusually fascinating.  He used to work for a high tech company out of silicon valley, but they moved to a smaller place in in country because it’s cheaper, and he couldn’t move because he’s responsible for his parents, his in-laws, and his own family.  Yeah, he spoke perfect English, and we had an amazing conversation the entire time, even through a huge traffic stop for an accident.  He’s only been driving Didi for a few months, but he really likes it.  We are both 50 and he was talking about how hard it is to get a job at our age that will pay us at our level.  Amen to that, brother.

So I get to the hospital, thinking I’m just picking up my pills, and my doctor asked me a few questions.  Specifically, about neck pain.  I have horrible neck pain all the time, which cause problems sleeping and sometime even radiates through my body.  I honestly thought it had to do with both having neck cancer and getting older.  So then he tells me that my high blood pressure could be from neck pain, and and if we fix that, and my blood pressure goes down naturally, I won’t need that medicine anymore.  Then he asked if I would be willing to try Chinese Traditional Medicine.  I was willing to try anything.  Then he took me straight in to see an acupressure massage therapist.  OMG!  Life changing.  So I will be going once a week and hopefully, not being needing these meds in the near future!

Last week was my first week in our physical school building.  My classes were still on-line, so that was kind of weird.  I could sit at my desk in my classroom with no mask because no one was there.  We share an office, so I couldn’t do that there.  Wearing a mask all day is going to be difficult.  Also, it’s 90 degrees, and we have to have the windows and doors open, no a/c.  This poses two problems besides heat.  One is that pollen from outside blows in and swirls around like dust bunnies on our floor.  This causes a lot of coughing and sneezing from me.  The other problem is that when everyone has their doors open, you can hear every class on the floor. 

Our schedule is pretty different too.  Five teachers haven’t made it back and we have to absorb their times.  One way is by standing in the classroom while they teach remotely on the T.V.  another is by having new classes to take their times, like reading class.  I now have all of the 6th and 7th grade reading classes.  Also, we need to be with the students every single minute.  So we walk them everywhere.  It used to be after lunch they find their way back to classroom at their leisure allowing them to walk around campus or play on the sports fields.  Not anymore.  After lunch, the teachers have to eat with them, and then take them out on the track for one slow, socially distanced walk without masks, before we head back in the building to sit at desks spaced far apart, and watch a documentary.  And there are 20 minutes between classes, so we need to monitor that halls and the bathrooms, and school is over at 5 now.  Also, evening studies end at 9.  And, as teachers, we are not allow off of campus for anything; not to get lunch, not to run to FamilyMart, no coffee, no delivery.  I forgot my keys one day, and Rumi had to hand them over the fence.  My work has definitely intensified.

I have an interview on Thursday for an international school in Thailand by the ocean. I’m just keeping my options open for the coming year.  I always seem to need a plan B, and now a plan C as well.  Although, I’d prefer to stay here one more year rather than have a year in between places.

So tomorrow, I will get up and leave my house to go to work.  I’ll probably go early to welcome the kids back.  I won’t lie that I’m nervous, and a bit afraid, and I’ve become quite comfortable teaching at home.  The girls are not looking forward to having me not home either, but it’s just until the middle of June.  I heard there may be some paid teaching time during the summer if we want it and I might volunteer for that.  

So, luckily, I have mostly good news right now, and hopefully, things are looking up, or at least forward.

May Day, May Day!

I feel like I can tell you a bit what the future is going to look like, since it seems we are ahead of most of you by a few months.  And I can expand on several things I brought up last time.

I’ve seen what school looks like post-pandemic.  They’ve needed a substitute for a sick teacher several times this week, so I’ve walked over and done that.  It’s only the ninth grade right now in the whole school.  There is hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes in each room and on tables outside the doors.  All windows and doors are open.  There’s 20 minutes between classes, because students have to use the restroom one at a time.  Desks are far enough apart that I can walk between them.  Students have to have their temperatures taken 3 times a day.  When I left school to go home, I saw students walking from one building to another in a single file line more than an arms length away from each other.

That’s the good news.  The bad news is reality.  When I was in class, kids were constantly touching each other, passing things around, and not wearing their masks properly (Like under their noses).  I saw them passing the thermometer around, and when the student who was supposed to have it got it, I stopped everything, made him wipe it down with alcohol and sanitize his hands and explained to everyone, how they just passed germs and they need to all sanitize their hands.  I also heard a teacher say they saw some girls breathing hot air on their arms so when their temp was taken, it might look like a fever and they could be sent home. (Our temps are taken on our wrists).

I am not looking forward to everyone coming back.  There have already been 3 sick students and the students they share their dorms with, all have to stay home for 2 weeks at least.  That’s 6 students out sick in 3 days.

This week is a holiday, and I had to sign a paper swearing that I won’t leave Shanghai, won’t take the subway, won’t go to crowded places, restaurants or bars.

There’s no rule that you have to wear a mask outside, but most people still wear them.  I definitely always wear mine.  Its particularly difficult for me right now because of allergies.  I can’t stop coughing and sneezing.  

So there is some good news (I think).  My job should be safe, they just aren’t hiring outside.  And I will be able to bring my own lunch, but I’m really not looking forward to May 18th, when we are supposed to start.  We’ve also been told that we shouldn’t use too much paper, like worksheets, paper tests and homework.  We need to continue doing those things on line. This is so we don’t touch everyone’s papers.  We’d have to hand-sanitize between each one.

Also, you might remember that I got a bad haircut that made me cry way back in December, and I’ve had to live with a bad hair cut this whole time.  Well, Rumi fixed it, and it’s so much better!  She’s been making amazing dinners and desserts, playing background music, and now she fixed my hair.  

Homeschooling has been going better than ever.  I think the girls don’t want me to go back to school either.  I have found some really cool things to do with Raine, and Rumi is doing a lot of High school prep stuff, so I’m loving that.  Also, Rumi and I are learning German.

We’ve been watching movies less, and playing board games and card games more.  I didn’t think we could talk more than we do, but somehow, we have been.