Documentary and brats

Here’s an summary of an ordinary day:

5.45 I got up. There are apparently both exams and a big party meeting going on these days, so with a transportation time ranging from 30-90 minutes, so we wanted to play it safe. Strangely enough I wasn’t tired at all. Can’t say if it’s because of the qigong I did before going to bed or the 3 cups of coffee I had at McD (it’s HORRIBLE there btw). Showered. Ate the other half of yesterday’s dinner on our way down the elevator – rice and tofu”skin” – and we headed out in the polluted as always city.

8.05 we arrived at Dong Ba, almost on time. But besides the bright faces of our young, excited LVS students (jk, they’re usually fast asleep across the tables) a film crew with cameras and everything was waiting in the classroom. No, we didn’t get the notice of a documentary being shot these days. If we’re okay about being filmed? Well… Alright then. A Chinese woman is making a documentary about CMC (Compassion for Migrant Children) with focus on one of our students’ family as her final project. Should seriously have had a cup of coffee before, but luckily we had prepared a quiz in the bus. No panic. Hope we’re not going to appear in the doc, but I’m looking so much forward to see it! Not that many people know about Chinese migrants, not even residents in China.

8.50 we got rid of the camera crew. The 2-3 years olds from the ECD program started to arrive and I could already feel by then that this wasn’t really my day. I really like the small children, they’re adorable, but I know for sure by now that I’m never going to be a kindergarten teacher or anything like that. They were (supposed to be) practicing the numbers by writing them on the ground. I felt completely random (today as with many days before that) trying to contribute to their learning in a non-verbal way. I still don’t speak Chinese except from the VERY basics and they all have a parent or grandparent who can help them. I mean, their “Yi, er, san…” should be sufficient. Then a bit random ballgame (every kid grabs a ball and runs off, holding on tight to it and spends the rest of the time threatening people to start crying if they touch the ball). Oh, but before that, they played with instruments. Noisy.

10.20 the children started heading home for lunch and nap and our looong break began. I looked at the PowerPoint for Saturday’s English class with the LVS and we chatted with one of our colleagues who was back from his hometown in Guangdong province (it’s the one where they speak Cantonese). Nobody in Beijing is native Beijingers. At least none of the people we meet. And a Chinese girl from the States asked us about the projects. She’s working with immigrants back home and is interested in the way children learn a second language, so she might join some of the classes.

12.30, Chinese style lunch at the local restaurant with shared dishes. Always nice being full for 12 RMB.

14.00, we started teaching the 3-4 years olds ECD children. Well, to begin with it was only the two most regularly attending children who had showed up, no moms in sight. It started out pretty well; I got big hugs from both of them. And from then on it went downhill. With no parents to spank them every now and then, they were running franticly around in circles alternately screaming and hurting each other. We tried to sing Old McDonald Had a Farm, but alas, no response. We tried Head-Shoulders-Knees-and-Toes and they usually love that. Uh-uh. Animals, fruits, colours. Nope. Then the girl pulled off her panties and threw them at me. My god… One… Two… Three… And then she started fiddling with herself. Pleeease behave, will ya! Four… Five… Six…

15.15, after a long and hard struggle, their real lesson began, thank god.  The head of the department advised us to stop teaching-teaching them although the parents expect it and just start playing with them, occasionally slipping in some English words. Sounds good to me.

16.30 we arrived at our flat. It’s hot as frying pan today, so we slept all the way on the bus. And Mikkel is sleeping now. Trying to prepare for Saturday’s lesson, but it’s so hot… Ohh… And getting worse, glad we’re not here in August.