April 26th: unclouded demeanor and gala flop

Day 222

Still felt the dull blah over me like a syrup coating, but by the first class, it was rinsed away. I'm here primarily to teach, and I love it when I interact with the kids and we're all laughing and inadvertently learning. The good feeling and good classes lasted all the way until the apathy crew. They decided to be superdemonic naughty today. I wound up writing Smalls, Noodles and Woody's names on the board, Smalls with three checkmarks behind it. I'm not sure they understand the concept exactly, but they understand it's not good.

I confiscated one Gameboy, two electronic dictionaries (with games on them), two rolled up newspaper megaphones, two magazines, and a metal tin that looked like it housed pomade. Jack started eating a snack in class and I informed him I could smell it. We didn't even make it to the song. I asked them why they were being little hellions and Jack said "There is a party tonight."

"So you have to be naughty now?"

They couldn't spoil my renewed good mood. Perhaps the bad red meat vibe has entirely evacuated. Or maybe it was talking about it that helped. I relished telling them that I'd give their toys and devices back next week and then Smalls protested, "Next week is holiday!"

"Then you'll get it back in two weeks."

Ha! Bastards. The "party" they referred to was a school-only opportunity to watch the big show's dress/tech rehearsal. It was not until 8, so I went to the middle school and played badminton, which the wind ruined. Mike, Heather and I threw the frisbee around instead, then nourished ourselves on Muslim noodles.

Heather and I rode back to my school to find it fortified like a military compound, people pressing at the main gate like it was an embassy. Eva, one of Erin's co-workers said no one was allowed in until the show was over, which was around 10 or so. Even the primary headmaster was not permitted access. Weird.

We pedaled around the back and got let in through the construction entrance, thanks to the guanxi we had built up. We stood on some plastic chairs on the outer ring (5000 kuai for a tiny plastic stool near the front? What a deal!) and watched the debacle. The first bit of stuff we witnessed was a dance routine that was nowhere near ready for a next night performance. The choreographer barked out her criticism, pulling girls out of the front row, putting them in the back, telling them they were doing it "all wrong."

Then, some other dancers, much more polished than the first set, doing a kind of Western-influenced dance with pelvic thrusts cleansed of any kind of sexuality, the "Unthreatening Dance of the Eunuch." When six ladies all clad in red came out pretending to play string instruments and flutes, we had had enough. This huge elaborate production and they can't even find people who can play their own instruments?

This was put on to lure investors to sink money into Haimen. Why didn't they just take the money they spent on this "concert" and sink it directly in? Jesus. I designed my lesson plan, watched a little BBC, then turned in.