Lesson Planning, Classroom Decorating, and I Finally Got Sick

Let us start with the most fun topic, shall we?

I do not have an iron stomach by any stretch of the imagination. There are a lot of things that upset my stomach and most of them are dumb and make no sense. For example, I can't eat cilantro. What? Who has issues with cilantro? This girl right here. And, if you ask my in-laws, they'll laugh about how I can never eat the roast at Christmas. Who the heck knows what's wrong me. I'm not leaving that open-ended, by the way, so play nice.

We had pseudo-asian food on the plane ride from Los Angeles to Shanghai. I'm not going to lie, I was thinking I'd be thankful for my seat so close to the bathroom (or "lavatory" as they always call it). But it didn't happen. Not so much as a grumble came from my gut.

I continued eating with caution, but nothing bad ever happened. I even ate Muslim food with super crazy spices and nothing happened. Other people in my group have had issues while I get to think about how nice it is to not have to do that over a squatter. Seriously, people, go kiss your commodes right now. They are good to you.

I'm not sure exactly what did it. It might have been the seaweed, the beef mixed with other various organs and parts, or the conglomerate of eyeballs. Who really knows? Totally kidding about the eyeballs, but it wouldn't shock me at this point.

I skipped out on dinner today- story of my life these days- and instead settled for four oreos dipped in peanut butter. I did go to the cafeteria anyways, thinking I might eat some dinner, but the smell of dead fish is so overwhelming that everything in that place smells like it. Including the food. As if it needed help being more disgusting. The one good thing about going to cafeteria is all the kids screaming "Hello Teacha!" and getting so excited when we say hello and wave at them. I am already so in love and dreading leaving them.

On to more comfortable subjects, I did my lesson plans for the rest of this week today. It took me hours on end and was completely stressful. I feel so responsible for these kids' learning and I don't want to mess anything up! We're taking a weekend trip to Shanghai, though, so next weeks lesson plans are due before we leave. Let me repeat that- it took me about 3 hours to do 5 lesson plans. And now I have to do 10 before 2:15 on Friday. I know it will get easier the more I do it, but man, it's so stressful right now.

I squeezed in the time do make a few little decorations for my classroom. I honestly just want to spend about a good three days scrubbing until the paint comes off, but there's of course no time for that. I'll have to settle for mopping with some bleach tomorrow. I'm so excited to meet my kids and I'm even more excited to get into a routine since there's been nada of that since we've been here.

Kate and I watched Mulan while doing our lesson plans and making decorations. We couldn't have felt more Chinese :)

Things to look forward to: Shanghai trip this weekend and next weekend is the Dinosaur Park!