Radio Silence, part two - On the Road Again

The move went mercifully smooth. Unfortunately, my correspondence with the school prior to my departure from America had made it sound like I’d spend one, maybe two  or three days in a hotel before I was situated in an apartment, either my own or with another teacher, so I packed to the brim. I have a backpack, two large suit cases, and a small carry one.  After struggling up the steps and across the busy Beijing traffic I’m instantly sweaty and a bit peeved. Luckily, it doesn’t take more than twenty minutes to hail a cab (apparently good time for Beijing) and get loaded up.

I get to Gavin’s room and he has his “do not disturb” sign up. I knock lightly and he doesn’t answer so I just set up camp outside his door. That is, until someone who works for the hotel sees me sitting there and just rings his room. Well, it worked. I got in and settled a bit and decided not to tell Kristy I was there yet. It’s only 7:30 by this point.

            Gavin and I snooze, get acquainted, and do our homework for the previous evening. Eventually Kristy shows up and we start training. It’s a tad silly, treating two competent adults like Kindergarteners, but I’m used to silly and throw myself into it. Kristy has a lot of very positive things to say about my teaching and some very helpful advice. She also has a ton of crazy, nit-picky, points she spends way too long talking about. I write it off to making sure she’s understood through her language barrier, but it gets a little stir crazy rather quickly. We’re at it for a long time in a room with no windows. Also, because she never set a time she’d be coming: neither of us had eaten breakfast.

            However, Monday remains relatively calm. We basically train, wait for her to come back from her random other errands whenever she gives us homework, watch some Chinese TV, and urge her to take us apartment hunting. No such luck and basically we just train on and off all day and eventually pass out.