Merry Christmas ... week 1

Julie and I have started our first week of teaching about Christmas and today I got to watch one of her class, which was very helpful.  We often use a lot of the same material in our classes and it is good to see another persons take on how to present the material.  As some great artist said, ".... great artists steal", I quickly tried to implement some of her ideas with varying degrees of success.  Maybe it'll work better tomorrow.

We found out this morning that on Christmas day Julie and I will be doing the morning TV broadcast to the school.  I've been trying to find a way to incorporate "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" all week, talk about the perfect opportunity!  Until I consulted with my co-host.  Who eventually convinced me that it would be too advanced and would take up over half our time on a song that is "completely inappropriate."  I don't agree with her on all those arguments but given I have a penchant for devising lessons that are way over the level of my students it's reasonable to think this would be another occurrence of that habit. 

(Don't worry, I haven't given up on it through another avenue, time will tell.)

So we have some extra work for next week but that should be fun, no biggie.  Have I mentioned that Julie and I are learning a Chinese song that we have to sing at the New Year's party a week from Saturday?  The title of the song is translated into "Intimate Lovers."  This has been no easy task.  We are not a musically inclined couple and saying Chinese words is a struggle, singing them has not been easier.  We have been practicing with our coach (Mr. Wang) for the last month and are making good progress, but today we found out that we would be participating in a skit the other English teachers are performing for this same party.  These people are going to force us to learn Chinese!  Well perhaps I am taking a bit too far as we have to say about ten words.

We got another surprise today, someone decided that we should get a half-day off on Christmas Eve and then after our broadcast on Christmas we would get the rest of the day off.  It's odd how just on Monday we had told the other English teachers we got a day  and a half off for Christmas at our old jobs.  Talk about a weird coincidence!  :  ) 

That's enough for tonight.  Have a wonderful Wednesday.
-Ryan