I have now been in China for one month...surprisingly, the time has gone by rather quickly. I am currently sitting around my apartment enjoying my free time until my next class. As usual, I have had some very interesting things occur over the past few days.

On Thursday afternoon, I was supposed to have a class of freshman students from 4-6PM. I waited in the classroom from about 3:50 until 4:05ish and only one student came to my classroom. I finally called my director, who informed me that class was canceled and that I would have both my Thursday afternoon and Friday morning classes at the same time...Friday at 8AM. My first thought was "oh great, a class of 80 students...just how I wanted to spend my Friday morning." Little did I know that my Friday morning class (which was today at 8AM would have 150 students. I walked into the classroom and almost fell over (the students had the same reaction because they all thought they had a Chinese professor and approximately 75% of the students had never seen a white person before...let alone been taught by one). It took the full two hours for each student to introduce him or herself and then I dismissed them. I went back to my director and asked why I had so many students and she informed me that there were a few people that simply wanted to sit in on my class...80 is not a few people. On top of this, I was on the bus this morning with the dean of the English college, who informed me that I was to teach a Saturday afternoon class starting tomorrow. This was the first I had heard of this, but apparently I am supposed to teach oral English to adults who are going to Singapore to study. This class is supposed to be the next five Saturdays, of which I will be gone for three...interesting conundrum. I asked my director, who knew nothing about the class, and she is going to attempt to have it moved or taught by someone else (although I am the only foreign English teacher, so who knows). I have another class of freshman this afternoon, it is in a classroom that only seats 40, so we will see how this turns out. I will keep you posted.

Today was also my first payday. It was slightly sketchy, to say the least. Michelle and I went the accounting office and brought them a slip of paper that said how much we were to be paid. They did not ask for our ID or for anything that would say we should be being paid. Instead they had us sign the paper, then they stamped it, turned around and opened a decent sized vault. The woman then counted out our pay in cash and handed us a large sum of cash, saying "good-bye." I have decided that anyone could be paid in this room if they have a piece of paper with a sum of money written on it...this could be quite lucrative. I have not decided where to put my money yet. Normally I would open a bank account, but because I do not speak Chinese...I see that being a terrible fiasco.

I am leaving Chengde in 10 hours to go to Shijiazhuang to visit Jenna and the other foreign teachers from Drake. Erin and Ben are also coming in from Handan. I am looking forward to it, but riding the train again does not excite me that much. I will post again and let you know what the shiz was like.