To Be Moved

So I have completed my first week as full-fledged teacher. My weekend is finally here. I have a full load, which means I have 12 90-minute classes. It's a lot of fun, but it's very demanding. I have stay high-energy intense for the full class time, and I am drained.

It's been a good week, and I think I'm going to enjoy being a teacher. The kids are very adorable, and it is great to see some of them trying so hard to be English speakers. My classes range from almost total beginners, to upper intermediate classes. It's interesting to see how kids adapt to my quirks and special teaching techniques. When I am transitioning into a new activity or learning segment, I always say "ok, ok, ok!" but with an inflection like "oKAY-oKAY-oKAY" and I have students in each class who now mimic me whenever I say it. They're accents are adorable as well. In addition to English, I am teaching them fist pound techniques and the appropriate  time to use the exclamation "righteeeous."

My Chinese is also improving. I can communicate moderately well with different service people, like taxi drivers and restaurant servers. I practice with the Chinese teachers in my school.

Tonight as I was walking home, I resolved to just stay in tonight and unwind. Plans changed, however, and I ended up going out with my friends Brittany and Candace to People's Square and Nanjing Road for Papa John's and Coldstone, a very Christian Walker sort of evening.

We then walked down Nanjing Road, which is like Time's Square, or CityWalk.  But let me tell you people. Every night, and I mean EVERY night, on nearly every street corner or square, three activities transpire:

1) Karaoke, all Chinese ballads. It's so common, that you could walk 60 yards and pass by 3 different Karaoke groups.

2) Ballroom dancing: Not anything fancy, like a waltz, but it's everywhere.

3) Line dancing.

Was this country freaking designed for me? Most of these activities are done by middle aged to old people, although some young people join in.

Tonight, I decided to join in some of the line dances. Now Nanjing is a very touristy road, which means it brings international tourists as well as Chinese tourists from the country, who are not as used to white people. I ended up drawing a pretty substantial crowd. It was a lot of fun, and I think I might go back.

BUT

I visited a church last night. I don't know if it's the church I'll be going to, but it reminded me of a very important fact: I am here on God's behalf. I am here as a servant and ambassador of God. I have a very clear calling. I got so swept up in sightseeing and trying to get situated that I forgot that I am a servant of God, first and foremost. I want all my decision, even where I decide to spend my night's dancing, to be a decision that glorifies God.

I'm excited to see what He does.

I'm going to do a culture blog soon. Stay tuned.