This week was a great week! For the first time, I felt like life here in China felt like my normal and felt more like a routine was taking shape. I love waking up in the morning and being greeted by two fluffy cats meowing at me for attention. I love sipping my coffee in the morning and looking out the window of the home on the 18th floor and gazing out at the Zhuhai skyline. Walking to school is quite the trek- especially with extreme hot, humid temperature and a thousand mosquitos attacking me. But it is so nice to be able to look around and experience China around me. I have started to get the hang of English classes and knowing what the students respond best to. For the first time since arriving, I am feeling less homesick and more like I am actually home.
My dance for the final performance is really starting to take shape. The students learned the first section of their dance this week since I taught the second part (a harder and more advanced section) first since I wanted to make sure it became more muscle memory and they felt more comfortable with the harder steps of the second part. I was so impressed how they learned the entire first section this week! When they realized the new part connected to the part they already knew they were so excited and amazed. I love how my class is really good at paying attention to my teaching but I can still have fun with my students and joke around. There is a part of the new section I taught them where they point behind them when Moana sings “If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me” and they thought it was funny and say “Wow!” every time they do the movement. I laughed about it too and we had a really fun time learning this new section even though the formation changed are complicated and I cannot speak Chinese. Their patience and willingness to learn from my showing and demonstrating the dance moves makes me so thankful for such a wonderful group of young men and women.
Wonder Woman aired in China this past weekend and being the DC fangirl that I am I had to go see it with my host sister on Sunday. It was amazing! We both thought Gal Gadot made a wonderful Wonder Woman. On Tuesday I went swimming with my host sister and I had a great time. I taught her how to do a backstroke and we tried to do a handstand in the pool but we were only able to do it once. We are going to try and go swimming again today (Friday) and I am very excited to spend time with her and try and beat this ghastly heat. I also started drawing my favorite actor this week and told my host sister all about my favorite show because of it. She thinks it’s silly I have a crush on him because she doesn’t think he is that good looking. She is so funny and I love spending time with her!