Skunk as a Drunk (Marcus)

** Warning, long diatribe that includes a partial rant. Proceed with caution or perhaps just outright skip.

Well the May Day holiday is over and we are back into the swing of teaching - that's right, on a FUCKING Sunday. Apologies for the capital F bomb but it was definitely required.

Today we had a late sleep-in(Actually we have a sleep-in practically every day of the week - so yeah) and we decided to cook the bacon we picked up at Carrefour - the French Supermarket, that is opposite where Matt and Abby live. Carrefour was recently the focus of a boycott day, where all the Chinese wouldn't shop there(well the one's who had shopped the day before!), because it being French and all, and France's stance on Tibet and all - well yeah, you know.

That reminds me, today in class, I played some rounds of hang-man, and one of the words I chose was..France. Was fine, but kinda inappropriate in hindsight - but, because the fact i had to teach on a sunday, I don't remotely give a rat's ass!

So we got up, enjoyed our bacon and eggs, which Courtney so graciously cooked, and then as Courtney was about to jump in the shower, we get a call from Mr Pan saying we have to teach today. Um, I don't think so. Apparently because Friday was a holiday, we had to make up the classes today..Sunday. Courtney said no, we have plans, then Mr Pan said Raymen, head of English would call us.

So a few minutes later Raymen calls and is adamant that we must work. He says it was Mr Pan's fault for not telling us and that he would look really bad if we didn't go and teach. I would bet any money that no-one even told Mr Pan in the first place, and besides, we don't work for him, it's the bloody english department's responsibility. So I tell him it's not good at all, we are not happy, we have plans(we don't, well, we were going to go to a market, but they don't know that) and we don't work on Sundays. He acknowledges we don't work Sundays, apologies, says things change and we have to respect the rules of the school. Basically bullshit. So I go and talk to Courtney and tell her what he's said and she speaks to him and we basically end up having to teach. We didn't have any choice. I asked him why they couldn't just do homework or self-study and for some reason - like the first time ever, they cant. Absolutely ridiculous.

So we go and teach class, our entire day ruined. It was about 11:40 when he called, my first class is at 2:15, Courtney's about 3pm. We can't go out as it's too late, and by the time we're done, we're tired. Not to mention the classrooms total were hot and feral with the muggy weather, and I was absolutely sweating like a pig - making me feel real comfortable in front of 50+ sets of eyes.

Anyhow it's done. We are not happy about it in the slightest but it's done. We will _not_ be doing that again, and that includes Saturday. This week I know the students have further exams on Thursday and Friday afternoon so I am wondering if we get some kind of repeat performance - in fact, I welcome the challenge, bring it on bitches! The best thing about knowing they have exams is the fact we haven't been told - I managed to get this information and the timeframes from a student via email.

That's the thing about our situation here, they don't tell us anything. I get the feeling they don't know half the time, or the only person who does, doesn't actually tell anyone as he's too busy fucking smoking or removing ear wax from his ears.

Rant over.

So Thursday night, our first day of holidays we decided to hit the piss. We spent the afternoon trekking around WuXi and were much in need of that re-energizing refreshment that only a frozen margarita can provide on a hot muggy day. Our goal of the day was simple, a pair of black shorts for Courtney, however she cared not for the selection available, parachute material seemingly the only fashionable item this season. I at least came home with another small booty of pirated dvd's to add to my growing trove, arrrrr.

So we went to T.G.I Fridays, the land of the Expat, seeking the tower of Fajitas that had so teased us when we were last in TGI, in rainy Suzhou. We ordered and started sucking down margarita's - well I did, Courtney hit the long island ice tea. Whatever they were, they were mega big, and mega refreshing. After a few of each, and a disappointing small tower of Mexican goodness (I give this around 4 out of 10), we sat down at the bar for another hour or two drinking the local Tsing Tao beers. It was a very, very enjoyable night, particularly for Courtney who, infused with alcoholic energy was up for anything.

After much mucking around, some impromptu drunken hat shopping and a stopover in Starbuck's to quel my sudden coffee craving, we were back on the bus and headed for home where one of us was out like a light - after her head stopped spinning. :) Ah she's so cute after a few! Although I didn't feel overly affected, I did somehow end up in the female toilets and had this extremely odd sensation when I saw not one bank of sit down toilets, but two. I think this was actually my first time EVER in a female bathroom. Go me! It was beyond weird seeing no bank of urinals and well, I panicked a little.

Typical Chinese safety standards at work. Lean bamboo ladder against power lines, climb up, fix, climb down. No problemo!

Michael Jackson got in trouble for this - but this person likely doesn't know who he is, or wouldn't care if they did. They spent a good 20 minutes holding their child over what was at least a clear three story drop to the street below.

As we wandered around we found yet another box of chicks for sale. This time we found it somewhat interesting/weird/wrong that there was a box of egg's beside it, _hatching_. Avoid looking into the bottom right of the image or you'll cop an eye-full of asscrack. I did actually mention that so you would look at it.

Because China is taking such good care of it's own environment, and everywhere you look is like the above image, i made sure that absolutely not a fraction of my toilet paper remained white after usage. I do not mind doing my bit, dib dib dob dob!

Here she goes...

First she insisted on me photographing her with this random bridal couple.

then with this pig...

then with this lion...

Then I had to do almost everything in my power preventing her from getting up on this catwalk outside Starbuck's as she wanted her photo taken on it. "But there's kids up on it!" she protested. She thanked for me this the next morning.

And finally she insisted on photographing me before this store. At least here everything felt right.