I did the listening task this week in my classes. These tasks are boring dialogues or worse, informational articles. They don't help the students learn because they are too difficult and uninteresting. They are so difficult that I must replay the tape many times and it takes up an entire lesson period. The students have answer books so they can easily cheat and zone out. Unfortunately, the school has asked me to do these tasks. Maybe instead of doing the activities that go along with the listening text, I could come up with my own questions and tasks and occasionally have them do dictation. It would be even better if I could do my own listening tasks instead. Teaching English songs or showing movie clips can allow students to practice their listening skills, but in a fun way. 

Wednesday morning I had a nice surprise after my first class. Lavender and another teacher or staff member whom I don't know came into my office. They gave me 50 RMB ($7.89) and said it was a prize for participating in the English Corner on Saturday that we had a long time ago. I had to sign my name on a list. Apparently they gave out some cash prizes to several teachers. It was totally unexpected.

On Thursday morning two senior 3 teachers caught up with me as I was walking from the school to the nearby supermarket to pick up some groceries. They offered to treat me to lunch. So after I bought some groceries we walked to the western fast food restaurant just a few feet away. We had chicken sandwiches and fries. One of the teachers also insisted on getting more food for me even though I told him three times that I didn't need more. He got me a "salad" and some fried fish kebabs. The salad was diced carrot, cucumbers and corn doused in thousand island dressing. It was interesting. I had expected a green salad. The Chinese don't eat them and in my classes when I talked about food none of them knew what a salad was. They always cook their greens, and salads might mean things like cucumber in vinegar, tomato and sugar, or noodles with strips of carrot and other veggies.

Yesterday morning I taught my private students some clothing vocabulary. I made a paper doll for them to dress as a fun hands-on activity. Sally and Amy loved it! 

Last night Erika had a dinner party at her home. She, Bob, Todd and I all cooked something and we treated Jane, our FAO, as well as Erin (a student at Erika's school) and her family. We had plenty of food. I bought eight chicken drumsticks and cooked them in Erika's pressure cooker. Not everyone had one, so I took home three that were leftover. 

At the party, Jane asked if I'd like to teach junior students at a different school in Baiyin next year. I'd live closer to her and Bob and would share an apartment with a new female teacher. Erika and Todd will leave in the summer, but Bob will stay another year. I'm not sure if I want to accept the offer yet or not.

After my church meeting via Skype, I called Mr. Wu because he had called this morning when I Skyped home. He said he had some food to bring me. On Friday at school he said he'd invited me over either Friday or Saturday but he didn't call. When he said, "I'm sorry", I didn't know what he was talking about. I had actually forgotten. What an apology he brought! He gave me a box of "Pure milk" (little packets of low lactose milk that doesn't have to be refrigerated), and lots of cakes. He said, "You can eat these today and tomorrow." But he brought enough to last me a week or more. He gave me ten little muffins, two larger muffins, a very large bun, two round cakes that are very light like angel food, a package of flat and crispy macadamia nut cookies, and a package of little square things embossed with a nice design. They smell like tea so I won't eat them.