Interesting Trip (Part I)

I realize it’s been a few days, but you’re in for a special treat.  Or I am.  Or nobody is.  Who knows.  See, I’m about to go away for a while.  They won’t tell me where, and the why’s a little spotty, but I’m instructed to be at the school gate at 4:30 prompt with an overnight bag.

I am going on interesting trip.

“Eh?” you say?  Well, my friend, me too.  I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned the class I teach twice a week called “interesting group” here, so let me give you a run down.  Here’s exactly how interesting group was described to me:

Me: “I see I teach interesting group on Tuesday and Thursday.  What’s interesting group?”

School: “This is interesting group, here, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Tuesday will be lower level, Thursday upper levels.” 

Me: “But what is it?” 

School: “It’s interesting group.  It’s on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

Me: “…”

Turns out interesting group is a smaller class (only 25 students) of students who are engaged in English class and so have won the privilege to watch the foreigner flail around for another hour a week.  I enjoy this class, because the students actually understand what they’re supposed to understand, learn quickly, and on occasion will actually speak English. I get to teach pretty much whatever I want.  Which means yesterday my higher levels were racing around the room blindfolded shouting directions in English to try and get to the Franks (I have a collection of yellow softballs with faces painted on them, all of whom are name “Frank”) before the other teams.  And whenever they are so inclined, half the faculty sits in on the class too.  Ha.

So, interesting trip.  One would think it would have something to do with interesting group.  And one may be correct.  Or not, for all I know.  Here’s the description of interesting trip:

School: “This Friday, there is interesting trip.  You will be available?”

Me: “Ummm.  I think so?  What’s interesting trip?”

School: “It is Friday after work.  For interesting group teachers.”

Me:  I’m the only interesting group teacher…  “Ok…  Where are we going?”

School: “Another district in Shenzhen. Maybe we will be back at 12 on Saturday.”

Me: “Ok, and what will we do?”

School (on Tuesday): “Mmm, maybe relaxing. Swimming. Things like that.”

School (On Thursday): “We will hike a mountain.  There won’t be any swimming.”

School (Today): “Maybe KTV tonight. Maybe if you wake up very early you can go for a walk on the hill.  There is no mountain.”

So, interesting trip.  Yep.  I’m leaving in a couple hours to go somewhere and do something, with some people that apparently have also been teaching my interesting group without my knowledge.  I’m pretty excited.  It sounds… just like China planning!  I will bring a camera, and you may start making bets on what actually goes down.  If I don’t come back, avenge me.