I don't have a picture for this post either, so I am using another photo from my trip to old Gaochun street with Peter. I don't have as good of a metaphor for this one, but this is a statue of a woman and a young boy working hard for survival. And that's what I do Monday morning.
I am angry. Very angry, about everything. I need to fix things. I send Jazmine a long email, detailing how I am upset about both the location and the lack of drama teaching. Moments later, Josie emails me saying she want to take me out for lunch. I can tell its going to be a tense lunch, but I am ready for it.
I might Josie and Peter at the Chinese Mobil near my hotel. We are able to successfully get a Chinese sim card for my phone, and then I hop on the back of Josie's scooter. While driving to the restaurant, I get a sudden feeling of elation. Scooters are cool! It's fun to see the city speed past on either sides of me. And, despite everything, I am getting a sudden boost of confidence. I feel myself harnessing my anger and formulating a plan. I'm not going to be able to teach drama, these kids don't speak any English. But if I am able to convince Josie and Peter to let me live in the city, it will all be worth it.
The restaurant is a fancy international themed place. Josie says that I should order the Australlian T-Bone steak, maybe the most expensive thing on the menu. I have butterflies in my stomach and a steak seems like way to much to stomach, so I opt for the fruit pizza and a latte. I also don't want to feel like I'm being paid off by a steak. Josie orders bullfrog, Peter orders noodles. Josie also orders a fancy sweet bread with ice cream for dessert. The fruit pizza is covered in dragonfruit, which is not at all what I was expecting. It is very sweet and strange, but I am able to eat the whole thing.
The lunch starts slightly tensely. We are all awkward at first, but pretty quickly Josie brings up that I wanted to teach drama and says we can try to create some drama class for the older students. I tell her that if they don't want to do drama, we don't have too. I'm happy to teach English, I am just upset because I felt lied too. I then say I care much more about living in the city.
Josie starts by saying it's a two hour commute. I say I don't care. She says my apartment would be much worse. I say I don't care. She says I would have to have a roommate. I say I don't care. I want to live in the city. Josie says I have work on Sundays at 8 and the subway doesn't open until 6 so I wouldn't be able to get to work in time. I tell her I can get a hotel room in Gaochun on Saturday nights. Josie is out of arguments. She says I could live where Salma lives and it would be closer to Gaochun. I ask if there is anything to do where Salma lives, and Peter says no. Peter says if I move out to the city, I should live in the center and make the commute worth it. I agree with Peter. I've won! I can't believe it, I've won! Josie pulls out her phone and shows me some apartments in the city, I click on one that seems okay. It's shitty, but I don't care. I'm going to live in Nanjing!
Josie says Peter can take me to go look at some apartments tomorrow at that's it. Lunch is over. Peter says he can drive me back to the hotel on his scooter and I feel a sense of relief wash over me. I changed my situation. I had a problem, I talked about it, and I solved it. I can handle this China thing. For the first time since getting to Gaochun, I am genuinely happy.
Comments