Ok, if you’re teaching ESL and you’ve just finished exams and have two hours to burn with a class just before a holiday, I had better luck showing E.T. than I’ve ever had with a film in class before (note to any coworkers reading: I obtained appropriate permission to show a movie, complete with an interactive lesson plan [note to noncoworkers: movies are a slightly sensitive issue at work]). Another teacher recommended it, and I was skeptical - honestly, I thought they’d think it was boring and would just go to sleep. I was also worried about comprehension. But they followed it really well! The language is completely simple, and there aren’t too many cultural barriers (explain Reeses Pieces and frog dissection and you’re set). When E.T. started learning how to speak, I had one student clap his hands and shout, “Chinglish!” which made the whole class laugh. They also had a good grasp on the E.T./Elliott mind meld thing, which I wasn’t sure they’d understand. Total class success with that one.
And I’m two hours away from being on vacation. Which I’m excited about. I either ate something bad or caught a stomach virus Monday night and spent the whole night throwing up and whining. I haven’t thrown up sober in a *really* long time, and I’d forgotten how horribly unpleasant it is. I wish I could say that it was some kind of crazy exotic dish at fault, but the only thing I’d eaten was McDonald’s. If you’re in Nanjing, easy on the double cheeseburgers, just in case.
Other than that, not a lot’s been happening, other than a lot of grading and a lot of yearning for the beach. I LOVE my new camera and its little water cage - I’m going to have to take a lot of pictures of fish to justify buying the underwater housing, but I think I’m up to the task. Happy Thursday, internet.
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