China Happenings!‏ September 21st

Dear Ones:
Just a note to update you on what we have been up to... We have been very busy getting all our classes planned for the next two weeks, as we are going on our trip a week from today. Our teaching schedules have been all changed around to teach extra classes,so that the holiday week can accommodate everyone...My oh my...
On Friday, my Department guy, Mr. Chen, called to have me meet him in our lobby. I ran down and he handed me the teaching schedule for next week and also asked me to correct a large group of papers for the Department Head. Can any of you who know me, believe that? I was amazed, to say the least...After Mr. Chen left, we went to dinner over across the street at our favorite "dive" with Doug and Valerie Salmon - the Canadian couple that are teaching at Ocean University. They had called us earlier, and ask us to go to the Qingdao Symphony at our University. One of the music professors, from their University had given them 4 free tickets and we were the lucky ones to be invited! The symphony is excellent and the evening was a night to remember, with many memorable songs performed that we were familiar with. They had a special guest violinist from Holland that played and she was unbelievable. There was also an exceptional trumpetor and a great percussionist. That symphony is the best I have ever seen. It was a night that will be hard to beat.
When we were at the symphony, the Salmons saw one of their friends who could read Chinese - she was Chinese! She explained to us that there would many other different performances throughout the next 6 weeks and they were all listed on the program. In fact, she told us that the violinist we had just seen, would do the concert on Saturday night, at Ocean University....So, we told all the other English teachers from BYU and we planned a trip over for the next night.
Saturday morning we did lesson plans and walked to the little "Smiths" on campus and had some copies made at the "Kinkos" on campus. THAT is an experience - getting copies made!!! We went to our regular place and our "friend" was not working and a "stand in" had taken over for the day. He made 14 copies for Nona and screwed up everything - we waited for about 25 minutes for the 14 copies and decided that we would try another printer!
We all hurried home and changed our clothes and caught the bus to Ocean and met the Salmons and the Taylors. They had prepared supper for everyone and then we went to the concert. It was good, but not nearly as good as the one the night before.
When we were at the concert, I spotted a darling little person - I thought that the child was a girl and told the mother what a cute little girl she had... She looked at me and smiled and said, "He's a boy"! I felt pretty stupid. Anyway, he smiled at me and chased me around the lobby during intermission and as I walked back into the concert, he "goosed" me!!!
As we left the concert and rushed to catch the bus home, he and his mom boarded the same bus as we boarded and he sat right , next to me! He kept giggling and poking at me, and it escalated to him pinching me and playing pretty rough..I tried to keep him occupied and I started singing songs to him. He really did enjoy them, but it was the mom that really enjoyed the songs! She kept trying to get me to sing different songs. By the time the little guy got off the bus, I was exausted.
Then, this morning as we boarded the bus to church, a little boy sat right by us and threw up!!! He just could not stop - he felt awful - we could tell, but at the same time, we tried to stay as far away from him as we could! It was an experience that I hope I do NOT have to do again while I am in China....
It is late and I am so very tired. Tomorrow starts a crazy, long week and I have to get up so early in the morning, so I will close for now. Please pardon the mistakes.
Will write more soon.
Much Love, Mom