Thursday, March 29, 2007
Frustration
Today was full of frustrations: at first I thought I was over-reacting, but when I added it all up, I don't think so. But no one wants to hear about that (maybe I'll whine on the weekend). Yesterday the junior high teachers got to take a field trip! They took us on buses out to the Fuhsing Outdoor Education Centre, just like the students get to do. Kathleen, Dorcas, Kerry and I all tried the rock climbing, while the more aggressive went paintballing and the rest went hiking. It was challenging and I have to say the language barrier has been getting really, really frustrating. The only two words of English the instructor used were "harness" and "caribiner". Not only did we not get any of the instructions, but everyone kept making jokes and yelling out things in Chinese, and it's so easy to feel really, really on the outside. Anyway, it's just that time of year. Stress, lack of sleep, etc. The crazy part about the whole trip was that we are supposed to be teaching different activities for a grade nine weekend English camp. Who knows how we're going to figure it out on our own: I pity the students who end up in one of our archery classes!
The camp has white turnips that teachers could pull and take home. I decided to pass on the whole idea, considering the odds that I would actually cook and eat a strange vegetable. It was fun to watch though, and I was happy with my choice when everyone else's turnips started to stink up the bus!The school paid for an extensive seafood dinner: The kind where 10 people sit around a big table with a lazy susan for 15-20 courses of seafood. Everyone knows I'm not a big seafood eater, although there are a couple of dishes I like (scallops or a plain cooked fish). My "try a new food" experience of the evening was lobster blood. It was the consistency of water and a purple-grey color. No taste, thankfully. And please don't ask me what the purpose of drinking lobster blood is, I don't have a clue. The most disturbing dish by far was the one in the picture below. I was turning the lazy susan and I almost screamed when I thought I saw one of the legs move. Sure enough, they all started moving! It was still alive (and dying, I suppose). It came back a few courses later having been cooked (is that fun, or what?)
Read or Post a Comment
How totally revolting that anyone would "serve" food to you twice--alive and then dead. Doesn't that just highlight the fact of death to all you meat eaters out there? If they paraded the cow through the restaurant while they poured your wine, and then cooked him up during the appetizer course, would you be happy to see a big steak on your plate come entree time?
Sorry to have channelled your outrage into a vege rant, Kathy. Your field trip affair sounds horrible. Buses are bad enough. I guess I'm not as in favour of vegetables when it comes to smelly bus rides.
Here's to a better week ahead!