Oh, and did I mention?

Remember the mystery soup I posted a photo of in my Hong Kong slide show? Well, I cast out my net and reeled in an answer. Thanks to Kevin and Caitlin for being addicted to Food Network!

You may find it difficult to see the difference between my picture...


...and this one.


The two photos might as well have been taken of the same bowl of soup. That soup is bird's nest soup. The nests come from a particular species of swift. Unlike a normal nest, these are not made of twigs and leaves but rather of the swifts cement-like saliva. The saliva is pasted onto the inner walls of caves by male swifts in China and Indonesia, and is then harvested for the many mythical health benefits it provides. Though considered to be a delicacy and normally quite expensive, there is a garden variety for the every man, and thus it was the 2 dollar soup of the day.

A lesser man would wish he didn't know that he had eaten "nutritional", congealed bird spit soup, but a truly admirable one relishes in the discovery of the truth and the adventure of trying new things. He is not disheartened by the culturally myopic notion that something scraped of the inside of a cave wall should never be boiled, soaked, and eaten, but knows full well that knowledge is empowering and that there is no "right" food. In this situation, I believe I am the former of the two.

Changes

If you've detected some blog silence you would be right. Lots has been happening in the office and I'm struggling just to tread water! Well, tread water when the water is rising, so swim up? Let me explain.

I am now foreign head teacher. This means that not only do I have a full class load, but I also handle a number of other duties. I'm primarily responsible for communication (i.e. the bad news from the management and the complaints from the foreign teachers). Consequently, I've found a certain distance grow between me and my coworkers since I'm seen as "one of them" in a way. Disappointing, as I'm constantly working to improve the work place for us while making the management more satisfied with our performance and increasing the quality of education for the students. What a juggling act!

I've also been given a number of special scenario duties, including interviewing new potential employees as well as training new recruits. I also act as universal substitute, and (increasingly) curriculum supplement-er. This makes the fact that I have 2 periods off almost irrelevant.

I never realized how needy and difficult we were until I had to manage us on an individual level. I have to repeat myself constantly. I'm always reminding and (what seems like) micro-managing, and yet the minute I stop there's a crisis and a complaint. It's incredibly taxing, and yet fulfilling in a way. I finally get the feeling that I am respected and have a certain autonomy over my destiny. The freedom and recognition have more than made up for the long hours and low pay thus far.

How am I coping with the hustle bustle of two new teachers and a half new curriculum? New episodes of The Office and How I Met Your Mother sure aren't hurting. Mostly though it's been a strictly "head down, power through" approach. Don't get distracted and don't realize that you're as busy as you are. How long before I burn out? Well, as long as things continue on a track of improvement all around, I just may be motivated enough to keep up the pace, but I fear that disappointment will take the wind out of my sails pretty quickly.

On a lighter note, apparently I need to shave. This I've known since well before I came here, but my students have been making it increasingly prevalent in our exchanges. Last week, the students told me that when I don't shave I look like a homeless man. Of course, they want to make sure that I understand the meaning so they tell me as many ways as they can think of. Teacher! You know Geoji? No home man? Live in subway station? Dirty? Sleep in newspaper blanket? Always always ask more money? Thanks, I get it. 2 weeks prior, a 6th grader tried to scrape hair off my arm with a razor blade. Don't we expel for that sort of thing???