First Day of Class

Discouraging? Demoralizing? Punishing?

8 am was grammar presentation. It was presented to us! You know, so we wouldn't fell awkward around it in a social situation. Teacher-centered

9 am was a small group drill session. The teacher talks fast and LOUD, and besides putting us on the spot a few times, the train doesn't stop. Extremely teacher centered.

10 am we repeated a couple dialogs until they were memorized. The teacher talked less loud, and gave us a chance to think... Once. Extreme topic-centered, teacher driven.

11 am was newspaper class, which was miserable because I didn't prepare. The teacher is the same one as the 9am session. Same train as before.

I went to lunch at noon and comforted myself with a plate of noodles and veggies (she didn't hear me ask for meat, or maybe it was a hint). I came up to my room to study, but my roommate was asleep, so then I took a nap as well. I tired to go down to the study room on the 2nd floor but there was a one-on-one class going on.

Finally my 3 pm one-on-one started. I beat the even/odd elevators by going up to 8th floor and walking down to 7th. Bastard elevators! There was a little one-on-one conversation, but it quickly turned into uncomfortable extreme learner centered- read the text out loud party. So yes, basically it was tone torture. My eyes hurt from it. I asked if tomorrow would be the same, the answer was yes.

After class, my teacher and I walked back to the dorm. This was the conversation:

What do you want to do?

I don't know.

What do you want to do?

I don't know.

You don't understand? Or you don't know what you want to do?

I understand! I don't know what I want to do.

What do you mean you don't know what you want to do? What do you like to do?

I would like to go someplace cool.

Ah! A cool place! And do what?

I don't know.

What, you don't know? You don't understand, or you don't know what you want to do?

I understand! I don't know what I want to do.

What do you like to do? I like to read, hang out, watch tv.

I don't want to do any of those things.

What do you want to do?

I don't know!

Why do you not know what you want to do?

What?

WHY do you not know what you want to do? You must have a plan. Think a little.

I don't know! I am a dude. We often don't have ideas.

Fine.

That was actually an abbreviated version. The unabridged version includes such hits as, "do you want to eat noodles with meat this time?"

I don't know what I want to do. I know I have to get my passport back, buy a ticket to Shanghai this weekend and arrange a hotel, cram for tomorrow's punishment. I mean, "classes."