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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

How Much Does The Chinese Tooth Fairy Pay?


After enjoying curry and rice last night (I was quite validated as Jasper said several times "this is delicious Ali!" and "who thinks Alison is the best cook - raise your hand!" - he even ate the dreaded green beans!) Because they were so validating, I allowed the boys to eat one of the Airheads that their parents had left for them the night before.  And in the midst of enjoying the large taffy stick all of a sudden Jasper cried "my tooth!" and pulled the Airhead back to reveal quite a bit of blood.

I had him go to the bathroom and do the rinse spit thing and went to grab a paper towel while thinking that I needed to close the drain in case the tooth came out mid spit.  And right about then Eli yelled out "well - Jasper lost his tooth - and it went down the drain!"  Argh!  Oh well - its not like you really do anything with those teeth anyways except expect to get money and then, what does your mom or dad do with your tooth?  Maybe if they're hoarders they put it in a little box and save every one that comes out of your head, but I didn't think that was Julie's forte so I figured - no major loss.

But now comes the tricky part - I know that the tooth fairy comes in China.  This is Jasper's second tooth so theres an expectation there.  What I don't know is - how many yuan does she bring?  The change that we used to get would be absolutely nothing in Chinese so you're left with the option of a paper bill which just seems so monstrously large for a tooth. 
My friend the fairy :) (which Jasper asked me this morning if it was me.... to which I replied "what?!"  - thats not lying, right?) flitted in and left a 10 yuan note under his pillow.  I thought, but should have double thought, about the fact that he's a 6 year old boy and pillows never stay where they are all night.  Needless to say  - we have some searching to do tonight as the 10 yuan note has literally disappeared.  I had to let Jasper know that I know she left money as the fairy and I had a conversation on her way out where she told me where she left it.  And then I asked him how much she usually leaves and I was told "I don't know, like 20 yuan or something maybe?" 
Dang - I guess I'm a cheap Chinese tooth fairy!

Headed out to the bus today - and I always have to laugh at the Chinese elderly in the morning.  Everywhere in Asia, they're out doing their morning exercises, always in large groups.  Theres a park we pass where there are like 15 of them and theres one older woman up leading them with what they're supposed to do.  They're all probably in their 80s and theres this one woman who looks the oldest of them all who I'm quite enamored with.  This woman is probably a little under 5 feet tall.  They stand by these bars that are probably about 4 feet tall, and then they swing their leg up and do these stretches and then slap their ankles.  I'm just super impressed with old short woman because when you're barely 5 feet tall and this bar is probably about 4 feet - thats a super high height to swing your leg up.  She's like an old Rockette and I'm sure at her age, I'll be lucky to bend over and then stand up straight again in the same day.  
Old short Chinese woman is my new hero!


And then we get on the bus and drive and all the apartment complexes have these big gates and courtyards in the front - in all the courtyards are masses of old people doing calisthenics.  One of the apartments had a group of high schoolers with red uniforms and white gloves doing this choreographed exercise thing and leading a big group of old people who followed behind.  It was quite hilarious - but again, very admirable indeed!

Asian people are truly amazing, you know! :)  In Japan they all have these exercise groups too and then when I climbed Mt Fuji there were these 80 year old people blowing past me on the trail to the top.  I might need to move to Asia when I get old.  Just a thought - or I could start an American version of old people morning workout.... and then we'd all set our alarms for 7 but we probably wouldn't get up until 11 and by then we'd be needing to eat lunch because dinner wasn't too far behind.  And its best not to work out on a full stomach so - it would just be a series of good intentions that never actually evolved. 

I got to do fun subjects today with my 5 students.  I did reading - which means I was reading to them :)  Julie's reading The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander.  He's Welsh so every name was like trying to pronounce something from another world.  Gywstyl, Eilonwy, Orgoch, Adaon, Ellidyr, Fflewddur... AH!  I would say - speak English, but - I guess they don't technically speak English in Wales?...  Anyhow - after about 2 sentences I really got into it.  I think I put on a little drama production for them because I started enjoying the story.  Its along the lines of The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe so its pretty packed full of adventure and great description.  Every time I actually remembered where I actually was instead of in the forest of Caer Cadarn, I would look out and see 5 faces that were actually intently watching me.  I think its just because they were thinking "she's absolutely crazy!"  

Then the next two classes were The Story of the World - i.e. HISTORY!  They're learning about the spread of Islam and the Islamic Empire.  We even got to do a project with CANDY - they had to make an oasis.  They're a little pitiful looking for oasis, but I think its just because 5, 5th graders were overwhelmed with the CANDY that they were having to work with.  Who can concentrate with that!


Tonight, we dine at KFC!  Can you believe after one full day of being a "single mom" I'm already exhausted!  I suppose the defining factors here are:
#1 getting out the door at 7:20 a.m and not getting back until after 6 p.m. (several parents last night were not at the bus to meet their children so we sat there for like 15 minutes so it made us pretty late in getting back home).  If it was just me it would be one thing, but then you have to get two kids fed and ready for bed and in bed and then you try to do the things that you need to do including taking a nice run on the treadmill.  How DOES Julie do it?!
#2 we don't have to go into school tomorrow but will just do school at home 
#3 I'm NOT "single mom" - I'm Ali!  Super fake-aunt who's only here to have fun....
Thats how we get to eat KFC at night and watch Disney downloads at dinner and not wash our feet even though they're pretty stinky and eat candy when we get home from school.  Its fun being not "mom"!
But tomorrow I start being more mom-ish!  We WILL do school and we WILL wash our feet!   
But the rest - who cares....  :)

- BTW - Julie texted last night and told me she had already been doing a lot of crying, but its been good soul-cleansing crying and its leading good places so,  please keep praying for them if you think of it!  Thanks!

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