Anger?

I am usually a very go-with-the-flow kind of a person, which is why my anger today caught me by surprise.  Even when I realized I was angry, I couldn't help it, and wallowed in it for a while.

So here's what happened.

Going home, I have the option of taking the 10B bus from my work bus stop to a bus stop 2 or 3 blocks from my home, but that backtracks about a mile or so, taking the 10, 28a, 28bx, or 28b on a route without the backtracking, but to a bus stop 4 blocks from my house, or taking the 3 or 28a to the ferry terminal, transferring busses (which is free...and important for my story), and getting on the AP1, 10B, or 3A from there to take me back home, with the AP1 dropping me off pretty much right at my door, and the 10B and 3A dropping me off at the aforementioned stop 2 or 3 blocks from my house.  (...deep breath...)

So. Today, I took the 28A to the ferry terminal, and transferred to the AP1.  As I got on the bus, I scanned my bus card, and lo and behold, I got a long beep instead of a short beep.  Short beeps are the normal sound, and a long beep means something went wrong and it didn't scan.  I tried it again, as sometimes it just doesn't scan correctly.  I tried it yet again after receiving the long beep once more.  The bus driver told me in Cantonese that I have no money. (Remember: I am transferring busses, which is a free service in Macau).  I kindly responded in Cantonese that I have money. He then decided that my answer was not good enough, and apparently my responding in Cantonese (correctly, mind you) meant that I did not know what he was saying, so he shouted "no money" in a way that it took him 4 shouts for me to realize that he was in fact speaking English.  He then said, "PAY MONEY! PAY MONEY!" and (lightly) hit the change collecter.  I proceeded to (not quite as kindly as before) tell him in Mandarin (as I bitterly pulled out my wallet to find some coins) that I have money on the card, and I just took another bus, I shouldn't need to pay money, and I don't know why it didn't work.  I threw the change in, and walked to the back of the crowded bus.  Even if my card had no more money on it, the transfer should have been free, regardless of my account balance

I was not happy!  I realized that I actually was angry at that point.  Had I known more Chinese, I probably would have added a few more words in there expressing that frustration.  (Not the bad ones, don't worry).  But I just didn't understand why my bus card wasn't letting me transfer busses.  I of course was not angry with the driver, but he wasn't dealing with me kindly, so I didn't feel bad about not being so kind to him.  In that aspect, I was in the wrong, and I know it.

I realized I was angry, and I even tried to quell it by rationalizing with myself: it's only 3.2 pataca, which is less than 50 cents. Still: I thought about calling the bus company and complaining, and demanding my 3.2 to be refunded to me.  Then, I realized how crazy I was.  My anger subsided a little, until I went to the grocery store to figure it out.  I went and bought a few things since I was there anyway, and she rang up the groceries, I paid, and then I said in Mandarin: I want to add money.  She just ignored me completely and went to the next customer. I figured, well, maybe she just wanted to do that customer then will come back to me.  I waited 'til she was done with him, and then tried to get her attention, but she ignored me again.  AHHH

Sometimes I feel that even knowing the language, some people just refuse to help me.  I don't understand.  I learned how to say "Why are you looking at me, do I look like a monster to you" in Mandarin class today.  I need to memorize that so that I can say that next time someone stares at me because I am speaking seemingly perfect Mandarin. (I say seemingly, because supposedly my pronunciation is "amazing" but my vocabulary is quite poor.)

This all went down half an hour ago.  I'm over it now, but I just hope that next time, I don't get so angry about it.  I think later I'll be able to laugh about it and just add it to another adventure during my time abroad!

Fireworks

On Saturday I had the wonderful opportunity to spend with some friends.  We ate dinner together and went to watch the fireworks!  There were a total of 25 of us for dinner, and about 20 for fireworks!  Macau hosts a fireworks competition where different countries put on a fireworks show, and at the end there is a winner.  This fireworks are compliments of France.  It was beautiful!  Here are a few photos from the event :)  The USA will compete this Saturday, which I will attend, pending available free time!

You know it's tourist season when...

Well, the weather is getting nicer.  The rain is coming less frequently (though ironically enough it's raining now), the nights are actually cooling off, and the humidity is only at 70 or 80%.

Office: BEFORE

New Classroom: AFTER

Along with that nice weather come the floods of tourists.  I recognized the peak in the tourist season when it took me longer to go around the city on the 'beltway', if you can call it that, that it would have to go through the city traffic.  Now, don't get me wrong.  It's not that the beltway is more crowded (though it is).  The problem actually comes when the bus turns on a road that during tourist season is flooded with a sea of tour busses, large tour groups j-walking, solo tourists j-walking, city busses trying to complete their route, taxis, and private cars.  Did I mention that this is a 2 lane road?  The tour busses park on the road, and the rest of the busses go super slowly and one must stop as the other passes it, so as to not bump side mirrors.

New desk: AFTER

This one block of traffic makes it take a very long time to get to work.  I failed to remember this this morning.  Though I was not late, I did not have the time to stop at work before going to the restaurant for a team meal.  Speaking of team, we have a short-term team here, and I am super pumped for them!  They're so energetic, and it's encouraging to be around them!  They were determined to finish 2 days' work in one day (which they did!) by converting the teacher office into a classroom, moving the assistant principal/teacher into the main room with our secretary, moving the secretary's desk to the pastor's desk, moving the pastor's desk to a new place to be my desk, and moving the 2 part-time teachers' desks behind me (our backs are to each other).  Now, I share a room with 5 others: 3 part-time teachers, 1 pastor, and 1 accountant.  I think that I will have the room to myself a lot, though, as they all work other jobs or go to school.  I just added the photos, as you can see to the side.  Some of my friends made my desk ;)  I used to have a bulletin board, but now I had to get rid of it, but now I have a glass cover on my desk so I can put the photos right inside! :)

Penguins, anyone?

I saw this craft project on the Internet, and thought I'd share it with all of you.  It's too cute to keep to myself!  I was trying to think of who to try it with, and I am thinking that maybe I'll suggest it for a youth night that we have coming up, or maybe with a group of friends my age.  It could be fun either way! :)

We had our Friday night Bible study tonight, and I think that it went well overall.  We have 4 classes, and I teach the little ones.  I was running a little behind with my planning due to a last minute addition of a science project, and a frantic search around town for matches, so I was tracing and cutting patterns 'til the last minute.  Some students came early and offered to help.  It was kind of fun doing the crafty projects with other people, so maybe that's where the urge to share this penguin project came from!  Speaking of from, I learned how to say it in Chinese today.  It's 从, pronounced cóng (but the 'c' makes a 'ts' sound.) Anyway, I think this post has gotten random enough!  Enjoy the pop bottle penguins, and be sure to send me photos if you end up making them!

New dish rack! :)

Today, I finally bought a new dish rack, which I've needed for a year to replace the old rusty one, but just never got to it.  I finally realized that it's probably not the most sanitary thing to be eating out of dishes that had been resting on rust for a few hours at the least.

Inspired by the shininess of my new dish rack, I ended up cleaning my counter and tidying up a little, and then I made cookies! (After which I had to clean again haha!)

Classes begin tomorrow, so I should be getting to bed about 2 hours ago!  I hope that you all have a wonderful day, and for those of you starting school, I pray that it goes well!