Today is the “Welcome Party” at BHSFIC. It’s raining, and I’m wearing a suit, so I taxi over. It’s really hot and humid today. I arrive about 8:15, and head up to my classroom to test all the sound equipment and the projector. Everything works so I had down to the auditorium for the program.

All the students and staff are seated in the auditorium. There are several student speakers, and the principal and Dr. Prettyman speak. All the speeches are in Chinese and then tranlated into English. The faculty is introduced. There are some musical numbers and some dancers. The end of the program is a group of the Chinese faculty dancing. It’s a big hit!!!

These are the new faculty members at BHSFIC

After the session, there’s a short faculty meetingl After the meeting, we’re released, and a small group head over to a restaurant in the Xidan area. It’s a relaxing time with some really good fried rice and dumplings. I enjoy listening to the new teachers talk about their experiences in the new country. After lunch, we ride the bus back to school. I grab my backpack and start searching for a taxi. I’m still wearing a suit, and it’s really hot. I don’t want to crowd on a train, dressed like this.

Back at the apartment, Judy’s been taking care of schoolwork and planning for the week. We were planning on going out and getting some dinner later in the afternoon, but it starts raining really hard, so our plans change. We end up eating some of the food we have in the apartment and finishing “Scandal” season 3. I’m glad to be through with that for a while. Maybe it will get better next season.