力非 - LiFei

Dangerous old habits

Today's the second week of what has become an everyday for me. The habit is nowadays -what prior to China was very close to inconceivable - to calmly stretch every single muscle in the body whilst the alarm goes off for the first time at 06am. After the first stretch, I return to the comfortable sleeping before what didn’t even have time to become a snoring is interrupted by the second alarm-turn. This time the realization of having to get up is even harder to deny and I shove myself into the shower. At this time, it has just passed 630 and I stuff in whatever looks to fit in my, newly bought Giorgio Armani (probably not fake, at the silkmarket, for a good-considered haggling price, 100 kronor/yuan). Now I pass the staircase and exchange a friendly look with the superintendent who has invited me several times to his accommodation to do TV-sitting.

The bus leaves at 650, and this morning is mentionable because my alarm clock did either not manage to make its famous noise at the designated time or I have only myself to blame. Nevertheless, I wake up by myself, at 0701 and the second bus, which is the emergency solution for people like me, is missed by one minute. It should be clarified at this point that the task of going to Yucai Bilingual School is as close to impossibility as you can get. With approximately an hour of efficient bus ride and with fortune on your side you could get their in one piece. Consequently, I derailed.

I ended up running up and down the staircase in indecision, trying to come up with the most appropriate excuse.

Finally, I grab my phone and dial Danny, my contact person’s number. She answers with an unbelievable calm. She tells me to take the closest cab to BeiZhan, whereupon I catch, my first public bus in China so far, 177, which will drive amazingly slowly but reach the same destination. I do so, and overcome my own panic when I arrive at the school 2 hours later. Fortunately, I did not have any earlier class this day than 0935.

At 0936 I stumble in to classroom 0936, breathless. One minute late. And nobody noticed anything…

:)