I've got that darn Sesame Street song in my head now! You know the one - Ernie singing about objects that match and don't match. Yeah. I'm a wild woman! I bet you are wondering what the point is here, right? I have a point, I swear (and regularly too!).
Anyway, I want to talk about the Chinese dance class Kieren is taking at the Greater Dayton Chinese School. I took Kieren for the first class two weeks ago. She missed last week because of the pneumonia (she's feeling a lot better now, thanks!). Andy took her for today's class because Cullen had a project due for school and it's better that I work with him than Andy ('nuff said!). I also wanted to hear Andy's impressions of the experience (*smirk*). Kieren was ticked because she is in the "only Mommy can do it" stage (yet another reason Daddy took her!). Andy's impressions were the same as mine! Are you getting curious??? Thus the title of this post!
The Chinese school is just that - a school for the Chinese community that teaches language (written and spoken), arts, culture, dance, and traditions. It takes place at a large college campus (University of Dayton) on Sundays for 3-4 hours. A number of the area FCC kids attend or have in the past. Since Kieren loves Chinese dance, we decided to give it a whirl (but for the dance class only at this time).
Walking across the beautiful campus is a little unsettling. I definitely don't belong here!!! I'm married, 40 years old and am towing a 4-year-old to her class. I get some strange looks. Then I climb the steps to Humanities building and - just call me Alice - it's like stepping into the looking glass! I really don't fit in here!!!
Almost every person in the building is Chinese (over 100 in the 1st floor hall alone)! I counted 3 - yes, I said three - other non-Asian people in the building! No one was speaking English. I was taller than most of the woman and some of the men, but I'm only 5'6". I stand out like a sore thumb!!! The signs were even in Chinese. I approach the only other obviously-adoptive-parent (*cough* white skin, blond hair, blue eyes, Chinese kid) and ask for directions to Kieren's class. He points me in the general direction and we push our way into the sea of humanity. It was a flashback to China!!! So many people and no personal space!!! BTW, did I mention I'm claustrophobic??? ACK!!! Kieren is not real thrilled with the situation. She doesn't do crowds or strangers. The fact that all these people do not look like Mommy and Daddy isn't helping either. I end up carrying her to avoid total shut-down. Did I mention I'm claustrophobic? *breathe* *breathe* *breathe*
So we finally make it into the class (Thank God I'm a Black Friday veteran!) with a little shoving. The parents (1 dad and the rest moms - all Chinese) enter with the teacher and kids. They are all speaking Chinese of course. The teacher starts speaking to the kids in Chinese. Kieren looks at me with a "you're kidding, right?" look on her face. The teacher finally notices I don't match and takes pity on me by speaking in English AND Chinese for the rest of the class. Good thing Kieren knows how to count in Chinese because that's the only way the teacher does it!
During the break, the other parents hold a lively conversation while Kieren and I sit quietly at the other end of the room. The kids are all drawing on the chalkboard. Kieren is not quite sure what to make of all this. She keeps looking at me for reassurance. Kieren is used to families that look and talk like ours. She's not scared, but she's not comfortable either. Our friends and playgroups are made up of adoptive families.
Andy's experiences today were pretty similar to mine. Poor Andy! He is 6'2"! Can't you just hear Ernie singing now?! We both agree that suddenly being the minority is unsettling! It gives you perspective on how a foreign-speaking minority must feel around us.
And now I have to go beat my head against a brick wall until Ernie stops singing in my head!!! ARGH!!!!
