Laryngitis
I've lost my voice. (Seems to be both literally and figuratively).
I've got a pretty nasty case of laryngitis and it is the second major sickness since arriving in China. I think I was suffering from an allergy attack when I arrived in Wuhan, which is unusual because I don't usually suffer from allergies. I guess they've grown on me. But this, this is just gross...and painful...and not so great for a TEACHER to get. Luckily, I'm giving tests tomorrow, so there's only a minimal amount of talking needed. I've got to read a paragraph to the students of Grade 2 for the listening comprehension segment of their test, but other than that, I can be almost mute tomorrow.
Regarding my figurative silence, it seems that I'm so wiped out by the end of the day that I can just get through my lesson plans for the next day before I'm so tuckered that I just can't sit down to write. I read somewhere that the best time for writing is in the morning. Yet, I've been getting to bed around 1am and so I get up when I absolutely have to in the morning, eliminating the possibility for some early morning posts.
I keep telling myself that things will calm down once I get into the pace of life here, but maybe this IS me getting into the pace of life. What if this is all I'm capable of as a teacher? Eek! Luckily, I still take notes about the things I wish I could find time to write about so they won't disappear from my memory completely. This weekend was going to be a big catch-up weekend but it is Sunday evening already and all I've managed to do is read, sleep, go to the school to do some catch-up grading and nursing this ghastly cough with hot water, dried lemon and salt gargles. If anyone else can suggest some homeopathy for laryngitis, I'd be most appreciative.
Here's to hoping I've got more energy in me than what's expended in a day of teaching! (I'll be taking on a fifth class - permanently. The last foreign teacher arrives this Wed. and I'm teaching his 4th grade class through Thursday of this week. My permanent class is a Kindergarten class. More naming. More hollering. More laryngitis?)
