Life here in Kunming is great, but not everything is peaches and cream. If you've done your homework by reading previous posts, you know I'm here on a service grant. Guess how much service I've done: zilch. After the camp fell through I was supposed to come to Kunming to teach English until the cultural camp on July 20. Well, we went to talk to the people, and they said that because my stay here was so short, they couldn't use me. Great, two weeks in and I'm still sitting on my hands. Well, not exactly. I've taken it upon myself to scour my Rolodex for every contact I have in China to get them to come volunteer at the camp. I've been firing off emails like a madman...carpal tunnel may set in earlier than planned. Being that it is in just three weeks, it was a tough sell. I have managed to get one extra volunteer so far, so that's okay.
Anyone who knows me knows that I can't just sit around, especially when I'm supposed to be doing something productive (in this case, service work). So, in addition to becoming the camp's head recruiter, I've also turned this trip into a mini job search. Through broken Chinese I've requested a tour at a local McDonald's (I plan to meet with the CEO of McDonald's China in Shanghai). They said they don't do them, so I basically begged them. I should hear back soon, or else I'll pay them a visit. My resume has gone out to Bain, McKinsey, Enlight Media, Commvault and China Renaissance, an investment bank. I've also applied for a summer reception at McKinsey in Hong Kong.
All this emailing in internet cafes can get pretty old pretty quick. They're dark, stuffy, and smoky. And on one day, they smelled particularly bad. I was just sitting there and this one guy sat down who had clearly not bathed for an extended period of time. I wondered if this had anything to do with his addiction to this computer dancing game he was enthralled in. I look to the other guy next to me, and has sprayed something that smells like Febreeze onto a cloth and is covering his face. I thought, "This guy's got experience." In a fortuitous turn of events, I recently found a coffee house that has wireless internet access and overpriced menu items. I paid $4 for an apple juice (cheapest item on the menu), got the internet password, and am now uploading this blog to you for free right outside the coffee shop the following day.
I've also taken the time to game-plan for VSS for the next year, searching for grants and donors as well. Diane, my aunt, recently challenged me to go to Xi'an and see the terracotta warriors—a challenge that, if met, would bring a $100 donation to VSS. I booked my tickets last night, and am leaving in a couple hours. I knew I wanted to go, and now seems like as good as time as any.
So yea, I'm trying to make a positive out of a negative. A few things bring some brightness to my day, such as interacting with the kids around me. In the picture are some students I met at this school that is sending many students to our camp. Jerry is in black, Minnie is in red, and we are situated around Lei Feng, who was Mao Zedong's shining example of a selfless and modest follower. I can't quite remember the rest of the kids' names...a tad hard when there's all kinds of Chinese language flying around. Minne was particularly nice—we talked for a long time, and she and Jerry gave me a tour around the school. All these kids are coming to the camp, and I can't wait to see them again.
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