J+15 One Chinese school week...

I had absolutely no idea school could be this hard. I am mentally exhausted and I have NO energy at all...
This week, I didn't have any time (not even 5 minutes) to exercise, so i also feel physically tiered. Chinese students, from what I see have no time for activities. I spoke with a boy today, he went on for half an hour about the excitement he feels when he thinks about the next holiday, "I will be able to play a little bit of piano, maybe even go for a walk in Nanjing", he almost cried tears of joy.
They work so hard, it's hardly believable.
Because of the population, the pressure to stand out is a lot stronger so the students devote their entire time (day&night) to their studies. The highest grades they achieve, the most chances they get of entering a good university...
I knew about this pressure before coming, but I have been surprised by the solidarity: in the class, they all help each other, make sure their classmates understand, it really feels like a big family!
I have recently tried to use QQ messenger, all in Chinese... A lot of students in the school are chatting with me, posting pictures on my wall, but I can't tell who they are since their names are all in Chinese! "do you want to go out tomorrow?" I have no idea who this is...
This morning, I arrived in class and my classmates had brought me a breakfast! (2de one in the day...), a sort of coriander, pork, egg ,pepper, vegetable, chili crepe!
They are very caring and follow me everywhere I go!

J+13 Chinese School Day...

6:00 : alarm wakes us up
6:30 : we have to leave, by bicycle after a very short breakfast.
7:00 : we arrive at school, park the bicycles, hurry up to the classroom.
7:15 : we all recite the lessons together, and hand in all the homework
7:30 : first class starts
8:15 : 10minutes break (toilet, snack...)
8:25 : second class starts
9:10 : 10 minutes break
9:20 : third class starts
10:05: eye exercise with music, for about 10 minutes
10:15 : fourth class
11:00 : 10minutes break
11:10 : fifth class starts
11:55 : lunch break
(the dinning hall is so busy, we have to eat in 8minutes. I posted a picture of my lunch)
12:40 : all students must be in class and recite the lessons all together
And so on and so on... Class (45min)/break (10min)...
And an other eye exercise around 3:00pm
...
5:30 : we cycle back, eat as fast as we can before rushing to the evening course.

The schedule doesn't seem that bad I suppose ?
Well let me tell you what for me, makes a school day very difficult to go through: the chairs.
They are conceived for very small people, maybe even children, I don't know. But after 15minutes, seated on one of these chairs, my back feels the same as it does after a 11hours flight. I dream of getting up and walking all day long ! Just imagine what it's like after an entire school day! The material they are made of is so hard, the metal part "breaks" the back just in the middle, hurts the spine.
It's now I realize how a good chair makes a huge difference!
I have muscle cramps!
I also posted a picture of the night course I am attending for homework. (from 7pm to 9, 10 or 11pm)

J+10 Last day before school term!

Today was a "relax" day, I went for a nice walk with my sister in the morning, we bought some rice dumplings for breakfast; delicious !
In the afternoon, I experienced the KTV.. It was very very funny. Chinese people take it very seriously!
Every one sits down in the room and sings; Chinese songs of course buyer also had black eyed peas, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Linkin Park...
Real school starts tomorrow, I have tried to understand my homework but it is just too hard: chemistry in Chinese, poetry...
Maybe I will post a photo of my school uniform tomorrow, and I will try to take pictures of the school without getting in trouble.

J+11 Chinese high school

Today I got a real taste of a Chinese school day. > Exhausting.
Day starts at 7:15 sharp; and ends at 5:20.
I had:
-Chinese literature
-maths
-maths
-geography
-PE
-music
-English
-research

Let's not talk about the homework shall we?
Anyway, their eye exercises, small breaks between classes were interesting, the cafeteria too... The school is still in construction (parts of it) so the dining hall is a mess.
The classrooms are very well equipped, and I am lucky enough to be in a "small" class of 44 students (classes of 60 are not uncommon in china)
My classmates are still extremely shy and terrified when I look at them. They debate during ten minutes before finally deciding to come and say "hello" before running away, giggling like children. They are very sweet and caring; they always make sure I have a book, to drink...
I could not avoid passing by the toilets today, and by some miracle, they were empty! It does happen! I seized the occasion and took a few pictures... (phones are forbidden, and students report to the teacher if they see you using one)

My head has now been buzzing for two hours; I have a serious headache. Concentrating all day, to try and understand the lessons was very trying. Besides, after school, my sister and I had dinner before rushing to the "night course", from 7:00pm to 9:30pm
I will enjoy a good night sleep! (we wake up at 5:30, have to leave at 6:35)