Finally, a surprise that worked.
Today was spent mostly teaching and preparing for Rumi's Surprise Party. The weather today was quite warm and muggy. Very sticky. But it was also windy. Quite weird. To begin, my first morning class was cancelled due to something that I have no idea about. But 3rd and 4th grade through out the whole day was great. I had no problems. Wait. no, I am lying...wait, no...thats right, no problems today. During the lunch break, Yumi and I met to go to the Ju Cheng Hotel to get a ferry ticket and a hotel in Hong Kong for saturday nite. We have been wanting to go somewhere together for a while, and this opportunity presented itself after John mentioned that he got a ferry ticket + a place to stay in HK really cheap. She said that this weekend is the best because she is going to be so busy that she doesn't know when we will get a free chance. Koolio. We had a slight problem with checking the 6pm ferry, which would have been ideal because we would get into HK at 8pm and not 10. However, because my school had kept me to themselves last weekend, Bond is making me teach an extra 45 minutes with Daisy and Violet. It won't be over till 430 and the shuttle bus leaves at 415pm. Hey, its not my fault my school volunteered me for their dance so they could score gweilo points on their performance evaluation. Oh well.
We got everything set up and then went and grabbed some lunch at the place where she always goes with her teachers. There sat Rumi and Maiyu, a new japanese teacher. I told Rumi Happy Birthday and she held out her hand and ask..."Present?" giggle. "Oh, I didn't buy you anything. Was I supposed to?" She retracted with a polite "hmph." I need to make her think nothing is going on. Yumi says she has no idea. I met with Maiyu and we talked a bit about Shorinji Kempo - she knows of it and other karate systems, Shaolin Temple (she spent a day there a few years ago), and her husband - however, she consistently referred to him as "wife" by accident. Very humorous. Her husband did Kendo in Japan so I was all like, "DUDE! Is he like, a total samurai and stuff?" She was all, "Shit, yeah, negro." She followed that with a 'raise the roof', snap of the neck and fingers. I said to her, "Hoterru ikanai?" wichi is Japanese for, "Do you want to go to Love Hotel?" Maiyu laffed and Yumi slapped me.
I then headed back to school for my afternoon classes. And again, my second class was canceled because the kids were off getting brainwashed at the local movie theatre. My kindergarten went fantastic. On the way home from class, it had started raining, while I was searching for snacks and presents for Rumi. I went into this one shop that I always walk by but never went into. I walk in and the girl running the store was primping her hair while singing along to really loud canto-crap. She didn't even notice me. Her hair was done up in such a way that she looked like she had stuck her finger into an electric socket. She was wearing a pair of purple tinted sunglasses...while it was raining outside, and some wierd "trendy" chinese clothes. I stood there for about 30 seconds staring at her, then I started to look at some of the clothes, she looked up and jumped in surprise. Apparently, my whiteness added to the shock. "We never get anyone in this store...now I have someone in the store and its a white male. I think I will have a heart attack." I looked around somemore and found a couple things that I was interested in. I finally decided on a pair of pretty kool looking earings that were surprisingly cheap. They weren't a precious metal, but they were neat. I guess they kinda looked like multi-colored fireworks or something. I don't know the best way to describe it at the moment.
I went next door to a "Cute" store and bought a Hello Kitty nightlite. I finally went into the "BIACK IEOPARD" and bought a shirt that is adore with chinese fashion and a spat of chinglish. It ruled. I picked up some snacks and went into the house to set up everything.
Yumi AIMed me and told me that Rumi had made plans with some students to go out at 10pm for her birthday. AIYA! No! Crap. She is supposed to be here at 930pm. I decided that Yumi bring her over at 9pm and then we can have 45 minutes for the surprise part. She didn't want to invite her students over. Yumi then came over and showed up with the cake all worried that the cake had been destroyed. On her way over a motorcycle guy ran into it because he wasn't be courteous. I opened it up to check it and it had shifted about 4 inches on its base. Nothing major, but I didn't want to move it for risking cake base damage. So I left it. Its got Hamtaro and his friend on it. I totally want to knife them.
Yumi left to her place and to convince Rumi to go shopping down by here. People starting showing up at 830pm when I called everyone to tell them that the surprise had moved up to 9pm. It was all good. Everyone was flexible. Then around 830pm, Yumi called to say that Rumi didn't want to go out and that she was too busy getting ready to stop by the house. Great. So, I told her to beg her to come over for 5 minutes for her present that I had ready for her. She hung up and I didnt not hear anything from her until I called her at 9pm asking what was going on. Yumi said they would leave in 10 minutes. Sounds like she will be here at 930pm afterall. Oh well. We all sat around.
Finally at 930pm they showed up. I made everyone sit in the corner opposite the refridgerator behind the doors across from the stairs. Peter had my camera. Unfortunately some jackass turned off the lites so the camera didn't have enuff lite and wouldn't be able to get a decent shot or Rumi's surprise. I opened the door and brought her in and led her to my room where I said I had a present for her. As she walked into the area, everyone jumped out and yelled surprise while Nick and Ash shook up some beer bottles and squirted the hell out of her. Wow. Hilarious. She seemed surprised. She enjoyed the cake. She ended up leaving at about 1030pm and came back around 1130pm.
During the festivities, I heard Toby knocking the USA again. I should just ban that guy from my events. Like England has never made mistakes. He sure isn't blaming Tony Blair for aiding the US. My teeth are clench and I am yelling thru them.
The rest of the nite was great. I ate too much snacks and fell asleep. I have to be up at 650AM for 830AM class tomorrow morning in Guzhen. Fantastic.