When Does School Start?

I was talking to my parents on the phone this past weekend and they asked about this coming semester. Mom wanted to know when I would know if I would be moving down south. These ‘when’ questions are hard to answer out here. Today is the last day of February and the new semester is suppose to start the beginning of March. I still have no idea if I will be moving south to teach or if I will go on being a student.

Time and scheduling work very different in Uyghur culture. In our North American mind set if something is important you have to tell people early enough that they can set the date aside in their day planner. The further ahead you book the more important the event must be. We would hardly ever think of cancelling something that has been inked in for months. Out here the later you tell someone about an event the more important it is. If you are invited to a wedding two days before you know you are an honoured guest. If you are told about a meeting a few hours ahead of time you can bet it is important. So I guess if we do get the job we can assume they must really want us as teachers to have left it this late.

Me and a group of Uyghur students I taught English to two years ago.