2015-09-03

【Aiden in English】

        It is the 3^rd day of school. The class in the students is settling, drama declining, everyone getting into his/her grove and place for the school year. Well, not me apparently. I don’t know why, but somehow, mom seemed to miss the fact that the day my flight was booked coming home from Beijing was on the 2^nd day of school. Plus, I missed the orientation on August 31^st, and so it basically put me in the “Screwed” area. 

        As bad as it looked, there was a bright side to the situation. I didn’t have to do on the 1st day, “hey, let’s go around the circle to introduce ourselves” bullcrap. And that was great and all but the middle school has eight periods, which indicates eight different teachers. That also means eight times of “hey, uh, my name is Aiden and, uh, I sort of, uh… etc.” You got the point. For some reason, this year I felt kind of left out. At lunch, for example, the table/group of friends was already set up and I wasn’t in one. You see, this summer I was too busy. I sort of had to basically terminate all contact with my friends. Also there were like a billion papers to sign. Hey, Aiden, here’s a phys-ed form to fill out. Here’s a permission slip for heath. Here’s a grading policy, and a rule’s policy. Somewhere along the day, I stopped listening to what the form was and took it. 

        Speaking of annoying, because I wasn’t here for the past two days of school, that left me very behind on the supply topic. I needed 5 binders by the end of the week, and hey! Guess what?! That’s tomorrow. So I had to get all the stuffs here by tomorrow morning, but that was only the first issue. The real punch was thrown when I saw what I had to carry home. Each student had 2 textbooks: one at home and one at school. Today, my backpack was budging with 2 two-inch binders, my reading and geometry textbook, my lunch box, and an instrument binder, and my book. News flash, school board, it is not okay to torture kids. And my phys-ed teachers don’t say it’s good for upper body strength. Wait until the days I have the band. That’s another huge saxophone case to carry.

        To top this absolutely spectacular first day back, I have the worst issue with my locker. My combination is confusing. I’m not saying it but let’s just conclude that it has too many “three’s” like four of them. I’ll survive the school year. At least, that’s what the teacher all say.

       So the middle school has officially started, not that there was anything too “official” about the matter. It’s tough, to say the least, but every else seems to do okay. Even though my schedule sucks, and I’m always late for lunch. Because of it, my backpack is way too heavy, and I’m one of the last stops on the bus home. I’m forced to take the newspaper club and feel sort of okay with it.

【红霞译文】

        今天是开学第三天，教室里学生座位已安排妥当，突发状况日趋减少，每个人都为新学年做好了充分准备，显然我被排除在外。不知怎么搞的，妈妈误把我从北京返程机票订在开学第二天，害得我缺席八月卅一号开学典礼，基本上陷入“被冷落”的局面。

        表面上看起来情况不妙，但实际上未必糟糕透顶，至少我躲开了头一天常规：“嘿，大家按顺序自我介绍一下”，省掉这些繁文缛节令人感觉真爽，但初中上课被分成八个时段，意味着有八位不同的老师，也就是说要经历八回“嗨，呃，我叫儿歌；呃，我有点，呃，……等等”，明白我的意思了吧。处于某种原因，今年我有种落伍掉队的感觉。譬如：午餐时，同桌即同帮的哥儿们扎堆在一起，而我孑然一身。你看这个暑假我有多忙，几乎切断了与同学朋友一切往来。可眼前亟待签字画押的纸张堆积如山，呵儿歌，这份是体育课的表格需要完成，这里是健康状况清单，这张是评分标准，还有班纪校规，不知从什么地方开始，我一个耳朵进另一个耳朵出，手拿表格之后拔腿开溜。

        烦心上火的事不一而足，因为前两天缺席，我完全没顾得上准备学习用具，本周结束之前需要带来五个活页夹子，哇塞，知道吗？！说白了就是明天。明早，我必须备齐全部用品，但这只不过是引玉之砖，一看到要拎回家的东西我脑袋更懵。每位学生各发两本教科书：一本留家使用，另一本课堂上使用。这下可好，我的书包被两个两英寸厚的活页夹、一本语文书、一本几何书、一个饭兜、一本乐谱及个人笔记本塞得鼓鼓囊囊。新闻播音如雷贯耳，学校通知铺天盖地，要知道折磨少年儿童有失公理，我的体育老师再三强调这样有损身体上部肌肉发育，且不提若有乐队练习，我还得拎上偌大一个萨克斯管盒子。

        返校头一天最难缠特折腾人的事情要算开保险柜，密码数字组合复杂，这里暂且不便公开，这么说吧，中间有太多“三”，也许四个。一年过后，但愿我幸存无损，至少老师们一直安慰自己。

         就这样，新学年初中学习生涯正式开启，不过迄今尚未真正接触任何“正式”的东西。简而言之，这一天过得非常不易，其它事项看起来马马虎虎。我的时间表被排得不可理喻，结果连吃午饭都要迟到；由于书包负荷过重，以至于放学回家我成了最后一位赶坐校车的学生。另外，我被强行拉入校报俱乐部，不过已经没有心思计较太多。