So by now most of you have already gotten the picture that China loves rules. Even rules have rules about them. Nobody knows why most rules exist or why they should obey them but since they exist, they must be good and they must be followed. Flexibility as a concept does not exist. Or what we would sometimes refer as "common sense" (By our standards of course).

Case in Point? Raili started new school this week and we needed to learn the new rules fast. School starts at 8.30am and ends at 3pm. Sharp. All clothes must be labeled, each student needs to have a toothbrush and paste, hats are always worn outside and lacess shoes inside. Got it. Rules I can understand.

However, we failed the rules miserably with the new schoolbus this week.

Rule One: No parents on the bus, ever. Except on the first day of classes.
Result: FAILED. I was supposed to ride back with Raili on Monday afternoon but because of the typhoon that went over Shanghai, our driver got stuck on a flodded street and couldn't make it back ontime to drive me to Raili's school. I also FAILED to get a taxi (fighting was fearse outside our compund gate and after patiently waiting for 45 minutes, I still wasn't willing to "get local" and wrestle the next guy to the ground to grab a taxi), so the one day I COULD have ridden with her, I never made it to school. 

Rule Two: Bus picks up and drops off at the same place by our compound entrance Mon-Fri.
Result: FAILED. Second day of classes, school bus ayi calls our ayi and tells her we should wait in front of our own building instead of the compound entrance to be picked up. School bus never shows up and  Raili is left behind.

Rule Three: To enter the school grounds, one must present School ID or denied entry.
Result: FAILED. After the schoolbus forgot to pick Raili up, she and our ayi headed out to the school with a driver. At the school gate, they were asked to present the school ID, which was still in my purse on its way to "work". Or ayi explained that since the schoolbus and left Raili behind that morning, this should be considered a special circumstance - we hadn't expected to have to present the ID card. Only after a call from David to the admissions office they were finally allowed inside the school campus.

Rule Four: Person picking up kids must present school ID before the child is allowed to exit the bus.
Result: FAILED. Of course I still had the ID in my purse when it was time for Raili to get off the bus the same afternoon. Had I known about THIS rule, I could have come home early and handed in the ID. They actually kept her in the bus looking at our ayi through the window until David was summoned on the phone and said "yes" to allowing Raili get off the bus. 

Morale of the story? I sure hope we learned the rules this week because next Tuesday it's Kai's turn to start school and you just know there are going to be a new set of rules for the local stream. Looking forward another challenge? You betcha! :)