A New Experience

Eight concrete steps up.

Clear doors, faceless pillars, and a pink wall

The Grand Staircase splitting into two in the interior

Souvenirs, towels, and swim suits to attract attention                                    

We all hold C’estbon bottles, mostly empty.

A green table ready for some ping-pong at the side.

Double teams, white net splitting us

bent down, bottoms out, and let’s bring it on.

the red and black paddle delivers the attack

The game vivacious and furious

everyone stares at the ball, it’s the lifeline

someone doesn’t make it, or overshoots it

In our suites. Two beds, maybe triple

We end the day with some Risk

Deploying our troops. Building our tension

Shouts and moans because of five die.

Some too preoccupied, forgot to do the journals

Almost missing curfews.

Breakfast time. Wood table, white cloth, spinning glass,

We complain: food, hotel, sleep, labor.

Some late; facing Ms. Spisso’s glare with drowsy eyes. Extra work.

Bus, but not enough time for manicures.

Count off, but we forgot our numbers already.

Play with 52 cards or paper soccer, with limited success.

Arrive at the middle of nowhere

Dry brown road against a sunny green

Village huts like the Three Little Pigs

Mud buildings, with walls a beige shade.

Pot fences, it’s almost going to fall.

Large wooden door frames, can trip people

Hakka architecture marred by flood.

Habitat has better construction

Second and third stories dwarf surrounding huts

Walls with gray plaster, and others yet lined with red bricks

A three-storey building: no walls, with Greek pillars

Bricks to be moved, picked and tossed.

Competitive spirit rises with chants of “faster, faster”

Shredding gloves and our sticky pants

Tired, Unaware of dropped bricks, wrong shovels.

Boredom, we play “Marco Polo”, a word game.

Random objects like trees, people, gummy bears, computers,

evolve into Macbeth, assassinations, magnetic field strength. .

5 pm. Pack up and pause at a supermarket, sign of civilization

Dinner at 6:30. Back to the swiveling Round Table 

We talk about Dickens, fructose, titrations and overachievers.

We want hot springs, but exams appear in the pool. Bad idea.