Christmas Eve in Zhao Qing

The four of us XinXing-ers went to Zhao Qing for Christmas Eve to get away from our small town. We wanted to eat some good food and do some shopping, and that's exactly what we did! We ate at McD's twice and Pizza Hut once! Between stops for food, we walked and shopped all day long. Each of us had one or two things we really wanted to find and we were all successful! Add some great food, and it was a Christmas Eve to remember.

Dongzhi

Dongzhi is another Chinese holiday. It took place on December 22 this year. It can't be that big though, because no one told us about it until the day before! The only thing I know about it is that it has something to do with winter solstice, and they eat these crazy things called zongzi. I have pictures on snapfish, so you can see it taken apart step by step. It's basically sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and shaped into triangles. It looks cool, but it's not so tasty.

Christmas Parties

We had two parties at our apartment. One for the students, one for teachers. The first was for our students on Friday. We had about 23 show up and we had a great time! It lasted about two hours. We made wreath cookies which they loved after they tried them. It was great to watch them picking tiny pieces unsure of whether they wanted to try them! Then we played a game where they had to make smaller words from big words like: snowflake, ornament, etc. Finally, they found the stamps that Sara's mom brought us and had a blast stamping away on construction paper. They either made something for us, or had us write something meaningful for them to keep. It was a really fun time, and I'm sure they will never forget it.
The second party was for the teachers on Sunday. Seven teachers came along with Brandon, Caroline, Miss Chen, and Ou Ou. We started out by playing Christmas Bingo. Brandon told the story and when he said a word that matched the picture, they put a colored square on the paper. Everyone got a Bingo or two and won a prize. We gave away calendars, cds, and the pot holders I brought from Aunt Lottie. They really seemed to like all of the gifts! Then we made more wreath cookies which they also enjoyed. Then we played the same word game (the students were better than the teachers!). After that, we ate the cake that Violet sent over. It was delicious as usual! I think they all had a really great time, too. I know we did!

Guangzhou

Sara and I went to Guangzhou with our friend Miss Chen and her 12 year old daughter Ou Ou yesterday. Miss Chen is the piano teacher in town and she doesn't speak much English. But now she is trying harder because she wants to talk to us more. The whole trip she was sending text messages to Cathy asking her questions and how to say things in English. They were going to Guangzhou for Ou Ou's piano lesson. Her mom teaches her, but she also goes to a special school to learn more. During her piano lesson, we were able to walk around and do some shopping. The only thing we found to buy was books though. Then we had lunch with Miss Chen's friend, Simon. Simon is from Guangzhou, but studied in America for many years, so his English is better than anyone else we have met here – except maybe Sally. Also it was interesting to hear what he had to say about the way of life in China vs. America. Then, before heading home, we went to a mall to walk around, and to a grocery store where we got some things we can't get in XinXing. Then we ate at KFC and left. It was a long day, but we always enjoy getting out to different cities – especially with a tour guide!

Zhao Qing

Yesterday, Brandon and I went to Zhao Qing in the afternoon to meet Mark and get some packages from him. It was pretty uneventful except for one story I must share.
Brandon, I, and Mark's friend Julie were standing in a parking lot waiting as Mark got on his bus to go back to Hong Kong. There was a lady with a tin cup trying to get money from us since we were the only white people there which means we must have money. Brandon kept telling her that she could give him money! Then she left us alone, but she sent her little boy over with the cup. He must have been around 6 years old. He just stood next to Brandon and held the cup up as high as he could reach (about mid chest) and just waited. We all just tried to ignore him and kept talking. Then Brandon started absently playing with the boys hair like he was a dog! It was so hilarious! Finally he couldn't stand looking at the boys face because his nose was running and his face was quite dirty. So he asked me for the tissues I had just gotten at the restaurant. I gave them to him, and he wiped the boys face! I couldn't stop laughing! Then he put the rest of the tissues into the boys cup and the boy walked away! He didn't even seem to care that Julie was giving him a dollar!

Puppies and Chickens

After we made jiaozi, we went out for the afternoon with Mark and his good friend Mr. Chen. Mr. Chen wanted to give us a tour of his home and business. First, we stopped at a school next to his home which he gives money to. The school was quite small, but nice. While we were there, a funeral procession went by. It was very interesting to see what they do in the villages for a funeral. They set off firecrackers every 30 feet or so, and also had a couple of instruments playing. The women all carried white fans which they held in front of their faces.
Then we walked across the street to Mr. Chen's home. He has a very large home. Especially by Chinese standards. I think the house had 7 bedrooms and close to that many bathrooms. He also had 3 big dogs that we played with for a little while. We see many dogs, but don't dare touch them for fear of diseases, but we knew these dogs were well cared for. You can see pictures of some of the house on snapfish.
After touring the house, we thought we were going to Mr. Chen's chicken farm. We'd been looking forward to it all day. Well, we didn't. We stopped to see a reservoir which wasn't all that exciting when you were expecting to see chickens.
Finally, we went to see the chicken farm!!! We drove into the parking area and there we saw a bunch of puppies!!! They were adorable and only a couple weeks old. There were 8 puppies in all, and we couldn't put them down. Suddenly we didn't care about chickens. When they finally wrestled the puppies away from us, we went into the incubation building. Mr. Chen's chicken farm is the 2nd largest in XinXing. He sells 30,000 chickens a day which means he has to hatch at least that many! We saw rooms filled with eggs and some with newly hatched eggs and baby chicks. This was almost as exciting as the puppies! :) Then we came to a place with a bunch of eggs sitting out. They were bigger, oblong eggs, which means they are twins! They discard these eggs because there either they will be smaller, or they will not survive. We wanted to go see the chickens, but we were not allowed to get too close because they did not want to contaminate the rooms.... hmmm... I won't say it.
Then we went back to play with the puppies for a little while and then it was finally time for dinner. Yes, we had chicken! :) We also had some of the eggs with two yokes. Have you ever eaten a fried egg with two yokes? I have! We had dinner at a restaurant where the room we ate in turned into a KTV room. They expected us to sing after that! Well, I was feeling exhausted and very dirty by that time, so I was not in the mood to sing any songs. Thankfully they didn't make us stay very long.

Jiaozi and Friends

Yesterday was another wonderful day in XinXing. It began with a trip to the market with Sally and Belinder to pick up supplies for making jiaozi (dumplings filled with pork, ham, carrot, and mushrooms). They used our kitchen to chop everything into tiny bits and mixed it all together. Then we set to the task of stuffing many many dumplings. It took a long time, but it was so much fun! We talked about lots of different things along with learning some Chinese words such as "kuai luo" which means "chopstick fell"! We said this every time a chopstick fell on the floor! It was confusing at first because it sounds like "kuai le" which means "happy". I wondered why Ale was happy that Sara's chopstick fell on the floor... Anyway, when the dumplings were filled, we cooked them and had lunch. It was delicious! If only I had the motivation to do that much work for one meal more... :) There are many more pictures on Snapfish too.

Turkey Lesson

During the two weeks before Thanksgiving, I taught my students the true meaning of the holiday. I taught them about pilgrims and why they went to America, and I taught them about the indians who helped them. I also told them about the food we eat and they were fascinated. “How do you make that? I'm sooo hungry!” Then I got to the fun part! I had this written on a slide for them to read: Imagine you are a turkey and Thanksgiving is coming soon. You really don't want to be chosen for the dinner table. Write a speech explaining why your partner is a better choice for Thanksgiving dinner. After the outbursts of “What?! I'm a turkey?!” wore off, they settled down to write their arguments. Many of them were the same, but I got some really funny ones too. I edited some of them so that they make sense. I'm sorry there are so many, but I couldn't narrow it down any more. Enjoy!

1. DK: I think Jack is the best one to choose. Please look at him. He is enormous with much muscle. Mmmm... He smells very delicious. Unluckily, I'd like to be chosen, but I am not stronger than he. What a pity. Now I'm telling you a secret. I have been infected with the flu called H5N1 (bird flu), so I can't be eaten. But he hasn't been infected so he is the best one to choose.
2. Jack: I think my partner, DK is the better choice for the dinner table because I have cancer. If you want to have cancer, eat me; and if you don't, eat him. My partner is also stronger and bigger than me. The important thing is he is healthy, so I am sure his meat is delicious. So it is better to choose him.
3. Nash: My beautiful owner, don't chose me. I am too fat to eat and I will taste very terrible. My partner is a better choice because his meat tastes more delicious. Also, he often makes much noise. You should choose him and stop him making noise.
4. Prince: Don't choose me. I'm too small and Dark is bigger than me. Also, he is very healthy because he often does exercise and I'm too lazy to move my body. So he is strong and his meat is delicious. My body is mostly bone and my muscles are too little. H5N1 is my best friend. If you don't want to be friends with this disease, please choose him, my partner, Dark.
5. Sunny: I want to tell you how much I miss you, my dear owner. It was so cold these days that I caught a bad cough unluckily! I became thinner and weaker. Sorry to tell you that I can't contribute myself to you. Swish is so healthy that you can choose her. Look! Her nice and big legs, her pretty neck and her smelly body. Do you want to have a taste? I'm too old, she is younger. I'm afraid I will die before you kill me! So leave me! Allow me to live until I go to see the God!
6. Lily: I have many advantages, like I can sing and dance. I will make the people feel very happy. I can help the farmer to catch the insects and make the plants grow strong. I can bear eggs and let the people earn a lot of money.
7. Jane: I am very happy to be chosen, but I think you are better than me.
Wing: No. No. I think you are healthier than me.
Jane: No. In fact, I have a bad cold. If I am chosen for the dinner table it will not be good for the guests.
Wing: It's not necessary, there is much time. You can go to the doctor before Thanksgiving Day.
Jane: Ok. I am willing to be chosen for the dining table.
8. Cherry: Oh! My delicious turkey! I'm coming!
Grace: Oh, no! Please! Don't choose me!
Cherry: Why? You look so tasty! You will give us an unforgettable dinner!
Grace: I'm too thin. I think you should choose a fatter one. Yeah! I will get fatter and more delicious next year.
Cherry: But now I think no one is better than you! And it's your honor to be the delicious food for people.
Grace: Oh! If you have made up your mind, I have nothing to say!
9. Lisa: Oh my dear friend! Do you know you are perfect? You are thinner than me so your meat will be more delicious.
Windy: No. My meat is hard to eat. If people eat me they will have a toothache. You are so kind, you must not want me to be killed by people.
Lisa: No, you are not only nice, but also very smart. If you were chosen for the dinner table, the people will be smart too!
Windy: I'm not smart. I am always losing my way. You are smart. You can guide all the turkeys to play.
Lisa: You are not confident. You know you are the best choice my friend!

And my two favorites:
2. King: I'm a little, little, ugly thing. My face is ugly, my claws are ugly as well as my wings. But my favorite friend Jan is very handsome and perfect and attractive. I'm so weak and I've just caught a big flu, I may infect and weaken anyone who approaches me. But my friend Jan is pretty strong and never gets ill. I have a bad smell but Jan always smells delicious!
1. Yaya: My partner's name is Suveny. The young girl is so delicious. Why? Because some days when I pass her, I always can smell a nice and sweet scent from her hair. And the important point is that she's taller than me – the pathetic, short, thin chicken (turkey). How would you refuse a long, big chicken (turkey) leg in front of your mouth? If you eat me, you'll swallow the bone – you have to! Also, it is said that her ancestors all were selected for KFC. If you're wise, you'll choose her.

Kung Fu Fighting

At the end of October, I started learning a branch of kung fu called “wushu”. It is a performance with a “cudgel” or long pole. I am told that it is something students must learn in order to get into a kung fu fighting course. I have had five classes now and I really enjoy it! I am getting a workout and it brings me back to my days as a dancer learning a performance. My teacher is another English teacher named Stephen, and he practices his English while I practice wushu! Below is an article I found on a website explaining a little more of it's history.

What is Wushu?
provided by Raffi Kamalian
Among China's well kept secrets, one caught the imagination of Americans - Chinese wushu. Wushu is an important component of the cultural heritage of China, with a rich content that has remained untarnished over the centuries. Literally translated, "wu" is military, "shu" is art. Wushu therefore means the art of fighting, or martial arts.
Previously, wushu figured significantly in the simple matter of survival through China's many wars and political upheaval. Today, wushu has been organized and systematized into a formal branch of study in the performance arts by the Chinese. It reigns as the most popular national sport in the country of 1.1 billion people, practiced by the young and old alike. Its emphasis has shifted from combat to performance, and it is practiced for its method of achieving heath, self-defense skills, mental discipline, recreational pursuit and competition.
To describe wushu, it is best to understand the philosophy of its teaching. Every movement must exhibit sensible combat application and aestheticism. The wealth of wushu's content, the beauty of wushu movements, the difficulty factor, and the scientific training methods are the song of the elements that set wushu apart from martial arts. Routines are performed solo, paired or in groups, either barehanded or armed with traditional Chinese weaponry. In short, wushu is the most exciting martial art to be seen, felt, and ultimately practiced.
How is wushu related to kung fu and taijiquan? "Wushu" is the correct term for all Chinese martial arts therefore kung fu and wushu were originally the same. During the last thirty years, wushu in Mainland China was modernized so that there could be a universal standard for training and competing. In essence, much emphasis has been placed on speed, difficulty, and presentation. Consequently, wushu has become an athletic and aesthetic performance and competitive sport, while "kung fu" or traditional wushu remains the traditional fighting practice. Taijiquan is a major division of wushu, utilizing the body's internal energy or "chi" and following the simple principle of "subduing the vigorous by the soft."
Although still in budding stages in many countries, wushu is an established international sport. In 1990, wushu was inducted as an official medal event in the Asian Games. Since then World Championships have taken place with 56 nations participating. Wushu is also vying for the Olympic games in the 21st century.
Taken from http://www.stanford.edu/group/wushu/whatis.html

Reflections After Three Months

I thought I would share one of my emails that I feel tells a lot about how I'm feeling lately:
"Honestly, I don't want to go home yet. I really like it here and even though I have things I wish were different or better, nothing is unbearable. I am finally getting to know many of my students' names and I'm getting better and better at understanding Chinese. I'm just getting settled in now. I'm also starting to get nervous about going home. I know it will be a HUGE difference to go home. I WILL miss it here. It's impossible to live somewhere and not find a way to make it home or get attached to the people you meet. In Madison, I met many people and made it my home, but there I only knew maybe 200 people. Here I have met thousands in only 3 months. They all care about me and are eager to be my friend. How can I leave here and NOT miss them? So now I am feeling torn between my homes. I can't imagine what it will be like to not see Sally almost every day, or be greeted by my students, or see the smiles of the little children and their grandparents. Even the lunch ladies are special!"
So, after three months, I have made China my home and it makes me sad to think that after less than one year I will return to America and I may never see these amazingly special people again. I hope I am able to show them how much I care about them and tell them who will always love them no matter where they are.

Mountain Climbing

Today we went to climb a mountain with our principal, his son Jimmy, Cathy, and some other people I don't know. We drove quite a ways up the mountain to a little building with a restaurant. Several tables were set up outside, some had a covering above them. There were chickens and dogs running everywhere - what a sight! They ran around your feet while you ate trying to find any scraps to eat. There were also large tubs that the owners would dump leftovers into for them to eat. If the chickens didn't get there first, they had to wait until the dogs had enough!
Then we began to climb. We were given hats and umbrellas to protect from the hot sun. The air was cool though, so we were still wearing long sleeves. It was really beautiful there! We found a couple trees with pretty fall colors, but mostly still green! We also walked past many tea trees and I learned which part of the leaf is best for making tea. Turns out a tree has to be 80 years old before it gives good tea. Wow! As we got closer to the top, it got much steeper and we finally came up to the top. WOW!!! What a view! We had a good time taking pictures and relaxing for a while before heading back down.
When we got back to the restaurant area, we found a giant pile of hay to play in and take pictures. Jimmy and Brandon chased and caught the chickens, and we sat around picking stickers off our pants and shoes. It was one of my favorite days so far. We got some fantastic pictures and had a wonderful time! In December or January the trees there will be in bloom so I hope we are able to go back and see them.

The Big Wedding

Today we were invited to the Experimental School for a big wedding. Seven couples got married! I believe all 14 of them are teachers, but I don't know for sure. It is not common for Chinese people to marry in groups, but it does happen. They also have two types of weddings. One is traditional which is much more elaborate and brides wear a read dress. The other is western which is more like the American style wedding.
The wedding we went to was western. The brides wore white dresses, the couples marched down an aisle and all stood together in front of the banquet room. Then they did several things. First, each person said something about their bride or groom. Then the school presented them with a gift. They all exchanged rings, then kissed for 10 seconds (and everyone counted!). A toast was made, they threw the bouquets, and cut the cake.
Then the couples left the room and the food was served with a flourish. The food was delicious and after a long time, the couples finally returned. They brides had changed into red dresses - some were traditional and some were not. They walked around the room doing toasts at each table before sitting down to eat. Soon after, the guests began to leave and we were left sitting there. It was a very special evening. One I am so happy to have been a part of!

Thanksgiving in China

Since Sara's Mom was here for Thanksgiving we had a somewhat traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Brandon and Caroline came over and we all helped cook something. There was chicken with celery and carrots cooked in the rice cooker, Stove Top stuffing, cranberries from a can, cranberry Jello, rolls from the shop downstairs, green beans and corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie (with no crust) and apple crisp for dessert. Afterward we watched 'Casino Royale' and cleaned up.
It was quite a unique Thanksgiving. I was also able to talk to my family after their Thanksgiving dinner, so that was really special.

Some things I'm thankful for:
1. God and all He does for me every day
2. The support of my family and friends
3. The experiences I've had and will have this year in China
4. The blessings I've received in my lifetime. I have so much more than many of the people I meet here. It is really amazing to learn what they live without because they don't know any different.
5. People who know Mandarin and English! Without them I would be having a much harder time here!

Zhao Qing

Sara's Mom came to visit us November 18-25 so we wanted to take her somewhere besides just XinXing. We got our Wednesday Oral English class moved to Saturday morning so we would have the whole day free to go to Zhao Qing. This is the city we went to for Mid Autumn Day in September. I was successful in purchasing the bus tickets to Zhao Qing and Sara bought the ones to return home!
When we were there we spent a lot of time stopping in shops that caught our interest. Finally we got to the big mall and had lunch at Pizza Hut. It was the first time we've had PH since we came to China. It tastes the same, but they put some different toppings on them. They have several seafood pizzas, some with octopus and shrimp... but we didn't get those...
Then we went into the mall to do some shopping. Everything was more expensive than we were expecting so we went to a different one. We hadn't gotten too far into that one when Sara noticed her camera was gone. She hadn't taken a single picture that day, so we know that someone stole it. Thankfully we have all of her pictures on her and my computers, so none of them were lost. But it put quite a damper on the day. We weren't in the mood to do any more shopping, so we went over to the lake and took some pictures for a while.
At 5 we were going to head back to the bus station when we noticed a market area. We spent an hour there looking at everything and talking with the people as much as we could with our limited Chinese. One of the men was teaching me a bunch of words, and one of the ladies kept saying "Hey! Hello!" to get our attention. It was so funny! Well, then we stopped at McD's to eat and headed back to the bus station. It was a really nice day. I wish we had more time to go there to explore more of the city. Brandon and Caroline want to go there for Christmas, so maybe we'll tag along.

Hot Springs and KTV

On Friday the 16th, Adam and Christine came to visit from Hong Kong. It was so great to show them around our town. On Friday night we went to the Hot Springs for some relaxation. Mark went off by himself and the other 6 of us were in a shallow warm pool (basically like a bath tub but much bigger). Caroline wanted to play “Duck, Duck, Goose” and started. I started calling “Jia you!” (refer to sports meet for meaning) Then she chose Adam to be the goose but he wouldn't play. Well, two older Chinese men were watching and heard me calling so they started calling something back to us. Adam says “If we can get those two guys to play with us, then I will play.” So we did! We taught them how to play and we figured out the Chinese words “ya, ya, e”. We explained how to play and played a rousing game of ya ya e! It was quite hilarious and a very unique experience for all of us! :)
On Saturday the 17th, we went to MFC. Adam and Christine got a kick out of it. If you haven't heard, MFC is the only fast food restaurant in XinXing. It is a cross between McD's and KFC and they have some obvious copy write issues... :) After that we went to KTV with some of the teachers at my school: Sally, Ale, and Belinder. We sang lots of songs, had some beers, and had a really good time! It's also very close to my school so we will have to go again.
After we were finished, we all walked Christine back to her hotel which was about the same distance as our school but the other direction. We stood outside on a busy street talking and saying goodbye when a guy on a motorcycle came flying by and crashed into a median about 20 feet from us. He was going the wrong way on the street and not wearing a helmet. Thank God he landed in the bushes. He got up, picked up everything and got right back on and drove off. I'm still not sure if he was drunk or just shaken up. Definitely in shock. So now we can say we caused an accident...

Chinese Birthday

Zhu ni shengri kuai le!
My Birthday was on Wednesday, November 14th, and some of my students decided they wanted to throw me a party! We set it for Tuesday at 6:30pm. They came over, brought all of the fixings for making dinner and cooked it themselves! They also brought a cake! It was delicious! Seven students were here to eat and while they were cleaning the kitchen – they did all the dishes too! – Brandon and Caroline showed up. We had cake, and then taught them how to play Uno. They loved it and wanted to keep playing, but it was already 10pm so we sent them home. What a memorable birthday!

Sports Meet

Jia you! (Come on!)
After our vacation, we got home in time to see some of the sports meet. I went out in the morning because I thought it would only go until noon. I barely got to watch any of it because the students wanted to take lots and lots of pictures of me and with me. It got a little tiring when I didn't know the students, but when they were my students I had a blast! I found out it would go until 4:30, so I left after an hour, and in the afternoon Sara came down with me. She didn't enjoy it as much. She got tired of getting her picture taken so much and left early. I stayed until almost the end. I loved every minute of it! It really was a lot like a typical track meet in America. The classes competed against each other in running and jumping and they got medals too! I have lots and lots of pictures posted of this too.

November Vacation

Sara and I found out by accident that we had vacation time Nov. 5-9. So we took advantage of it and planned a trip north to visit our friends in Hangzhou and Wenling. Our students had mid-terms Mon-Wed, and then our school had a sports meet Thur-Sat.
It was a little scary as we headed out on our trip across China, but God was with us the whole way and took care of us. Everything worked out perfectly! Every time we had to switch from a bus to a taxi or to the airport or another bus, or whatever, it went very smoothly. We never had to wait in one place for more than 20 minutes. God had it all under control!
Sunday we left XinXing and went to Guangzhou with Cathy. She had to be there for a class that week. On Monday she got us a taxi to take us to the airport at 8:30. After many vehicle changes, we arrived in Wenling at 6pm. Nate and Becca met us there with shouts of “White people! White people!” It was quite a welcome! Then the whole group took us out to a restaurant for pizza and then just walked around looking in shops.
Tuesday, we had breakfast at a European place called Idea Bread. The pastries were wonderful! After that, Nate, Sara and I climbed a mountain/hill called the Stone Lady. If you've seen the pictures and are wondering, I don't know why it is called that. Anyway, it was quite a climb – mostly stairs – but the view was really great. And Sara is a celebrity here too. The Chinese people always want their picture taken with her because she has blond hair and fair skin. They don't care about me! After the climb, we went with Becca and Sarah to see the Kindergarten where they teach and get our bus tickets. I was a little nervous to try it alone, but I did it! SUCCESS! On the way back we walked past a huge church that is being built. It's been a work in progress for four years already and doesn't look close to being done. It's shaped like an ark, and is pretty cool looking. That evening, we all just hung out in Nate's room and played Uno and talked. It was great having a group of people to hang out with and laugh and tell jokes like old times.
Wednesday, we had breakfast and got on the bus to Hangzhou. We arrived at the school where Jackie, Eric and Laura live at 2:30 and were ready to find some food. Jackie and Laura took us down by West Lake and we walked around for a while. Finally we settled for McDonald's and DQ. Then we decided to take a boat ride on the lake. They were asking $80/person, but we said $25. They kept saying no, but finally one of them said $100/four people... uh.... OK! We had to wait until they found two other Chinese girls to come with us, but then we went out and were on the lake while the sun was setting. It was so beautiful! I love Hangzhou because you don't have to be a good photographer to get great pictures! Check them all out on Snapfish. Some of them are amazing!
After the boat ride, we met Eric and their friend, Cammie, for Mexican food!!! Burritos, nachos, and margaritas! Delicious! Then we went back to Cammie's place and watched a chick flick. That was also wonderful to hang out with a bunch of girls and watch a movie. We made fun of it most of the time and it was a blast.
Thursday, everyone had to teach, so Sara and I went shopping alone. We went to a famous souvenir street and shopped for six hours. We got so many wonderful things. Gifts for our friends and families, and also many things for ourselves. We each got a silk shirt and fans that say “God loves all people. Blessed are Angels of Peace.” Amazing! Then we found a pet store with small animals. Hamsters, turtles, bunnies, and... a squirrel! Crazy. For supper we met the girls at Subway and each got a footlong! We had to fill up on all the western food we could! Then we had to rush back for English Corner. We piled all 5 of us in a cab (very naughty) and laughed the whole way back.
Friday we got up and packed our things before we had to head out to the airport again. We got bumped up to first class! (The first picture) When we landed in Guangzhou, Cathy was there waiting for us with a driver to take us straight home. We stopped for dinner, and were home by 8. All in all, a wonderful vacation! Thanks to everyone who took care of us!

Life in China

I realized I haven't taken time to share some of my day-to-day experiences, so I will share some of the typical things that happen...

There are some things Sara and I have noticed during our time in China. Because they learn British English more often than American English, they say things differently than we do. Such as: have a sit, or have a rest. Face is a big deal in China. They are concerned about “saving face” and not “losing face”. So, instead of telling us what to do, they make suggestions until we pick the correct choice. That way, it sounds like we have a choice, and they don't make us lose face. Instead, it drives us crazy! Maybe should really be taken out of their vocabulary, because if they use maybe, they really mean you should do whatever they suggest.

Here's a real situation:
Cathy: Dinner is ready, are you coming now?
Ann: Yes, Cathy, we just left.
Cathy: Will you come by bike or on foot?
Ann: We are walking, is that ok?
Cathy: That's ok, but the food is hot now, so maybe you should ride your bike.
Ann: We would like to walk.
Cathy: Maybe you'd better ride your bikes.
Ann: Ok, we'll ride our bikes.
Cathy: Ok, see you in a little bit.
(Note: The food was not ready when we got there.)

OR

Sally: You need to come to the office to sign an important document, is it convenient?
Ann: No, Sally, it's not convenient.
Sally: Ok, I will wait a few minutes then.
Ann: Ok, we'll be down in a little bit.

They also like to wait until the last minute to tell us about something big. Such as classes being canceled, or having to teach on the weekend. Most of the time it isn't an issue, but one time, we found out on Wed, that we wouldn't have classes Thur or Fri. We could have gone somewhere for a four day weekend. But then on Thur evening, we found out we would have Fri afternoon classes. And then about an hour before my class, I found out I would not have it. So, I still didn't have any classes, and Sara had two.

Sometimes, we get lucky and find out details ahead of time. Like about two weeks ago, I found out by accident that Sara and I will have next week off! Sally wasn't going to tell us because it wasn't here yet. But since we found out so early we had plenty of time to plan a getaway. We are going back to Hangzhou to visit three teachers there, and also to Wenling to visit six teachers there. We are so excited to see our friends and have some different people to talk to! Anyway, the reason we have off is that our students will have mid-term exams Mon-Wed, and there will be a sports meet at our school Thur-Fri. I think this means a track meet. I would like to see it, but if I have five days off, I'm going somewhere!

Teaching is going well. Sara and I are getting better at planning lessons. I made a worksheet for the students this week. I thought it would be too easy, but it seems to challenge most of them, so that is good. We are also teaching about Halloween. We put together a powerpoint with pictures and simple explanations of typical Halloween things such as costumes, Trick or Treat-ing, bobbing for apples, hayrides, haunted houses, and jack-o-lanterns. The students LOVE it! They want to know if I have done these things, and I tell them “Yes! I have done all of these things many times.” They can't believe it!

Now for a couple top ten lists (in no particular order).

Things I love
1.Everything is amazingly cheap. I bought shoes for 79 RMB which is about $10.50. In America they would probably cost $50. Also, lunch at the cafeteria typically costs between 1-3 RMB or 13-40 cents!
2.The weather is beautiful, still a cool 75-80 degrees with very little humidity. (The Chinese people are already wearing long sleeves and jackets.)
3.Pearpples. The greatest fruit ever! It looks like a yellow apple, but tastes like a pear. The texture is something in between. Delicious! They just call them pears, but I gave them a new name!
4.Dried pineapple. Guangdong Province is known for its dried fruits and pineapple is my favorite.
5.Shoes! Shoes! Shoes! They don't even have to match your clothes!
6.The music played between classes. It is a beautiful piano tune.
7.Traditional artwork such as tassels, knots, paper cutting and folding.
8.The teachers' kids when they smile because they recognize us.
9.The people who make an effort to talk to us and learn more about us.
10.Teaching! It is so fun when the students have fun with it!

Things I don't like
1.The music played at 6am. Especially the national anthem on repeat.
2.Bones in meat (the best meat is closest to the bone).
3.Trying to talk with people who don't speak English very well. It really takes a lot of energy.
4.Our “jail cell”. Just kidding! We have bars on our windows which makes it obvious where we live.
5.Teaching on the sixth floor.
6.Our bikes. They are too small and very awkward to ride.
7.Being stared at everywhere I go because I am American.
8.Cafeteria food. I usually get the same thing all the time, I'm not sure I will be able to stand it for a whole year.
9.Being so far away from home. I miss everyone so much!
10.Teaching. Some of the students just don't care and won't even try.

I told some of you that I expected to be told that I am fat. I was a bit disappointed when every time I asked someone if I am fat, they told me "No! You are very slim!" Well, yesterday I was told by two people at two different times that my face looks a little fat in some pictures. Especially when I have my hair straight. I'm not sure if that means my face looks thinner now, or if curly hair just makes it look thinner...

Thanks to all of you who check my blog regularly. Your support is much appreciated!
Happy Halloween!

Hong Kong 10/3-7

Right after Mid-Autumn Day is National Day on October 1. This is the Chinese Independence Day. This is the first of our major school breaks. We had a week off from school and decided to go to Hong Kong with Brandon and Caroline. This was quite an ordeal because Sara and I still had not gotten our residency permit which we needed in order to get back into China. We got it just in time, and since everything was so up in the air, our friends didn't get us bus tickets in time. We ended up going Wednesday through Sunday. It wasn't long enough, but it was worth it anyway. We stayed with our friends in Hong Kong. Sara and I stayed with Rob and Judy, while Brandon and Caroline stayed with Mark and Sue.

On Thursday, we learned how to use the MTR (underground train) and Octopus cards (credit card like cards that hold money that can be used to ride the MTR and buses, or in random shops like 7 Eleven or sometimes restaurants). Octopus cards are extremely handy! The only problem is it's easy to spend it because you don't see it, and it's hard to remember to check it to make sure you don't run out of money on it. Otherwise, they are wonderful! Anyway, we didn't have a plan, so we wasted a lot of time, but we did find a street with lots of vendors to buy souvenirs. And we found some cool places to take pictures, too.

On Friday, we went to an area called Stanley to the market to buy more souvenirs. I don't like shopping for other people because I don't know what they will like, so if you have something in mind that you would like from China, let me know (within reason of course)! After lunch, we went to the zoo. What? Hong Kong has a zoo? Yes, even though most people that live there don't know they have a zoo, they do. It isn't very interesting, but it was worth checking out once. They had mostly monkeys and birds, but there were other things, too. There were lots of stray cats running around teasing the monkeys, so that was entertaining!

On Saturday, Sara and I ventured out alone to check out Ocean Park. It is an amusement park and aquarium, with pandas. Very random, but also cool! It is situated by some mountains, and split into two parts. The only way to get to the main part is to take the cable car. It is scary being up so high, but the view was amazing! We had a lot of fun there even though we only had a couple hours. We saw the pandas twice because they are so cute! I took a video of one of them eating bamboo! We also liked the shark tank with stingrays and the sea lions. Their idea of fair food is a little different than ours... such as Mr. Squid... hmmm... The park was also decorated for Halloween with skeletons all over the place, but the thing that made me laugh, was a wooden cart with some hay and a pumpkin or two on it. A bunch of Chinese people were standing around taking pictures of it. The most boring decoration! I wish I had taken a picture of them...

That evening, Rob and Judy prepared a dinner and some other friends, Adam, and the Gurgel's came. It was a wonderful dinner! Real rolls, meat, salad, things we don't get here in China. Then, much later, at about 9:30, we finally decided to leave and check out Victoria's Peak. It is a very scenic spot in Hong Kong. It was the one place that I most wanted to go to and we saved it for last. We took a ferry across to the island, then a tram up to the Peak, then escalators up to the top, and then the view was amazing! Rob let me use his tripod so I got some fantastic pictures! Check them out on Snapfish!
I can't wait to go back! I loved Hong Kong!

Mid-Autumn Festival

Lets see if I can explain Mid-Autumn Festival... (with help from a website)
It usually falls between mid Sept to mid Oct. around the Autumn equinox. It is sometimes called a harvest festival kind of like Thanksgiving. People hold ceremonies to greet winter and worship the moon, they also send round moon cakes to their relatives as gifts in expression of their best wishes of family reunion. When it becomes dark, they look up at the full silver moon or go sightseeing on lakes to celebrate the festival. Together with the celebration there appear some special customs in different parts of the country, such as burning incense, setting off fireworks, planting Mid-Autumn trees, lighting lanterns on towers and fire dragon dances. Because the full moon is round and symbolizes reunion, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the festival of reunion. All family members try to get together on this special day. Those who can not return home watch the bright moonlight and feel deep longing for their loved ones.

On Saturday, 9-22, Sara and I were invited to perform at a dinner celebration. We said we would sing a song and 6 other English teachers decided to join us. We sang a song called “Tomorrow Will be Better”. It is originally a Chinese song translated into English, so some of the words don't make sense. But it is a pretty song. The celebration was a lot of fun. The Chinese people don't just sit and talk, they play games and perform! They played three games: 1. Two people hold a balloon between their heads and run with it, 2. A relay holding a ping pong ball with chopsticks and running, and 3. Five people per team pass a ring between them with bendy straws. We played the third game. It was pretty funny! We ended up with the principal and headmaster on our team! Our performance was ok, some of us forgot our lines and we were way off the beat, but the crowd loved it anyway. Probably mostly because of the Americans! They also like to give away money or have drawings for prizes. All but one of us at our table won some money.

The school was closed from 5pm Tues 9-25 until Wed 9-26 at 7:30, so Sally and her fiance, Ale (not pronounced the way you think), entertained us. On Tuesday, we went out to dinner and then went shopping at the supermarket. We hadn't been upstairs before, so when we went up, we were amazed at how big it is! I got a pair of shoes! They are very Chinese looking. I love that the Chinese don't care if their shoes match their clothes or not, because I got a pair of yellow shoes! On our way back home, Cathy called and wanted us to go to KTV with her and her family and friends. We couldn't say no (it's impossible with Chinese people), so we went and actually had a lot of fun.

On Wednesday, Sally and Ale took us to Zhao Qing which is about an hour away. We met Sally's classmate, Shirley, and her fiance, Mr. Ge. We saw our first dragon dance! And we rode a boat across the river to downtown. Went to the shops which is really more of a mall, complete with large rotunda similar to the Mall of America's. Then we went to a lake nearby and took lots of goofy pictures. We had a blast! Shirley invited us back whenever we want to visit. I'm sure we will!

Mid-Autumn Festival is my new favorite holiday! (Except for the moon cakes.)
I'll try to post more pictures from each of these events. I have lots!

Observations

The students have classes almost every day, so they typically wear at least part of their uniform. I suspect that there are different colors of blue for each grade level, but I haven't totally figured that out yet. But when they aren't wearing their uniforms, they wear jeans and t-shirts with "English words and sayings" on them. They usually don't mean anything. They rarely wear shorts and never tank tops even though it is so hot. Modesty is important. The other teachers wear skirts or slacks and cute tops like I wear. The men of course wear "trousers" and button-down shirts.

I had the assumption that they would be "behind the times", but they are actually very trendy. Since I left most of my trendy things home, I feel a bit "behind the times"! They have adorable shoes! I can't wait to go shoe shopping. The women are always wearing dainty high heels, or ballet-type flats like are popular in America.

There is an average around 50-52 students per class. Sometimes more or less. It doesn't really feel like that many, though. They are seated in four rows of pairs:
xx xx xx xx
xx xx xx xx
all the way back.

Addresses - Before you Send Anything!

If you plan to send anything to my school address, please email me first. I am going to get a word document with the address in both Chinese and English. We are afraid anything that might come here will get lost or sent back because they won't be able to read it. You can still send things to HK, it only takes up to 10 days to get there. But be careful of the weight. Mark has to deliver them to us, and I feel bad if the packages are too heavy.
Thanks!

If you would like to send mail or packages with clothing/sensitive materials, please send it to the following address:
Life Net Ltd.
C/O Mark Sprengeler
688 Shanghai Street 10F/B
Kowloon, Hong Kong

Other packages can be sent here to the school:
XinXing County Number One High School
XinXing New City, YuCai South Rd. #1
Guangdong, China 527400

I've been told that Priority Mail International is the best way to send things to China.

Wo shi laoshi! (I am a teacher!)

This has been a busy week! On Monday, our school had its opening ceremony. Sara and I were required to be there and sit on the stage. We sat behind the important officials, along with several other teachers. I think they were department heads. Finally, we were introduced, and when we stood, the students cheered! It was awesome! They are very excited that we are here. We feel like celebrities every day.
On Wednesday, our luggage finally arrived! We have teaching clothes! We also got our bicycles. It felt like Christmas.

On Saturday, our school had a banquet for Teachers Day, which was Sept. 10. All of the teachers went, and we got to sit with the other English teachers. It was a great time! All of our friends were laughing at my chopstick abilities. I'm pretty good, but it is harder when 9 Chinese people are watching you... During the banquet, our principal introduced us and presented us with Letters of Appointment. All of the teachers cheered this time!
On Sunday, Brandon and Caroline came over to have a weekly meeting. Then we went out for supper at the Western restaurant closest to our school. It is a coffee shop! I thought I wouldn't be able to find coffee here, but it is right down the street! Anyway, we thought we would be able to get by at a restaurant by ourselves, but it didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped. I had written some foods down in a notebook that I had along, and Brandon has been studying Mandarin for a year, so we thought it would be fine. It seems like Brandon missed the class on restaurants... Finally, he told them to do what they could, and we would eat it. We ended up getting everything we ordered/wanted! But we also got something like chai tea. I'm just glad it was good... :) So that was our first venture out without anyone to translate for us. It was a bit scary, but it turned out well.
On Monday, I started teaching. It went pretty well. I rushed through my first class and ran out of things to talk about, but it was fine. After that, it has gone much better. I've been bringing a picture of my family to show the students. They love it. They think we are all SO beautiful and SO young! One of the girls thought my Mom was the most beautiful, another one thinks Holly is very beautiful. Then, I was told that my Dad looks like Bill Gates... Oh, and one of the boys wants Bethany's phone number. I've also been bringing all of my MN Twins things. They don't know much about baseball, but I'm pretty sure that after a year, they will all be Twins fans!
I'm trying to work on learning Mandarin, also. I haven't taken enough opportunities to learn it yet. But I am trying to just learn one thing at a time. At least the language doesn't sound like gibberish anymore, it sounds like words now. If only I knew what they mean! The Chinese people we have met are so great! They make me laugh all the time. Our favorite question for them is how they chose their English names. There is always a good story behind it. I love some of the English names that they have chosen, too. Some of my friends (other teachers) are: TuTu, Greek and Shicano (she made it up). Some of my students are: Today, Character (I already have one in my class!), Flower, Lucky, Energy, YoYo, Tiger, Dacky, Dwyne, and Terly.

One week in China

Where to start? So much has happened... On Monday evening, we stopped at Carrefour to get some clothes or other items we might need. Sara and I found these great t-shirts. Yes, they say "We ahe tre bert fsiedns". All of the correct letters are there, but they got switched around somehow. :) Also, we bought 5 shirts for 100RMB. That's only 13 USD!!! Everything is so cheap here!

We have walked along West Lake (the first three photos) quite a bit the last few days. It is so gorgeous! It seems like everywhere you look is another beautiful scene. There is also so much to do and see.
Thursday we went up to a buddhist temple in the mountains (fourth photo). We hiked quite a bit through the rocky terrain up the mountain. The views were amazing. We could have spent days walking all of the paths.

Friday night we went to KTV since it was our last night all together. We all had a blast singing songs of all sorts. We stayed out until 2am!

Saturday we flew down to Guangdong and got to see our apartment and Brandon & Caroline's at the Experimental Middle School. Theirs is bigger, but ours is nicer! :)

We don't start teaching until next week since we don't have any of our teaching clothes! We have met many of our fellow English teachers and they are so worried we won't like it here, but they are so friendly, too. Our town is very small and not as nice as Hangzhou. It was quite a shock when we got here. But we will make it home. We have what we need-each other and our best friend.

Ni hao from China!

I have arrived in China!! I was off on my estimation of 26 hours... it took 18 hours more. We missed our flight from Chicago to Shanghai, so we had to spend 10 hours in Chicago waiting for or next flight to London. Then we had a 1.5 hour layover and then we finally arrived in Shanghai at 8am (China time). We were on three continents in three days! For those of you who don't know the time difference, China is 13 hours ahead of Central Time in USA. So as I write this, it is 5:30pm on Monday here, but it is 4:30am on Monday back in MN and WI. I'm writing from the future! :)
Anyway, we have not received 3 of our bags yet. I got one of mine, but it is the one I had packed so that I wouldn't need anything from it until I got "home" to XinXing. So we are getting by, but it would be nice to have our things.
We spent yesterday afternoon walking all around Shanghai. We went to a beautiful garden called the Yuyuan Garden. It is really more of a maze of walkways. There was a lot of water, trees, and rocks as well as small houses. As I try to describe it, this sounds nothing like it... I guess I'd better post my pictures on Snapfish pretty soon! After that we walked through the shopping area looking for a bookstore. We all bought books to teach ourselves Mandarin. We will also start some classes on it tomorrow.
Today I learned the word for eggplant: qie zi (it sounds kind of like chee ed ze). This is the word Chinese say when posing for pictures. I also learned the word for asparagus: lu san. We also had eggplant and asparagus for lunch today - yum!
Today we took a bus ride to Hangzhou. The architecture of the houses is amazing! I haven't gotten a very good picture yet, but I have until Saturday to get one. I think we are going to West Lake soon for dinner. It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful places in China.
For those of you who are wondering about my previously mentioned problems with unfamiliar food, I am doing very well! I get excited every time I get full! :) Last night was a little rough, but otherwise I have been able to eat everything I have tried. I haven't gagged once! We are going out for western food tonight for a change of pace. I'm also doing pretty good with chopsticks. I struggle occasionally, but that's mostly because here they are plastic so there is no friction to grab stuff with!

It's almost time...

I just looked at my countdown, and even though I really have almost 10 hours until my flight leaves at 8:55am, it says I have less than one hour (it's counting down to midnight). These last few days have flown by. It's hard to believe that in about 26 hours I will be landing in Shanghai and starting my adventure. Tonight the plan is to stay up as late as I can so that I have a better chance of sleeping on the plane.

I got my passport complete with visa back from Texas yesterday. Thanks for everyone's prayers on that one! I was a bit nervous about cutting that so close, but it all worked out just fine.

I love you all, I'll try to post as soon as I'm able to find an internet connection to let you know that I made it safely.

Thoughts as the day approaches

It's getting close to time to go and I'm anxious to start this new chapter of my life. But I'm also not sure I'm ready to uproot myself. I have so many great friends here that I am going to miss, not to mention my family. A year is such a long time to be away from everyone. I'm going to miss out on a lot of parties, weddings, birthdays, holidays, and every little get-together. My friends will move on without me and make new memories together.

I was trying to explain my feelings last night, and I guess it goes something like this: I used to make wishes about my life, and sometimes I still do. Right now, I want to wish that I could skip to the day I get to come home and be reunited with my friends and family. But before I get to the end of the wish, I think of all of the experiences in China that I would miss out on and I change my mind. As much as I will miss everyone, I want to go to China and go through this most challenging time in my life. If I didn't go I would regret it every day. I know that all of you are going to be here when I get back, and while I am gone you will be here praying for me and cheering me on.

Thank you all for supporting me as I prepare for this amazing adventure.

The Surprise

On Friday, my and Sara's friends threw a surprise Going Away party for us. We had no idea! It was a potluck with several cakes and other yummy food. Many of our friends were there, and we watched a movie and played a game. They also gave us plug adaptors to use in China. I had a great time.
Thanks everyone!

International VBS

This week Sara and I helped out with VBS at the Chapel. It was so much fun! Sara taught the Kindergarteners. I volunteered to help wherever I was needed, but I was mostly in Sara's classroom helping her because she had one little boy that was very difficult to handle because of a disability of some sort. He distracted everyone, and was never on track. His mom was able to give Sara some tips on handling him, and also expressed that he is probably the most difficult student she would ever come across. Hopefully, after him, Sara will find her Chinese students much easier to deal with. Sara had two Chinese girls, one Japanese girl, and two American boys in her class. The students were so much fun! I have posted all of my pictures on Snapfish, so you can check out some of the crafts that they did, and all of the fun we had this week.

I put on an old t-shirt from high school today, and I realized how fitting it is right now, also. I got it during my senior year (along with everyone else graduating in 99). It says "Take a good look, I won't be here next year."

I have started packing... well, I have two suitcases on the floor in my apartment with various things in each. I have so much more to go through to determine exactly what to bring. I have two weeks to pack up my apartment and get ready to move it all home to my parents house. Then one more week to visit a couple more friends and then it's time to Ship Out! I can't believe I have only 3 weeks left in America. It is amazing how quickly this summer has gone by. I have gotten so many encouraging words from all of my friends and family. There is nothing like a long departure to find out how many people care about you. Thank you for all of your support!

One month left...

I took a look at my contract with the school today. The first copy is in Chinese... so I didn't get a whole lot out of it. But then I read the English version and sure enough! The school actually calls itself: XinXing County Number One High School, Guangdong. Wow! AND! It also calls me a "Foreign Expert"! The discouraging (yet hilarious) part, is under the heading Salary. Without writing it out in detail, I'll be making roughly $2.50 USD per hour... It had better be worth it! :)
I've been informed that I will not have a computer in my apartment, but I will have one in my office at the school. Therefore, I plan to buy one before I leave. If anyone knows where I can find a reasonably priced laptop ($700 or less) with XP and lots of speed and memory, let me know. Also, I am selling my car. It is a 1995 Saturn SL2 with new tires. I'm hoping to get $1000 or best offer for it. So again, if you know of anyone in need of a car, let me know.

38 days...

I just found out that Laura J is going to Albania!!! I am so glad she has a partner to go with her, and it's even cooler that it is someone she knows already.

This weekend, Sara and I met up with Caroline and Polly for lunch to discuss XinXing. Caroline and her husband, Brandon, will be taking over for Polly and Rachel at the Experimental School. Polly had lots of good information for us to know before going over there. Even though Sara and I still don't know exactly what our situation will be like, we at least have an idea of what the city and the people are like.

The most interesting information she had for us is that Chinese people don't like to tan. They want to be as white as possible - and more. Apparantly, they even put bleach in their lotions and soaps! A little extreme, don't you think? They also go outside in long sleeves and carry umbrellas if they will be in the sun. Polly once got chased by someone with an umbrella! I can't wait until that happens to me!

As much as I'm glad to be done with school and homework, I'm really not interested in working right now. I would rather be at home getting ready to go to China.

Graduation!

We had our graduation ceremony yesterday, complete with the traditional graduation march played on kazoos! Eric gave a speech which included the typical "this is not the end, it is only the beginning" phrase. Even though we've graduated, we are not finished yet. We still have another lesson plan, grammer sheet, paper, and exam to finish up this week. They will all be sent over the internet. This means that I am finally back in my apartment - it's wonderful to sleep in my own bed again. :)

You will find photos of our graduation under the "Ann's China Photos" link on the right side of the page. I made a group page through snapfish, so if you don't have an account, MAKE ONE! so you can keep track of me and see the pictures that go along with the stories. There are also more pictures of Stu - you don't want to miss those! - and pictures from the Lincoln Center.

We took a field trip to the Lincoln Center in Mankato on Thursday. It is a place where people of all ages and English levels can come to learn how to speak English. We got to work with some of the students, and observe the classes to get more of an idea of what our students will be like. Since they do not have classes next week because of July 4th, they had "Libertyfest" that day. Each level of classes did a presentation on American symbols: the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, and the Flag. We also sang a song that I can't remember the name of right now. (If any of my classmates reads this and can remember, please post the answer.)

Wednesday I taught a lesson all by myself. It was harder than I thought. I had it well planned out, but then I rushed through important steps. Here are some of the compliments I received:
"Nice lesson material. You will do a good job!"
"I liked the activities. You got us involved quite a bit. You seemed very confident and composed and seemed to have a good plan. Nice job!"
"I appreciated the little things you did to make it easier to follow (board, colors, etc.). Good job having a focused purpose for the listening activity. You seemed comfortable presenting. I liked it. :)"
"It was very impressive how you tied in - recycled - info from other lessons, and at various points! You made good use of the board, it was neat and colorful."
"Good variety of activities for us to do and good way of integrating things we learned in past lessons. You had a nice organized progression."

Wednesday evening was a bit rough for me because I said goodbye to my good friend Sarah. It was the first in a long list of goodbyes for me. Maybe I should call them "See you next year's". There is a possibility that I may see her again, but not for sure. I'm sad because she is getting married two weeks after I leave for China. So close! She'd better send me lots of pictures!

On Friday at lunch, we started talking about the Olympics. We decided that we are going to pretend we know Kobe and Yao Ming, or pretend Nate is an olympian and we're his followers, or just go as fans and paint I Love China on our stomachs. Watch for us on TV! :) Speaking of Yao Ming... the Milwaukee Bucks drafted a player who used to play for the Guangdong Tigers! Too cool!

(Sorry, this wasn't very chronological. I hope you were able to follow anyway :)

Good news!

They are NOT panic attacks! I learned that food is a comfort thing for me and in new situations I get so nervous about what I'm going to eat and when and what if I don't like the food, etc, that I get nauseous and can't eat anything. So I just have to learn about the food in XinXing to make it as familiar as possible. I'm going to make sure I bring food I like to eat and make for the first week or two until I get more comfortable. I'm also supposed to learn how to cook fish (even though I still don't totally like it but I'll eat it) because that will be a basic food for me to eat there. I talked to Rob (my main contact in China) last night about it so that he's aware of the situation. He's being very supportive in helping me make the transition as easy as possible. He says he'll make sure to ease me into the food slowly. And no, that doesn't mean he's going to put me in the food!
This week we talked to a couple of people who have been to Asia to teach English. One just got back from Thailand, and the other was in China 6 years ago. They gave us so much information on what it will be like there. I've heard twice now that we can buy bikes to use, but not to count on them always being there (theft is huge in China). But it's ok because they are cheap so you just buy a new one!
It sounds like once you are in China, it is pretty cheap to travel around. Sara and I want to go to Thailand to visit the Katie's and get foot massages. Apparantly they really know how to do it!

It's been a rough week...

We're almost half done with classes and it's getting stressful. I have had a few panic attacks this week and I'm pretty wiped out because of them. I'm hoping to discover how to prevent and/or work with them before I get to China. Also, the reality of teaching in a foreign country is finally setting in and I'm pretty scared. I'm torn between not wanting to go at all, and knowing that if I can do this, I will be able to do anything. We talked about culture shock today in class and that made me nervous. Between that and panic attacks, this fall could be pretty rough. My professor's advice is to get out and explore so that we don't isolate ourselves from the culture. I'm glad we are learning about what to expect now before we get over to our different countries. We will hopefully be prepared to deal with the situations better.
On a lighter note, my group taught our first lesson today. I think it went well. We got lots of good feedback on things we did well, and things we need to work on. Here are some of the compliments I was given:
"Nice job! You seemed very relaxed and spoke clearly. Good eye contact. Overall, very nice lesson and good worksheets :)"
"You did a good job of calling on people and getting them to respond. You have no need to worry - be confident - you did great :)"
"Thanks for calling on me even though I didn't raise my hand. You seemed confident and in charge. That was very good."

Everyone meet Stu

This is Stu, our creepy mannequin. He enjoys dancing, learning Spanish, and wearing his sunglasses indoors.

Today has been an interesting day. We learned how to make lesson plans for our classes. We got into groups during class and were given a lesson to plan for. I worked with Nate on teaching a class how to apologize. It took us about a half hour to write up a rough outline for an hour-long class. Now we are "ready" to make up a real lesson plan. I am in a group with Sara and Nate to plan a lesson on "How much does it cost?" for Monday. We started today, and it is not going as smoothly as we would like it to be. I hope we are able to get it done tomorrow before the weekend.

I am enjoying my time here at MLC learning all there is to know about being an English teacher in a foreign country. We are in class from 8:15am to 3:15pm, with a couple of breaks for lunch, chapel, and other short breaks. It's hard to believe that almost a whole week has gone by already!

Ohayo Gozaimasu!

I've finished my first day of class in New Ulm. What a day! We started out by learning Japanese... (the title is Japanese for Good Morning) I wasn't sure I was in the right place at first, but it was the instructor's way of showing us what we will be doing, and how our students will feel. We received three books so far to help us with our lesson plans and teaching. One is a picture book, one a grammar book, and the third is for TEFL teachers.

There are 7 students in the class. Five of us are headed to various cities in China, one is going to Thailand, and the last is hoping to go to Albania. She doesn't have a partner yet, so she is taking the class in the hope that someone will be going with her. If you know of anyone interested in going to Albania for a year, let me know!

Sara and I got checked into the dorms at 9:15pm last night. We each have our own room. There is no air conditioning so it's not very comfortable. There was a thunderstorm last night and I didn't sleep very well. Thankfully, the class is interesting so I haven't felt very tired today. Hopefully I will sleep better tonight.

On a completely different note: there is a creepy mannequin in the back of our classroom. Every time I turn around I think it is a real person! Maybe someday I will get a picture of it and post it... Stay tuned...

In case you need to find me...

Here is a map showing about where XinXing is located in China. It is way on the left side with a black rectangle under it. Hong Kong is in the lower right corner, and Guangzhou (the capital of Guangdong Province) is just above center.

I'm feeling very nervous this morning. I got an email from Rob in Hong Kong. He sent a link to a website with pictures of XinXing and Hong Kong. It gave me a little bit of a glimpse of what it will be like there. It's good to know now so that I can prepare myself, but it also reminds me of how different things will be there.

Sara and I have also gotten emails from Polly who is at the Junior High in XinXing right now. She has given us lots of tips on what to bring, where to go, and what there is to do there. I appreciate her help very much! She informed us that we probably will not be able to find clothes that fit us there as the Chinese are much smaller than we are, so we need to bring clothes along. But how do you pack clothes for an entire year along with other things you need, into only two large suitcases??? This will be quite a challenge!

Only Three More Months

It just hit me that we leave three months from today!

Rumor has it we will be in a "small town" (only 200,000 people), about a two hour car ride southwest of Guangzhou, called XinXing. There will be two teachers (a newly graduated and married couple) at the Junior High School there, and Sara and I will be at the High School. So we will not be completely alone!

I have wondered and been asked about communicating with the students. It has been explained to me that the students start learning English when they are young, so by the time they get to the High School, they have had several years of exposure. There will still be students that struggle, as well as students who are very good at it. I am hoping that the students that are good at it will help us with the students that struggle. We have also been recommended a cd set to learn to speak some Chinese. I am planning to order that soon so that I will have some knowledge of how to pronounce words, and communicate with those I am in contact with.

A new friend of mine who has been to China suggested that we bring along small gifts to give to the other teachers. Does anyone have any suggestions on trinkets from America?