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.