Guten Tag from drizzly China!
Today it is still rainy and cold, but my spirits were in better shape today. I taught four hours of classes in a row, which always wears me out, but I managed to maintain my energy level.
It also helped that the lesson I had prepared was informative, but also somewhat entertaining. We discussed engagement and marriage, which of course made all my little innocent students very excited.
My favorite activity was when we made a list on the blackboard about the ideal attributes in a boyfriend/girlfriend.
Here were some of the girls' ideas for the "perfect" boyfriend:
-Loyal
-Handsome
-Tall
-Responsible
-Honest
-A gentleman
-No smoking
Here were some of the boys' ideas for the "perfect" girlfriend:
-Good cook
-Not too fat
-Not too thin
-Have a long hair (To this I asked, "Only a long hair?" Then they realized their grammar mistake after we all had a hearty laugh).
-Well-educated
-Mature
-Beautiful
-White skin
-Kind
-Should have two eyes, two ears, one nose, one mouth
Anyway, lately I've had a hard time getting around the fact that I feel like my students are all two-dimensional. Is that a terrible thing to say? I don't know. I don't mean it in a demeaning way. It's just something I've been thinking of lately, especially when I try to get them to think critically. They haven't been taught to think critically or outside the box. So when you try to get them to, they have the tendency to shut down or to withdraw in confusion. A few students rise to the challenge, like it is something very new and interesting, but then the other kids in the class will just look at them quizzically.
That's another thing I've noticed, people in China don't thrive on independence or sticking-out of the crowd like most Americans. There are a lot of cultural and social norms that they must adhere to, just because that's the way it's always been. It's not right or wrong, I guess it's just different and it's something I have to adapt to when I'm teaching my students.
I think that's all of the profound observations I have for today. Have a happy Wednesday!
P.S. I was gnawing on a chocolate bar my mom had mailed me. I stopped my gnawing when I noticed this piece of advice on the label: "Enjoy in moderation." Wow, that was aimed right at me!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Toasty toes on a cold day
Receiving packages in China is a wonderful, much-anticipated event for us here. Although several packages that were mailed to us between December 1st and February 1st seem lost in a black hole, other packages have arrived. That includes amazing chocolate from my Mom and "toasty toes" from my aunt.
Today is the third or fourth day of cold and rain here. I'm sort of losing count, and it's supposed to be raining until next Thursday at least. If that happens, it will be raining for 12 days straight. But I'll try not to dwell on it! I should be thankful that the drought is ending here.
So I'm back to teaching in the classroom with a winter coat and gear on. But it seems that my extremities aren't as frigid anymore! I've got self-activated and self-heating "toasty toes" inside my shoes now. Those are little packets that outdoorsmen wear to stay warm. Maybe a Nanchang school building isn't as rugged as a Montana mountain, but I'd almost argue that it is. I mean, it is freezing cold in the classroom, you still have to go to the bathroom in a hole in the ground, you have to hike (up endless stairs), and you have to battle wild animals/students. :)
There isn't too much else to report from here. One of our recent lessons has been about "honesty." It's been a fascinating lesson, probably because it's been so bizarre. I think that my students understand the concept of honesty, but they think every situation has an exception to it. I've discovered that the majority of them think it's sometimes okay to cheat on an exam, or to sometimes not pay bus fare, etc., due to a variety of reasons. In China there are definitely a lot more "gray" areas.
It was also interesting to listen to my students and their logic. I asked the question, "Why is honesty important in society?" My favorite answer: "Honesty is important in society, because honesty is important." OR "Honesty is important in society, because honesty is important in society." Then I would reemphasize the WHY part. Most of them could not come up with a reason, so I made sure to supply them with a variety of reasons, which they seemed confused about.
So we will be teaching until June. We found out, though, that we have two days off for a holiday between now and then. My favorite is that we will have one day off in April for tomb-sweeping day. This is important in China, because everyone goes to clean and pay their respects at their relatives' graves. I'll keep you posted on my plans for this day. :)
Well, how can I be thinking of you? I'm sure you have good/strange/frustrating days too. Have a blessed Tuesday!
P.S. The funeral music finally stopped playing after one week!
Today is the third or fourth day of cold and rain here. I'm sort of losing count, and it's supposed to be raining until next Thursday at least. If that happens, it will be raining for 12 days straight. But I'll try not to dwell on it! I should be thankful that the drought is ending here.
So I'm back to teaching in the classroom with a winter coat and gear on. But it seems that my extremities aren't as frigid anymore! I've got self-activated and self-heating "toasty toes" inside my shoes now. Those are little packets that outdoorsmen wear to stay warm. Maybe a Nanchang school building isn't as rugged as a Montana mountain, but I'd almost argue that it is. I mean, it is freezing cold in the classroom, you still have to go to the bathroom in a hole in the ground, you have to hike (up endless stairs), and you have to battle wild animals/students. :)
There isn't too much else to report from here. One of our recent lessons has been about "honesty." It's been a fascinating lesson, probably because it's been so bizarre. I think that my students understand the concept of honesty, but they think every situation has an exception to it. I've discovered that the majority of them think it's sometimes okay to cheat on an exam, or to sometimes not pay bus fare, etc., due to a variety of reasons. In China there are definitely a lot more "gray" areas.
It was also interesting to listen to my students and their logic. I asked the question, "Why is honesty important in society?" My favorite answer: "Honesty is important in society, because honesty is important." OR "Honesty is important in society, because honesty is important in society." Then I would reemphasize the WHY part. Most of them could not come up with a reason, so I made sure to supply them with a variety of reasons, which they seemed confused about.
So we will be teaching until June. We found out, though, that we have two days off for a holiday between now and then. My favorite is that we will have one day off in April for tomb-sweeping day. This is important in China, because everyone goes to clean and pay their respects at their relatives' graves. I'll keep you posted on my plans for this day. :)
Well, how can I be thinking of you? I'm sure you have good/strange/frustrating days too. Have a blessed Tuesday!
P.S. The funeral music finally stopped playing after one week!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Open hearts
Today it finally began to rain and turn chilly again. But that's okay! My heart was happy all day.
After lunch, the student I mentioned a post or two ago, came over to start a study. Good heavens, I was nervous. I know how incoherent I can sound and how inadequate I am. The Father knows that, too, but He still chooses to use me! For that, I can only be humbled and amazed.
I had printed off a little "lesson" in English and Chinese. We looked at the word together and looked at the questions from the lesson for nearly 2 hours. My student, who is also my dear friend now, was so curious and open. She read the word in Chinese, and I read it in English. Then I would have her summarize what she had read. This quiet girl who is one of my lower students, saw the word through clear eyes and an open heart. Her observations made me stop in my tracks and say, "Wow!" I hardly had to ever say anything. The word and the questions asked just spoke for themselves. Even the mild communication difficulties we sometimes have with each other seemed to just disappear.
Toward the end, she asked me some more questions, and I got to share about my story and how I became a believer. She held onto every word. It was like there was some flicker of hope in her soul. Later she quietly said, "I'm not sure why yet, but I think He is true."
She wants to continue the study next week. I wanted for the two of us to meet with another study going on, so there would be other Chinese with us, but my student has class nearly every night, so it wouldn't work. So for now we'll continue on Saturdays, and next week I'm going to make her her first American meal!
Thanks so much for your thoughts!! There are so many possible distractions that crop up here, but it was like our time together was specially guarded by Him.
On another note, Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you have a great day, and I hope you can remember that He is the greatest Love that has ever existed!
After lunch, the student I mentioned a post or two ago, came over to start a study. Good heavens, I was nervous. I know how incoherent I can sound and how inadequate I am. The Father knows that, too, but He still chooses to use me! For that, I can only be humbled and amazed.
I had printed off a little "lesson" in English and Chinese. We looked at the word together and looked at the questions from the lesson for nearly 2 hours. My student, who is also my dear friend now, was so curious and open. She read the word in Chinese, and I read it in English. Then I would have her summarize what she had read. This quiet girl who is one of my lower students, saw the word through clear eyes and an open heart. Her observations made me stop in my tracks and say, "Wow!" I hardly had to ever say anything. The word and the questions asked just spoke for themselves. Even the mild communication difficulties we sometimes have with each other seemed to just disappear.
Toward the end, she asked me some more questions, and I got to share about my story and how I became a believer. She held onto every word. It was like there was some flicker of hope in her soul. Later she quietly said, "I'm not sure why yet, but I think He is true."
She wants to continue the study next week. I wanted for the two of us to meet with another study going on, so there would be other Chinese with us, but my student has class nearly every night, so it wouldn't work. So for now we'll continue on Saturdays, and next week I'm going to make her her first American meal!
Thanks so much for your thoughts!! There are so many possible distractions that crop up here, but it was like our time together was specially guarded by Him.
On another note, Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you have a great day, and I hope you can remember that He is the greatest Love that has ever existed!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Back in the groove
(It's such a nice day for teaching!)
(The usual crush of students going up and down the stairs at school).
(The basketball net hanging expedition, as told in the previous post).Welcome to Friday! It was another beautiful day. A little polluted, but the temperature was nice. Since it is Friday, our team leader lets us wear jeans, which is always fun. I also wore a short sleeve shirt, since it is about 80 degrees outside. Like I mentioned in the last post, all my students still wear heavy winter clothing, despite the actual temperature. When I walked in to class this morning, two boys looked at me and said, "Whoa! What a strong girl!" No, I'm much weaker than you, I thought. Perhaps I'm a wimp, but I prefer not to die from heat stroke.
Not much else has been happening. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, of course, and it is supposed to start pouring rain for the next 10 days. We are all fine with that. China is apparently suffering from its worst drought in 50 years. Even this city, which is normally more like a swamp, is looking much more like a desert lately.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sunny skies
What were you doing at 9 p.m. last night? Well, I don't know, but I can tell you what we were doing. Our whole team, plus an assortment of students, were balanced on desks and chairs in the total darkness on the school's basketball courts. As some sort of community service, our team leader decided we would put nets on 16+ basketball hoops on old campus.
So, in the shroud of darkness, we worked to loop the nets through tiny little holes on the rusty, net-less basketball hoops. I'll try to provide some pictures soon. But just imagine people standing on desks, sitting on someone else's shoulders, standing on chairs on top of desks, and/or standing on desks stacked sideways on top of other desks. It's China. For some reason, nobody felt unsafe. I guess teaching in shoddily-constructed buildings, and crossing traffic going 26 different directions makes you less sensitive to safety issues. But it was a lot of fun, and I think the students were surprised to see brand new red, white, and blue basketball nets mysteriously appear by this morning.
Anyway, our first week back is almost over. Every day I feel so exhausted at the end, but not in a burnt out way, which is new for me. It is a kind of exhaustion that is like, "I've tried my best and have relied on Him for this crazy/wonderful/unexpected day." After my first day of teaching again I was crying, because I didn't feel like I could do any of it. I couldn't teach, I couldn't pour love into these students, I couldn't be there for my teammates, I couldn't embrace the culture like I should. So I just gave it all to Him. I told Him that I couldn't do anything on my own. I am so inadequate, especially when I try to lean on my own abilities and strength.
That has seemed like a turning point for me of some kind. I've been more peaceful in my heart, and I don't feel so paralyzed by all the need that surrounds me. He has also given me such amazing energy to teach for several hours straight, and to be more intentional with my students.
He also paved the way for a very encouraging interaction that I can't fully explain here. In short, I went to lunch with one of my students and a few other people on my team, plus somebody else's student. I also visited my student's dormitory, which is always fun. She lives in a tiny room with 5 other girls. I was browsing through her bookshelves, when I saw a book, which turned out to be the word. She said she has been reading it, but doesn't understand it. We had a short discussion, and it turns out we are going to start studying it together this weekend. How amazing is that? He is so great. Please remember to lift up our time together, and that there wouldn't be major communication barriers, etc.
I have been hanging out with her for several months, so this is sort of what it looks like to build relationships in China. It is a very slow process, and it certainly doesn't happen over night.
In other news, it got up to almost 80 degrees here today. I wore some lightweight pants and a three-quarter sleeve shirt. Since it is still technically winter, all of our students continued to wear their wool sweaters and heavy coats. I was sweating during class, and I imagined all of them getting heat stroke. I wanted to scream at them to be sensible and to take off those horribly heavy coats. I politely suggested it, but they wouldn't budge. It seems that if it is winter in China, you dress like it is winter. The actual temperature doesn't matter. There are still so many things here I just can't wrap my head around!
Tomorrow it should be pleasant for one more day before it rains for the next week, with temperatures back in the 40s.
So, in the shroud of darkness, we worked to loop the nets through tiny little holes on the rusty, net-less basketball hoops. I'll try to provide some pictures soon. But just imagine people standing on desks, sitting on someone else's shoulders, standing on chairs on top of desks, and/or standing on desks stacked sideways on top of other desks. It's China. For some reason, nobody felt unsafe. I guess teaching in shoddily-constructed buildings, and crossing traffic going 26 different directions makes you less sensitive to safety issues. But it was a lot of fun, and I think the students were surprised to see brand new red, white, and blue basketball nets mysteriously appear by this morning.
Anyway, our first week back is almost over. Every day I feel so exhausted at the end, but not in a burnt out way, which is new for me. It is a kind of exhaustion that is like, "I've tried my best and have relied on Him for this crazy/wonderful/unexpected day." After my first day of teaching again I was crying, because I didn't feel like I could do any of it. I couldn't teach, I couldn't pour love into these students, I couldn't be there for my teammates, I couldn't embrace the culture like I should. So I just gave it all to Him. I told Him that I couldn't do anything on my own. I am so inadequate, especially when I try to lean on my own abilities and strength.
That has seemed like a turning point for me of some kind. I've been more peaceful in my heart, and I don't feel so paralyzed by all the need that surrounds me. He has also given me such amazing energy to teach for several hours straight, and to be more intentional with my students.
He also paved the way for a very encouraging interaction that I can't fully explain here. In short, I went to lunch with one of my students and a few other people on my team, plus somebody else's student. I also visited my student's dormitory, which is always fun. She lives in a tiny room with 5 other girls. I was browsing through her bookshelves, when I saw a book, which turned out to be the word. She said she has been reading it, but doesn't understand it. We had a short discussion, and it turns out we are going to start studying it together this weekend. How amazing is that? He is so great. Please remember to lift up our time together, and that there wouldn't be major communication barriers, etc.
I have been hanging out with her for several months, so this is sort of what it looks like to build relationships in China. It is a very slow process, and it certainly doesn't happen over night.
In other news, it got up to almost 80 degrees here today. I wore some lightweight pants and a three-quarter sleeve shirt. Since it is still technically winter, all of our students continued to wear their wool sweaters and heavy coats. I was sweating during class, and I imagined all of them getting heat stroke. I wanted to scream at them to be sensible and to take off those horribly heavy coats. I politely suggested it, but they wouldn't budge. It seems that if it is winter in China, you dress like it is winter. The actual temperature doesn't matter. There are still so many things here I just can't wrap my head around!
Tomorrow it should be pleasant for one more day before it rains for the next week, with temperatures back in the 40s.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Sweet stuff
(Eating our favorite 3 kuai dumplings. Someday I'll work on having better posture).
(Spring cleaning in the alleys on our way to lunch. From Jodi's camera).
This week at Blue Sky, my innocent little students are learning about this crazy American holiday known as "Valentine's Day." And it has turned out to be one of the best classes ever. They hang on to my every word. I also gave them some great Valentine lingo, such as "BFF (Best Friends Forever), Sweet Stuff, Be Mine, Your Secret Admirer."
Then I passed out some nice paper and crayons for them to make their own Valentine cards for part of the class. I don't think they have ever had the opportunity to color and be creative in class. They were going wild with excitement. I told them I'd like to send them to my friends, i.e. supporters, in America. They thought that was even more exciting--that some American would be reading their thoughtful words.
Girls and boys alike spent a painstaking 25 minutes creating those works of art. They look like first-graders drew them, but I think that makes them even more special. One girl wanted to glue something to her card. I didn't have glue, but I had a cheap kind of Scotch tape in my bag, which I handed to her. The girl, "Cherry," just stared at the tape. She and her deskmate whispered about the tape and just poked at it. Then I realized they didn't know how to use tape. Who would have thought? So one of my accomplishments for the day was teaching two Chinese college girls how to use Scotch tape, which apparently hasn't made it into mainstream Chinese society.
Later today I went rollerblading, since the weather was so pleasant and I didn't have office hours. I found the source of the funeral music, which is STILL playing!! People are still sitting around mourning this woman. Instead of getting annoyed, I just felt sad. Their parting with that woman was final. Of course they'd mourn for days; they don't think they'll ever see her again.
When I got back from skating, I sat down on the ground in front of our apartment building to take off the rollerblades. The little two year old boy who lives in our same building, Yi Fan, was just standing there staring. Then he quietly walked into the doorway and brought back my shoes for me to put on. Agh, he's so cute!
For dinner, I headed to my favorite noodleshop. For four kuai (about 75 cents) I can get a big bowl of noodles, greens, and a few stringy pieces of beef. The people in the shop are so sweet, and again I reminded myself that I really have to buckle down and learn more Chinese these next few months. I'm pretty sure Chinese is easily one of the most diffucult languages on earth, but that doesn't mean I can give up.
After dinner I wandered down the street and bought a quarter of a pineapple on a stick for one kuai (15 cents). Mmmmm....
Time to go study the Word with my team!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Goal setting and one minute of fame (videos included)
Welcome to Tuesday, the second day of the semester at Blue Sky.
So far I've taught four classes, so I've seen all 190 of my students again. I was really looking forward to seeing them again, and I guess I still am. For some reason I just thought they'd be slightly more enthusiastic. But, alas, they are slightly depressed. Apparently Blue Sky starts much earlier than the majority of other universities in China. So all of their friends are still in their hometowns having fun. And they didn't get to celebrate the end of Spring Festival with their families, which is marked by "Lantern Festival." Lantern Festival was yesterday, meaning everyone in China burnt tall candles and shot off gigantic fireworks.
Anyway, I'm getting back into the teaching mode. Right now I'm just working on reviving their rusty minds, since they didn't speak a word of English over the past 5 weeks. We discussed our Spring Festival holidays. I also had them write out specific goals for their semester. Again I was reminded that they are Chinese students. They have pretty lofty goals, most of which they are determined to meet no matter what. In China, things that seem impossible really aren't. Their favorite saying is "Where there is a will, there is a way." That's right. The Chinese have a very strong collective will, which is probably how they built up the world's strongest economy, had the Olympics, built the Three Gorges Dam, etc.
Here are some examples of their goals:
"I want to learn 100 new words. I must get up earlier every morning and I must learn it every day before sleep. I believe if I do like this, I can achieve it."
"Goal no. 2: Be an outstanding cadre in our class. Goal no. 3: Let my physique strengthen."
(I just like that he used the word "cadre.")
"Work harder than before, stick on."
"Getting up at 6:30 in the morning, going to bed at 12:00 at the midnight."
"I want to play basketball more perfect than before."
Oh, these dear, sweet kids. How could you not love them?
Well, I have to browse through some more goals written on their crinkly papers. Meanwhile, that music I mentioned last post is playing again today. Since we discovered the blasting music is to commemorate someone who died in the neighborhood, it isn't much fun to listen to anymore.
So far I've taught four classes, so I've seen all 190 of my students again. I was really looking forward to seeing them again, and I guess I still am. For some reason I just thought they'd be slightly more enthusiastic. But, alas, they are slightly depressed. Apparently Blue Sky starts much earlier than the majority of other universities in China. So all of their friends are still in their hometowns having fun. And they didn't get to celebrate the end of Spring Festival with their families, which is marked by "Lantern Festival." Lantern Festival was yesterday, meaning everyone in China burnt tall candles and shot off gigantic fireworks.
Anyway, I'm getting back into the teaching mode. Right now I'm just working on reviving their rusty minds, since they didn't speak a word of English over the past 5 weeks. We discussed our Spring Festival holidays. I also had them write out specific goals for their semester. Again I was reminded that they are Chinese students. They have pretty lofty goals, most of which they are determined to meet no matter what. In China, things that seem impossible really aren't. Their favorite saying is "Where there is a will, there is a way." That's right. The Chinese have a very strong collective will, which is probably how they built up the world's strongest economy, had the Olympics, built the Three Gorges Dam, etc.
Here are some examples of their goals:
"I want to learn 100 new words. I must get up earlier every morning and I must learn it every day before sleep. I believe if I do like this, I can achieve it."
"Goal no. 2: Be an outstanding cadre in our class. Goal no. 3: Let my physique strengthen."
(I just like that he used the word "cadre.")
"Work harder than before, stick on."
"Getting up at 6:30 in the morning, going to bed at 12:00 at the midnight."
"I want to play basketball more perfect than before."
Oh, these dear, sweet kids. How could you not love them?
Well, I have to browse through some more goals written on their crinkly papers. Meanwhile, that music I mentioned last post is playing again today. Since we discovered the blasting music is to commemorate someone who died in the neighborhood, it isn't much fun to listen to anymore.
Oh, and we got a copy of our "one minute of fame" on Chinese television. I've uploaded it for your entertainment. They made us do such over-the-top things. Like we are singing "Happy New Year to You" to the tune of "Happy Birthday" around a cake the media provided. We're wearing clothes they provided. We're putting up decorations they provided, etc. etc. And watch carefully, I'm dancing in there! I bet my old ballet teacher, June, wouldn't have guessed I'd have an audience of millions! :) Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)