Ideal attributes

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!