Comment from mom: Our boy loves his toys. This is a picture of his latest! Oh, dear!!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Corrections: Halloween and Testing
So I was wrong and it turned out we had a full week of school this week. Bummer, I know. Well it is not that I was wrong actually, the exam schedule is simply on China time. That's right... the state education board has no trouble changing the date of an exam 3 days before the kids are supposed to take it. Can you even imagine the crisis that would occur in the United States if the SATs just decided on Thursday that you would take the test a week later than planned. I can see some incensed parents suing somebody for sure.
This is more of an addition than a correction... As I mentioned before, I am doing Halloween lessons this week in class. The Chinese have their own version of this holiday though I am somewhat unsure of how it is celebrated. Among people my age it seems to be celebrated in much the same way it is in the States. By getting really drunk and wearing very revealing costumes. I make this assumption for two reasons. 1) The local club "PARTY BAR" is having a party and it was explained to me that the dancing girls (who are not exactly shy in their dress on a normal Saturday night) will be wearing very sexy costumes. I asked if everyone else would dress up... he looked at me like I was crazy. 2) I asked my oldest students (about 14-15 years old) if they knew what Halloween is. Leo, one of my favorite students, stood up and said "Hot girl in sexy things she wear do like this" he then proceeded to make imaginary breasts out of his hands and dance around. If I had been able to stop laughing I would have told him he was right.
Happy Halloween
C. Johnson
This is more of an addition than a correction... As I mentioned before, I am doing Halloween lessons this week in class. The Chinese have their own version of this holiday though I am somewhat unsure of how it is celebrated. Among people my age it seems to be celebrated in much the same way it is in the States. By getting really drunk and wearing very revealing costumes. I make this assumption for two reasons. 1) The local club "PARTY BAR" is having a party and it was explained to me that the dancing girls (who are not exactly shy in their dress on a normal Saturday night) will be wearing very sexy costumes. I asked if everyone else would dress up... he looked at me like I was crazy. 2) I asked my oldest students (about 14-15 years old) if they knew what Halloween is. Leo, one of my favorite students, stood up and said "Hot girl in sexy things she wear do like this" he then proceeded to make imaginary breasts out of his hands and dance around. If I had been able to stop laughing I would have told him he was right.
Happy Halloween
C. Johnson
Monday, October 26, 2009
Midterm Exams
Being that it is the end of October the time has come for the dreaded MIDTERM exams. I say dreaded from the students' point of view because from where I stand the timing couldn't be better. I will have no classes on Thursday and Friday because my students will be taking tests. That's cool. Maybe this time I'll actually be able to make it to Shaoshan.
In addition to a short week the fact that Halloween is coming makes me very happy. First of all, it means that I can do essentially the same lesson for all of my students. I am showing a couple of internet clips and doing a PowerPoint about Halloween to explain to the kids what the holiday really means (my lesson leaves out any mention of All Saints Day). This means that the classes I do have are going to be relatively easy.
On Saturday I will be going to the apartment of one of my friends for a Halloween party in Changsha, which will undoubtedly be a blast. I am actually writing this blog in class... My students are currently participating in another midterm tradition, report cards! The kids with bad grades, or what I am assuming would be the kids with bad grades are being taken out of class in groups. The other kids are ranting over their grades. One kid is crying. It seems to just be assumed that class is over so I turned off the projector and told them to talk in English about their report cards. Of course none of them are, but do you want an update on my life or not?! That's all; for now, if i do make it to Shaoshan I'll let you guys know.
C. Johnson
In addition to a short week the fact that Halloween is coming makes me very happy. First of all, it means that I can do essentially the same lesson for all of my students. I am showing a couple of internet clips and doing a PowerPoint about Halloween to explain to the kids what the holiday really means (my lesson leaves out any mention of All Saints Day). This means that the classes I do have are going to be relatively easy.
On Saturday I will be going to the apartment of one of my friends for a Halloween party in Changsha, which will undoubtedly be a blast. I am actually writing this blog in class... My students are currently participating in another midterm tradition, report cards! The kids with bad grades, or what I am assuming would be the kids with bad grades are being taken out of class in groups. The other kids are ranting over their grades. One kid is crying. It seems to just be assumed that class is over so I turned off the projector and told them to talk in English about their report cards. Of course none of them are, but do you want an update on my life or not?! That's all; for now, if i do make it to Shaoshan I'll let you guys know.
C. Johnson
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Liuyang from Shi Fu Shan
The Pleasantries of Living Here
The last few days have been fantastic and I thought that I would share them with you all. This week I had my students write pen pal letters. This was obviously an activity they had done before because they were all pretty lethargic about it at first. However, when I went on to explain that my friend in America was a teacher and that her kids would write us back they were really amped up. I figure that the previous teachers they had did not offer any responses to the letters they wrote. This is actually turning into a really cool project, especially if Jen would get on skype! I am also sending some of the letters to Maine. I figure this could be a good once a month activity along with my once monthly games day. At first I complained about having to see the kids more than once a week because it meant that I had to make many more lesson plans than my coworkers at Buckland. Now I love the fact that I actually get to connect with my kids. One of the little kids I have, who I was convinced was a mute, finally spoke in class this week. He said, "Today is Friday." If I only saw this kid once a week he never would have said that to me. Never mind that it was Thursday... He spoke!
Thursday night was fantastic. I played some basketball with my teammates which is always fun. The talent level is varied on the team but we have a great starting line. A couple of weeks ago we had our first actual game against another school. It was about an hour into the countryside from Liuyang, so it was pretty far out there. I would guess that I was the first white guy to ever play basketball there. It was an incredibly close game. Unfortunately, because of the language barrier, I know none of the plays. Towards the end of the game I was subbed out so that one of the Chinese teachers could help run the plays. At first I was very disappointed, but as I began to look around that feeling faded quickly. It seemed that the entire town had come out to watch the 'lao wei' play. Even though I was on the other team they cheered for me when I left the court. It was also a beautiful setting. Rows of steep tile roofs created the horizon, the blond setting sun gave an odd sense of eeriness to the thankfully fresh air, and old Maoist slogans were plastered all over the school's walls. I was suddenly hit with a serving of humble pie at my situation here in China. I am really lucky to be here.
It is finally fall here and it reminds me so much of winter in Florida. The air is fresh-ish but certainly crisp and just a little bit chilly. After bball practice I did some cardio on the school's track. Dinner had just finished and all of the students were out playing on the soccer field. After soccer practice the soccer coach busted out this awesome R/C airplane. He would swoop the plane down on groups of students and then have the plane climb back into the sky. I suppose that would be considered abuse in the US. After my workout I just sat there for about an hour. It was fantastic. As the sun set the students headed back to class and I headed home.
Fridays are half days here at Xin Wen (which means the students get out at 2:30) and many of the kids go home. Some live too far and so they stay at school, while the parents of others pay teachers to take care of their kids on the weekends. On any given weekend my friend Salina (who often invites us to weekend dinners) is sure to have a student at her home. I was playing a particularly dangerous game my last period on Friday when the parents showed up. I wanted to stop but the score was 10-10 so we had to finish. When team 1 won they went insane and I was worried that the parents, who were very interested in what the foreigner (who they pay a lot of money to teach their children), would disapprove. Instead they were all very impressed by their children's English ability.
After classes Aimee and I went to Shi Fu mountain. You can see all of Liuyang from up there. I will send my mom a picture to post. This is getting lengthy so lemme just say that it was great. The trail down the mountain leads into a little neighborhood that I had never seen before. It was great to explore our town during the day since normally we work or at least have stuff to do until dark. This weekend I am going to work on getting a motorcycle license. Don't worry mom, I'll be safe.
C. Johnson
Thursday night was fantastic. I played some basketball with my teammates which is always fun. The talent level is varied on the team but we have a great starting line. A couple of weeks ago we had our first actual game against another school. It was about an hour into the countryside from Liuyang, so it was pretty far out there. I would guess that I was the first white guy to ever play basketball there. It was an incredibly close game. Unfortunately, because of the language barrier, I know none of the plays. Towards the end of the game I was subbed out so that one of the Chinese teachers could help run the plays. At first I was very disappointed, but as I began to look around that feeling faded quickly. It seemed that the entire town had come out to watch the 'lao wei' play. Even though I was on the other team they cheered for me when I left the court. It was also a beautiful setting. Rows of steep tile roofs created the horizon, the blond setting sun gave an odd sense of eeriness to the thankfully fresh air, and old Maoist slogans were plastered all over the school's walls. I was suddenly hit with a serving of humble pie at my situation here in China. I am really lucky to be here.
It is finally fall here and it reminds me so much of winter in Florida. The air is fresh-ish but certainly crisp and just a little bit chilly. After bball practice I did some cardio on the school's track. Dinner had just finished and all of the students were out playing on the soccer field. After soccer practice the soccer coach busted out this awesome R/C airplane. He would swoop the plane down on groups of students and then have the plane climb back into the sky. I suppose that would be considered abuse in the US. After my workout I just sat there for about an hour. It was fantastic. As the sun set the students headed back to class and I headed home.
Fridays are half days here at Xin Wen (which means the students get out at 2:30) and many of the kids go home. Some live too far and so they stay at school, while the parents of others pay teachers to take care of their kids on the weekends. On any given weekend my friend Salina (who often invites us to weekend dinners) is sure to have a student at her home. I was playing a particularly dangerous game my last period on Friday when the parents showed up. I wanted to stop but the score was 10-10 so we had to finish. When team 1 won they went insane and I was worried that the parents, who were very interested in what the foreigner (who they pay a lot of money to teach their children), would disapprove. Instead they were all very impressed by their children's English ability.
After classes Aimee and I went to Shi Fu mountain. You can see all of Liuyang from up there. I will send my mom a picture to post. This is getting lengthy so lemme just say that it was great. The trail down the mountain leads into a little neighborhood that I had never seen before. It was great to explore our town during the day since normally we work or at least have stuff to do until dark. This weekend I am going to work on getting a motorcycle license. Don't worry mom, I'll be safe.
C. Johnson
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Cattle call
On my way to the famous Changsha nightlife I was held up by these cattle being sheparded down a five lane 'ring road' of the city. Who says a city the size of London can't have that 'small town charm'?
C. Johnson
A note about coming home
When I returned to the real China from my whirlwind adventure in HK and Macau I felt a sense of comfort returning to me. Here I knew which direction the insane drivers were coming from. Here I could not understand what someone was saying in a language I was familiar with. But most importantly here is where my home is.
I had pondered how I would feel to go on vacation and RETURN to China. I am relieved to say that my comfort with my new home has given me a sense of ownership over it. It was weird being in a place where foreigners sit in a cafe around every corner. I spent the morning after my exhausting train trip from Shenzhen walking the just-waking streets of Changsha. I smiled dumbly and repeated my arsenal of Mandarin phrases to each person I met.
I was home, and I was loving it. I just needed to get to the east bus station and then it was only a short hop to Liuyang. Unfortunately the city bus I boarded was travelling the wrong direction and I didn't realize it until I arrived at the west bus station. 113 stops and 1 hour and 10 minutes later I was on my way to Liuyang. Maybe this place isn't completely comfortable but it is home... for now.
C. Johnson
I had pondered how I would feel to go on vacation and RETURN to China. I am relieved to say that my comfort with my new home has given me a sense of ownership over it. It was weird being in a place where foreigners sit in a cafe around every corner. I spent the morning after my exhausting train trip from Shenzhen walking the just-waking streets of Changsha. I smiled dumbly and repeated my arsenal of Mandarin phrases to each person I met.
I was home, and I was loving it. I just needed to get to the east bus station and then it was only a short hop to Liuyang. Unfortunately the city bus I boarded was travelling the wrong direction and I didn't realize it until I arrived at the west bus station. 113 stops and 1 hour and 10 minutes later I was on my way to Liuyang. Maybe this place isn't completely comfortable but it is home... for now.
C. Johnson
My favorite kind of cake
For as long as I can remember, I only liked the frosting on cake. This cake is perfect for me, and common in China.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
More about Hong Kong
Sunday, October 4
After settling into my hostel I realized that I was hungry, really hungry. I checked my map and decided to head into Central station to an area known as Lan Kwai Fong. This section of HK sits on a steep hill and is overcrowded with inexpensive restaurants and expensive restaurants and bars. As usual, this is China after all, I was mauled by touts telling me that their restaurant was the best. These places seem to be the most expensive so I decided to continue walking.
In a quieter corner of things I met two Indian touts who were only a bit enthusiastic at getting me to eat at their restaurant. This was the place for me. The Chuck Masala was delicious and it was honestly one of the most filling meals I had eaten in a while.
Now it was time to hit the bars. Drinking alone is one of the few drawbacks to traveling alone. Usually I am a chameleon who fits in just about anywhere but I quickly realized something strange about Lan Kwai Fong, everyone was beautiful. I inquired the profession of the man with the striking jaw who had taken the seat next to me. He said, "I am a model," in a tone that begged me, "Can't you tell how beautiful I am?". I finished that drink and headed up the hill looking for a place where I would feel less out of place in a twenty dollar polo.
Down a small side street came my salvation. Just up the hill from the Lan Kwai Fan area is a small street with several Irish Pubs. I chose one, Bulldogs, and sat down at the bar. The array of draft beers offered was mind numbing. Yes to all, please! All of a sudden the music stopped and I could here massive amounts of screaming through the speakers. What was this? I turned around to find the second half of the Arsenal Bolton game underway. Ahh, this was heaven.
More to come including lambos and porches, why hiking is fun, and the HK playground. Today I am off to Macau... Who's feeling lucky?
After settling into my hostel I realized that I was hungry, really hungry. I checked my map and decided to head into Central station to an area known as Lan Kwai Fong. This section of HK sits on a steep hill and is overcrowded with inexpensive restaurants and expensive restaurants and bars. As usual, this is China after all, I was mauled by touts telling me that their restaurant was the best. These places seem to be the most expensive so I decided to continue walking.
In a quieter corner of things I met two Indian touts who were only a bit enthusiastic at getting me to eat at their restaurant. This was the place for me. The Chuck Masala was delicious and it was honestly one of the most filling meals I had eaten in a while.
Now it was time to hit the bars. Drinking alone is one of the few drawbacks to traveling alone. Usually I am a chameleon who fits in just about anywhere but I quickly realized something strange about Lan Kwai Fong, everyone was beautiful. I inquired the profession of the man with the striking jaw who had taken the seat next to me. He said, "I am a model," in a tone that begged me, "Can't you tell how beautiful I am?". I finished that drink and headed up the hill looking for a place where I would feel less out of place in a twenty dollar polo.
Down a small side street came my salvation. Just up the hill from the Lan Kwai Fan area is a small street with several Irish Pubs. I chose one, Bulldogs, and sat down at the bar. The array of draft beers offered was mind numbing. Yes to all, please! All of a sudden the music stopped and I could here massive amounts of screaming through the speakers. What was this? I turned around to find the second half of the Arsenal Bolton game underway. Ahh, this was heaven.
More to come including lambos and porches, why hiking is fun, and the HK playground. Today I am off to Macau... Who's feeling lucky?
Hong Kong (aka) HK
Saturday, October 3
Hey things are going pretty well here in HK. The train ride was just fine and not too long... still no luck on getting an upgrade for the way back into China. The metro system here in HK is massive but quite convenient and after a day of trial and error I am starting to figure it out pretty well.
I started the morning at the 10,000 Buddhas Temple in the North. In fact, there are several 10s of thousands of Buddhas from the entrance to the temple proper but the main attraction is the main temple that has 12,000 some odd individual Buddhas. Next up was HK Heritage Museum, a fantastic collection of art and history from HK and a great way to spend the hottest hours of the day indoors. My third destination was a small recreation Hakka village in the far North West of the new territories. This region is actually rural, like Burlington (NC) rural, and even though I failed to find the town, it was a blast to just walk up and down main street for a bit. Then it was a long ride onto the HK island.
I walked around the city for a bit and feeling overwhelmed decided to find my hostel. The hostel is situated within the crowded streets of Causeway Bay. I have a line behind me here in the hostel, so I will update more later.
Hey things are going pretty well here in HK. The train ride was just fine and not too long... still no luck on getting an upgrade for the way back into China. The metro system here in HK is massive but quite convenient and after a day of trial and error I am starting to figure it out pretty well.
I started the morning at the 10,000 Buddhas Temple in the North. In fact, there are several 10s of thousands of Buddhas from the entrance to the temple proper but the main attraction is the main temple that has 12,000 some odd individual Buddhas. Next up was HK Heritage Museum, a fantastic collection of art and history from HK and a great way to spend the hottest hours of the day indoors. My third destination was a small recreation Hakka village in the far North West of the new territories. This region is actually rural, like Burlington (NC) rural, and even though I failed to find the town, it was a blast to just walk up and down main street for a bit. Then it was a long ride onto the HK island.
I walked around the city for a bit and feeling overwhelmed decided to find my hostel. The hostel is situated within the crowded streets of Causeway Bay. I have a line behind me here in the hostel, so I will update more later.
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