Day 5: July 9, 2010
Did I mention the breakfasts? Still struggling with trying to figure out what is what. I don’t think I have
ever had corn on the cob for breakfast, of some of the combinations of friend dough. It is delicious (mostly), although I may buy a banana to bring tomorrow.
Half-day teacher training again today. Things are beginning to come together, but there are every so many questions that we have as to what to expect form our Chinese students. Are they used to working in groups? Yes, groups of four. Are they at all familiar with American culture such as Disney movies? Will doing these performances be familiar? Have they ever seen anything like readers theatre with scripts? Can these young children actually read English?
I did find out yesterday that Chinese school customarily have a two hour lunch where the children can go home if they want, or at school they eat in the classroom and then can go to the nap room and sleep, watch movies or play “quiet activities” out doors.
It was really inspiring to meet these teachers and hear about their enthusiasm. We were also encouraged by the principal to go on a Chinese journey with them.
Half-day teacher training again today. Things are beginning to come together, but there are every so many questions that we have as to what to expect form our Chinese students. Are they used to working in groups? Yes, groups of four. Are they at all familiar with American culture such as Disney movies? Will doing these performances be familiar? Have they ever seen anything like readers theatre with scripts? Can these young children actually read English?
I did find out yesterday that Chinese school customarily have a two hour lunch where the children can go home if they want, or at school they eat in the classroom and then can go to the nap room and sleep, watch movies or play “quiet activities” out doors.It was really inspiring to meet these teachers and hear about their enthusiasm. We were also encouraged by the principal to go on a Chinese journey with them.
We feel rather bad for the Chinese teachers. The reason that they are only available for half the day today is that it is last week of school and they have graduation tonight! Yipes, what a GREAT time to be in trainings. We saw the students lining up in an assembly as we arrived. (And probably interrupted what was going on…that wasn’t the best teacher’s manners…) But they are a beautiful looking crew. We will so enjoy all of these interactions with these young people.
I am very excited that I will be able to somehow share my How Baby Coyote Learned to Howl picture book with the children. Not quite sure how it all fits in, but we are studying Biomes (desert, jungle, grasslands, etc.) so somehow that will be part of what I bring to the table. We found out that the word Biomes was unfamiliar to the teachers.In my teaching, all somehow has to lead to doing these performances at the end of each of the weeks. We have a HIGHLY ambitious schedule of three themes in three weeks. First week biomes, second career exploration, third week world cultures. Highly interesting yet trying to keep the age level and language acquisition in place.
Second day training was easier. Everyone was less nervous and things are falling into place.
The range in level of English ability of the Chinese teachers is also great. Some are quite fluent and some are so shy and reluctant to speak, especially in front of a group. When we did the go around ending activity at the teacher training where you could say something about how it has been so far, only one Chinese teacher spoke and she spoke of being very shy (she was the brave one!) And these are the adults!
We have had some little interactions with a few students at the school. Brave ones coming up and introducing themselves. They also have a range of English, form being able to have a conversation, so only answering to what is your name and how old are you? We will have to see what the real language skills are once we get them in our classroom.
Following another fabulous school lunch, back to the hotel to try to sort out what to do with a rare free afternoon. Ten of us gathered in a hotel room and poured over guidebooks and a several pages handout that a couple Chinese teachers made for us of what would be excellent things to do in the area. This type of group decision-making is crazy. We eventually worked it out that 8 of us headed out on a bus to go to a Botanical Garden. We were told it would be about an hour by bus.
After an hour, two of our friends got off the bus in down town Shenxhen City (truly an 14 million person HUGE city that went on and on). The remaining half dozen of us hung in there and got off where the nice driver and conductor indicated. We used the info on a scrap of paper given by our hotel manger Holly (all of the English speaking Chinese have American names). She was so nice to help us. Having where you are going written in Chinese is essential because you can’t count on AYONE speaking much English.
We got out at what we thought was Lake of the Immortals Botanical Gardens which we found out was a poor translation for Fairylake. It was a HUGE forest and highly beautiful. We headed up a long hill not realizing it wasn’t really a place you could walk without having a day. A VERY nice man stopped and offered us a ride (all six of us in his tiny car!) It turns out that he works at a research botanist at this park, for the past 8 years. As we spoke of being from California, we asked if we knew Quail Botanical Gardens because he knew the director there. This garden (about 30 minutes from our house in Oceanside) has a special interest in plants form China, so the director has been to this garden many times. What a small world!
We got out at what we thought was Lake of the Immortals Botanical Gardens which we found out was a poor translation for Fairylake. It was a HUGE forest and highly beautiful. We headed up a long hill not realizing it wasn’t really a place you could walk without having a day. A VERY nice man stopped and offered us a ride (all six of us in his tiny car!) It turns out that he works at a research botanist at this park, for the past 8 years. As we spoke of being from California, we asked if we knew Quail Botanical Gardens because he knew the director there. This garden (about 30 minutes from our house in Oceanside) has a special interest in plants form China, so the director has been to this garden many times. What a small world! This man then took us with him to look at the orchid and butterfly gardens. Beautiful and very lovely to have a guided tour for a very nice man. Then he drove us to the Buddhist Temple.
This temple was about 28 years old, built after religious freedom was allowed to come back to China. When were arrived, we were immediately filled with peacefulness. It really was so beautiful and filled with a combination of tourists and pilgrims. We were offered several sticks of incense with which to offer prayers. We followed the examples of others and lit the incense in a huge fiery little house, and then placed the burning sticks in a giant kettle. They were altars and Buda statues throughout the many levels of the lovely temple grounds. This was all quite moving, and I said prayers for our safe trip and for the students we will be working with.
Then, as we were contemplating the fact that we now might miss getting back in time for dinner, we were assisted by a lovely young woman (no English) and young man, Anson, excellent English. Anson allowed us to use his cell phone for us to call back to the hotel and let them know. Then he invited us to come and have dinner for free at the temple. It was like being invited back stage at Disneyland. We accepted and went into a tiny serving room where we got lovely Chinese vegetarian food and then were lead back to a dinning area where we got to eat and marvel at the kindness of strangers. What a great blessing! Before we left, we all bought little bracelets to remember this grand adventure. I also bought a string of Buddhist prayer beads that are so lovely.
Here is a little info about the garden:
“Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden is located in the northeast suburb of Shenzhen, with Wutong Mountain, the highest peak in Shenzhen, in the east and Shenzhen reservoir in the west. The garden was established in 1983 and opened to the public in 1988. It is a renowned botanical garden and scenic spot integrating scientific research, popularity and tourism.
Covered with lush lawn and dotted with palm trees, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden presents a strong tropical landscape. In shady plants garden, insectivorous plants are on the look out for prey while brightly-colored Oncidium orchids look like gracious maids in an imperial palace performing beautiful dances…In the first rays of the morning sun, the ring of bells and the recitation of scriptures in the Buddhism temple fill people with deep veneration. In the setting sun, the garden is so picturesque and tranquil with the bright ripples spreading. On the lake and the green trees and pavilions reflected in the water… What a wonderful and intoxicating garden!”
We caught a bus back down the hill, walked through a pretty typical poorer neighborhood and then caught the correct bus back to our area (nearly a two-hour bus ride back home! What a grand adventure. Wow! Wow! Wow!
This temple was about 28 years old, built after religious freedom was allowed to come back to China. When were arrived, we were immediately filled with peacefulness. It really was so beautiful and filled with a combination of tourists and pilgrims. We were offered several sticks of incense with which to offer prayers. We followed the examples of others and lit the incense in a huge fiery little house, and then placed the burning sticks in a giant kettle. They were altars and Buda statues throughout the many levels of the lovely temple grounds. This was all quite moving, and I said prayers for our safe trip and for the students we will be working with.Then, as we were contemplating the fact that we now might miss getting back in time for dinner, we were assisted by a lovely young woman (no English) and young man, Anson, excellent English. Anson allowed us to use his cell phone for us to call back to the hotel and let them know. Then he invited us to come and have dinner for free at the temple. It was like being invited back stage at Disneyland. We accepted and went into a tiny serving room where we got lovely Chinese vegetarian food and then were lead back to a dinning area where we got to eat and marvel at the kindness of strangers. What a great blessing! Before we left, we all bought little bracelets to remember this grand adventure. I also bought a string of Buddhist prayer beads that are so lovely.Here is a little info about the garden:“Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden is located in the northeast suburb of Shenzhen, with Wutong Mountain, the highest peak in Shenzhen, in the east and Shenzhen reservoir in the west. The garden was established in 1983 and opened to the public in 1988. It is a renowned botanical garden and scenic spot integrating scientific research, popularity and tourism.
Covered with lush lawn and dotted with palm trees, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden presents a strong tropical landscape. In shady plants garden, insectivorous plants are on the look out for prey while brightly-colored Oncidium orchids look like gracious maids in an imperial palace performing beautiful dances…In the first rays of the morning sun, the ring of bells and the recitation of scriptures in the Buddhism temple fill people with deep veneration. In the setting sun, the garden is so picturesque and tranquil with the bright ripples spreading. On the lake and the green trees and pavilions reflected in the water… What a wonderful and intoxicating garden!”
We caught a bus back down the hill, walked through a pretty typical poorer neighborhood and then caught the correct bus back to our area (nearly a two-hour bus ride back home! What a grand adventure. Wow! Wow! Wow!
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