Oh, the heat! Oh, the sweat! It's like taking a second shower every time that you step outside. Which makes me wonder sometimes, why do I even bother showering every morning? This morning, on the way to a gathering of foreigners, two friends and I decided to get there the cheap way, and took the bus. Big mistake! This being tourist season, Qingdao is presently loaded with visitors, and the bus we needed happens to be the only one that goes to the beach. Yipe! Now, in both Mexico and Korea, I had the experience of being on a crowded bus . . . or so I thought. Those buses were nothing compared to this morning! We were packed on so tightly that I was literally butt-to-butt with a complete stranger and breast-to-breast with another (fortunately female) stranger. Talk about international bonding!
After our gathering with other foreigners, the three of us, accompanied by a very sweet Brazilian girl, met up with three other friends for lunch. We went to a little hole-in-the-wall Muslim noodle restaurant. I have generally found, in my international experience, that the scudzier and more low-frills the restaurant is, the better the food will be (another rule, just like it, is that street food is the yummiest of all, despite, or perhaps because of, the lack of hygiene). This restaurant followed that rule. It had no air conditioning, a dirty floor, and no decorations whatsoever. It did have seats and a table. No beverages (common over here), so a few of us tripped next door to a little convenience store and picked up drinks. To order, we pointed to pictures of what we wanted. The food, when it came, was absolutely delicious. I had some sort of slightly spicy meat (no idea what kind of meat . . . I think it was beef) and noodles dish with loads of onions.
You know, noodles are a really deceptive dish. You can work away at them for fifteen minutes (and if your chopsticks are slippery, it really can be work), and still, your plate looks exactly the same. You eat still more and yet, to the eye, it looks as though you've made no progress whatsoever! I am thoroughly convinced that noodles mate and breed on the plate, and that's why they never seem to lessen.
We were joined in the restaurant by a sight that really gave me warm fuzzies inside: Two of our high school boys decided to take out their younger siblings and some other kids for lunch. How many teenagers do you know that would do that? It was really sweet to see a group of about ten kids ranging in age from about five to seventeen enjoying each other's company over a meal.
After lunch, we stopped off at Tommy Boy's, a little coffee place, for iced milk teas. My favorite there is the assam tea with pearls (tapiocas), but today I felt like trying something new, so I had a mixed pudding milk tea. Sound weird? It was, but I rather liked it. The pudding was actually little squares of chocolate gelatin-like substance, and there were tapiocas in it as well. After separating from the group, Beth and I made one more stop, at the fruit and vegetable stand near the entrance to our apartment complex. It's run by Lotus, a super-sweet Chinese lady who speaks good English and is always so friendly when we stop in there. She always has excellent produce, and she loves to choose the very best mangos and dragonfruit for me whenever I stop in (I'm nuts about both of those fruits). And no, safely ensconced in our air-conditioned apartment, it's time to knuckle down and write out lesson plans for the week . . . with a few movies playing in the background, of course.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Back in the Saddle Again
I admit, even as excited as I have been about embarking on this new course (although not entirely new; looking back, the rest of my life was really leading up to this), I was still feeling a bit tentative about being back in a classroom, after that horrible hellish nightmare that was Emmanuel "Christian" School. I needn't have felt gun shy; today was a wonderful beginning.
The bus arrived for teachers at 6:40, just as it will every day from here on. Having gotten only four hours of sleep last night, I was a bit sleepy, but my nerves and excitement perked up my tired eyes. One of the great things about living in community the way that we do is traveling to and from school together. There are always friends to talk to, which greatly relieves a nervous mind. When we got to school, we all scurried to our classrooms to get those remaining final details taken care of. I was relieved to find that my last two posters for my main bulletin board had at some point printed out after I left yesterday (yesterday was a "bad China day" -- three hours of computer problems, upset stomach at lunch, a walk in the humidity that got much longer than planned after I got lost, heat exhaustion that caused me to almost faint, and a twisted knee). I was able to get the thirteen-foot bulletin finished to my satisfaction. I hate to brag, but it really is quite a cool board! I entitled it "Coming Attractions"and then created movie posters about various topics that I'll be covering in my classes this year.
The students arrived at 8:00, fresh-faced and eager . . . yes, actually eager. They wanted to be there! High-schoolers who actually look forward to the start of the school-year! It's another world here, I tell you. We got them (just the high-schoolers -- the other grades had their own activities) arranged by grades in the auditorium, then did an orientation assembly, complete with firm reminders about dress code. Nitta, our awesome high school principal, cheerfully informed the students that she has "beautiful" long skirts for girls who wear too short of shorts or skirts, and labcoats for those whose shirts are out of dress code. Additionally, she promised to acquire some "really attractive" shirts for any girls who come in wearing immodest tops. We actually don't have as strict of a dress code as one might expect. Kids are allowed to wear shorts (of an appropriate length) and jeans, and sneakers are perfectly all right. No holes, no flip-flops, nothing immodest (low cut, too tight, or too short), no tank tops, no track suits or athletic wear, and all shirts must have a collar. In other words, a perfectly reasonable dress code.
After the assembly, we dismissed the kids to their homerooms. True to their word, my fellow teachers really did put together a fantastic homeroom class for me. My ninth graders are a cheerful, obedient bunch, all with fun personalities. There's not a bad egg in the bunch! All but two of the kids are Asian, and I've got ten boys and five girls. I had the kids introduce themselves, each telling their name, how long they've been in China, and the thing that they are most looking forward to this year. Although all but two of my kids are not native English speakers, I was quite pleased with how well they speak. Of course, there's a bit of that Korean knack for extra syllables, but overall, they pronounce words well and have good vocabularies. After introductions, I informed the class that the best way to bond with new classmates is some good clean murder. They blinked in surprise, then laughed when I explained that we were going to play Mafia (it's a really fun and easy game that goes over quite well with kids). Unlike when I taught in the US, I only had to give directions once. What a difference THAT makes!
After a fun game of Mafia, I did two more academic games, both of which the kids loved. In the first game, a great one for English language-learners (without being dull for native speakers), I broke them up into three teams of five and put them in three columns. The kids in the front row each got a whiteboard and marker. I gave them a word, and they had to race to write a synonym. The first one to hold up their board (with a correct answer) earned a point for their team. They then passed the boards to the next players on their teams, and we went on from there. After a few rounds, I made the game more interesting by requesting antonyms sometimes. I was thrilled to see some really creative answers, rather than just simple short words. For my second academic game, which the kids liked even better, I would say the name of a place, and then the players would scramble to write the name of a place starting with the last letter of the one that I gave. I had another thrill of delight when I discovered how good these kids are at geography. One boy further gladdened me by asking if they could use ancient place names.
At 10:00, we gave the students a snack and bathroom break, then sent juniors and seniors outside and freshmen and sophomores to the gym for games. With the freshies and sophs, we played a really fun icebreaker game (to the joy of the students, teachers joined in, too): We had one less seat than people, arranged in a circle; the person without a seat had to go to the middle and call out something, like "People who have long hair" or "People who like to eat kimchi" and then everyone that the statement applied to had to get up and rush to another seat. Naturally, we all got hot and sweaty! I was fanning myself with my hand when one of my ninth graders noticed; that sweet girl immediately started fanning me! The game was hilarious to participate in and to watch. I thought it was particularly clever when one girl called out "People who have lived in Africa", which only applied to our South African teacher, thus positively guaranteeing the girl a seat! We sent the kids home at 11:30, and congratulated ourselves on a great first day.
Tomorrow, classes begin. We will be doing block scheduling this year: Four classes per day, in one and a half hour blocks. 'A' classes meet on Mondays and Wednesdays; 'B' classes meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays, all classes meet for just 35 minutes each and we have an assembly. This week, since we only have two days for classes, we're doing Friday's schedule on both days. I can't wait to meet the rest of my kids!
The bus arrived for teachers at 6:40, just as it will every day from here on. Having gotten only four hours of sleep last night, I was a bit sleepy, but my nerves and excitement perked up my tired eyes. One of the great things about living in community the way that we do is traveling to and from school together. There are always friends to talk to, which greatly relieves a nervous mind. When we got to school, we all scurried to our classrooms to get those remaining final details taken care of. I was relieved to find that my last two posters for my main bulletin board had at some point printed out after I left yesterday (yesterday was a "bad China day" -- three hours of computer problems, upset stomach at lunch, a walk in the humidity that got much longer than planned after I got lost, heat exhaustion that caused me to almost faint, and a twisted knee). I was able to get the thirteen-foot bulletin finished to my satisfaction. I hate to brag, but it really is quite a cool board! I entitled it "Coming Attractions"and then created movie posters about various topics that I'll be covering in my classes this year.
The students arrived at 8:00, fresh-faced and eager . . . yes, actually eager. They wanted to be there! High-schoolers who actually look forward to the start of the school-year! It's another world here, I tell you. We got them (just the high-schoolers -- the other grades had their own activities) arranged by grades in the auditorium, then did an orientation assembly, complete with firm reminders about dress code. Nitta, our awesome high school principal, cheerfully informed the students that she has "beautiful" long skirts for girls who wear too short of shorts or skirts, and labcoats for those whose shirts are out of dress code. Additionally, she promised to acquire some "really attractive" shirts for any girls who come in wearing immodest tops. We actually don't have as strict of a dress code as one might expect. Kids are allowed to wear shorts (of an appropriate length) and jeans, and sneakers are perfectly all right. No holes, no flip-flops, nothing immodest (low cut, too tight, or too short), no tank tops, no track suits or athletic wear, and all shirts must have a collar. In other words, a perfectly reasonable dress code.
After the assembly, we dismissed the kids to their homerooms. True to their word, my fellow teachers really did put together a fantastic homeroom class for me. My ninth graders are a cheerful, obedient bunch, all with fun personalities. There's not a bad egg in the bunch! All but two of the kids are Asian, and I've got ten boys and five girls. I had the kids introduce themselves, each telling their name, how long they've been in China, and the thing that they are most looking forward to this year. Although all but two of my kids are not native English speakers, I was quite pleased with how well they speak. Of course, there's a bit of that Korean knack for extra syllables, but overall, they pronounce words well and have good vocabularies. After introductions, I informed the class that the best way to bond with new classmates is some good clean murder. They blinked in surprise, then laughed when I explained that we were going to play Mafia (it's a really fun and easy game that goes over quite well with kids). Unlike when I taught in the US, I only had to give directions once. What a difference THAT makes!
After a fun game of Mafia, I did two more academic games, both of which the kids loved. In the first game, a great one for English language-learners (without being dull for native speakers), I broke them up into three teams of five and put them in three columns. The kids in the front row each got a whiteboard and marker. I gave them a word, and they had to race to write a synonym. The first one to hold up their board (with a correct answer) earned a point for their team. They then passed the boards to the next players on their teams, and we went on from there. After a few rounds, I made the game more interesting by requesting antonyms sometimes. I was thrilled to see some really creative answers, rather than just simple short words. For my second academic game, which the kids liked even better, I would say the name of a place, and then the players would scramble to write the name of a place starting with the last letter of the one that I gave. I had another thrill of delight when I discovered how good these kids are at geography. One boy further gladdened me by asking if they could use ancient place names.
At 10:00, we gave the students a snack and bathroom break, then sent juniors and seniors outside and freshmen and sophomores to the gym for games. With the freshies and sophs, we played a really fun icebreaker game (to the joy of the students, teachers joined in, too): We had one less seat than people, arranged in a circle; the person without a seat had to go to the middle and call out something, like "People who have long hair" or "People who like to eat kimchi" and then everyone that the statement applied to had to get up and rush to another seat. Naturally, we all got hot and sweaty! I was fanning myself with my hand when one of my ninth graders noticed; that sweet girl immediately started fanning me! The game was hilarious to participate in and to watch. I thought it was particularly clever when one girl called out "People who have lived in Africa", which only applied to our South African teacher, thus positively guaranteeing the girl a seat! We sent the kids home at 11:30, and congratulated ourselves on a great first day.
Tomorrow, classes begin. We will be doing block scheduling this year: Four classes per day, in one and a half hour blocks. 'A' classes meet on Mondays and Wednesdays; 'B' classes meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays, all classes meet for just 35 minutes each and we have an assembly. This week, since we only have two days for classes, we're doing Friday's schedule on both days. I can't wait to meet the rest of my kids!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Who Wouldn't Want to Go to a School Like This?
I have to admit, I'm a little jealous of our students: I would have given my right eye to go to a school like ours as a teenager! Not only is it a gorgeous, spacious, and clean building; we do an incredible amount of extra things with the students. The school is divided into four houses, just like at Hogwarts (from the Harry Potter books). The houses compete in various games and competitions throughout the school year. I learned yesterday that my house is Morrison (our color is green . . . uh oh, that's Slytherin's color!). There are also "Homeroom Wars", in which homerooms compete against one another. Additionally, we have fantastic drama productions each year. Perhaps the most enticing thing to me, however, is the technology. All middle schoolers and high schoolers (and their teachers) get school-issued laptops, and we're making the most of them in the classroom!
I can't believe all the awesome "techy" tools I get to use as a teacher:
I can't believe all the awesome "techy" tools I get to use as a teacher:
- As I mentioned before, no textbooks for my history classes! We're trying out an online program that grants us access to loads and loads of primary documents, so that our students can learn history without constantly being bombarded by bias. Oh, they'll still get some, of course, since it is impossible to completely remove bias from any subject, but at least it won't be as overpowering as bias tends to be in most history textbooks.
- With the enthusiastic support of my HOD (Head of Department), I'm pioneering the use of the Kindle app (it can be downloaded onto computers by students who don't have a Kindle reader) in my tenth grade Modern World History classes. With that, they'll be able to download autobiographies and other useful books for free, which will help immerse them in history better.
- I just got my Moodle account set up today. With Moodle, I'll be able to have the kids do their bellwork on their laptops rather than wasting paper (plus, I'll have constant access for checking their work), set up discussion forums, and even administer quizzes online (which I don't actually plan to do; I prefer to quiz the old-fashioned way, on paper).
- We're using Turnitin.com for all essays, papers, etc. I used that program in college, so I'm quite familiar with it. It's a plagiarism checking program that figures out whether students have copied work and even tracks down where they got it from.
- We have a really good online program called PowerSchool that makes gradebooks easy to maintain and readily accessible to parents, in addition to its other charms. It also makes attendance, discipline, and such easy to track.
- My classroom has an excellent speaker system and computer projector, so no annoying, old-fashioned overhead projector to battle with! Instead, I can use slideshows, show DVDs, utilize YouTube where appropriate . . . and of course, I plan to use Prezi (it does presentations that are even neater than what Keynote and PowerPoint can make) from time to time. I bought a clicker with a laser pointer in it back in the States, which will allow me or students to move about without being tied to the computer during presentations and lectures.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Our Friendly Neighborhood Typhoon
Muifa actually hasn't even hit us yet, but already the waves are awesome! The sheer power and force of nature never ceases to amaze me. The same areas that I walked on by the water yesterday are now underwater . . . the water is almost up to the middle walkway on the sea wall (that walkway is about 10-15 feet below the top of the wall)! The huge waves keep beating on it, many of them splashing well over the wall and flooding the main walkway.
Naturally, I changed as soon as I got home from a gathering of friends, and raced outside to get a good look at those waves. (There were lots of other people out there too, Mother. And there was no way for me to get swept over the side.) I meandered about, snapping photos with one of my useless cameras (two years from now I'll be in the US for a visit and can get the photos off the camera), and wading on the sidewalk (about three inches deep in water). I found some friends of mine from the school, the Kubalskis, and joined them by the wall. We marveled at the magnificence of the waves, occasionally darting backward to avoid getting smacked by them as they came over the top of the wall. Kevin got soaked from head to foot by one of those waves, much to the delight of the Kubalski children, Hattie and Peyton (very nice kids).
Marcella remarked that these waves are coming at us from more than 700 miles away . . . we then speculated about what it'll be like when the storm actually gets here! After a while, the Kubalskis went in, and I found a very friendly Chinese woman who was eager to chat. She turned out to speak very good English, which made conversation ever so much easier. Sometimes I get a very strong feeling of bitterness towards those involved in that wretched Tower of Babel -- it would be so nice, once in a while, if languages were not quite so diverse! The woman and I enjoyed conversing and occasionally darting away from walls of water. I was impressed to see how one series of waves just down from us managed to bend a lightpost! From the waves at high tide last night, there were several tiles that had been ripped loose from the walkway and cast into the grass. From here in my living room, I can see and hear that the waves are continuing to multiply and to grow in size and speed.
The gates to my apartment complex have sandbags in front of them now, so clearly there is concern about the amount of water we're going to get. I'm curious about how drenched I'm going to get on the way to the bus stop tomorrow -- I probably won't be able to walk the path that I usually take, owing to the waves coming over the wall, so I may have to search for another, much longer, route.
Naturally, I changed as soon as I got home from a gathering of friends, and raced outside to get a good look at those waves. (There were lots of other people out there too, Mother. And there was no way for me to get swept over the side.) I meandered about, snapping photos with one of my useless cameras (two years from now I'll be in the US for a visit and can get the photos off the camera), and wading on the sidewalk (about three inches deep in water). I found some friends of mine from the school, the Kubalskis, and joined them by the wall. We marveled at the magnificence of the waves, occasionally darting backward to avoid getting smacked by them as they came over the top of the wall. Kevin got soaked from head to foot by one of those waves, much to the delight of the Kubalski children, Hattie and Peyton (very nice kids).
Marcella remarked that these waves are coming at us from more than 700 miles away . . . we then speculated about what it'll be like when the storm actually gets here! After a while, the Kubalskis went in, and I found a very friendly Chinese woman who was eager to chat. She turned out to speak very good English, which made conversation ever so much easier. Sometimes I get a very strong feeling of bitterness towards those involved in that wretched Tower of Babel -- it would be so nice, once in a while, if languages were not quite so diverse! The woman and I enjoyed conversing and occasionally darting away from walls of water. I was impressed to see how one series of waves just down from us managed to bend a lightpost! From the waves at high tide last night, there were several tiles that had been ripped loose from the walkway and cast into the grass. From here in my living room, I can see and hear that the waves are continuing to multiply and to grow in size and speed.
The gates to my apartment complex have sandbags in front of them now, so clearly there is concern about the amount of water we're going to get. I'm curious about how drenched I'm going to get on the way to the bus stop tomorrow -- I probably won't be able to walk the path that I usually take, owing to the waves coming over the wall, so I may have to search for another, much longer, route.
 |
| Yup; a wave got me! |
Saturday, August 6, 2011
A Saturday Evening Walk
With Typhoon Muifa set to visit us on Sunday night, I thought I might as well enjoy a long walk after work today (I went in for about seven hours to work on getting ready for students), while we're still enjoying nice weather. So, with my Kindle along in case a good reading spot turned up, I walked down the gorgeous walkway by the ocean, then went and climbed on the rocks for about an hour.
I enjoyed being alone with my thoughts as I hopped and skittered over rocks and boulders, occasionally splashing into a bit of trapped ocean water, or pausing to admire unique patterns of barnacles. It was low tide, so the waves weren't doing anything impressive or dangerous, and besides, there were dozens of Chinese people out there enjoying similar activities to my own, so I judged it as relatively safe fun. Knowing me, I could have found a way to make it dangerous, but lately, I have not been nearly as klutzy as usual (well, I did bang my head on the hood over the oven and jam a thumbnail tonight, but that's just child's play really). There were a few boulders that held particular interest to me: the way that the sun hit the barnacles and shells that covered them, they looked like they were made of gold.
As I meandered over some smaller rocks, I came upon a truly arresting sight: a bright purple starfish! His coloring was actually what I would call electric purple, with a bit of orange as well. He seemed content on the rock he was gripping, and I don't care for living souvenirs, so I marveled at him for a few minutes and then left him alone. I also enjoyed terrifying a small crab, who scuttled away at remarkable speed. There were loads of nasty sea-bug-like-creatures that resembled . . . I have no clue what they resembled. Alien life forms? They were quite creepy and their scurrying habits a bit disconcerting, so I avoided them. A helicopter flew overhead, so close and so low that I thought it may crash land on top of me, but then it landed next to the walkway directly above. It seemed to be somehow related to the China Coast Guard, though I can't be certain. I think it was surveying the coastline in preparation for Muifa, but there again, that is mere speculation.
After my time amongst the rocks and sea creatures, I climbed up to the wooden walkway by where the chopper had landed and walked all the way down to the Qingdao Yacht Club. I have to admit, in the years prior to coming here, it never occurred to me that China would actually have a yacht club -- but there is certainly a very nice one here. I also passed by the Olympic Sailing Center (it's right there with the yacht club), which you likely saw if you watched the Beijing Olympics. There was a white lighthouse that caught my eye, so I headed over to have a look at it. Lighthouses have captured my imagination ever since I was a little girl and saw Pete's Dragon or read the Boxcar Children book, The Lighthouse Mystery. From the ages of about 5 to 15 (oh, heck, I still do!), I often pondered how neat it might be to live in a lighthouse.
I circled the lighthouse, paused to curiously watch a few brides doing photo shoots there, and amused several small children merely by being a foreigner. One of the Yay Duck / Yuck Duck things about China is that staring is not considered rude. If people see someone they consider odd or interesting (of which foreigners are apparently both), they stare and point to their heart's content. On the one hand, it gets a bit annoying sometimes, although not so much after my year of Korea that got me accustomed to it. On the bright side, turnabout is fair play! I sometimes like to observe them!
On my way back, I felt that more rock-climbing was needed. I particularly fancied some enticing large barnacle-encrusted boulders closer to where the waves were hitting (relax, Mother, it was still low tide), so I headed in that direction. I had forgotten just how slippery my red sandals get when they're wet! Fear not, gentle readers, I did not fall! I slipped a little, but remained standing upright . . . or close to it, anyway. I found a perfectly nice rock in a more secluded area, where I sat quite comfortably and enjoyed my current book on my Kindle, contentedly listening to the waves smacking the rock in front of mine. When they got discernibly bigger and bolder (pun intended), I got up and hiked back up to the main walkway. I only wish that my new camera were here already, so that I could have photographed my gorgeous evening walk.
Well, Muifu is supposed to hit soon. Here's hoping that our windows hold out! We've already brought in the plants and the balcony furniture, and apparently the emergency plan is that teachers will hole up at the school if worse comes to worse and we have to evacuate (the school is on much higher ground and is a fair distance from the ocean). So far, Beth and I really aren't worrying. The Chinese people living in our area don't seem worried, and we figure they probably know best. Just to play it safe, though, in case we happened to lose power, we made sure to take showers and do the dishes tonight!
I enjoyed being alone with my thoughts as I hopped and skittered over rocks and boulders, occasionally splashing into a bit of trapped ocean water, or pausing to admire unique patterns of barnacles. It was low tide, so the waves weren't doing anything impressive or dangerous, and besides, there were dozens of Chinese people out there enjoying similar activities to my own, so I judged it as relatively safe fun. Knowing me, I could have found a way to make it dangerous, but lately, I have not been nearly as klutzy as usual (well, I did bang my head on the hood over the oven and jam a thumbnail tonight, but that's just child's play really). There were a few boulders that held particular interest to me: the way that the sun hit the barnacles and shells that covered them, they looked like they were made of gold.
As I meandered over some smaller rocks, I came upon a truly arresting sight: a bright purple starfish! His coloring was actually what I would call electric purple, with a bit of orange as well. He seemed content on the rock he was gripping, and I don't care for living souvenirs, so I marveled at him for a few minutes and then left him alone. I also enjoyed terrifying a small crab, who scuttled away at remarkable speed. There were loads of nasty sea-bug-like-creatures that resembled . . . I have no clue what they resembled. Alien life forms? They were quite creepy and their scurrying habits a bit disconcerting, so I avoided them. A helicopter flew overhead, so close and so low that I thought it may crash land on top of me, but then it landed next to the walkway directly above. It seemed to be somehow related to the China Coast Guard, though I can't be certain. I think it was surveying the coastline in preparation for Muifa, but there again, that is mere speculation.
After my time amongst the rocks and sea creatures, I climbed up to the wooden walkway by where the chopper had landed and walked all the way down to the Qingdao Yacht Club. I have to admit, in the years prior to coming here, it never occurred to me that China would actually have a yacht club -- but there is certainly a very nice one here. I also passed by the Olympic Sailing Center (it's right there with the yacht club), which you likely saw if you watched the Beijing Olympics. There was a white lighthouse that caught my eye, so I headed over to have a look at it. Lighthouses have captured my imagination ever since I was a little girl and saw Pete's Dragon or read the Boxcar Children book, The Lighthouse Mystery. From the ages of about 5 to 15 (oh, heck, I still do!), I often pondered how neat it might be to live in a lighthouse.
I circled the lighthouse, paused to curiously watch a few brides doing photo shoots there, and amused several small children merely by being a foreigner. One of the Yay Duck / Yuck Duck things about China is that staring is not considered rude. If people see someone they consider odd or interesting (of which foreigners are apparently both), they stare and point to their heart's content. On the one hand, it gets a bit annoying sometimes, although not so much after my year of Korea that got me accustomed to it. On the bright side, turnabout is fair play! I sometimes like to observe them!
On my way back, I felt that more rock-climbing was needed. I particularly fancied some enticing large barnacle-encrusted boulders closer to where the waves were hitting (relax, Mother, it was still low tide), so I headed in that direction. I had forgotten just how slippery my red sandals get when they're wet! Fear not, gentle readers, I did not fall! I slipped a little, but remained standing upright . . . or close to it, anyway. I found a perfectly nice rock in a more secluded area, where I sat quite comfortably and enjoyed my current book on my Kindle, contentedly listening to the waves smacking the rock in front of mine. When they got discernibly bigger and bolder (pun intended), I got up and hiked back up to the main walkway. I only wish that my new camera were here already, so that I could have photographed my gorgeous evening walk.
Well, Muifu is supposed to hit soon. Here's hoping that our windows hold out! We've already brought in the plants and the balcony furniture, and apparently the emergency plan is that teachers will hole up at the school if worse comes to worse and we have to evacuate (the school is on much higher ground and is a fair distance from the ocean). So far, Beth and I really aren't worrying. The Chinese people living in our area don't seem worried, and we figure they probably know best. Just to play it safe, though, in case we happened to lose power, we made sure to take showers and do the dishes tonight!
Friday, August 5, 2011
My First Typhoon?
Apparently, Qingdao is directly in the path of Typhoon Muifa, from whom we're expecting a visit on Monday. The waves outside were already getting big today; it was a little bit like dodgeball walking to the bus this morning! The waves kept splashing over the wall, intent on attacking innocent pedestrians. I managed to avoid any undesired wetness, but I may not be so lucky this weekend!
Click HERE to see a map of Muifa's anticipated route.
The US government has already issued a warning for all of us Americans over here to take precautions and stock up on water, food, and such. So, I'm planning to stop by the grocery store on my way home tomorrow (I'm going in to school for part of the day to get more work done on my classroom). At the moment, Muifa is a category 2 typhoon, but it's expected to be a category 1 by the time it hits us. We're supposed to get winds of about 75-94 MPH and lots and lots of rain. Some areas are being warned of mudslides; fortunately, we are not among them. I just hope we don't get flooding or severe damage. Living within clear view of the ocean may not be so nice if that happens!
What a way to start our first week of school! (School starts on Wednesday, the 10th.)
Click HERE to see a map of Muifa's anticipated route.
The US government has already issued a warning for all of us Americans over here to take precautions and stock up on water, food, and such. So, I'm planning to stop by the grocery store on my way home tomorrow (I'm going in to school for part of the day to get more work done on my classroom). At the moment, Muifa is a category 2 typhoon, but it's expected to be a category 1 by the time it hits us. We're supposed to get winds of about 75-94 MPH and lots and lots of rain. Some areas are being warned of mudslides; fortunately, we are not among them. I just hope we don't get flooding or severe damage. Living within clear view of the ocean may not be so nice if that happens!
What a way to start our first week of school! (School starts on Wednesday, the 10th.)
Thursday, August 4, 2011
A Yay-Yuck Day
Today can best be summarized in one word: loooooooong. My head is crammed past capacity with new information, new concerns, new responsibilities, and my ever-increasing To Do list. And the students start in just 6 days!
To begin with, let's get the "Yuck Ducks" out of the way:
1. I've had an upset stomach and accompanying unpleasantness for the past two days. Today, my neck felt left out of the pain-fest, so it started hurting badly around noon, leading to a full-fledged massive headache by the time I boarded the bus to leave school at 4:30. Owing to the tummy issues, I haven't been able to eat much yesterday and today, which has made me feel even lousier.
2. There is just so much to do, in such a short amount of time. One teacher cheerily remarked to me today, "Don't worry about it; you WON'T get everything done." Though well-intentioned, her comment did little to reassure me.
3. The camera issue (see previous post). I keep seeing interesting, odd, and/or beautiful things that I want to photograph!
4. I bruised up both of my shins and my ankle the other day.
And, so as not to end on a negative note, here are the "Yay Ducks":
1. The other teachers in high school are absolutely wonderful people. I learned today that I will be a homeroom teacher to a group of ninth graders, in addition to my other responsibilities. Three of the other teachers got together and switched around the class lists to deliberately give me a really good group of ninth graders, since it's my first year here. So, I have the cream of the crop in my homeroom (honestly, there really aren't any kids that are bad; there are just a few that require a bit more work out of a teacher than others do).
2. The school lunches here are really, really good. For example, today we had a delicious yellow curry (which I would have enjoyed a whole lot more if I didn't have this very unhappy stomach).
3. Tonight we're hosting a big group of people (9) for dinner and Psych. Everyone is bubbly, friendly, and fun -- even to me in my present doped-up-on-pain-medication state.
4. I've been getting some great ideas for my classes. Three other teachers have commented that they really wish they could sit in on one of my classes!
5. I get along famously with the head of the social studies department and with the high school principal.
6. We had a faculty and staff picnic yesterday evening, where I got to meet dozens more people. So far, all of the kids that I've met are really sweet, and people keep going on and on about what a phenomenal group of tenth graders we have this year (I teach both tenth grade history classes).
Despite feeling absolutely lousy (and drugged), I'd still say that Yay Duck is firmly in the lead.
To begin with, let's get the "Yuck Ducks" out of the way:
1. I've had an upset stomach and accompanying unpleasantness for the past two days. Today, my neck felt left out of the pain-fest, so it started hurting badly around noon, leading to a full-fledged massive headache by the time I boarded the bus to leave school at 4:30. Owing to the tummy issues, I haven't been able to eat much yesterday and today, which has made me feel even lousier.
2. There is just so much to do, in such a short amount of time. One teacher cheerily remarked to me today, "Don't worry about it; you WON'T get everything done." Though well-intentioned, her comment did little to reassure me.
3. The camera issue (see previous post). I keep seeing interesting, odd, and/or beautiful things that I want to photograph!
4. I bruised up both of my shins and my ankle the other day.
And, so as not to end on a negative note, here are the "Yay Ducks":
1. The other teachers in high school are absolutely wonderful people. I learned today that I will be a homeroom teacher to a group of ninth graders, in addition to my other responsibilities. Three of the other teachers got together and switched around the class lists to deliberately give me a really good group of ninth graders, since it's my first year here. So, I have the cream of the crop in my homeroom (honestly, there really aren't any kids that are bad; there are just a few that require a bit more work out of a teacher than others do).
2. The school lunches here are really, really good. For example, today we had a delicious yellow curry (which I would have enjoyed a whole lot more if I didn't have this very unhappy stomach).
3. Tonight we're hosting a big group of people (9) for dinner and Psych. Everyone is bubbly, friendly, and fun -- even to me in my present doped-up-on-pain-medication state.
4. I've been getting some great ideas for my classes. Three other teachers have commented that they really wish they could sit in on one of my classes!
5. I get along famously with the head of the social studies department and with the high school principal.
6. We had a faculty and staff picnic yesterday evening, where I got to meet dozens more people. So far, all of the kids that I've met are really sweet, and people keep going on and on about what a phenomenal group of tenth graders we have this year (I teach both tenth grade history classes).
Despite feeling absolutely lousy (and drugged), I'd still say that Yay Duck is firmly in the lead.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Frustrations
Woe is me! After spending more than an hour online tracking down the cord to my digital camera when I first arrived here, I was convinced that that would solve my problem of being unable to access pictures off my camera. The cord arrived today . . . and it was the wrong cord. In short, the seller lied about it being right for my camera. I went to Sony's website only to discover that they won't ship here. The cord on Amazon that I recognize by sight as being the correct one also only ships within the US. I checked to see if my new school laptop had a slot that would fit my memory card -- again, no luck. Finally, I realized that the only way I'll have any pictures in China is to break down and order yet another camera (making a grand total of three cameras in my possession, one of which doesn't work). Grrrrr! So, I broke down and ordered another camera (if I buy it here, it'll be entirely in Chinese and will cost more than what I spent online, including the cost of shipping).
To my "delight", I also discovered that I left the cord to my digital photo frame back in the USA, so there is no way to use it. This just isn't my day for electronics.
Yuck Duck: This entire situation with cameras.
Yay Duck: I got a lot done in my classroom today, including significant progress on the massive 13-foot-long bulletin board.
It just occurred to me; I had camera troubles in Korea, too (fell off my bike and damaged my digital camera, then had to buy another one)! Is this just my lot to bear when I live oversees? I have this sudden image of myself at a ripe old age, surrounded by cameras, each acquired in a different country that I lived in.
To my "delight", I also discovered that I left the cord to my digital photo frame back in the USA, so there is no way to use it. This just isn't my day for electronics.
Yuck Duck: This entire situation with cameras.
Yay Duck: I got a lot done in my classroom today, including significant progress on the massive 13-foot-long bulletin board.
It just occurred to me; I had camera troubles in Korea, too (fell off my bike and damaged my digital camera, then had to buy another one)! Is this just my lot to bear when I live oversees? I have this sudden image of myself at a ripe old age, surrounded by cameras, each acquired in a different country that I lived in.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Painting the Bedroom
Yesterday, I picked out the perfect color for the bedroom. It's called "fine silver" and it is a nice light grey, which perfectly matches the new duvet cover. Today, I painted.
Knowing me as you do, how do you think that went?
A. Stephanie stepped in the bucket of paint and splattered her entire floor.
B. Stephanie slipped and landed butt-first in the paint tray.
C. When Stephanie was up on the dresser, she dropped the paint tray on the floor and splattered paint everywhere.
D. Stephanie fell off the nightstand she was using as a ladder, but miraculously didn't spill paint.
E. None of the above. Something much, much worse and far more unusual happened.
F. All of the above. And then some.
Well, surprisingly, painting went quite well. Beth helped me tape and helped with some of the trim work before she left for dinner (she's bringing me back Indian food, bless her). Amazingly, the answer to the quiz up above is D. At one point, I did miscalculate the width of the nightstand, and wound up crashing to the floor. Somehow, I managed to keep the paintbrush up in the air (I was working on trim at the time). I may have bruised my hip a little, but other than that, I'm just fine. Ginger-peachy, in fact.
I hope to be able to post pictures soon. The bedroom is drying at the moment; once I get stuff moved back in, I think it's going to look really nice.
Riding in China (Shudder)
A more appropriate title for this post might be "Sit Back and Say a Prayer." Or, "Taking Your Life in Your Hands and Trusting that the Maniac behind the Wheel Isn't Going to Kill You." Or "China's Secret Way for Cutting Down on Population: Automobiles." They would all make appropriate titles.
In the eight days that I have been here, I have managed to discern only one rule that drivers in China follow: Try to avoid hitting the car in front of you. The vehicles beside and behind, as well as all things smaller than you (especially pedestrians) are fair game.
Having spent a year in Korea, I thought I had already seen the world's wildest driving. They use the sidewalk as an extra lane, for pete's sake! But Korean drivers cannot hold a candle to Chinese drivers. There is a special kind of insanity on the roads here. If crazy driving ever becomes an Olympic event, China will medal in every category, and no one will be able to accuse them of cheating. I wish I could say that they do it well enough that there are no accidents, but that's different from Korea, too (I saw very few accidents over there). So far in China, I've seen at least six or seven accidents. I've seen a bus come within a foot of taking out a woman pushing a stroller. I've even dodged my own fair share of buses. I've seen fear in the eyes of my fellow teachers that will haunt me till the end of my life -- which may be soon, if Chinese drivers have their way.
Yesterday, Beth and I went to go get paint for my room. It took FOREVER to get a taxi, but at last we succeeded. He took us all the way to one of the major roads in the city, where we suddenly hit one of the oddest traffic jams I have ever witnessed. In the same section of road, there were cars attempting to go in all FOUR directions, simultaneously. No one had any intention of actually stopping and waiting their turn. Causing and complicating the mess was an accident: a car had hit a bus, and the two vehicles had been abandoned in the center of the upcoming intersection. So, our taxi was attempting to go one way, with cars going the same way or the opposite direction cutting in front of us and behind, while other cars behind us and on either side were trying to keep going straight. Our taxi wound up with a flat tire, so we had to get off and then catch another one, this time taking even longer than before.
Walking is particularly hazardous here. The common comparison made is that crossing a street is like being inside that old Atari game, Frogger. It's perfectly legal for cars to hit people, from what I've heard. There are very few crosswalks or walk signals, and generally those are ignored by cars, who just keep coming anyway. They usually honk at pedestrians for DARING to walk while there is a WALK signal. A few times, I've found myself trapped in the middle of a major road, waiting for the traffic to thin out in one lane so that I can make it across with all limbs accounted for and attached.
The school bus is perhaps the most terrifying part of daily life. I was talking to one of our Chinese staff the other day at dinner, and she said that even the Chinese staff are afraid to ride with one of our drivers! He's a nice fellow with kind eyes and a friendly smile, but he drives like a demon-possessed version of NCIS's Ziva David. He zips about, seldom braking, cutting off buses and cars alike, leaning on the horn as though it were a lifeline, and frequently using the lanes on the other side of the road when the correct lanes are too slow to please him. I'll never forget the day last week when he veered into the opposite twos lanes at top speed, straddling the both of them, in the path of two oncoming buses, whom he managed to avoid at the last possible minute. Then he wove into the correct lane, managing to fit our bus into an opening of only a few feet. The entire time that he did all this, his face was perfectly calm and placid. I, meanwhile, was gripping the seat in front of me for dear life, convinced that I wasn't going to live to teach a class here. One of the other teachers told me that it helps if you don't look.
In the eight days that I have been here, I have managed to discern only one rule that drivers in China follow: Try to avoid hitting the car in front of you. The vehicles beside and behind, as well as all things smaller than you (especially pedestrians) are fair game.
Having spent a year in Korea, I thought I had already seen the world's wildest driving. They use the sidewalk as an extra lane, for pete's sake! But Korean drivers cannot hold a candle to Chinese drivers. There is a special kind of insanity on the roads here. If crazy driving ever becomes an Olympic event, China will medal in every category, and no one will be able to accuse them of cheating. I wish I could say that they do it well enough that there are no accidents, but that's different from Korea, too (I saw very few accidents over there). So far in China, I've seen at least six or seven accidents. I've seen a bus come within a foot of taking out a woman pushing a stroller. I've even dodged my own fair share of buses. I've seen fear in the eyes of my fellow teachers that will haunt me till the end of my life -- which may be soon, if Chinese drivers have their way.
Yesterday, Beth and I went to go get paint for my room. It took FOREVER to get a taxi, but at last we succeeded. He took us all the way to one of the major roads in the city, where we suddenly hit one of the oddest traffic jams I have ever witnessed. In the same section of road, there were cars attempting to go in all FOUR directions, simultaneously. No one had any intention of actually stopping and waiting their turn. Causing and complicating the mess was an accident: a car had hit a bus, and the two vehicles had been abandoned in the center of the upcoming intersection. So, our taxi was attempting to go one way, with cars going the same way or the opposite direction cutting in front of us and behind, while other cars behind us and on either side were trying to keep going straight. Our taxi wound up with a flat tire, so we had to get off and then catch another one, this time taking even longer than before.
Walking is particularly hazardous here. The common comparison made is that crossing a street is like being inside that old Atari game, Frogger. It's perfectly legal for cars to hit people, from what I've heard. There are very few crosswalks or walk signals, and generally those are ignored by cars, who just keep coming anyway. They usually honk at pedestrians for DARING to walk while there is a WALK signal. A few times, I've found myself trapped in the middle of a major road, waiting for the traffic to thin out in one lane so that I can make it across with all limbs accounted for and attached.
The school bus is perhaps the most terrifying part of daily life. I was talking to one of our Chinese staff the other day at dinner, and she said that even the Chinese staff are afraid to ride with one of our drivers! He's a nice fellow with kind eyes and a friendly smile, but he drives like a demon-possessed version of NCIS's Ziva David. He zips about, seldom braking, cutting off buses and cars alike, leaning on the horn as though it were a lifeline, and frequently using the lanes on the other side of the road when the correct lanes are too slow to please him. I'll never forget the day last week when he veered into the opposite twos lanes at top speed, straddling the both of them, in the path of two oncoming buses, whom he managed to avoid at the last possible minute. Then he wove into the correct lane, managing to fit our bus into an opening of only a few feet. The entire time that he did all this, his face was perfectly calm and placid. I, meanwhile, was gripping the seat in front of me for dear life, convinced that I wasn't going to live to teach a class here. One of the other teachers told me that it helps if you don't look.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Shopping in Taidong (a.k.a. Stephanie's First Chinese Victory)
Today was a major victory for me: Despite having only been in China for six days, I managed to buy a flowerpot from a Chinese woman, using only Chinese to transact our business. I showed her which one I wanted, asked how much it was, then understood her when she answered me. I then paid for it and thanked her, and finished by saying goodbye. It's the small things in life that bring the most joy!
I was in Taidong today, which is sort of a suburb of Qingdao, where there are loads of inexpensive shops. Beth and I needed to get dishes, since the ones we had were owned by her former roommate, who will be back from vacation this week and will then reclaim her belongings (she's staying in Qingdao, just going to a different apartment). I still can't believe how well Beth and I get along and how similar our tastes are: it took us all of about ten minutes to pick out which plates we wanted at the kitchen store we went to. We found a gorgeous mostly-black plate that has white flowers on it, and then has green and blue in the center (the center sort of reminds me of a seashell in the way the colors show). We found a bowl that perfectly matched as well. We decided that we would need eight plates, since we frequently have company, and four bowls, since we don't usually serve soup when having guests. Unfortunately, there were only five of the plate that we loved. I suggested getting four of them and then picking four of a plate that coordinated, and Beth readily agreed. She happened upon a blue plate that has a black back and is round. It looked fantastic with what we had picked out, and there were exactly four of them at the shop! For our pieced-together set of dishes, we paid 200 kuai, which is about $30 American. And these are super NICE dishes, which would probably cost around $200 for a set back in the States. Awesome!
After the kitchen store, we went to the plant market, because I wanted to buy some plants for the apartment. Since we have such a nice balcony, and since I don't have any pets to mother, I have decided to create a garden for myself. Beth told me that the balcony is my domain, and that anything I do out there is fine by her. So, I decided that I would start myself out with three plants, then add more gradually. Next summer, I plan to grow tomatoes. I am also thinking about turning our hanging clothes line into a hanging herb garden next summer, since we can't use it for clothes during the summer (too humid) and since it is really sturdy (it's actually metal). For my first plants in my balcony "garden", I decided to get two flowering plants and one plant that smelled nice. We like to use our balcony a lot, so I figured that combination would offer the maximum amount of increased enjoyment.
I right away found a flowering plant that I fell in love with. It's something I've never seen before! It has pinkish red flowers that are small and really pretty, and then has lots of thorns as well. I'm not really sure how to even describe the thing! The saleswoman told me all about the plant in Chinese, and with the aid of Beth (who speaks a fair amount of Chinese, though she is far from fluent) and charades, I was able to understand some of it (I also, to my delight, picked up on a few words that I knew). Apparently, my new plant is actually three separate plants in one container. It will bush out and gain a pretty good size, and it will have tons of flowers. It likes lots of direct sunlight, which it will certainly get out there, and it only needs water when it gets dry. No other special instructions. I picked out an attractive large white pot for it (big enough that I shouldn't have to transplant it for a while, but not so big that it gets dwarfed by the pot), and the woman graciously potted it for me right there (they usually charge for that).
For my second plant, I chose one from the same woman. It's another plant that I've never seen. It is small and green, and I have no idea whether it will grow flowers. It's cute enough without them, honestly. What I love about it is how the round, thick leaves feel just like velvet, and the wonderful aromatic scent that it lets off. I chose a blue and white striped pot for it, and it now has a very happy home in the center of our balcony table. It really adds a lot to the aesthetics out there.
For my final plant, I went with a gorgeous red plant that I had seen before in hotels, but did not know the name of. After extensive searching on Google, I learned that my new flower is called an Anthurium. According to Google, they're supposed to be pretty easy to take care of, on top of the fact that they are stunningly gorgeous (as I had already observed). I also learned that they are best kept indoors, as they don't like constant sunlight and cannot handle super hot temperatures. So, the Anthurium will live in the living room, by the sliding glass door. For its pot, I found a striped pot that nicely coordinates with the blue striped one that I put the green plant in. That was the pot that I managed to buy with no help. I hope to find out what the other two plants are soon. I'll probably do some searching on Google tomorrow and see if I can figure it out.
I really wish I could post pictures of all these things, but I am still waiting for the camera cord to arrive (the one I ordered off of Amazon). In the meantime, just picture in your mind how beautiful my new plants are.
After the plant store, Beth and I walked toward Walmart (yup, we even have one here!) so that I could get some organizational boxes. On the way, we stopped by a little stand called Magic Lemon, which sells frozen treats. I saw a picture of something I had never seen before, which looked quite odd and therefore extremely desirable for consuming. Beth tenaciously described it using what Chinese words she knows, until eventually they figured out what we were talking about. Her efforts were worth it -- it was the most delicious thing I have eaten so far in China. It turned out to be actual pieces of mango on the bottom, with mango shaved ice on top of that, and then little balls that looked like golden caviar on top. The little balls were also mango-flavored (I think made from real mango), but the texture is hard to describe. The best description I can think of is to call them mango caviar!
Walmart successfully finished my household needs. I found some trays and boxes to aid in organization (I needed something for makeup and such in the bathroom, and something for organizing my desk drawers). I also found a nice little umbrella that should hold up well during this rainy season (we get a little bit of rain almost daily lately, but mostly we're getting sun), a throw pillow that perfectly matches the bedroom and brings in a bit of lime green, a few notebooks, more hangers (I ALWAYS underestimate how many I need), and a hedgehog t-shirt (I didn't pack many t-shirts because they're the one thing I can find in my size in Asia).
After we got home, we popped in a movie for a while. Around four, we had some unique fun: we got to assist with the birthday party of one of our school's eighth graders (her mom is a teacher). Maddie was having an "Amazing Race" birthday party, and we were the second stop. The girls had to solve a series of math problems to figure out to come to our apartment. When they got here (in their teams of three), we had two tasks for them to complete. First, one girl had to be blindfolded and had to apply several different make-up elements to one of her teammates, which the teammate would then have to keep on for the rest of the race. Then, the remaining teammate had to stick ten clothespins in her hair, which also had to stay in for the rest of the race. To find the next location, the girls had to put together a picture of the apartment, which had been cut up like a puzzle (each team got their own to put together). It was so much fun to have an apartment full of happy, giggling preteen girls (ages eleven to thirteen). I still can't get over how NICE all of the kids from our school are (at least, all that I have met, and the other teachers have commented that our kids all tend to be pretty sweet). The girls were only here for about twenty minutes at most, but they really wet my appetite for school to start.
It's looking like I'll have no shortage of quality time with teens and preteens this year. In addition to teaching high school, I volunteered to help with youth group immediately upon my arrival in Qingdao, an offer that was eagerly accepted. Then, at dinner tonight, I was asked to coach JV volleyball. I said that if I could get some help and some instruction, I think I may be able to do it. At the very least, I said that I could definitely assist someone else in coaching. I don't know all of the rules that there would be in an official game, and I have no experience in planning strategy, so those are the two concerns that I have. I do know how to play, of course, and I also know plenty about how to get the kids warmed up. So, we shall see -- I may be a coach, or I may just assist. Either way, I am happy to get really involved. I often think that the time outside of class can be some of the most valuable time a teacher spends with students. I am hoping to be not just a teacher, but also a mentor and a trusted ally.
I was in Taidong today, which is sort of a suburb of Qingdao, where there are loads of inexpensive shops. Beth and I needed to get dishes, since the ones we had were owned by her former roommate, who will be back from vacation this week and will then reclaim her belongings (she's staying in Qingdao, just going to a different apartment). I still can't believe how well Beth and I get along and how similar our tastes are: it took us all of about ten minutes to pick out which plates we wanted at the kitchen store we went to. We found a gorgeous mostly-black plate that has white flowers on it, and then has green and blue in the center (the center sort of reminds me of a seashell in the way the colors show). We found a bowl that perfectly matched as well. We decided that we would need eight plates, since we frequently have company, and four bowls, since we don't usually serve soup when having guests. Unfortunately, there were only five of the plate that we loved. I suggested getting four of them and then picking four of a plate that coordinated, and Beth readily agreed. She happened upon a blue plate that has a black back and is round. It looked fantastic with what we had picked out, and there were exactly four of them at the shop! For our pieced-together set of dishes, we paid 200 kuai, which is about $30 American. And these are super NICE dishes, which would probably cost around $200 for a set back in the States. Awesome!
After the kitchen store, we went to the plant market, because I wanted to buy some plants for the apartment. Since we have such a nice balcony, and since I don't have any pets to mother, I have decided to create a garden for myself. Beth told me that the balcony is my domain, and that anything I do out there is fine by her. So, I decided that I would start myself out with three plants, then add more gradually. Next summer, I plan to grow tomatoes. I am also thinking about turning our hanging clothes line into a hanging herb garden next summer, since we can't use it for clothes during the summer (too humid) and since it is really sturdy (it's actually metal). For my first plants in my balcony "garden", I decided to get two flowering plants and one plant that smelled nice. We like to use our balcony a lot, so I figured that combination would offer the maximum amount of increased enjoyment.
I right away found a flowering plant that I fell in love with. It's something I've never seen before! It has pinkish red flowers that are small and really pretty, and then has lots of thorns as well. I'm not really sure how to even describe the thing! The saleswoman told me all about the plant in Chinese, and with the aid of Beth (who speaks a fair amount of Chinese, though she is far from fluent) and charades, I was able to understand some of it (I also, to my delight, picked up on a few words that I knew). Apparently, my new plant is actually three separate plants in one container. It will bush out and gain a pretty good size, and it will have tons of flowers. It likes lots of direct sunlight, which it will certainly get out there, and it only needs water when it gets dry. No other special instructions. I picked out an attractive large white pot for it (big enough that I shouldn't have to transplant it for a while, but not so big that it gets dwarfed by the pot), and the woman graciously potted it for me right there (they usually charge for that).
For my second plant, I chose one from the same woman. It's another plant that I've never seen. It is small and green, and I have no idea whether it will grow flowers. It's cute enough without them, honestly. What I love about it is how the round, thick leaves feel just like velvet, and the wonderful aromatic scent that it lets off. I chose a blue and white striped pot for it, and it now has a very happy home in the center of our balcony table. It really adds a lot to the aesthetics out there.
For my final plant, I went with a gorgeous red plant that I had seen before in hotels, but did not know the name of. After extensive searching on Google, I learned that my new flower is called an Anthurium. According to Google, they're supposed to be pretty easy to take care of, on top of the fact that they are stunningly gorgeous (as I had already observed). I also learned that they are best kept indoors, as they don't like constant sunlight and cannot handle super hot temperatures. So, the Anthurium will live in the living room, by the sliding glass door. For its pot, I found a striped pot that nicely coordinates with the blue striped one that I put the green plant in. That was the pot that I managed to buy with no help. I hope to find out what the other two plants are soon. I'll probably do some searching on Google tomorrow and see if I can figure it out.
I really wish I could post pictures of all these things, but I am still waiting for the camera cord to arrive (the one I ordered off of Amazon). In the meantime, just picture in your mind how beautiful my new plants are.
After the plant store, Beth and I walked toward Walmart (yup, we even have one here!) so that I could get some organizational boxes. On the way, we stopped by a little stand called Magic Lemon, which sells frozen treats. I saw a picture of something I had never seen before, which looked quite odd and therefore extremely desirable for consuming. Beth tenaciously described it using what Chinese words she knows, until eventually they figured out what we were talking about. Her efforts were worth it -- it was the most delicious thing I have eaten so far in China. It turned out to be actual pieces of mango on the bottom, with mango shaved ice on top of that, and then little balls that looked like golden caviar on top. The little balls were also mango-flavored (I think made from real mango), but the texture is hard to describe. The best description I can think of is to call them mango caviar!
Walmart successfully finished my household needs. I found some trays and boxes to aid in organization (I needed something for makeup and such in the bathroom, and something for organizing my desk drawers). I also found a nice little umbrella that should hold up well during this rainy season (we get a little bit of rain almost daily lately, but mostly we're getting sun), a throw pillow that perfectly matches the bedroom and brings in a bit of lime green, a few notebooks, more hangers (I ALWAYS underestimate how many I need), and a hedgehog t-shirt (I didn't pack many t-shirts because they're the one thing I can find in my size in Asia).
After we got home, we popped in a movie for a while. Around four, we had some unique fun: we got to assist with the birthday party of one of our school's eighth graders (her mom is a teacher). Maddie was having an "Amazing Race" birthday party, and we were the second stop. The girls had to solve a series of math problems to figure out to come to our apartment. When they got here (in their teams of three), we had two tasks for them to complete. First, one girl had to be blindfolded and had to apply several different make-up elements to one of her teammates, which the teammate would then have to keep on for the rest of the race. Then, the remaining teammate had to stick ten clothespins in her hair, which also had to stay in for the rest of the race. To find the next location, the girls had to put together a picture of the apartment, which had been cut up like a puzzle (each team got their own to put together). It was so much fun to have an apartment full of happy, giggling preteen girls (ages eleven to thirteen). I still can't get over how NICE all of the kids from our school are (at least, all that I have met, and the other teachers have commented that our kids all tend to be pretty sweet). The girls were only here for about twenty minutes at most, but they really wet my appetite for school to start.
It's looking like I'll have no shortage of quality time with teens and preteens this year. In addition to teaching high school, I volunteered to help with youth group immediately upon my arrival in Qingdao, an offer that was eagerly accepted. Then, at dinner tonight, I was asked to coach JV volleyball. I said that if I could get some help and some instruction, I think I may be able to do it. At the very least, I said that I could definitely assist someone else in coaching. I don't know all of the rules that there would be in an official game, and I have no experience in planning strategy, so those are the two concerns that I have. I do know how to play, of course, and I also know plenty about how to get the kids warmed up. So, we shall see -- I may be a coach, or I may just assist. Either way, I am happy to get really involved. I often think that the time outside of class can be some of the most valuable time a teacher spends with students. I am hoping to be not just a teacher, but also a mentor and a trusted ally.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Yay Ducks and Yuck Ducks from My First Week
For an explanation of Yay Duck and Yuck Duck, click HERE.
Yay Ducks:
Yuck Ducks:
Yay Ducks:
- All of the other teachers are unbelievably nice and have been more welcoming than I could ever have imagined.
- My roommate and I are kindred spirits.
- I was informed by the high school principal that our high school students seldom need motivation to do well -- they do that very well on their own.
- I have a gorgeous and large apartment with a fantastic view of the ocean from the balcony.
- The food here is fantastic.
- My classroom has loads of potential.
- My VPN is allowing me access to my blog and Facebook, as well as all of the other sites I would otherwise have no way of getting on. I even heard from a friend that I may be able to get Netflix here with the VPN.
- I get a brand new school laptop! No need to clutter my Mac with all the school stuff.
- The weather here is gorgeous and sunny.
- I am picking up Chinese much faster than I thought I would (though I am certainly no prodigy).
- My jetlag is fading away.
- All of my favorite Korean foods, which I have sorely missed for two years, are now available to me!
Yuck Ducks:
- It's hard to be involved with Lantern Hollow Press from here -- I really feel/am out of the loop.
- I have to miss the wedding of one of my dearest friends.
- I still have no idea what my day-to-day schedule will look like, and I don't have class lists yet.
- My apartment is so big! How will we ever keep it clean once school starts? (Actually, we're working on that. We're planning to get an Ayi to work for us two days a week.)
- Most of the American foods that I enjoy are either not available or are really expensive. Fortunately, there are enough other delectables that I don't miss them too much. I am most likely going to have to break down at some point and shell out 64 kuai (about $9.80) for some oatmeal, though.
- My classroom is still a mess. There is SO MUCH left to do!!!
- My VPN likes to act up from time to time. Without it, the internet is a pretty sparse place, since China blocks so many sites.
- My school laptop is a PC, which is highly inferior to a Mac. I am not nearly as proficient on PCs as I am on Macs.
- The weather here is really hot. And humid.
- Chinese is quite hard to learn.
- My feet are killing me from all the walking. (Although I honestly am enjoying walking so much more -- the rest of me is feeling better from the exercise each day.)
- Cheese is ridiculously expensive (and quite limited) here.
On the whole, Yay Duck is the clear winner. Although the Yuck Ducks sound like complaints, really I'm just trying to keep myself balanced so that I don't over-idealize my new situation -- really, none of the Yuck Ducks bother me very much (which should be Yay Duck #13). Even taking the Yuck Ducks into consideration, I still love China!
The Little Tramp Goes to School
Charlie Chaplin could have done a great little movie about getting a classroom ready for students. And today, my experiences alone were ample fodder for such a film. (The Little Tramp, by the way, was Chaplin's most famous character.)
My classroom was last used by a man -- so, obviously, it is a complete mess right now. Yesterday, I stopped in for a moment to take a few pictures of it, and during the course of my visit, pulled down one of my maps and got it stuck. In my first performance in the classroom today, I wanted to get the map to go back up on the roll. Since I'm too short to reach the top part, I stood on a chair. I started to fiddle around with it, when suddenly . . . BANG! The map shot up so fast that it almost took me with it! I was so startled that I nearly fell off the chair.
I next started working on clearing out the three bookcases in the back of the room (which I may move somewhere else). Behind one of them were several posters, which I pulled out to look at. Suddenly, about a dozen nasty silvery-white bugs came crawling at full speed (which was impressively fast), all of them clearly intent on reaching me and perhaps conquering me. I dropped the posters with a yelp and leapt backwards! I then promptly headed downstairs to ask the school receptionist if I could get some cleaning supplies for my room and also some bug spray.
I decided to work on my bulletin boards, and so I measured both of them with my twelve-inch ruler. The big one, as I learned, is thirteen feet long and four feet wide. The "small" one is eight feet long and about three feet wide. Down on the second floor (my room is on the third floor), we have a teacher workroom with several rolls of paper for putting on bulletin boards, so I headed down there to cut my background paper. Being stupid, I opted to cut two thirteen-foot-long pieces for the big board (the paper is too narrow to cover the board with just one sheet). Since the workroom itself is only about fifteen feet long, that was a "fun" task. Then, there came the task of folding the sheets. Chaplin would have had a blast writing a scene with that! I found the best/only way to do it was to put the paper over my head and fold it from "inside" it. It's the closest I've ever come to being gift-wrapped. Later, I went back up and did the eight-foot sheet needed for the smaller board, and got to be gift-wrapped again.
Have you ever tried to staple an eight-foot sheet of paper to a bulletin board? It is not an easy task . . . needless to say, it took a while. I am happy to report that contrary to what my parents are likely suspecting at this moment, I did not staple my finger. Or my thumb. I did stab myself with a thumbtack, however (I tack things up first, then staple them, to avoid mistakes).
Shortly thereafter, one of the Chinese janitors came up with cleaning spray and paper towels from me. She tried to talk to me in Chinese, but since my Chinese is still in its infancy (it's still in the red, pruney, squalling, dripping with amniotic slime stage), I couldn't understand a word of what she was saying. I informed her that my Chinese is pretty bad (using much less picturesque language than what I just used here), and she smiled, gave me a hug, and said "I like you." Our entire Chinese staff is really sweet! She tried then to give me instructions, using a lot of charades, which I took to mean that the spray would not be useful for killing bugs. It was, however, quite useful for getting the dust, dirt, and grime off of my windowsills, desk, and bookcases. After cleaning, I moved my desk to a better direction (I prefer to have it catty-corner in the front corner of the classroom), cleaned out all of the drawers in my filing cabinet, and also shook the dust out of my curtains (yes, my classroom actually has REAL curtains!).
Unlike The Little Tramp, my day ended quite happily, with dinner at a great little Korean restaurant followed by a movie with my roommate and the mom and daughter from the Finnish-Australian family that lives directly above us. I am proud to report that my jetlag is finally dissipating, and I actually am feeling alive long past 2:00 pm in the day. Also, I received a little certificate today from the Chinese teachers for having excellent pronunciation in class! Who knew I would actually do well with Mandarin??
My classroom was last used by a man -- so, obviously, it is a complete mess right now. Yesterday, I stopped in for a moment to take a few pictures of it, and during the course of my visit, pulled down one of my maps and got it stuck. In my first performance in the classroom today, I wanted to get the map to go back up on the roll. Since I'm too short to reach the top part, I stood on a chair. I started to fiddle around with it, when suddenly . . . BANG! The map shot up so fast that it almost took me with it! I was so startled that I nearly fell off the chair.
I next started working on clearing out the three bookcases in the back of the room (which I may move somewhere else). Behind one of them were several posters, which I pulled out to look at. Suddenly, about a dozen nasty silvery-white bugs came crawling at full speed (which was impressively fast), all of them clearly intent on reaching me and perhaps conquering me. I dropped the posters with a yelp and leapt backwards! I then promptly headed downstairs to ask the school receptionist if I could get some cleaning supplies for my room and also some bug spray.
I decided to work on my bulletin boards, and so I measured both of them with my twelve-inch ruler. The big one, as I learned, is thirteen feet long and four feet wide. The "small" one is eight feet long and about three feet wide. Down on the second floor (my room is on the third floor), we have a teacher workroom with several rolls of paper for putting on bulletin boards, so I headed down there to cut my background paper. Being stupid, I opted to cut two thirteen-foot-long pieces for the big board (the paper is too narrow to cover the board with just one sheet). Since the workroom itself is only about fifteen feet long, that was a "fun" task. Then, there came the task of folding the sheets. Chaplin would have had a blast writing a scene with that! I found the best/only way to do it was to put the paper over my head and fold it from "inside" it. It's the closest I've ever come to being gift-wrapped. Later, I went back up and did the eight-foot sheet needed for the smaller board, and got to be gift-wrapped again.
Have you ever tried to staple an eight-foot sheet of paper to a bulletin board? It is not an easy task . . . needless to say, it took a while. I am happy to report that contrary to what my parents are likely suspecting at this moment, I did not staple my finger. Or my thumb. I did stab myself with a thumbtack, however (I tack things up first, then staple them, to avoid mistakes).
Shortly thereafter, one of the Chinese janitors came up with cleaning spray and paper towels from me. She tried to talk to me in Chinese, but since my Chinese is still in its infancy (it's still in the red, pruney, squalling, dripping with amniotic slime stage), I couldn't understand a word of what she was saying. I informed her that my Chinese is pretty bad (using much less picturesque language than what I just used here), and she smiled, gave me a hug, and said "I like you." Our entire Chinese staff is really sweet! She tried then to give me instructions, using a lot of charades, which I took to mean that the spray would not be useful for killing bugs. It was, however, quite useful for getting the dust, dirt, and grime off of my windowsills, desk, and bookcases. After cleaning, I moved my desk to a better direction (I prefer to have it catty-corner in the front corner of the classroom), cleaned out all of the drawers in my filing cabinet, and also shook the dust out of my curtains (yes, my classroom actually has REAL curtains!).
Unlike The Little Tramp, my day ended quite happily, with dinner at a great little Korean restaurant followed by a movie with my roommate and the mom and daughter from the Finnish-Australian family that lives directly above us. I am proud to report that my jetlag is finally dissipating, and I actually am feeling alive long past 2:00 pm in the day. Also, I received a little certificate today from the Chinese teachers for having excellent pronunciation in class! Who knew I would actually do well with Mandarin??
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wŏ Shì Mĕiguórén
Today we started learning survival Chinese, following a morning of reviewing school policies and meeting with our respective principals (there are four of them under the head principal). I picked up on my new words and phrases much quicker than I thought I would, likely owing entirely to the skills of the Chinese staff.
We covered some basic phrases (such as "I am American", which is the title of this post), learned to count up to 100, and also learned the names of a few basic places in our city. I am a bit overwhelmed with so much Chinese floating around in my poor still-jetlagged brain (I think my jetlag here is a lot worse than what I had in Korea, and the only reason I can think of is that I'm older)!
Here, in pinyin (a phonetic way of writing Chinese, which is not a phonetic language), are a few of the new words and phrases I learned today:
Duì bu qĭ (dway boo chee) - Sorry
Méi guānxi (may gwan-chee) - It doesn't matter
Wŏ jiào Stephanie (wo jow) - My name is Stephanie.
One: yī (ee)
Two: èr (ar)
Three: sān
Four: sì (suh)
Five: wŭ (woo)
The accent marks over the letters denote which of the four tones to use in pronunciation. The four tones are (using the letter a as an example): ā, á, ă, and à. Each of these gets a different sound, which is part of why Chinese is hard to learn. Our teacher had us think of the voice as having five levels. In the first tone (ā), the sound is at level 5 only (the highest tone). In the second (á), the tone goes from level 3 to level 5. In the third (ă), the tone goes from level 2 to 1 to 5. Finally, in the fourth (ă), the tone goes from 5 to 1. If you now feel horribly confused, then you completely understand how I felt at first. Now, however, I am beginning to grasp the concept.
We covered some basic phrases (such as "I am American", which is the title of this post), learned to count up to 100, and also learned the names of a few basic places in our city. I am a bit overwhelmed with so much Chinese floating around in my poor still-jetlagged brain (I think my jetlag here is a lot worse than what I had in Korea, and the only reason I can think of is that I'm older)!
Here, in pinyin (a phonetic way of writing Chinese, which is not a phonetic language), are a few of the new words and phrases I learned today:
Duì bu qĭ (dway boo chee) - Sorry
Méi guānxi (may gwan-chee) - It doesn't matter
Wŏ jiào Stephanie (wo jow) - My name is Stephanie.
One: yī (ee)
Two: èr (ar)
Three: sān
Four: sì (suh)
Five: wŭ (woo)
The accent marks over the letters denote which of the four tones to use in pronunciation. The four tones are (using the letter a as an example): ā, á, ă, and à. Each of these gets a different sound, which is part of why Chinese is hard to learn. Our teacher had us think of the voice as having five levels. In the first tone (ā), the sound is at level 5 only (the highest tone). In the second (á), the tone goes from level 3 to level 5. In the third (ă), the tone goes from level 2 to 1 to 5. Finally, in the fourth (ă), the tone goes from 5 to 1. If you now feel horribly confused, then you completely understand how I felt at first. Now, however, I am beginning to grasp the concept.
Photos that I Stole from Other New Teachers
Since I am still waiting for a means of getting photos off of my camera and onto the computer (long story short: I lost the cord and have ordered a new one), I lifted some photos from the Facebook pages of two of the other new teachers, Ben and Warren. I'm sure they won't mind (and if they do, I will offer them cookies).
First, here are some pictures of the view from the roof of the school, taken the other day (the day that we got drenched in Qingdao's amusing imitation of a tropical storm):
Some of the views remind me a lot of the Philippines. The hill behind the school is actually a cemetery, but there are no bodies in it. China requires that all bodies be cremated. Unlike in the States, in China, families are responsible for maintaining their own plots -- there is not a caretaker looking after the entire cemetery.
The next few pictures are from our very rainy meal the other day, at the noodle place:
Here, our head principal, Dave, orders lunch for everyone. Our meals were 8 RMB apiece (about $1.24 in US money), which the school paid for.
First, here are some pictures of the view from the roof of the school, taken the other day (the day that we got drenched in Qingdao's amusing imitation of a tropical storm):
The next few pictures are from our very rainy meal the other day, at the noodle place:
These two shots show the rural village that we walked through to get to the noodle place. The two people whose backs you see are Carl, the elementary principal, and Stacy, one of the teachers.
This is the small noodle place where we ate (on the left).
The stools we sat on were quite small, but surprisingly comfortable. I think they were less than a foot high.
Those noodles sure were yummy!
Stacy laughs and does her best to avoid the sudden torrential downpour. 'Twas a memorable lunch, indeed.
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