So, we have had a VERY busy week! The school that we do most of the teaching is called Weihai Daguanghua International School. It is an elementary, middle, and high school. It is a fairly new private school(though I'm not sure the buildings are very new). We work with the 6-7 year-olds. We also go to two Weihai public schools to work with the same age group and a public kindergarten. It sounds like a lot but we only work about 20 hours a week. This week was challenging to say the least. The kids are active! I think they are used to super strict teachers all day so when they get to our class they think it's time to goof off. But teaching got easier as the week developed. My favorite part was working with the kindergartners. When we got them they didn't know any English at all. It was neat to see how much they picked up in just one 30 min class!
Other than teaching we have been doing some more exploring. I had real noodles from a Muslim noodle shop. It was amazing! And it was only 5 yuan (which is less than a dollar) for a bowl full of noodles the size of a basketball cut in half! Wednesday was our head teacher's birthday. So after we finished teaching we went looking for a place that does massages. We found a place that was decorated to look like a tree from the outside. We started talking to the lady at the front counter, but there was a language barrier. She kept looking at us weird, and then she called down her boss. He walked out in thin pajamas and no underwear. We started to get nervous, so we called Wendy, a Chinese teacher at our school that speaks English. She said that the place we were at only serves men... Yeah we left pretty fast! We found another place that gives massages for men and women, and I had the best massage of my life! And it was only 4 US dollars! Crazy! After that we went downtown and found a McDonald's! I thought I'd never enjoy McDonald's but it was unbelievable! We savored every bite! Then we walked to the beach. It was very beautiful, but we didn't get any pictures yet. We will take pictures later and post them. Later that evening we strolled down the 'night market.' I bought a Buddha necklace and Bruce bought nun-chucks. We also bought Avatar and Lovely Bones on DVD (about $1 each). All in all it was a tiring week.
Also, it has been snowing on and off here. The snow usually sticks, but is mostly melted by the next day. Winds make it feel even colder, but everyone is saying that before March is over, it will be warmer.
I want to thank Cheryl for helping me post when I wasn't able to. I don't know if I will be able to post every week. I have to go through a proxy site. The government regulates what sites you can and cannot go to . . . lame! We miss you all! Love you!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
If Any Are Opposed, Text Me
Today was Sunday. We got up early and showered and put on nice clothes. We had church meetings over the telephone. All of our group gathered into one person's room, and we dialed the phone number the Branch President emailed to us. Church meetings started at 10 am. Before the opening prayer, they informed us of the rules that Chinese citizens aren't allowed to listen to the meetings, and need to hang up (by government law.) He released some people from callings from last semester, and made a couple of new callings (no one we know.) He said, "All in favor, show by the raise of hands; all opposed, you can just send me a text message, or call or email." We all started laughing at the idea of texting the Branch President during the middle of church. We had a couple of talks he had assigned, I think members of his family. We sang hymns, and were able to take the sacrament. He gave us like 8 silent minutes to each do the sacrament from where ever we were. Bruce and another ILP teacher did the sacrament for everyone. Later we went to lunch at the school cafeteria, which was gross again. We bought jam from the store and put it on the steamed rice rolls they gave us, which dramatically upped the flavor.
Sunday afternoon was the Chinese Lantern Festival. We were invited to the cafeteria for a late dinner in nice clothes. When we came, everyone was in their regular clothes, and our food was a fish head. Gross. Also we had some traditional dumplings. On our table were 2 bottles of beer, and one bottle of 39% alcohol. The principals of the school tried to get us to toast, and play drinking games with them. We explained that it was against our religion to drink. They were really nice about it and let us drink sprite. An hour later, everyone else was drunk and went to do karaoke. We went back to our bedroom. The Lantern Festival marks the official end of the Chinese New Year, so I guess we did get here for part of the New Year celebration! They did a bunch of fireworks. It also started snowing a lot. It's getting colder. Bruce also went to play piano in the school's piano room. He played Hymns with another volunteer teacher who knows how to sing. It was pretty and invited the spirit.
We love and miss you all!
P.S. Since today is Monday night for us right now, we start teaching our kids tomorrow morning!!!
Sunday afternoon was the Chinese Lantern Festival. We were invited to the cafeteria for a late dinner in nice clothes. When we came, everyone was in their regular clothes, and our food was a fish head. Gross. Also we had some traditional dumplings. On our table were 2 bottles of beer, and one bottle of 39% alcohol. The principals of the school tried to get us to toast, and play drinking games with them. We explained that it was against our religion to drink. They were really nice about it and let us drink sprite. An hour later, everyone else was drunk and went to do karaoke. We went back to our bedroom. The Lantern Festival marks the official end of the Chinese New Year, so I guess we did get here for part of the New Year celebration! They did a bunch of fireworks. It also started snowing a lot. It's getting colder. Bruce also went to play piano in the school's piano room. He played Hymns with another volunteer teacher who knows how to sing. It was pretty and invited the spirit.
We love and miss you all!
P.S. Since today is Monday night for us right now, we start teaching our kids tomorrow morning!!!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Heavenly Fluffs
Friday:
Have you ever had that dream when you dream of home? You walk in the front door and see your family, and your dogs are hopping up and down and everyone is happy? Yet something feels off.... you can't put your finger on it. Then you wake up and you're in China! This morning kinda felt like that.
6:40 am I opened my eyes and was wide awake. Good thing, too, cuz hot water is from 6:30 to 7:30, and breakfast is from 7:00 to 7:40. So I laid in bed taking in my surroundings and rolled over to see Bruce was already awake. We hopped out of bed and got dressed. Bruce was faster than me so he left with the two other boys for breakfast. 45 minutes later I was ready. I grabbed 2 other girls to get some breakfast but when we got there at 7:44 all the food was gone! We had missed breakfast by 4 minutes!! Feeling sorry for us, one of the Chinese principals took me back into the kitchen and gave us 6 hard boiled eggs and 3 packets of noodles. The girls and I ended up eating an egg each. Needless to say, we were on time for the other 2 meals that day.
Kelly, our foreign affairs officer (Chines representative), showed us around our school. We unpacked and got the internet set up. Minnie, another Chinese teacher who speaks English, took us to the Bank of China to exchange our US dollars for yaun. Then we went to a Walmart-like market to buy some essentials. The most venturous part of the trip was our ride back to the school. We paid a crazy china man 4 yaun (about 50 cents in US money) to drive us home in a 3-wheeled car called a "rabbit". It's like a stick-shift lawn mower with a roof. We can't wait to start teaching.
Have you ever had that dream when you dream of home? You walk in the front door and see your family, and your dogs are hopping up and down and everyone is happy? Yet something feels off.... you can't put your finger on it. Then you wake up and you're in China! This morning kinda felt like that.
6:40 am I opened my eyes and was wide awake. Good thing, too, cuz hot water is from 6:30 to 7:30, and breakfast is from 7:00 to 7:40. So I laid in bed taking in my surroundings and rolled over to see Bruce was already awake. We hopped out of bed and got dressed. Bruce was faster than me so he left with the two other boys for breakfast. 45 minutes later I was ready. I grabbed 2 other girls to get some breakfast but when we got there at 7:44 all the food was gone! We had missed breakfast by 4 minutes!! Feeling sorry for us, one of the Chinese principals took me back into the kitchen and gave us 6 hard boiled eggs and 3 packets of noodles. The girls and I ended up eating an egg each. Needless to say, we were on time for the other 2 meals that day.
Kelly, our foreign affairs officer (Chines representative), showed us around our school. We unpacked and got the internet set up. Minnie, another Chinese teacher who speaks English, took us to the Bank of China to exchange our US dollars for yaun. Then we went to a Walmart-like market to buy some essentials. The most venturous part of the trip was our ride back to the school. We paid a crazy china man 4 yaun (about 50 cents in US money) to drive us home in a 3-wheeled car called a "rabbit". It's like a stick-shift lawn mower with a roof. We can't wait to start teaching.
Dough shao chien?
Shopping is good, especially when all your money is worth seven times more! Can you guess what we did today? That's right, shopping!! Love, or Charie- an American teacher, took us to the city center to check out some of the vendors. We took the #38 Green bus through the main part of town. We started with a small underground market. Bruce and I felt adventurous and bought some pastries from a Chinese bakery. It paid off cuz they were yummy! Walking down the streets is almost like walking down the streets of San Francisco, well it would be if they sold squid on a stick and puppies. There were people with bicycle-drawn carts that carried roasted nuts and fruit and vegetables and even a few live chickens! But the most exciting and overwhelming emporium was the three-story shopping building that resembled the scene in Labarynth when Sara meets the Junk Lady. You could buy ANYTHING there! Hats, purses, shoes, pots and pans, jewelry, bedding, make-up, knives, books, toys, you name it- they had it! Bruce and I looked for almost two hours. As tempted as I was, I didn't buy anything. I've decided to wait and see what else is out there. Although I would have bought a pair of cute brown Puma shoes if they had my size... After that we went to Jia Jia Yue- Walmart, for more food. We made it back to the school just in time for dinner.
As we walked up the steps to dinner the familiar scent of playdough and seafood filled our noses. When we walked in, no one was there- not a good sign. We grabbed our trays and headed for the service. Chris- another teacher from the states- stopped us. He said that dinner tonight consisted of bones in a brown sauce and fish skins over rice. Sound appetizing? That's what we thought, too. Luckily, Chris and Charie and another American guy invited us out to dinner. We walked into town and ate at a little hole in the wall restaraunt. It was the best meal we had had! One dish even tasted like Orange Chicken! My favorite dish consisted of peanuts, vinegar, green pepper, and onion. They ordered about 12 dishes which we all shared. Its really cool how they eat. We all sit around a table and the meal is served on a lazy suzann the size of most of the table. We use chop sticks to grab what we want and put it on our small plate. We went home full and happy.
As we walked up the steps to dinner the familiar scent of playdough and seafood filled our noses. When we walked in, no one was there- not a good sign. We grabbed our trays and headed for the service. Chris- another teacher from the states- stopped us. He said that dinner tonight consisted of bones in a brown sauce and fish skins over rice. Sound appetizing? That's what we thought, too. Luckily, Chris and Charie and another American guy invited us out to dinner. We walked into town and ate at a little hole in the wall restaraunt. It was the best meal we had had! One dish even tasted like Orange Chicken! My favorite dish consisted of peanuts, vinegar, green pepper, and onion. They ordered about 12 dishes which we all shared. Its really cool how they eat. We all sit around a table and the meal is served on a lazy suzann the size of most of the table. We use chop sticks to grab what we want and put it on our small plate. We went home full and happy.
Friday, February 26, 2010
China!
The airplane that took us from Beijing to Weihai in China. I thought the chinese on the side was cool. They served a rice ball, bean curds (tofu?), and beef and noodles. Katie let Bruce eat hers.
Bruce in front of the Chinese KFC inside the Beijing International Airport. Notice the signs- Old KFC guy and Chinese.
Our bedroom. I couldn't get a great angle with the camera, but we have a double bed pushed together. Its as hard as a rock, but we sleep like babies on it. Our computer now works with their plugs.
Katie outside the Weihai local airport. We got on this bus with our group and suitcases, and they took us to the school. It has a huge campus. We'll take pics and send them later.
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