Just Blame it on the Internet (This Post is a little late)

I was recently informed that I didn't post since March 27th which really confused me because I posted about last weekend and my home visit.  Well evidently my post didn't go through so here it is 5 days late…. 

This weekend was my home visit with one of my sixth grade students named Helen.  It was a fun experience to see what life was in a Chinese home.

Students are picked up from school on Friday afternoons.  Helen and I were picked up by her father who is an engineer and driven by their driver to her grandparent's home north of Hangzhou. It was my first time in a Chinese home and some of the customs were very new to me like wearing slippers when going into different rooms.  We just relaxed until dinner which was served on the round spinning lazy susan with many dishes including pork, beef, vegetables, rice, and fish.  The meal was very filling and different from the foods I have been eating at the school and at restaurants.  We were joined at dinner by Helen's parents, aunt and her two daughters, and grandparents. 

After dinner we went to the cinema to see The Great and Powerful Oz.  It was so enjoyable to get a full two hours of English!!!! There were Chinese subtitles but listening to English made me so happy. 

We retured to Helen's grandparents' house to sleep.  They set me up in my own room which was very big!  I had a full night of sleep and woke early (like I seem to do almost everyday). 

The next morning Helen's grandmother made me homemade dumplings which I love!!! They are served with vinegar.  After a full bowl we headed out to an older part of town on a canal.  There were many shops and Helen's family spoiled me by buying me a bag of Chinese sweets like peanut clusters and sweet breads.  

A Holiday Weekend in Hangzhou

Another very short weekend has come and gone at New Century. This weekend is Tomb Sweeping holiday in China so our week was only three days long. Since we have no school on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday (but we do have school on Sunday) we have had a lot of time to further explore the Hangzhou area.

After a fun night of Mexican food at a nice little place called The Maya, we woke up early on Thursday for a Tour de West Lake on the rental bikes. These bikes are not the best by any means, but a fun and cheap way to get away.

We worked our way around the lake, stopping at different points of interest including the West Lake Museum (where we finally found out that West Lake is a naturally occurring swamp but that people have scooped out the silt to make it a lake). Once again, we were the center of attention and many people asked to take pictures of me because of the blonde (or yellow as they see it) hair. My new way to combat this is to also take pictures of them. It is quickly becoming a fun game.

Getting into the Rhythm of Things

I know I haven't posted in awhile but nothing too exciting has happened since this weekend.  I am starting to get in teaching mode again which means going to bed early, getting up early, lesson planning and reflecting on lessons.  I am really enjoying working with the upper grades.  I never knew seventh and eighth graders could be so fun!

Frances and I were scheduled to lead three evening activities this week so Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings were devoted to teaching grades 5, 6, and 3 My Home's in Montana.  It is fun to sing about home but I am starting to get really tired of that song!!!  The kids really enjoyed it and think Montana is such a cool place (which it is). 

I did a little shopping today but didn't find much.  I am just not in the shopping mood here.  I think there is so much it is just overwhelming to find things.  There are a few key things I want to get while I am here like a silk dress, jade bracelet, and gifts for my family back home, but other than that I just am not feeling it (which is really strange for me). 

Tomorrow is a busy day of teaching and on Friday we have home visits with a students.  We each go home with a different student to their home for the night.  Their parents show us around and take us to some touristy places in Hangzhou. 

Hopefully I will have some more excitement in my next post, but for now I am happy and healthy! 

What a Weekend

As my weekend comes to a close, I want to share a with you more of my great experiences from Hangzhou, China.

After a fun night on Thursday, I took it easy and slept in a little on Friday. I had two sixth grade classes that went very well then Frances and I went for a little walk to look around and do some shopping. The shopping here is just overwhelming. I have bought a few little things and added a beautiful floral dress to my wardrobe on Friday. I figure if I just buy a few pieces here and there I will be spread my shopping and get things I really like.

After a hot shower and getting ready, we headed to check out the night life of Hangzhou. After a light dinner of noodles and salad at our favorite Taiwanese place, went a few places but spent much of the evening at a local place with some live music. It was really tuna and the owner even gave us a plate of watermelon and dragon fruit to munch on. We were the only white people in the bar but every made us feel so welcome!

Finally Friday

TGIF in Hangzhou! Even though it has been a great week, who doesn't love the weekend!

I didn't post last night because we were out having some adult time at a local French restaurant named Provence. It is one of the top places to go in Hangzhou and every Thursday they do a small meal and beverage night. We met a few interesting people and learned a little more about what to do in Hangzhou. Tonight we are going out to listen to music at another local restaurant.

To get to and from Provence last night we took the public bike system. As it might be a new concept to some of you (and it was to me) here is how it works. Bike cards are purchased and loaded with a certain amount of money. Located around the city are banks of bikes attached to a kiosk. You simply swipe your card, take the bike, ride the bike, and return it to any bike kiosk when you are done. It is a great way to get around quickly. It seems like everyone bikes here.

I've enjoyed getting to know all my classes this week. I'm teaching one class a week to every fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade class. I am going to focus on parts of speech and incorporate a lot of poetry, literature, and pop culture to get the students engaged. They seem to be interested in American music so I am excited to bring that into my lessons.

Tomorrow we are meeting up with a local girl and visiting an everglade area. I am excited to get out of the city a little. Even though it will be raining I have a trusty umbrella and rain jacket to keep dry.

This should be a fun and relaxing weekend. I miss all of you back in the states and hope everyone is doing well!

Just an Ordinary Day

Today was quite uneventful compared to my last week and a half.  After a big thunderstorm kept me up most of the night (along with the caffeine from the milk tea I had last night), I was quite sleepy.  Wednesday is my day off of teaching but we had a meeting with all the English teachers of the school at eight.  After that joined my advisor Rhea and we met up with another professor from the University of Montana living in Hangzhou for two months during her sabbatical.  

We grabbed lunch at a great little noodle place and then I returned to the school.  I am reading a new book called Divergent that I am just addicted to.  I will finish it and start the second book tonight.  I love my Kindle that Travis got me and am making full use of it.  

Today I found out how to get my laundry done at the school.  These wonderful ladies did my laundry and folded it all for me in about three hours.  This school is so great and making me feel so comfortable.  

Tomorrow is a full day of teaching and after a restless night last night I am happily going to bed early. 

Rough Day

This has been the most difficult day since I arrived in China.  After a throbbing headache last night and restless sleep, I found out from my parents that our family dog, Sadie, passed away today.  We got Sadie when I was in second grade and has been the most wonderful dog I could ask for.  We've seen it coming for a long time but it doesn't making it easier.  I feel like I've lost a member of my family. 

If I was back in the states, I would have easily taken a day off to get my emotions together, but here I have no such luxury.  I still had to get out of bed, lesson prep, and go through the motions of teaching even if I wasn't completely into it.  Sometimes teaching becomes more of a performance than anything else.  It was my first official day of teaching so I brought as much enthusiasm into it as possible.  I am teaching over at the Zijin campus which is the middle school.  The kids were all so excited about a real English teacher which made my lesson really fun.  We read a book about Montana which made me really homesick.  

I feel really guilty not being home with my family right now.  I've never been more than a day trip away from them.  I can only imagine how hard it is on my Mom and Dad.  Thank goodness for Skype and my IPhone so we could be as close as possible even though we are 6,000 miles away. 

Frances and I were in charge of evening activity for the third grade tonight.  It is just 45 minutes of doing something fun with the whole grade.  We taught the whole grade "My Home's in Montana" and it was just wonderful.  

Because of my headache I didn't write yesterday, but it was full of new experiences (and new foods).  It was our official welcoming ceremony at the school and all the students assembled to present Rhea, Frances, and myself with lovely silk scarves.  We then had a banquet with the English teachers and Principal Mindy at a nearby hotel.  It was an amazing dining experience with so many dishes all put on a rotating circle at the center of the table.  As the circle rotates, people just grab what they like.  The foods included beef, noodles, a large omelet dish, shrimp and so many others topped off with fresh sugar cane.  I was so full. 

The evening meal was a more intimate dinner with Principal Mindy and her daughter, Mindy's friend and her daughter, Rhea, Frances, and myself.  We went to the most beautiful banquet room at a local hotel and once again had dishes on the rotating circle.  The food was more exotic with goose foot in gravy, snails, duck, crab with thick noodles, fruit, cucumber with caviar, creamed peas with bacon, beef cubes, and other I can't even remember.  We drank the most amazing orange juice.  

Before going back for the night we stopped at the night market to test our bartering skills.  I bough a small square silk in my favorite color of tiffany blue for 4 dollars (I talked her down from 5).  There was so much to look at but with my headache I called it an early night and returned to school.