Scott in China

Fireworks

2010-02-28T05:53:00.001-08:00

When in China, you don't even have to leave your apartment to see an amazing fireworks show! Today is Red Lantern Day, marking the end of the Chinese New Year celebration. There have been fireworks going off around the city since around 4:00 PM. I was pretty captivated as I looked out my window to see the show on our school campus (the fireworks were set up very conveniently on the frozen lake that runs across the campus).

What amazed me most was the fact that none of the Chinese students outside seemed to take notice. Everyone just walked to their classes as if it was just "business as usual". I guess fireworks displays are just a dime a dozen at this time of year in the country where gunpowder was invented.

Happy Red Lantern Day!

A Heartwarming Animal Story

2009-10-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, I was walking in the hallway of my apartment building when I ran into another American friend who excitedly announced, “There’s a cat downstairs!” I was immediately intrigued, and I quickly rushed down the steps to see the four-legged critter who was kind enough to visit our apartment complex.

I like cats a lot, but I wouldn’t describe myself as a “cat person,” because my affinity for dogs and cats is pretty much equal. I greatly miss my three elderly pets – my cat, Samantha, and my dogs, Scooter and Hannah. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they’ll still be alive when I get home, because they’re all over 14 years old. Scooter, in particular, is showing many signs of old age, with his legs frequently giving out under his own body weight. I love to watch him gradually fall to floor as he eats from his dog bowl.

Getting back to my story, I went down the stairs and saw a group of teachers crowded around a small cat of undetermined gender, which they had decided to call “Big Poppa” (we later deduced that the cat was female, but kept the name anyway).

The cat was exceedingly friendly. As soon as I called her over to me, she walked in my direction, put both of her paws on my knee, and began to sniff my face. I was reluctant to pet her at first, fearful of all the germs she had accumulated while roaming outdoors. But I couldn’t resist her big green eyes and little white paws, so I scratched her a little bit behind the ears.

My friends made a bed for Big Poppa out of a cardboard box and some old sweaters and placed it in the hallway. I went and checked the box before going to sleep that night. Sure enough, Big Poppa was there, curled up in a little ball, asleep like a baby.

The next morning, I went downstairs to check on Big Poppa. I’ll admit that I felt a twinge of sadness when I saw that her cardboard bed was empty. I went back up to my room and continued my routine as usual.

But later that day, she came back again! I decided to do a good deed and feed her some tuna. The tuna had been sent to me in a care package from the USA, but I didn’t mind sharing it in this case. After she was done eating, my friend Monica let Big Poppa roam around her apartment for a while. She appeared to be more interested in the people than the new surroundings, and she was eager to be held by everyone in the room. I think she eventually ended up falling asleep while clutching tightly onto Monica’s leg. It seemed that her loveable personality was slowly eclipsing our misgivings about her cleanliness.

Two days later, something terrible happened. Amanda, a teacher who lives two floors below me, got a call from one of the school officials, who asked her if she was keeping a pet cat. Pets are technically not allowed in our building, so the question posed a major dilemma. Amanda was honest, telling the school official how the cat had wandered into our apartment building and that we had fed it and played with it, but that it was not staying in anyone’s room.

That afternoon, Big Poppa disappeared. She didn’t come around looking for food, company, or a cardboard bed to sleep in. We were all concerned, wondering what could have happened as a result of Amanda’s conversation. Had the maintenance crew “taken care of the problem”? Had Big Poppa been sent to a shelter? Had she been picked up and abandoned in some remote location? Having heard of the collection and poor treatment of hundreds of thousands of stray cats in Beijing prior to the 2008 Olympic games, I feared for the worst. I went to bed that night with a surprising sense of loss. I guess I was more attached to Big Poppa than I had realized. I vowed that if she ever made it back to our apartment building, I would immediately swipe her away to the safety of my large, top-floor apartment. I figured my spare bedroom would be a good space for her to roam around without annoying any other apartment dwellers or causing any damage to the furniture.

My second chance came sooner than expected. I received a text message early the next morning: “bp is meowing outside of my room right now!” I hurriedly ran down the stairs, grabbed Big Poppa with two hands, and ran back up to my room, trying to stifle her loud meowing as best I could. I found a Tupperware container that was large enough for her to fit in and filled it with some cut-up newspaper strips, hoping that it would suffice as a temporary litter box while I was teaching class that morning. I was able to run out to a pet store that afternoon and get some supplies.

And that brings me to where I am today (one day later). I never would have expected to adopt a stray Chinese cat, but it seems like the best option for the time being. Big Poppa is turning out to be a great pet. Earlier this evening, she was chasing around a crumpled up napkin on my floor, seemingly convinced that it had a life of its own. And every time I sit on the couch, she plops herself right on top of me, making it pretty much impossible for me to get up.

As for future plans, I’m hoping to take Big Poppa to the vet next weekend to get her checked out for fleas, diseases, and any other issues (Dan, my teammate, is convinced that she’s pregnant, but I disagree because she’s so small and kitten-like). I’m also hoping that someone who lives away from this campus will be willing to take her in permanently. But I certainly wouldn’t mind taking care of her for a few more weeks, or months, until that person shows up.

A Bold Claim

2009-10-15T04:09:00.000-07:00

I was shopping at Hong Ke Long supermarket earlier this week when I stumbled across this very special product: Marxism Instant Coffee Mix! Interestingly enough, this is actually not a Chinese product; it is imported from Korea (and its hefty price tag reflects the shipping costs). Aside from its intriguing brand name, what attracted me most to this coffee mix was its unique slogan: "God's favored coffee!" From what I am aware of, neither Nescafé nor Maxwell House have received this divine endorsement. The little thumbs up on the upper right corner of the box makes it even more appealing. Who can resist a piping hot cup of Marxism™ coffee?

Maintenance Problems

2009-10-14T03:42:00.000-07:00

When I arrived at my new apartment this year, I was slightly perturbed to find that it was missing one very important component: a washing machine. I had hand-washed my clothes for 50 days while traveling last winter, so I knew that I could manage without one (more likely, I would just do my laundry in a friend’s apartment). I decided to talk to Finn, the foreign affairs officer who is in charge of maintenance for our building, to see if he was aware of this situation. His response when I confronted him was priceless: “Um… are you sure? Did you check your whole apartment?” It’s a washing machine, for crying out loud! Of course I was sure!

Finn was quick in responding to my request. Within a week, I came home to find I a sparkling new washing machine waiting for me… right outside the front door of my apartment! Somehow, I managed to move it inside and set it up on my own. Problem solved.

That is, until a few weeks later, when my hot water heater began dripping rusty water, leaving an unsightly orange trail from the back the end of my bathtub to the drain. I notified Finn of the problem about two week ago, but the maintenance workers were on vacation for a week and are now probably occupied with swine flu prevention measures. I guess I can’t really complain too much, because there are many worse problems than a dirty bathtub. And on the plus side, it’s been over week since our last power outage!

I know, I know. It's pretty much the most disgusting bathtub you've ever seen.

October Holiday Adventure

2009-10-05T16:27:00.000-07:00

I've had quite a week! But rather than reading about it here, why don't you check out the whole story on my Flickr photo page?

Click here to see and read about my incredible adventure!

Just to give you a quick preview...
Wild animals!

Exotic locales!

Delectable delicacies!

Friendships that last a lifetime.

My First Chinese Birthday

2009-09-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

My First Chinese Birthday

Having already lived in China for a year, I don't have many more "firsts" to look forward to. I've had my first Christmas in China. I've eaten my first and (hopefully my last) bite of stinky tofu. I've taken my first trip to the Great Wall. This year, however, I was fortunate enough to have my first birthday in China! Actually, it was my 25th birthday, and it was a day I won't soon forget.

The day started out like any other Saturday. I woke up at 7:30 AM, which is pretty late by my standards. I spent the morning reflecting, singing some hymns, and listening to a sermon podcast by Mark Driscoll. I got a call at around 10:00; it was from three female teachers who live in the apartments below me, and they serenaded me with a stunning rendition of "Happy Birthday". I accepted their invitation to join them for some homemade breakfast - scrambled eggs and pan-fried toast. We would have toasted the bread in one of our electric toasters, but there happened to be a power outage on this particular day, which lasted from 7 AM to 9PM.

With the power being off, I had to forgo my previously made plans, which included calling my parents and checking to see how many people had left birthday messages on my Facebook wall. Instead, I went to my office and did some correcting. I also made a list of things I had accomplished during my first quarter-century and the things I hoped to accomplish throughout the rest of my life.

The real fun began at 5:00 in the evening, when I headed out to a restaurant with seventeen other American and Chinese friends. We ate at one of my favorite Chinese-Korean restaurants, where the food was flavorful and plentiful. My favorite dishes of the night included ba si di gua (caramelized sweet potato), go ba rou (sweet and sour pork), and gou rou (dog meat, which I enjoy not so much for its flavor or texture, but rather for the excitement of watching other Americans as they see and eat it for the first time). We sat, all eighteen of us, around one large table, and due to the ongoing power outage, we enjoyed a romantic, candlelit atmosphere.

After dinner, we returned to my apartment, where I opened some unique and wonderful presents. Ted, my good Chinese friend, bought me a CD of Vivaldi cello sonatas. It was really thoughtful gesture that was perfectly suited to my tastes.

His friend, Angela, bought me a Peking Opera mask decoration to hang on my wall. It's cultural and artistic, but also a little bit scary looking, so I've decided to hang it in my living room instead of my bedroom.

My American friends got me three fantastic gifts.

The first gift was two boxes of Almond Flakes, a scrumptious breakfast cereal imported from the far-off land of Korea. Like all cereal brands in China, it's expensive and hard to come by, so I was greatly appreciative of this gift.

The next present was both fun and practical: a set of computer speakers and subwoofer! These high quality speakers pack a serious punch, with booming bass sound that puts my Macbook's tinny internal speakers to shame.

The third gift was unimaginably perfect: a homemade Snuggie! My friends here had heard about my affinity for the Snuggie product and infomercial (www.getsnuggie.com), and through their hard work and ingenuity, they actually made me a snuggie out of an old Christmas sweatshirt, a blanket, and some duct tape.

This homemade Snuggie is perfect for watching TV...

reading a book...

or eating a snack!

Like I said, it was an unforgettable birthday!

Teacher's Day

2009-09-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

Today, September 10, 2009, is Teacher's day in China - and what a special day it was! I received a handmade paper rose, a beautiful card, and a flood of text messages from appreciative students, both past and present. For example:

To Mr S : Happy Teachers Day!

Wish You Happy everyday!

Enjoy everyday in China!

From Lucy!:-)

The school had an assembly to present awards to outstanding Chinese teachers, and I was asked to give a musical performance. Unfortunately, I badly jammed my left pinkie while playing basketball last week, making a cello performance impossible. Instead, I sang a Chinese song called "Peng You", which means Friends. Chris, another American teacher, accompanied me on the guitar. I know you would have liked to been there for the live performance, but hopefully this video will suffice!

A humbling experience

2009-09-08T01:33:00.001-07:00

My mom always uses the term "heavenly sandpaper" to describe people who test our patience and cause us to grow in grace.

During class this morning, I was leading my students in a discussion that I thought was important and relevant to them. Our topic was dating, and the idea that we were focusing on was cohabitation, or living with your significant other before marriage. Is it a good idea or a bad idea? How do Chinese people view this issue? I learned a lot about Chinese views on marriage and relationships through having this discussion with all four of my classes, and I hope that it will cause my students to their future decisions very carefully.

I was surprised this morning when a student raised his hand and asked the question, "Mr. S, what is your intention in having us answer this question?"

I told him that it was an interesting and controversial topic that would allow for good conversation, and that it also tied in well with our textbook chapter, which was about friendship and love. He then volunteered his opinion on my lesson: "We are sophomores now, and we have already discussed this topic last year. I think it is very boring to be talking about it now."

I replied that I was unaware that they had previously discussed this topic. Perhaps it is because of my own insecurity, but I felt a need to defend myself. I said, "I appreciate your feedback, but I really don't think it's appropriate for you to us to discuss this in class right now. If you have more suggestions for me, please come talk to me after class."

This students' classmates rushed to my defense, insisting that they did think that our discussion topic was an important one and telling me that this student's criticism didn't matter. Foolishly, I continued to probe the student, trying to understand exactly what it was he wanted me to do differently. After a few minutes of accomplishing nothing, I told him to sit down and talk to me later. In the eyes of my Chinese students, I'm sure that both he and myself lost much "face" through the interaction.

I'm pretty confident in my teaching abilities, but this student's criticism hit me hard. I felt myself questioning the value of every activity in my lesson plan for the remaining hour of my lesson: Is this boring? Is this too easy? Are my students learning anything?

As expected, the same student came forward and talked to me after class, apologizing for the embarrassment he caused me and wanting to "clarify" his meaning. He named a number of suggestions for making my teaching more effective. I found some of them to be unrealistic or not relevant to my teaching objectives. But you know what? A few of them were useful and very applicable.

Chinese people are shy and indirect in some ways, but they are not shy in expressing their opinion of their teachers. And they do so directly to our faces. I've learned not to let their compliments go to my head, and this makes the occasional piercing criticism lose its potency.

The student in this morning's class was particularly "rough", but I what else can I do but thank my Father for humbling and refining me? Bring on the sandpaper!

Three pictures from my first week

2009-09-05T05:16:00.000-07:00

Lucy, the secretary for my department, got a new puppy - only about a month old! We had a fun afternoon playing with it in our office. I didn't get too much work done, but when something important like this comes up, it's okay to put work on hold for a while.

These are three of my new students, and I took their pictures to help me memorize their names. Of course, who could forget names like these?

I arrived at Hua Qiao three weeks earlier than last year, and that means that I now have the chance to see the lotus flowers in full bloom. Our campus has beautiful landscaping that is in stark contrast to the industrial appearance of most of Northeast China. And the weather is pleasantly warm and breezy.

The first week

2009-09-03T00:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm almost finished with my first week of teaching, and I have many positive reports to share. I'm teaching sophomores this year, and while 3 of the 4 classes are new to me, one of them is one of my most beloved groups of students from last year.

I'm teaching 16 hours between my four classes this year, which means that I won't be doing any English corners. Last year, I led English corner twice a week; it was a class/club for students who wanted to practice their English conversation. I enjoyed leading it and appreciated the opportunities it provided for me to teach about some meaningful subjects, but it was also very time consuming to plan for. I feel relieved to have passed the responsibility onto someone else this year.

I gave my students surveys to find out about their personalities, goals, and their preferences for learning English. As always, their responses were insightful, perplexing, and amusing. Here are some of my favorites, along with my commentary (no, I did not actually show them the comments you are about to read).

What do you want to do after you graduate from college?

White-collar.

(I'm already impressed with your knowledge of English idioms!)

Nothing unusual. find a work. whatever what that is.

(I appreciate your laid back attitude.)

What is your favorite activity to do during Oral English class?

Listen to your beautiful voice.

(Wow, I don't know what to say... I'm quite flattered.)

What is your least favorite activity to do during oral English class?

I don't like class without happy and communication.

(Communication is a given, and I'll try to include as much happy as possible this semester.)

Writting.

(It's okay; writing and spelling are not everyone's forte.)

Learning grammers.

(I hear you, brother.)

Learn something all class.

(Would it be okay if I limit the learning to just the first 15 minutes?)

Tell me something unique, interesting, or unusual about yourself.

I'm crazy on billiard balls.

(Is that so?)

My hair is nature yellow.

(If that's true, then you are one of the most unique Chinese people I've ever met.)

I'm a little shy but in fact I am a open and frank disposition person.

(A true paradox.)

Ask me one question about myself, or America, or anything else you are curious about.

Can you call us when you want to go shopping or you're boring?

(I guess I could call you some time, but to be quite honest it hurts my feelings when you tell me I'm boring.)

Why are you so creative?

(I think I get it from my father.)

Do American always eat hamburgers as their lunch or super?

(I guess that would explain why Chinese people are so much thinner than us!)

Back to China, Back to the Blog

2009-08-27T04:36:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I've spent a few months away from the blog, as you can see. Back in April, I lost access to blogger in China. So I stopped updating. Then I went home for the summer, and I didn't really have too many interesting things to write about.

I'm back in China now, but I've found a way to get around the problem accessing my blog.

Back in China!? Yes, in case you aren't aware, I've committed to a second year of teaching in Changchun. I feel truly blessed to be able to continue working at the same school and investing in the lives of the same people (whether or not I will be teaching the same students in my classroom has yet to be determined, but the relationships from last year will certainly continue either way).

It's great to be back. I feel comfortable here, even though my mattress is very hard, and I can't understand 97% of what local people are saying to me.

I arrived in Beijing yesterday at about 4:30 in the afternoon, and I had the entire afternoon to relax and settle in at my hotel. I had a delicious Chinese meal with the 5 other teachers who are returning to my program, and I headed to bed shortly afterward.

I had some free time for reflection in this morning, followed by some really interesting training sessions about language learning, cultural relations, and teaching methods. I'll have another class on culture tomorrow morning, and then we'll meet up with all the new teachers in my program for lunch. I'll take the overnight train to Changchun tomorrow night, and I'll be back on campus by Saturday morning!

My favorite thing about being back so far is being back around the Chinese people. I thoroughly enjoy people-watching and trying to have conversations with the locals. I complimented a man on his dog this morning, and he proceeded to talk to me for about ten minutes, informing me that his dog was a cocker spaniel and that it came from England, and that in America everyone has very big dogs. At least that's what I think he said.

My least favorite thing about being back is the lack of drinkable tap water. It makes brushing my teeth a lot more cumbersome. Also, I already broke an important rule several times by accidentally flushing my toilet paper rather than throwing it away in the wastebasket. Hopefully I won't cause any major damage to the hotel's plumbing system!

Funny Students

2009-04-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

I gave my students a vocabulary quiz this week. The questions were mostly fill-in-the-blank. It's a good way to test how much they really know, but what also makes it worthwhile are the funny and creative responses the students come up with when they don't know the answer.

For example:

Whenever I listen to music, I always want to move my body. This is called creativity.

Whenever I listen to music, I always want to move my body. This is called crazy music man.

Every year during Spring Festival, we light many holiday fire and watch them explode and sparkle in the sky. They make a very loud noise!

Every year during Spring Festival, we light many gunpowder and watch them explode and sparkle in the sky. They make a very loud noise!

I use a flash drive to love or need something.

I use a flash drive to travel to Beijing on weekend.

I feel so fortunate to have a teaching job where even correcting quizzes can bring great joy into my life!

An invitation I couldn't refuse

2009-04-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know that I suffer from a lack of experience and confidence when it comes to many sports. I have intentions of improving upon this shortcoming, but I rarely ever take any real actions to develop my athleticism. That’s why I was so taken aback today when my students forced – yes, forced me to play basketball with them.

It all began yesterday afternoon when I ran into Rocky, a student from one of my freshman classes. He asked if I would be free the following afternoon, to which I cautiously replied, “Yes.” He then asked if I would like to attend a basketball game that his classmates were having. “Sure Rocky, I’d be glad to cheer you guys on!” His response: “Great! There will be a team with you and four girls from my class. You will be the captain of the team!”

I immediately froze. A cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

“Oh no, Rocky. I can’t play basketball.”

He insisted that I would be good enough, and that the game was just for fun.

“No, Rocky, you don’t understand. I haven’t played basketball since P.E. class in high school. I’m very bad at it.”

He tried to convince me some more, but I made it clear that I would attend the game only as a spectator. He eventually dropped the topic and headed back to his classroom to study.

This morning, I went to Rocky’s classroom and began to prepare for my morning lesson. Bless, another student in the class, came up to me and asked if I would be free in the afternoon. I told him that I was planning on attending his class’ basketball game. He replied, “Okay. We are breaking our class into six teams, but there are only five boys, so you will be the captain of one of the teams.” I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation again.

“No, Bless. I really am not good at basketball. I’d rather just watch the game.”

As I tried to reason with Bless, he turned to his classmates and said, “Mr. S needs some encouragement!” Suddenly, the entire class erupted into smiles and applause. There was no way out now, I was committed to this game, whether I liked it or not.

I met with the Rocky, Bless and their three male classmates for lunch. We discussed the rules of the game. There would be six teams and three rounds in the game, and each team would have one male captain. Our role as captains was to encourage the girls, pass to them, and keep the ball moving. We were only allowed to shoot the ball five times, so as to keep the girls involved as much as possible. When they informed me that many of the girls had never played basketball before, I realized that I didn’t need to be so worried about looking like a poor athlete.

After lunch, we headed out to the courts and practiced our shooting. I was being honest when I told Rocky I hadn’t played basketball since high school. My shooting accuracy was pretty bad. The guys were gracious, though, and they gave me some helpful advice and encouraging words.

The actual game was a riot. Many of the girls forgot about or were unaware of the necessity of dribbling the ball, and the referee eventually stopped blowing his whistle for traveling. I led my team with great enthusiasm. While I didn’t make a single basket, I did a lot of running and passing and I tired myself out pretty well. My team won; I’m pretty sure we won by two points, but I didn’t quite understand the scoring system we were using.

After the game, I took some time to catch my breath, pose for a couple pictures with students, and make some small talk. At the end of it all, I was really glad that my students forced me into the game. I had a great time and I realized that I didn’t need to take myself so seriously. Basketball may not be my strongest suit, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy shooting a few hoops every now and then.

Time for a Picnic

2009-04-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

Today was a magnificent day. I spent nearly 8 hours with some students from one of my freshman classes, and we had a wonderful time together.

After teaching class on Wednesday, several students asked me to join them for a picnic in the this weekend. I met with them at 9:00 this morning and we took two taxis to Nan Hu Park, a very scenic area that offers a number of interesting attractions.

We began the day with some roller skating. The students were very concerned about my safety, warning me several times about how dangerous the sport was. They were particularly worried when I chose to use the "3-wheeled skates" (roller blades). Luckily, I've had a little bit of skating experience, their fears diminished when they saw that I could get around decently well. After free skating for a while, we played a game of tag that was both fun and treacherous.

Our time skating left us feeling exhausted and hungry, so we headed over to a wooded area to enjoy a picnic lunch. My students prepared an awesome meal, and they were thoughtful enough to include sandwiches as the main course (quite a rarity in China)! The sandwiches were made of lettuce, cucumbers, spam, 3 slices of bread, and a generous helping of mayonnaise. Being quite concerned with cleanliness, the students even brought disposable plastic gloves for everyone to wear while eating. It's funny to see how people react to finger food in a chopsticks-only culture!

When we were finished with our picnic, we played a number of games. One student brought a bunch of papers with questions for each of us to answer. Somehow, I ended up with "Describe your ideal wife." While I was honestly a little embarrassed to answer such a personal question, it gave me a good chance to talk about the values that are most important to me in life. The students taught me some of their traditional children's games; I taught them Duck Duck Goose and Monkey in the Middle (with a frisbee, of course!). As we reminisced about our childhoods, my hope is that they began to see me less as a strange "foreign expert" and more as a regular person.

After playing some games, we took a walk alongside the lake, rode some bumper cars, and observed an elderly gentleman writing calligraphy on the sidewalk using a large brush and a bucket of water.

Of course, no outing with Chinese students would be complete without a visit to the local KTV! KTV can best be described as a karaoke-lounge. You can rent a room for a small or large group and sing your heart out for as long as you are would like to pay for. Unfortunately for Americans, the selection of English songs is somewhat limited. I did, however, receive an enthusiastic response to my performances of the Backstreets Boys' "As Long As You Love Me" and Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On".

As I waved good-bye to my students after a day packed full of activity, I didn't feel drained, but rather, energized! It was without a doubt one of the most enjoyable and memorable days I've had in China.

The Food Lesson and a New Video

2009-03-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

This week, the topic of my freshman oral English class was food! Though food varies greatly between the East and the West, it is definitely a topic of universal interest.

I asked my students which American foods they thought were the strangest. Some of their responses were understandable, such as rare steak (or as they called it, "raw meat"). One of their answers greatly surprised me-- raw vegetables! A fresh garden salad is completely unheard of here, and my students could not understand why such a thing would be desirable to eat. Chinese people are used to eating hot, cooked vegetables at every meal, including some that we would find somewhat strange. Have you ever eaten cooked cucumbers or lettuce? They are surprisingly tasty.

I then asked them what Chinese foods Americans might find strange. Their number one response was chou do fu, also known as "stinky tofu." According to Wikipedia, this special Chinese delicacy "consists of tofu which has been marinated in a brine made from fermented milk, vegetables, and meat for as long as several months." Its odor is "said to resemble that of rotten garbage or manure." I had the "pleasure" of trying this unique delicacy last fall; it was one of the few Chinese dishes I have tried that I was unable to finish.

Stinky Tofu on a Stick

The highlight of the lesson was definitely giving each student a sample of a popular American classic-- peanut butter and jelly. Few students had ever eaten a sandwich before, and their reaction was overwhelmingly positive. I'm very grateful for my team members who helped me to prepare 25 sandwiches over the past two nights!

Speaking of teammates, check out this video of Dan and I playing "Captivated" by Shawn McDonald. It's definitely a blessing to have a cello to play and musicians to play with!

Dumpling Party!

2009-03-21T08:06:00.001-07:00

Every year, countless Chinese families gather together on New Year’s Eve to make dumplings, or jiaozi, together. Today, I got a chance to experience this fun and delicious tradition!

For those of you who have never seen or eaten jiaozi, it is somewhat similar in appearance a pierogi or ravioli. It is comprised of a thin, noodle-like shell with a filling of finely chopped meat and vegetables. Jiaozi can be boiled, steamed, or fried, and they come in a delectable variety of flavors.

This afternoon, 11 of my students came to my house with large containers of dough and meat filling, which they were able to obtain from one of our schools dining halls. We worked together to roll out the dough into flat circular pieces, which are called jiaozi pi or “dumpling wrappers.” We would then scoop a small amount of filling into the wrappers and carefully fold the dough to seal the meat inside the dumpling. Folding jiaozi is an intricate art, in which appearance is every bit as important as functionality. I received a lot of constructive criticism from my students throughout the food preparation process!

The dumplings we made were certainly not the most attractive I have seen, but they were every bit as delicious as we could have hoped for. After the meal was done, I introduced the students UNO, and we played many rounds together. All in all, it was a fantastic time of teacher-student bonding. I can’t wait until the next jiaozi party (which will happen next Saturday, when the other half of this class comes to visit)!

Update

2009-03-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s two weeks into the spring semester and I’m finally getting a chance to breathe! I finished my travels on February 28, and I began teaching March 2. I have much lost time to cover on my blog, and I greatly appreciate all of your patience with my lack of updates for the past two and a half months.

My travels throughout southern China and Thailand were unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I saw for myself what a vast country China is and encountered its complex cultural landscapex. I basked in the tropical Thailand sun. And to top it all off, I had the chance to see my parents and sister experience China for the first time! To read some more detailed information about my travels, check out the blog of my teammate and traveling buddy, Dan Browne (the link on the side of my page that says “Ni Hao – That’s Hello in Mandarin.”

I’ve completed two weeks of the semester back at Hua Qiao, and I’m really psyched about how things are going. The Father is really moving through this campus, and I’m so blessed to be a part of it. I’m already spending much more time with students this semester than in the fall, due partially to some strong relationships that were already formed as well as my recent purchase of a cell phone. I long debated whether or not it would be worthwhile to invest in a cell phone during my time in China (everyone I know lives on this campus, so it’s not hard to stay in touch), but it has proved to an important purchase. Chinese students can type text messages at the speed of light, and it is definitely their preferred mode of communication for setting up meal dates and other fun get-togethers. My thumbs have been tired lately, but I’m glad that my students are taking more initiative to communicate with me outside of the classroom.

As much as I loved traveling, it really is great to be back in Changchun. I guess it took two months away to realize how much this city really feels like home.

Thailand Update

2009-02-05T00:22:00.000-08:00

Hello from Thailand!

One month ago, I departed from Changchun for the most exciting travel adventure of my life. Some of the highlights so far have included:

1. Trying to catch a mouse in my hotel room at 1:00 in the morning.

2. Crashing a Chinese wedding (or rather, being spontaneously invited as an honored guest because of my white skin).

3. Singing worship songs in Thailand with a group of nearly 500 teachers from my organization.

4. Jumping off a 20-foot tower into a freezing cold lake.

5. Eating goat, dog, pickled pig's feet and chicken feet, pig intestines, and curdled duck's blood.

6. Drawing huge crowds of curious natives in the remote villages of Guangdong province.

7. Spending several hours in a natural hot springs bath house with a student and another teammate (we went against the cultural norm by wearing our bathing suits).

8. Eating a cheeseburger for the first time in many months.

9. Attending a bilingual fellowship in Chiangmai (hearing people singing familiar praise songs in the Thai language was deeply moving).

Unfortunately, in the midst of the traveling excitement, I lost my camera along with the many pictures I took during the first part of my travels. Fortunately, I will be able to upload some pictures that my travel buddies took at a later time.

Yesterday was the last day of my organization's annual conference in Chiangmai, Thailand. It was a wonderful time of rest, worship, and fellowship. It was incredible to hear about all the work teachers are doing throughout Asia and how the Father is moving on their campuses.

I will be departing tonight for the beach in the South of Thailand, and I will soon be meeting up with my parents and sister in Hong Kong. Universities in northeast China have an extra long winter holiday due to the extremely cold weather, so I am blessed to have this extended period for travel. Zai jian for now!

Travel

2009-01-05T21:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I have some sad news for all of you faithful blog followers. I will be leaving this evening for a nearly two-month trek across southern China, Thailand, and possibly Cambodia. My first semester of teaching is officially over (I submitted final grades yesterday... everyone passed!) and the spring semester begins on March 2nd. That is, indeed, an advantage of teaching in the North; we have an extra long winter holiday in order to avoid being in Changchun during the coldest part of the winter. Some major highlights of my trip will include visiting my buddy King in his hometown of about 400 people and meeting with hundreds of other teachers for my organization's conference in Thailand. There's also a good chance that I'll get to visit Angkor Wat in Cambodia (see picture below).

I'll be leaving my laptop home for the sake of safety and convenience, so my internet access may be limited. I'll do my best to keep you updated throughout my travels, and if nothing else, I'll have lots of great pictures to share when I return!

A party I'll never forget

2008-12-26T17:18:00.000-08:00

When you hear the word "party", you probably think of small talk, music, food, and a pretty casual atmosphere. A Chinese party is a completely different affair that entails sitting in a large audience and watching an array of colorful performances. There are usually one or two MCs who will introduce the various acts, tell jokes to the audience, and give away a prize or two. Unfortunately for Americans, the MCs speak almost exclusively in Chinese. A Chinese party may often last for three hours or more, and the word "intermission" is virtually unheard of.

I have had the chance to attend two of these "parties" so far, and they have actually been very fun and memorable events. Because foreign teachers are considered guests of honor, we are usually given front row seats as well as a special acknowledgement from the MCs. The performances are often very entertaining; many Chinese people love to perform, and they show no inhibition when singing in front of a large crowd. Because this love of performing is so engrained in Chinese culture, there is a common assumption that foreigners share this same passion. Be warned: if you are an American and you travel to China, you will be asked to sing a song in front of a group of people, and you may be given little to no warning beforehand.

Fortunately, I was informed several weeks ago that I would take part in a performance with a group of foreign teachers during Hua Qiao's Bilingual Department Christmas Eve party. Our group consisted of five young American guys who are all here with the same organization. We worked very hard on our choreography and singing, and we were quite pleased with the final result. Here is a video of the performance:

They chose their own names!

2008-12-26T17:14:00.000-08:00

When I first began planning my lessons for this semester, I was excited at the prospect of helping my students choose English names. I printed out lists of popular names for American boys and girls (everything from Amanda to Zachary) and I also chose a few favorites, expecting some students to ask me for suggestions.

On the first day of class, I pulled out my name lists and asked if my students had chosen English names. I was quite taken aback when they all replied, “Yes!” I proceeded to hand out index cards, which they used to write down their contact information. Imagine my surprise when I read the following names (Note: This list is a compilation of several names from each of my three classes):

Circle
Apple
Lemon
Rain
Snow
Icy
Bless
Saturday
Bathsheba
Candy
Only
Elf
Fish
Jolly
Giggle
Singing
Kitten
Nineteen Hundred
King
Queeney
Rocky
Yo Yo
Champion
Lolita
Lucky
Double Sheep

I don’t know how or when most of these students chose their names, but I certainly hope their previous English teachers did not help them! I did a little investigation on the strangest name, “Double Sheep.” As it turns out, this was a literal translation of the student’s Chinese name, Yang Yang (Sheep Sheep). When I informed her that her name was very unusual and somewhat humorous to native English speakers, she decided to change it to “Joy.”

By the way, a student of mine recently helped me to choose a Chinese name. It is Sun Jia Qi, which means both “perfect jade” and “an elegant and gentle person.” The meaning of names is very important in Chinese culture, and that may shed some light on the odd choices that many of my students made.

A CTF Christmas

2008-12-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, from me and my CTF teammates!

A picture is worth a thousand words

2008-12-16T14:29:00.001-08:00

Today's post is going to be a quick one (and I am sorry that there have not been many lately). It's coming to the end of the semester and time is getting very compressed!

My team did a photo shoot last week, and my Chinese friend King was the photographer. After we were done with the team shots, he wanted to get some of his own. Here's my favorite:

King has huge plans to decorate my apartment for Christmas this Saturday. We're going shopping at the market to buy some lights, holly, and possibly a tree, and then we'll come back and deck out my living room (pun intended).

I hope all of your holiday preparations are going smoothly!

Real men play badminton

2008-12-06T19:20:00.000-08:00

Living in the USA gives one the impression that basketball, baseball, and football are of universal importance. Young boys join little league, high school students assemble in mass numbers to watch homecoming football games, and college students (that is, UConn students) go crazy for March Madness.

Living abroad has shown me that the sports we value are closely tied to our own cultures. Like many Americans, Chinese college students love to watch and play basketball. Many of them have a vast knowledge of the American NBA, though most of their attention is focused on the Houston Rockets and, not surprisingly, Yao Ming.

Despite the popularity of basketball, the passion of Chinese sports hobbyists lies elsewhere, in the realm of racquet sports. Table tennis (a.k.a. ping-pong) and badminton are definitely the sports of choice among Chinese men. They play both with an incredible zeal. What we consider “recreation” is for them a matter of intense skill and athleticism. I have observed members the ping-pong team here at Hua Qiao, and their arm motions seem almost robotic in both speed and precision.

In an effort to integrate ourselves into our host country’s culture, my teammate, Dan, and I decided to enter Hua Qiao’s faculty badminton tournament. We spent nearly a week in intense training, honing our skills to awesome new heights. We earned our way to the tournament with blood, sweat, and tears, always keeping a simple but meaningful mantra in mind: Just get the birdie over the net…

On the day of the tournament, we were on our best game. We were confident, but not overconfident. We were exhilarated, but still under control. We played a warm-up game with two Chinese teachers, and we crushed them in the most gracious way possible. Our hour had come.

The first twinge of anxiety came when Dan and I saw our opponents’ apparel. We were still wearing our normal work clothes: dress pants, sweaters, and button down shirts. They had dressed like true badminton players, with sneakers, nylon pants, and polo shirts.

Not only did their clothes catch us off guard, but their age was also disarming. We had expected to play against older, middle-aged men who would not be able to match our own energy and agility. These men looked barely older than us.

Age and apparel aside, perhaps the most intimidating aspect of our opponent’s presentation was their actual skill in playing badminton. Every strike of the shuttlecock was carefully planned. They saw the minor flaws in our technique and strategy, and they capitalized on our weaknesses.

We fought hard for every point we scored, but those six points were not enough to earn us a victory. Still, at the end of the day, we knew our efforts were not in vain. We had taken a great risk to more fully experience China’s culture. We had challenged ourselves to become better athletes and better men. We had represented our country with great pride.

Everything I learned from this experience can be summed up in one simple phrase:

Real men play badminton.

I found a cello...!

2008-11-11T14:39:00.001-08:00

... Not really. It's actually called an erhu (pronounced are-WHO). The erhu is a native Chinese instrument, a Chinese fiddle of sorts. When I saw it in the market, I knew I had to try it! The shop owner was kind enough to give me a lengthy demonstration. He then allowed me to play it for a short time. Given my musical background, I thought it would be a cinch to play, but it is actually quite different from the cello. After hearing me scratch around for about a minute, the store owner told me that I really ought to buy one and practice at home, rather than torture everyone else at the store (those weren't his exact words).

I did find some cellos at a music store about a month ago, and a couple of them were pretty decent. Unfortunately, the one that I liked best was way out of my price range. I'm planning on doing some more cello shopping this Saturday, so please keep that in your thoughts. It's getting harder and harder not to have a musical outlet!

This deserves an A+

2008-11-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I gave my students an assignment to write and perform a dialogue about shopping. The main goal was for them to practice their speaking and grammar, but I also emphasized the importance creativity. Two guys in my class, Steven and Sky, took the creativity suggestion to the extreme. Check out this gem:

Cashier: Merry Christmas, sir. What can I do for you?

Dad: Today's Christmas has the special meaning to me. Maybe this is the last Christmas for my son. He has an incurable disease. The doctor tells me that perhaps for him, he will live for only three months. I'll buy a present for him. And how much is that MP4 player?

Cashier: It's $100. It's an OPPO MP4. Its timbre is clean and the quality is the best of all. And we have many colours for your choosing. And which one would you like: the white one, the black one, or the grey one?

Dad: Oh, sorry. My son's favourite color is sky blue. I think he may not like these colours.

Cashier: And how about those airplane models. They're popular this year, like F15, F16, or B2.

Dad: OK. Let me see. How much is the small blue one?

Cashier: $200. And you can have the opportunity to be our member.

Dad: That's too expensive and I think it's not reasonable. And how much is that game player?

Cashier: $180 and you can have 0.7 discount.

Dad: That's cheap. I will take it. Here's the money.

Cashier: I sympathize with your son, and I will give him and NBA 2008 Game and I think he will like it. I hope one day he will be completely cured. I will have the best wishes for him.

Dad: Thanks. Have a good business. Bye.

Cashier: Bye-bye.

I really think they should sell the rights for this script to the Hallmark Channel - it would make a wonderful made-for-TV movie!

A tour of my apartment

2008-11-10T00:27:00.000-08:00

Some of you have expressed interest in seeing more of my Chinese apartment. I would like to take this opportunity to give you a virtual tour!

Hua Qiao Foreign Languages Institute provides on-campus housing for its foreign teachers. My apartment building is 6 floors high, with 12 apartments total.

My bedroom includes a finely crafted wood laminate wardrobe, a spacious desk, and a luxurious queen-size bed. You may notice that I have replaced the girly pink hearts on my bedding with manly stripes. I purchased some new sheets at a market (after bargaining for a good price), and if you look closely, you can see that they have a Beijing 2008 logo on them. Not only are they extremely useful for this year, but they’ll also make a great souvenir when the year is done!

My kitchen is fully equipped with a refrigerator, sink, toaster and toaster oven, rice cooker, water cooler, and two gas burners with a ventilation fan. The tile floor is a deep forest green, and the door at the rear of the kitchen opens up to a small sunroom!

My bathroom is of ample size, and it includes a toilet, sink, bathtub, shower, and a washing machine. One of the finest features of the bathroom is the hot water heater, which ensures that I will always have enough hot water for even the longest of showers. Unfortunately, the toilet is not equipped to handle toilet paper; hence the strategically placed wastebasket. The washer includes a spinner that removes much of the excess water from my clothes, but I need to hang them up to air dry after the wash is complete.

My living room includes a large, L-shaped couch, a coffee table, a wooden cabinet, and a TV and TV stand. The wood veneer floor gives a fine touch of class, and the adjoining sunroom allows for a soothing presence of natural light.

With all joking aside, I am very blessed to have such a wonderful living situation here at Hua Qiao. In terms of material comforts, there isn't much more I could ask for!

Friendship in China

2008-11-08T22:03:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, while I was sitting at my desk correcting a large pile of workbooks, a student whom I had never met came into my office looking for one of my coworkers. The teacher he was looking for was out of the office at the time, so this student took a seat by her desk. After a few minutes, he asked me what I was doing, and I informed him that I was correcting some of my students’ work. After another couple of minutes, he asked if I was busy and if he could talk to me. Being eager to take a break from my work, I readily accepted his offer. He told me that his name was David, that he had recently taken part in an English translation competition and advanced to the final round, and that he was currently preparing for an important Tae kwon do competition.

After about fifteen minutes of talking, he looked me square in the eye and asked with complete sincerity, “Can we be friends?” I grinned broadly as I replied, “Of course we can!”

Chinese people are often very indirect in their conversation. When making a request, they will slowly present the situation and only hint at what they are asking for. When it comes to friendship, however, they are very forward, and I greatly appreciate it.

In my experience, Americans try to play it cool when starting a friendship. We drop subtle hints such as, “Let me know if you ever want to get together and watch a movie or something.” The implied message behind the statement is a positive one: “I think you’re a fun and interesting person and I would enjoy spending some time with you outside of school/work/orchestra rehearsal/etc.” Still, there is something very affirming about having someone ask you outright, “Can we be friends?”

I had lunch with David and his roommate twice last week, and the two of them coming over to cook dinner at my apartment next weekend. It seems like this friendship is off to a good start!

Happy Election Day!

2008-11-04T14:12:00.000-08:00

To all my friends and family back in the USA, Happy Election Day! Unfortunately, I did not plan enough in advance to have my absentee ballot ready (one of my teammates has been waiting for over a month now), so I will not be taking advantage of my special privilege as an American.

If you look at the newspaper that Champion is holding, you can see that he's pretty excited about the election as well. All the Chinese students with whom I have spoken are Obama supporters. One student informed me yesterday that he has a better attitude towards China than McCain does, and she compared him to a aerodynamic hi-speed train.

Have a great day!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

Several teachers from my team invited students to trick-or-treat in our apartments. Here are a few photos from the night!

The Interview/Sports Meeting

2008-10-10T05:21:00.001-07:00

I was recently featured in an interview for Hua Qiao's English student newspaper, The Campus Observer. A student, who I'll refer to as Anna, interviewed me during the school's "sports meeting", a field day of sorts. Students competed in all kinds of sports and games, representing their various departments. I was a little bit skeptical when Anna did not take any notes while interviewing me. Here is the conversation that allegedly took place between Anna and me.

"An interview to foreign teacher Mr. S"

Anna: Hi, Mr. S! Nice to meet you!

Mr. S: Nice to meet you too! How are you?

Anna: Fine, thank you, and you?

Mr. S: Oh, I am fine, thanks.

Anna: Mr. S, could you tell me how do you like the sports meeting?

Mr. S: Wow, it's so interesting and exciting.

Anna: OK, as there are so many wonderful performances during the high-spirit sports meeting, which one do you like the best?

Mr. S: I like the Chinese Kong Fu. And what is that in Chinese?

Anna: Jun Ti Quan.

Mr. S: Jun Ti Quan? Oh, that's so great and exciting.

Anna: Yes, well done!

Mr. S: Thank you!

Anna: Nice talking to you! See you next time!

Mr. S: Nice talking to you! See you!

Here is a picture from the opening ceremonies of the sports meeting. I had the chance to march in the morning parade, along with all the other foreign teachers. The day's festivities included dance and martial arts performances, a variety of track and field events, and even a ten-legged race! The students showed tremendous pride for their departments and school. They seemed genuinely excited to be there, and that's what made the day especially enjoyable for me.

To quote myself, the sports meeting was "so interesting and exciting". See you!

Day in Changchun

2008-09-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

Hua Qiao Foreign Languagues Institute is currently on October holiday! My teammates and I are greatly appreciating the extra time to settle into our apartments and work on our lesson plans. We have been blessed with beautiful weather this week, and I am taking advantage of every opportunity to be outdoors.

Yesterday my teammate, Dan, and I ate lunch with two Chinese students. They invited us to go on a trip to the shopping mall with them, and we eagerly accepted. That "shopping trip" took place today, and it turned out to be day-long adventure!

We left campus at 10 AM and headed to a park in downtown Changchun. The park was centered around a small lake and it was wonderfully scenic. However, the highlight of our visit was not the lotus garden, but the amusement park ride that flipped us upside down several times before sending us spinning into oblivion. Fortunately, we boarded this thrilling ride before eating lunch.

Our meanderings in the park left us with huge appetites. We allowed King, one of the three Chinese students in our group, to select our lunch destination. He brought us to an underground food court that offered more than 50 varieties of ethnic Chinese foods. Dan and I were overwhelmed by the options, so we sat down at a table asked King to order for the three of us. To our surprise (and slight embarrassment), he brought us two large bowls of hot noodles, a hefty portion of fried rice, 40 dumplings, and a potpourri dish containing vegetables, mushrooms, an unknown fish, and boiled dove eggs. Despite our best efforts, a good portion was left uneaten.

All the eating left us feeling drowsy, but we mustered up the energy to walk over to Wal Mart (yes, it is now a global phenomenon). This was the first two-story Wal Mart I'd ever been in; I was particularly impressed by the shopping cart-accessible escalator. The store was quite similar what one would find in the states, but naturally it was full of many Chinese products and many many Chinese people.

By the time we got back to campus, it was already after five o'clock p.m. King and his two friends walked us back to our apartments, following an old Chinese cultural practice of seeing off one's guests. They really were excellent guides and companions throughout the day, providing us with much helpful advice and plenty of stimulating conversation. I'm looking forward to getting to know them better throughout the semester.

Thank you, King, Jackie, and George, for taking us an a day-long excursion that we'll never forget!

Welcome to your lovely new pink apartment

2008-09-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

I arrived at the Hua Qiao Foreign Languages Institute in Changchun about 2 days ago. The campus is beautifully landscaped, with ponds, rivers, and lots of trees and vegetation. I found a pleasant surprise when I entered my apartment:

Freshly painted pink walls, and a heart-covered comforter to match!

Last year's Hua Qiao team left behind a room full of items for us to use in our apartments this year, including everything from lamps and humidifiers to framed pictures and kitchen supplies. Fortunately for me, someone found a much more masculine grey and white striped cover that I was able to put over the hearts.

It feels strange to be in Changchun, knowing that this will be my home for the year. There is so much to take in here: new surroundings, new people, new food, a new language... I still have much to process. Simple tasks like buying lunch or selecting a laundry detergent have suddenly become very complex. On top of all the cultural adjustment, I am also preparing to begin teaching! Please keep my team in your thoughts as we begin our first teaching day tomorrow.

I'd like to wrap up with another Chinese cultural tidbit: When toasting at a meal, always try to keep the rim of your glass below that of person with whom you are clinking glasses; this shows your humility and respect for that person. Just try not to spill your drink in the process!

Greetings from Beijing/Why I feel like a celebrity

2008-09-20T00:25:00.000-07:00

I have arrived in China! I spent the past 3 days in Beijing, doing a bit of sightseeing and training, and I will be leaving for my placement in Changchun this evening.

While I have only experienced one miniscule part of China, I have already grown very fond of this country. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the chance to spend 10 months here.

There’s something about being in China that makes me feel like a celebrity… perhaps it’s the fact that random strangers ask me to be in pictures with them!

It’s a strange phenomenon for us Americans to understand, but foreigners attract a lot of attention in a country like China. When we went on an outing to Tian An Men Square today, some people were bold enough to ask us to take pictures with them (like the stylish dude in this one). Others would cleverly position themselves in front of us so that we would happen to appear in the periphery of their photos.

The novelty of being followed by the paparazzi may soon wear off, but at this point I think it’s pretty hilarious!

The View from My Room

2008-09-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

My training for the next two weeks is at a hotel in Palm Springs, California. I am amazed by the incredible landscape I see whenever I step out on my balcony. In past years, this training has taken place in Beijing, but we were held back this year due to travel expenses at the time of the Olympics. I'm certainly not complaining!

Our days right now our full of training sessions covering topics such as cross-cultural relations, team building, language instructions, and logistical issues. Many of these sessions are very interesting, and all of them quite useful.

The more I learn, the more I realize that Chinese culture is full of idiosyncrasies. For instance, if you are a guest in a Chinese person's home and the host offers you something to drink, you are required to refuse it at least twice, regardless of whether or not you are thirsty. Of course, the host will simply ignore your refusal and give you the drink anyway; this is simply a ritual that has been engrained in Chinese culture over thousands of years.

I've learned tons of other Chinese cultural tidbits, so be sure to check back regularly!

Greetings from California! Part 2 - My Team

2008-09-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

The five other people in this picture will be my family for the next 10 months, and I am very happy about that. All of the China Teaching Fellowship teams were carefully placed together based on factors such as our unique personality traits and our previous teaching experience. I’ve only known Monica, Lily, Dan, Marie, and Alicia for about a day, and I already see so many unique strengths in each of them. I am looking forward to a year of great fellowship and community.

Greetings from California! Part 1

2008-09-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

I have officially begun my training in California! I will tell you more about what is going on here soon, but for now, here is a post that I composed during my travels earlier today:

I am writing this blog post in between flights on my way to California, where I will start my training later today. It’s hard to believe that this day has finally arrived!

My last week in Connecticut was a challenging one. After an exciting and festive weekend, I came down with a cold and fever and spent all of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday resting, barely able to get up from my couch. Fortunately, I was feeling well enough on Thursday to get my immunization shots done and then spend the day at UConn, taking care of unfinished business and visiting a few friends. Friday entailed lots of shopping and a trip to Grandma’s, and then my packing was compressed into Saturday and Sunday.

I’ve dreaded packing for this trip for a long time. Packing is always difficult, but especially so when preparing for a year in a place where one can’t purchase many things that are normally taken for granted. Some key items in my suitcase include a year’s supply of deodorant and shaving cream. I also brought as much winter clothing as I could stuff into my bags!

I had bit of a scare when I arrived at Bradley International Airport in Hartford. I opened my carry on bag and realized I was missing a black binder containing all of my pre-orientation work, my financial account information, and most importantly, my e-ticket! Fortunately, my Dad can power-walk like a champ, and he was able to retrieve this item, which I had unknowingly left in his car.

After my parents and I said goodbye at the airport this morning, they stood behind the roped-off security checkpoint and proceeded to wave at me for about 5 minutes until I was completely out of sight. I am really going to miss them. I have never been away from home for longer than 3 months; now I won’t be seeing my family until February at the earliest. If you are reading this, Mom and Dad, know that I love you very much and I really appreciate all your love and support this summer (and throughout my whole life).

Despite the sadness of saying goodbye, I am very much looking forward to meeting my new family at ELIC training! I’ll report on how that goes very soon.

Great News!

2008-08-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Dear blog readers,

You will be pleased to hear that I have officially reached 100% of my financial support goal - Praise Him! Thank you very much to all of you who gave generously, as well as those who have been "thinking" of me regularly over the past several months.

My cello recital is still on for this Sunday at 6:30 PM. The address is:

Calvary Church

1855 Albany Ave

West Hartford, CT 06117

While I originally intended this event to be a fundraiser, it will now be an opportunity to gather people together, inform them about my trip, and celebrate what the Father is doing. I am also hoping to have many more people sign up for my mailing list. It should be a great time!

Placement Info

2008-08-14T09:44:00.001-07:00

I found out last week that I'll be teaching in the city of Changchun, which is Northeast of Beijing in the Jilin province. Hopefully my New England upbringing has prepared me for the 5 months of extreme cold that I will encounter there!

I'll be teaching Oral English to freshman and sophomores at the Hua Qiao Foreign Languages institute. Hua Qiao is a four-year private college that was established in 1996, and it currently has about 6,000 students. Teaching college students is a new challenge for me, but I am sure that this particular placement will provide many opportunities to build meaningful relationships.

I'll be fortunate enough to live in a single apartment on campus in a building for international teachers. My apartment will have a kitchen and washing machine, and I'll also have access to the school's dining hall and gym. I didn't know what kind of living conditions to expect when I committed to live in China for a year, but this all sounds like more than I could have asked for!

I'll be working on a team with five other American teachers; their names are Monica, Marie, Alicia, Dan, and Lily. Monica is the team leader, and she has taught in China for three years prior to this. These people will basically be my family during the time I'm there, and we'll meet regularly for planning meetings and fellowship. I'm really looking forward to meeting them in a couple of weeks.

If you are reading this and you would like to be added to my mailing list for email or snail mail updates, please leave a comment with you address, or else send your info to scooter459@juno.com . I would like to have many more people on my mailing list before I leave!

My Picture Card

2008-08-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to Martha Campbell for her assisting me with her exceptional photography talents!

Update

2008-07-22T04:58:00.001-07:00

Hi, everyone. Here's an update on how my preparation for China is going:

1. I have reached about 60% of my minimum support raising goal (not including insurance and domestic travel). It is really encouraging to see that other people are as excited about my work in China as I am; the Father is truly providing!

2. I am currently studying Mandarin Chinese using Rosetta Stone software and an Audio CD set entitled "Chinese for Dummies." (Thanks Aunt Jim and Uncle Cathy and the Gorecki's for providing me with these awesome resources!)

Mandarin poses some unique challenges for the native English speaker. Because it uses characters to represent entire words rather than phonetic sounds, it requires a lot of memorization in order to read. There are about 6500 characters in the simplified version of written Chinese that I am learning, and I've heard that one must learn about 3500 to be considered fluent.

It is also a tonal language, which means that the inflection that you put on a word can completely change its meaning. For instance, the word bing can mean either frozen, cake or sick. I'm already anticipating many awkward conversational mishaps!

3. I have scheduled a cello recital at Calvary Church in West Hartford on Sunday, August 17 at 6:30 PM. I will be accompanied on piano by the fantastic Susan Hart! The concert will be about an hour long, and will include selections of baroque, classical, and romantic music, as well as some hymns. I will also be speaking a bit about my plans for China, thanking my prayer and financial supporters, and extending an invitation to anyone else who would like to join my support team.

I am really looking forward to this night; it will be a great opportunity to reconnect with the congregation at Calvary Church and hopefully gather many of my supporters together. If you're reading this, I would love to see you there.

Going to China

2008-06-18T19:20:00.000-07:00

It's official: I am leaving for China this September, and I will return at the end of June. I will be teaching English for one year with a program called CTF (China Teaching Fellowship). More updates to come soon.