New student!!
I now have 8 students in my class :) My apologies to any teachers from the States reading this who probably have anywhere from 25-35 students.
My new little elf is fluent in Chinese and Korean but has no English.
The previous English Language Learning Setup:
Usually the ELL students are pulled out for Language Arts, and work with our ELL teacher (for grades 1-3, our teacher is Pat). I only have one elf that needs the pull out and we were hoping that he and Pat could rejoin our class by the October break. The elf could really take advantage of being surrounded by his English speaking classmates, PLUS Pat and I could lesson plan together. TWO teachers + 7 kids = so much learning.
The current English Language Learning Setup:
The new elf won't be ready to function in a 2nd grade level class by October break. Pat was super disappointed to learn that she wouldn't be rejoining us. But then a beautiful thing happened. The lovely new lady elf seems to have caught the admiring attentions of the elf who was already getting pulled out. I guess the new she elf "kicks his butt" in almost every English exercise, and he is now determined to prove himself and work just as hard as she does. It's adorable. Really, they say in order to learn a langauge you're supposed to date someone who speaks that langauge. Oh second grade love, you do wonders for English Language Learning!
Science:
According to our studies, mammals have hair and/or fur. Many Asian races actually don't have a lot of hair on their arms. They are often quite surprised by how much hair Westerners have, especially on the arms. As we looked, one elf examined her own arm and concluded, "I have no hair here, I must not be a mammal ... I am an insect!"
Reading:
I print out black and white copies of books that are at the reading level of my students. I try to find the interesting ones, and I settled on one about different kinds of hair, just because that here, all they see is black and straight. Keep in mind, this is black and white, so we can't quite see the pictures well. One elf read out loud, "I have red hair." She let it sink in for a second as she comprehended what she had read. Then her face got really confused, and contorted. "Red hair? Ewwwwwww!!!!"
Volleyball:
I'm SOOO impressed with the volleyball team.
They have gone from ...
Frist practice: "What? We have to run to warm up? We have to sweat? Are you serious?"
To...
Two weeks in: Is today an arms day or a legs day? (They know we alternate each day with working out different parts of our body to make our passing and hitting stronger)
To ...
Today: While holding the push up positiong for 60 seconds, we heard one student start go sing: "Someone Like You" by Adele. By the time they were at the line "Don't forget me!" all 9 were blatantly singing/hollering the song from the push up position.
I think they might actually enjoy working out!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Teacher Work Day
Teacher work days are clearly not as fun as they used to be, you know, back when I wasn't a teacher and got a free day from school. Last week, we had two "Professional Development" or PD days. An expert in Differentiated Instruction named Naomi came to our school to offer a work shop.
Differentiated Insturction: How to teach the same concept to a classroom of students with a wide range of abilites by modifying lesson style, homework, and assessment to meet each studnet's needs.
International schools are REALLY tough since many students spend 2 years in each international school before moving on. And you can bet that 2nd Grade in China does not have the same standards, units, or content as 2nd grade in Casablanca. Some students learn the same material twice, while others have gaping gaps in their education. Because of this, many international schools focus on and Differentiated Instruction so that we still teach the same material, but modify it so we're not boring some students, and totally confusing others. I know that at home, there is still a wide range in reading ability in any given classroom. But can you imagine teaching music to a Japanese student who has spent 5 hours everyday practicing piano since they were 2 years old, and then in the same class offering support to a student from South Africa who has maybe never a seen a piano but can play the vuvuzela :) ??
At the end of the workshop, Naomi asked us to get in groups of 5 and use a song to show Differentiated Instruction (DI).
Our group did Row Row Row Your Boat in a round. The task was to put together a singing/dancing performance ... so we had everyone participate to their ability level. One of the Mandarin teachers had never head the song, so she had an acting role by steering the boat. She represented our new students who are often mute for the first 2 months before they start speaking English, but of course they can still participate in group projects. We also had the music teacher in our group, so she had a leadership role. And then we had Robbie the Librarian, who pretended to be confused and lost, and sat in the row boat backwards. It was hilarious.
Other great ideas:
(To the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas)
On the first hour of PD, Naomi gave to me, a box filled with DI strategies!
On the second hour of PD, Naomi gave to me .......
Just Another Manic Monday. (How we all feel at the start of a week when we remember again how far some have to go, and how far some have really gone.
"A spoonful full of DI makes the learning go down! In the most delightful way :)"
ALSO this weekend was my first game as a coach!!! Of course I was calm, cool and collected ... not.
I guess I'm the type that watches intently and cheers exastatically when the students use a game strategy that we worked on in practice. I was looking professional, but my students asked me to wear my polka dot boots for fun. My feet appreciated it.
Look at how ready they are! Each one of them ready to hit the ball, just in case!
Differentiated Insturction: How to teach the same concept to a classroom of students with a wide range of abilites by modifying lesson style, homework, and assessment to meet each studnet's needs.
International schools are REALLY tough since many students spend 2 years in each international school before moving on. And you can bet that 2nd Grade in China does not have the same standards, units, or content as 2nd grade in Casablanca. Some students learn the same material twice, while others have gaping gaps in their education. Because of this, many international schools focus on and Differentiated Instruction so that we still teach the same material, but modify it so we're not boring some students, and totally confusing others. I know that at home, there is still a wide range in reading ability in any given classroom. But can you imagine teaching music to a Japanese student who has spent 5 hours everyday practicing piano since they were 2 years old, and then in the same class offering support to a student from South Africa who has maybe never a seen a piano but can play the vuvuzela :) ??
At the end of the workshop, Naomi asked us to get in groups of 5 and use a song to show Differentiated Instruction (DI).
Our group did Row Row Row Your Boat in a round. The task was to put together a singing/dancing performance ... so we had everyone participate to their ability level. One of the Mandarin teachers had never head the song, so she had an acting role by steering the boat. She represented our new students who are often mute for the first 2 months before they start speaking English, but of course they can still participate in group projects. We also had the music teacher in our group, so she had a leadership role. And then we had Robbie the Librarian, who pretended to be confused and lost, and sat in the row boat backwards. It was hilarious.
Other great ideas:
(To the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas)
On the first hour of PD, Naomi gave to me, a box filled with DI strategies!
On the second hour of PD, Naomi gave to me .......
Just Another Manic Monday. (How we all feel at the start of a week when we remember again how far some have to go, and how far some have really gone.
"A spoonful full of DI makes the learning go down! In the most delightful way :)"
ALSO this weekend was my first game as a coach!!! Of course I was calm, cool and collected ... not.
I guess I'm the type that watches intently and cheers exastatically when the students use a game strategy that we worked on in practice. I was looking professional, but my students asked me to wear my polka dot boots for fun. My feet appreciated it.
Look at how ready they are! Each one of them ready to hit the ball, just in case!
Team Huddle! Me clearly having an inspirational talk. Go Eagles!!!!!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Funny Conundrums of Language
This blog post is entirely dedicated to my elves and their awesome abilities to communicate in whatever language.
We're finally finishing our unit with plants. We made our conclusions as to whether Lily or Pad looked healthier after Lily sat happily on a window sill for two weeks, while Pad was shut away in the cupboard. While make our deliberations, at least 3 made the realization that Lily and Pad together makes the flower lily pad. Wow. They named the plants! And I thought that was why.
At the end of our plant unit, I gave my students the opportunity to create a menu that consisted only of foods that come from plants. I love their drawings:
This one is blurry, but it has the item "loveing goos" or better known as loving juice on the menu. When I asked, the elf responded that it is juice that two people share together. And then I saw the picture with the two curly straws. I know it has nothing to do with plants, but it's just so cute!!
Every time I say, "Let's walk down to the computer lab" all my elves make their *confused* noise, which is actually quite similar to their *ah-ha!* noise. They always respond that there is no computer lab down stairs. Now I always have to say, "Let's walk down THE HALL to the computer lab."
We got a new set of classroom white boards. I thought it would be fun to quiz them a bit for their upcoming science test. I said, "Draw me the part of the plant that gathers minerals from the soil." Before I had even finished saying the question, one of my elves was already drawing. This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine since they're supposed to wait for the whole instructions before they pick up their pencil, or in this case, dry erase marker. When I asked her to show me what she had done, I saw the outline of my face. She was literally about to "Draw me". After that, I always had to say "Draw FOR me a picture of ...."
Maybe kids are picky everywhere, and maybe I'm being a hypocrite, but I really have to work hard to make sure that my elves eat more than rice and candy. They have to make two selections other than rice at lunch, and candy has to wait till after school. Because of this, my students usually ask before they eat something if what they are eating is a good choice. Yesterday my elf held up a solid green fruit and asked, "Can I eat this orange?" I was dumbfounded. I thought it was pretty obvious that the fruit orange would go with the color orange. So I responded, you mean a lime? Silly elf! But she insisted it was an orange. Either way, it was fruit so I had no problem with it. After peeling it, I learned that it truly was a purely rip orange. Crazy! Oranges are Green in China! I can't call them oranges anymore.
And one language conundrum for outside the classroom:
I met Alice's boyfriend today, and he tried valiantly to speak English for me. As we were out to dinner, I also picked up a lot of new Mandarin phrases. I think Alice tipped him off because he asked me about futbol. He told me his favorite team is Argentina. About half an hour later, I pointed out that his sweatshirt said Argentina across the front, and now that makes a lot of sense. And then we all figured out that he actually had no idea that his sweatshirt said Argentina across the front. He's been wearing it for years, "because it is warm".
We're finally finishing our unit with plants. We made our conclusions as to whether Lily or Pad looked healthier after Lily sat happily on a window sill for two weeks, while Pad was shut away in the cupboard. While make our deliberations, at least 3 made the realization that Lily and Pad together makes the flower lily pad. Wow. They named the plants! And I thought that was why.
At the end of our plant unit, I gave my students the opportunity to create a menu that consisted only of foods that come from plants. I love their drawings:
This one is blurry, but it has the item "loveing goos" or better known as loving juice on the menu. When I asked, the elf responded that it is juice that two people share together. And then I saw the picture with the two curly straws. I know it has nothing to do with plants, but it's just so cute!!
Also in the one above, you will see ice cream cake. When I inquired, the student told me that ice cream comes from milk and cows. I asked her how she thought that came from plants. Clearly Ms. Lanham, the cows eat grass, so ice cream cake ultimately comes from grass.
Every time I say, "Let's walk down to the computer lab" all my elves make their *confused* noise, which is actually quite similar to their *ah-ha!* noise. They always respond that there is no computer lab down stairs. Now I always have to say, "Let's walk down THE HALL to the computer lab."
We got a new set of classroom white boards. I thought it would be fun to quiz them a bit for their upcoming science test. I said, "Draw me the part of the plant that gathers minerals from the soil." Before I had even finished saying the question, one of my elves was already drawing. This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine since they're supposed to wait for the whole instructions before they pick up their pencil, or in this case, dry erase marker. When I asked her to show me what she had done, I saw the outline of my face. She was literally about to "Draw me". After that, I always had to say "Draw FOR me a picture of ...."
Maybe kids are picky everywhere, and maybe I'm being a hypocrite, but I really have to work hard to make sure that my elves eat more than rice and candy. They have to make two selections other than rice at lunch, and candy has to wait till after school. Because of this, my students usually ask before they eat something if what they are eating is a good choice. Yesterday my elf held up a solid green fruit and asked, "Can I eat this orange?" I was dumbfounded. I thought it was pretty obvious that the fruit orange would go with the color orange. So I responded, you mean a lime? Silly elf! But she insisted it was an orange. Either way, it was fruit so I had no problem with it. After peeling it, I learned that it truly was a purely rip orange. Crazy! Oranges are Green in China! I can't call them oranges anymore.
And one language conundrum for outside the classroom:
I met Alice's boyfriend today, and he tried valiantly to speak English for me. As we were out to dinner, I also picked up a lot of new Mandarin phrases. I think Alice tipped him off because he asked me about futbol. He told me his favorite team is Argentina. About half an hour later, I pointed out that his sweatshirt said Argentina across the front, and now that makes a lot of sense. And then we all figured out that he actually had no idea that his sweatshirt said Argentina across the front. He's been wearing it for years, "because it is warm".
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Camping at Xiang Shan
I love living in small communities like our AIAN family because there is a high concentration of outdoorsy adventurous people. Three of our school families, as well as five of our school teachers took a trip to the Elephant Mountain (Xiang Shan) beach this weekend, despite a forcasted typhoon and a front of thunder storms. It was the most perfect weekend.
Passport Sitch:
Even though we were "camping", when we arrived on Friday, everyone had full intentions of staying at the nearby resort that first night as it was pouring down rain and already after dark. But I forgot my passport :( which you need for checking in. I was assured that as a whole group of laowai, I wouldn't stick out in any way and that no one would notice my extra presence. Of course, why would the carrot head stick out? The moment we gathered in the lobby, a Chinese guy waded through our entire group and held his iphone up to my face. Then he showed me the screen. I guess I was skyping with his friend! OH yes, I won't stick out at all.
The Weather:
I was continuously made fun of the whole time leading up to the trip since my mediocre weather skillz lead us to camp at Xiang Shan beach, instead of a sparsely populated, zero-internet, island that was even closer to the impending Category 5 Typhoon Samba. I mean, I don't mind camping in the rain at all, but really? Typhoons can change direction unpredictably and it just didn't seem smart to pack my tarpless tent that fits 2 Chinese people and take a ferry to an island, without infrastructure, without emergency services and really just without anything. So we stuck to the mainland beaches and camped close to a hotel, just in case. It rained our first morning, but that didn't stop us from body surfing or beach volleyball. The rain stopped in time for us to cook some dinner, pitch our tents, and waited until we had packed up the next morning before it started sprinkling again. Really, that was quite considerate of the rain.
For the rest ... I'll let the pics tell the story
For further awesome stories, such as intruding Chinese tourists and a bright orange spider, do set up a skype date :)
Passport Sitch:
Even though we were "camping", when we arrived on Friday, everyone had full intentions of staying at the nearby resort that first night as it was pouring down rain and already after dark. But I forgot my passport :( which you need for checking in. I was assured that as a whole group of laowai, I wouldn't stick out in any way and that no one would notice my extra presence. Of course, why would the carrot head stick out? The moment we gathered in the lobby, a Chinese guy waded through our entire group and held his iphone up to my face. Then he showed me the screen. I guess I was skyping with his friend! OH yes, I won't stick out at all.
The Weather:
I was continuously made fun of the whole time leading up to the trip since my mediocre weather skillz lead us to camp at Xiang Shan beach, instead of a sparsely populated, zero-internet, island that was even closer to the impending Category 5 Typhoon Samba. I mean, I don't mind camping in the rain at all, but really? Typhoons can change direction unpredictably and it just didn't seem smart to pack my tarpless tent that fits 2 Chinese people and take a ferry to an island, without infrastructure, without emergency services and really just without anything. So we stuck to the mainland beaches and camped close to a hotel, just in case. It rained our first morning, but that didn't stop us from body surfing or beach volleyball. The rain stopped in time for us to cook some dinner, pitch our tents, and waited until we had packed up the next morning before it started sprinkling again. Really, that was quite considerate of the rain.
For the rest ... I'll let the pics tell the story
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| The pillow in our hotel room. |
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| Kate and the kissing fish pillows in our hotel room. |
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| Entertaining ourselves while we wait for lunch. Two corners must not be touching any other cards and JENGA! don't let it fall! Or you get to gan bei! |
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| Our camp on the beach. |
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| Making Stews. |
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| It really did turn out to be an all right day. |
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| A curious tourist came to help us chop potatoes. |
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| Best idea ever! Thank Chilean families for making quesadilla appetizers to be cooked on top of our stews. Yum yum yum! |
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| It was all a good idea, until this happened. Oh high tide, you were not quite this high at 7 am this morning! |
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| So we did a make shift camp above the seawall on the stones. There goes our tenting on the beach idea. |
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| Happy campers! Sitting around the charcoal telling scary stories :) |
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| Kate and I shared a tent! |
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| When it says "sleeps 2", in China I think they were refering to shorter people. Our feet hung out the edge. |
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| And as we were attempting to make breakfast, the sun came out the next morning. Naturally we all broke out into the wave! |
For further awesome stories, such as intruding Chinese tourists and a bright orange spider, do set up a skype date :)
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Some of you saw the short version, but here's the long version.
My friend Adolfo wanted to find a temple near Beilun, and I have yet to see a local one here, so I asked to join once I got the front tire on my bike fixed. It was completely flat so I took it down to the Giant bike shop to get it pumped up. Since I have a Giant bike, they do this for free.
ENTER strangers #1.
As I left the Li Ren complex, I passed about 8 guards standing outside the guard station. The same guards who don't do anything except march around our complex twice a day (Hi hooo!!!!!) I typically smile and wave at them as I ride past, but this time I was obviously walking my bike so they were a little confused. When they saw the flat tire, they all started to do a monkey dance, which definitely caught my attention, and then pulled an air compressor out of their little house. Who knew? Even though I was only 2 blocks from free air, they didn't know that, and they graciously offered to pump up the tire. These guys are so wonderful. I thanked them many times and went on my way.
Adolfo and I got some directions in Mandarin and we headed out. I always love directions from the Chinese, because often times it's "Go straight, then turn right. Then turn left. And then you arrive". But there often isn't a street name mentioned. How do we know where to take the first right? We stopped periodically to ask people on the side of road for directions, just to make sure we hadn't missed any turns. About an hour in, I noticed that my tire was loosing air. I was watching it since I a suspected slow leak, but apparently this was a "fast" leak. I noticed the leak at the same time that we saw our first road sign indicating that we were close to the temple. Can't give up now!
ENTER stranger #2.
A slightly miffed mechanic on the side of the treeline highway. He's got a dirty, greasy shop on the side of the road for fixing ebikes and whatever vehicle you might have in China. I walked up and showed him the flat tire. He did a head shake, as if to say "really?" and took the bike from me and pumped up the tire. Adolfo's handle bars were also loose, so he tightened those up too. And just like that we were quickly on our way again. It was so worth it, we were in awe when we reached the temple. On the road up to the temple, we saw a monk in his long robe, standing outside using a smart phone. I very much wish that a picture would have been appropriate. Then my camera died about half way through, so my apologies that I didn't get any pictures from the top. I definitely intend to go back again though! It was set up like the Forbidden City, so there were several temples in a row to walk through. It just kept on going!
ENTER strangers #3.
After more than an hour at the temple, we returned to our bikes to find that my tire was completely flat again. We walked from the temple to a little village just below it. Some guys thought we were lost when we turned to enter their 20 house village, but I showed them my tire and they promptly dropped what they were doing. One guy had a pump, and the other a needle, and they pumped it up for me. And again, we were on our way! Such awesome villagers.
At the bottom of the hill though, my tire was flat for a fourth time that day. I was a little nervous to approach the mechanic again, but we really didn't have another choice. Hitch hiking is apparently not a universal sign in China.
BACK to stranger #2
When I arrived, he took one look at my tire, and told me it was "bu hao". Well of course it is awful, that's why I'm back. He flipped the bike upside down, and I realized maybe I was going to get a new one from him. I asked how much it was cost, but he told me nothing. He pulled out the tube and found two leaks in it. He plugged/glued/patched them back up, and then tested the leaks in water. I was actually quite impressed with how thorough he was. Maybe he didn't want me to come back again! But after plugging the first leak, he checked again and found the second. Pretty awesome dude!
And he must have done it right, because we made it back home no problem. On my way back to my apartment, I rode the elevator with one of the guards. He tried 3 times to start conversations with me, but I just could not get what he was saying. Then I realized, he must have been one of the original guards who helped pump up my tired the first time. My how things go full circle. I smiled and said "very good" several times which seemed to make his day. So I'm hoping that we had the conversation that I think we had.
All in all, a very good adventure. A very beautiful temple. Very awesome, wonderful, helpful people along the way. Just a good day.
My friend Adolfo wanted to find a temple near Beilun, and I have yet to see a local one here, so I asked to join once I got the front tire on my bike fixed. It was completely flat so I took it down to the Giant bike shop to get it pumped up. Since I have a Giant bike, they do this for free.
ENTER strangers #1.
As I left the Li Ren complex, I passed about 8 guards standing outside the guard station. The same guards who don't do anything except march around our complex twice a day (Hi hooo!!!!!) I typically smile and wave at them as I ride past, but this time I was obviously walking my bike so they were a little confused. When they saw the flat tire, they all started to do a monkey dance, which definitely caught my attention, and then pulled an air compressor out of their little house. Who knew? Even though I was only 2 blocks from free air, they didn't know that, and they graciously offered to pump up the tire. These guys are so wonderful. I thanked them many times and went on my way.
Adolfo and I got some directions in Mandarin and we headed out. I always love directions from the Chinese, because often times it's "Go straight, then turn right. Then turn left. And then you arrive". But there often isn't a street name mentioned. How do we know where to take the first right? We stopped periodically to ask people on the side of road for directions, just to make sure we hadn't missed any turns. About an hour in, I noticed that my tire was loosing air. I was watching it since I a suspected slow leak, but apparently this was a "fast" leak. I noticed the leak at the same time that we saw our first road sign indicating that we were close to the temple. Can't give up now!
ENTER stranger #2.
A slightly miffed mechanic on the side of the treeline highway. He's got a dirty, greasy shop on the side of the road for fixing ebikes and whatever vehicle you might have in China. I walked up and showed him the flat tire. He did a head shake, as if to say "really?" and took the bike from me and pumped up the tire. Adolfo's handle bars were also loose, so he tightened those up too. And just like that we were quickly on our way again. It was so worth it, we were in awe when we reached the temple. On the road up to the temple, we saw a monk in his long robe, standing outside using a smart phone. I very much wish that a picture would have been appropriate. Then my camera died about half way through, so my apologies that I didn't get any pictures from the top. I definitely intend to go back again though! It was set up like the Forbidden City, so there were several temples in a row to walk through. It just kept on going!
 |
| The entrance. |
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| Adolfo |
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| Inside the first temple. A little scary. |
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| Walking up to see the GIANT Buddha. |
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| Only to discover there were 3! I'm just a head taller than the table in front of these guys. |
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| We also found this. We're not sure about this, so I'll let you know once I ask June. Any ideas? |
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| On the incense burner. |
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| So pretty! And so far out in the hills. So peaceful. |
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| I want these lanterns. They had a whole row of them, all beautifully decorated. |
 |
| I think this dude is pishu, but I would be wrong. Again checking back on that. Background on pishu: he's a mythical lucky animal that brings good fortune and good luck. His mouth is open, and he doesn't have a rear end, so the fortune/"money" that goes in, has no place to come out. |
ENTER strangers #3.
After more than an hour at the temple, we returned to our bikes to find that my tire was completely flat again. We walked from the temple to a little village just below it. Some guys thought we were lost when we turned to enter their 20 house village, but I showed them my tire and they promptly dropped what they were doing. One guy had a pump, and the other a needle, and they pumped it up for me. And again, we were on our way! Such awesome villagers.
At the bottom of the hill though, my tire was flat for a fourth time that day. I was a little nervous to approach the mechanic again, but we really didn't have another choice. Hitch hiking is apparently not a universal sign in China.
BACK to stranger #2
When I arrived, he took one look at my tire, and told me it was "bu hao". Well of course it is awful, that's why I'm back. He flipped the bike upside down, and I realized maybe I was going to get a new one from him. I asked how much it was cost, but he told me nothing. He pulled out the tube and found two leaks in it. He plugged/glued/patched them back up, and then tested the leaks in water. I was actually quite impressed with how thorough he was. Maybe he didn't want me to come back again! But after plugging the first leak, he checked again and found the second. Pretty awesome dude!
And he must have done it right, because we made it back home no problem. On my way back to my apartment, I rode the elevator with one of the guards. He tried 3 times to start conversations with me, but I just could not get what he was saying. Then I realized, he must have been one of the original guards who helped pump up my tired the first time. My how things go full circle. I smiled and said "very good" several times which seemed to make his day. So I'm hoping that we had the conversation that I think we had.
All in all, a very good adventure. A very beautiful temple. Very awesome, wonderful, helpful people along the way. Just a good day.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Chinese Medicine
YOU ARE HEREBY CAUTIONED AGAINST SCROLLING DOWN BEFORE YOU READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday nights we play an "indoor" soccer game, on an outdoor turf field. But you get the idea, it's 6 vs. 6, smaller, a lot more running, and it's a fast game. I LOVE it. I get a lot more touches on the ball, and a much better work out. Plus it's in the evening so it's only 75 degrees out instead of 95.
The guys at this venue are also a lot more agressive and have NO issues with hurting me. I do have a bruise from just getting elbowed, when normally the guys don't even come into touching distance. But I also blocked a shot with my leg and it was awesome! I got a great ball mark, and my skin bubbled up. Kinda cool!
Here's where the Chinese medicine part comes in. If you remember previous comments about Chinese hospitals, you can skip this paragraph. China doesn't have doctor's offices, they have hospitals for EVERYTHING. They also have medicine for EVERYTHING, but it's different. Where we overmedicate in the states, instead they use all sorts of different melodies that don't involve taking a pill. I'm now very careful not to complain about any sort of ailment because the local people often take it quite seriously and either suggest that I go to the hospital, or offer some sort of lotion or liquid that will make me feel better... it's just a sniffle!
Enter my AWESOME bruise from last night. I was showing it to Line, when our friend Kathleen saw it. For me, it was definitely a pride thing. If you knew me during soccer season, you know that I'm always excited about any bruise I get. But when Kathleen saw it, she promptly offered to call her husband to bring me a special cream that would instantly make the black and blue disappear. I was slightly aghast. That would defeat the whole purpose! I stepped in front of a shot that was on fire! It was going to burn a whole through the back of our net! And I stopped it with just my leg. I'm am freaking awesome!!! (Have I said AWESOME enough times?!)
So, if you would like to scroll down to see my very lovely bruise, be my guest. I hope I haven't built it up too much! Maybe hoping this doesn't gross anyone out or anything! Oh, and this is the day after it happened!
Thursday nights we play an "indoor" soccer game, on an outdoor turf field. But you get the idea, it's 6 vs. 6, smaller, a lot more running, and it's a fast game. I LOVE it. I get a lot more touches on the ball, and a much better work out. Plus it's in the evening so it's only 75 degrees out instead of 95.
The guys at this venue are also a lot more agressive and have NO issues with hurting me. I do have a bruise from just getting elbowed, when normally the guys don't even come into touching distance. But I also blocked a shot with my leg and it was awesome! I got a great ball mark, and my skin bubbled up. Kinda cool!
Here's where the Chinese medicine part comes in. If you remember previous comments about Chinese hospitals, you can skip this paragraph. China doesn't have doctor's offices, they have hospitals for EVERYTHING. They also have medicine for EVERYTHING, but it's different. Where we overmedicate in the states, instead they use all sorts of different melodies that don't involve taking a pill. I'm now very careful not to complain about any sort of ailment because the local people often take it quite seriously and either suggest that I go to the hospital, or offer some sort of lotion or liquid that will make me feel better... it's just a sniffle!
Enter my AWESOME bruise from last night. I was showing it to Line, when our friend Kathleen saw it. For me, it was definitely a pride thing. If you knew me during soccer season, you know that I'm always excited about any bruise I get. But when Kathleen saw it, she promptly offered to call her husband to bring me a special cream that would instantly make the black and blue disappear. I was slightly aghast. That would defeat the whole purpose! I stepped in front of a shot that was on fire! It was going to burn a whole through the back of our net! And I stopped it with just my leg. I'm am freaking awesome!!! (Have I said AWESOME enough times?!)
So, if you would like to scroll down to see my very lovely bruise, be my guest. I hope I haven't built it up too much! Maybe hoping this doesn't gross anyone out or anything! Oh, and this is the day after it happened!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream! Yum!
Nope just kidding. I don't get fooled by that anymore. The green ice cream was definitely green tea flavored, and the little flecks of "chocolate" were of course, ground up tea leaves. Be impressed that we had good quality ice cream at all. But anything green here is either tea or seaweed. But if you know me, I wouldn't be excited about the Mint Chocolate Chip flavor anyways. That seems to be everyone else's favorite. So be warned if you do have a visit!
Other TIC Moments - This Is China
- After school one day, there was a lot of shuffling in the office as students called home to see if they could switch buses and go to a friend's house. The phone lines were all tied up so students started pulling out their own cell phones to call mom and dad for permission. One 5th grade student handed our office secretary what appeared to be an open Hello Kitty Polly Pocket. You bet that thing was a functioning cell phone. I want one.
- We have an ever changing school roster as students come and go, so I see a new spreadsheet everytime it's updated. Many students adopt an "English" nickname that is usually in the next column on the excel spreadsheet. Some of my favorite names from Cup of Joe employees are, Lion, Ranier and Pink. As I scrolled down to see which students would be in my After School Activity, my eyes automatically defaulted to the "nickname" column as many of the given names were undecodable ... I saw the name "mosquito bite". Crazy thing is, I was totally unphased until I read the next one. "Asthma". Oh ... maybe that's the medical column. Whoops. But we do have a new student named Cinderella ....
- My favorite thing about traffic in China is that it is perfectly legit to run a red light, as long as you hold down the horn the entire way through. I watched an ebike do this yesterday. It took a full 20 seconds to cross the gigantic intersection. That's a lot of horn. (On a side note, while learning about communities my kiddos came across the word "stoplight" and didn't know what it meant. When I drew one on the board, there was dawning comprehension and one elf said, "Oh I know! Green means go. Red means stop. And yellow means go faster!" ... I guess in many places that could be true, but here it is ALWAYS true.)
At School:
Plants are turning out to be my favorite thing. Our science unit is fantastic and frustrating at the same time.
- First is Lily and Pad ... our experiment on the effects of sunlight on a plant. Naturally the one with all the sunlight (Lily) is actually looking sad and dreary. While Pad, whose leaves we covered with foil, is chipper and healthy. Of course. Thank you science for proving known facts to be false.
- We have a separate experiment on the effects of minerals in the soil. Every elf has a plant in plain dirt, and a plant in mineral-rich soil. As of today, there is no difference between the two plants. The only thing that has happened is that one student had both plants sprout, while all the other students have nothing. I taught them the term "green thumb" since this elf appears to have one, he can just naturally make things grow. But my other students insist that the Green Thumb Elf''s plants are playing "defense" on the windowsill, and they held out their arms to show me that GTE's plants were intentionally blocking the sun from all the other plants. No.
- We moved on to a lesson about how people use plants. I brought aloe lotion, olive oil, medicine, and a cotton t-shirt. They figured everything out except for the tshirt, which they insisted came from a sheep. I said there is a plant that looks like a sheep, and showed them an image of the cotton plant. One elf looked at my pink shirt and said, "But we do not have sheep this color!" Funny you should say that ... a great teachable moment ... dye also comes from plants!
- They're starting to get the idea that many unexpected things actually come from plants. I asked the students to look at a picture and imagine a life without plants. How would life be different? They explained that the houses would have to be made of stone, we wouldn't have paper or pencils, etc. Then one said, "no sandwiches" and pointed to the tomato and lettuce in the picture. When asked what we would have to eat instead, the elf replied, "I guess just the bread." ...... *silent laughter/giggle/shaking with pure funniness* on my part. Boy do I have a story for you about bread. Ever seen a wheat field?
- Open House. I got to meet all my parents. As usual, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I had to use an interpreter with 5 out of 7 parents. My Taiwanese parent is concerned, because when her son comes home and practices English, she says he sounds Korean. Poor kiddos shared a classroom with all Korean students last year, and I guess he's adopting the accent!
- Along with learning about communities, it is very difficult to teach an American curriculum here. Beilun would be considered a rural community, but we do have high rises. Ningbo would be an urban community, but there are plenty of tractors there. And don't get me started on suburbs. They don't exist here! Oy. Classifying the traits of different communities is difficult when everything they know about a community contradicts the information in the book they're reading. Time to toss the book!
- A 5th grade caught a praying mantis and kept it as a classroom pet, so naturally I heard annoying whining like ... "Can we keep it?! We'll take care of it! I want one! PLEASEEEEE!!!!" Later that day, one elf asked for a hamster. It went like this.
Elf: Can we have a class hamster?
Me: No. Who will take care of it during the school breaks?
Elf: We can put all the food inside the cage.
Me: Then it would eat all the food at once and die. (Sorry, I don't sugarcoat things)
Elf: Then we can have a robot that will feed the hamster everyday.
Me: When you make a robot that will feed a hamster, I will buy the class a hamster.
CHEERING .... and then silence as every student quietly contemplates how to make a robot for a good 5 minutes.
I have just completed a milestone: the dreaded third week of school. For the first time in four years, I am not withering in my bed with some germy-school sickness after 3 full weeks with the little ones!! *knock on bamboo*
Other TIC Moments - This Is China
- After school one day, there was a lot of shuffling in the office as students called home to see if they could switch buses and go to a friend's house. The phone lines were all tied up so students started pulling out their own cell phones to call mom and dad for permission. One 5th grade student handed our office secretary what appeared to be an open Hello Kitty Polly Pocket. You bet that thing was a functioning cell phone. I want one.
- We have an ever changing school roster as students come and go, so I see a new spreadsheet everytime it's updated. Many students adopt an "English" nickname that is usually in the next column on the excel spreadsheet. Some of my favorite names from Cup of Joe employees are, Lion, Ranier and Pink. As I scrolled down to see which students would be in my After School Activity, my eyes automatically defaulted to the "nickname" column as many of the given names were undecodable ... I saw the name "mosquito bite". Crazy thing is, I was totally unphased until I read the next one. "Asthma". Oh ... maybe that's the medical column. Whoops. But we do have a new student named Cinderella ....
- My favorite thing about traffic in China is that it is perfectly legit to run a red light, as long as you hold down the horn the entire way through. I watched an ebike do this yesterday. It took a full 20 seconds to cross the gigantic intersection. That's a lot of horn. (On a side note, while learning about communities my kiddos came across the word "stoplight" and didn't know what it meant. When I drew one on the board, there was dawning comprehension and one elf said, "Oh I know! Green means go. Red means stop. And yellow means go faster!" ... I guess in many places that could be true, but here it is ALWAYS true.)
At School:
Plants are turning out to be my favorite thing. Our science unit is fantastic and frustrating at the same time.
- First is Lily and Pad ... our experiment on the effects of sunlight on a plant. Naturally the one with all the sunlight (Lily) is actually looking sad and dreary. While Pad, whose leaves we covered with foil, is chipper and healthy. Of course. Thank you science for proving known facts to be false.
- We have a separate experiment on the effects of minerals in the soil. Every elf has a plant in plain dirt, and a plant in mineral-rich soil. As of today, there is no difference between the two plants. The only thing that has happened is that one student had both plants sprout, while all the other students have nothing. I taught them the term "green thumb" since this elf appears to have one, he can just naturally make things grow. But my other students insist that the Green Thumb Elf''s plants are playing "defense" on the windowsill, and they held out their arms to show me that GTE's plants were intentionally blocking the sun from all the other plants. No.
- We moved on to a lesson about how people use plants. I brought aloe lotion, olive oil, medicine, and a cotton t-shirt. They figured everything out except for the tshirt, which they insisted came from a sheep. I said there is a plant that looks like a sheep, and showed them an image of the cotton plant. One elf looked at my pink shirt and said, "But we do not have sheep this color!" Funny you should say that ... a great teachable moment ... dye also comes from plants!
- They're starting to get the idea that many unexpected things actually come from plants. I asked the students to look at a picture and imagine a life without plants. How would life be different? They explained that the houses would have to be made of stone, we wouldn't have paper or pencils, etc. Then one said, "no sandwiches" and pointed to the tomato and lettuce in the picture. When asked what we would have to eat instead, the elf replied, "I guess just the bread." ...... *silent laughter/giggle/shaking with pure funniness* on my part. Boy do I have a story for you about bread. Ever seen a wheat field?
- Open House. I got to meet all my parents. As usual, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I had to use an interpreter with 5 out of 7 parents. My Taiwanese parent is concerned, because when her son comes home and practices English, she says he sounds Korean. Poor kiddos shared a classroom with all Korean students last year, and I guess he's adopting the accent!
- Along with learning about communities, it is very difficult to teach an American curriculum here. Beilun would be considered a rural community, but we do have high rises. Ningbo would be an urban community, but there are plenty of tractors there. And don't get me started on suburbs. They don't exist here! Oy. Classifying the traits of different communities is difficult when everything they know about a community contradicts the information in the book they're reading. Time to toss the book!
- A 5th grade caught a praying mantis and kept it as a classroom pet, so naturally I heard annoying whining like ... "Can we keep it?! We'll take care of it! I want one! PLEASEEEEE!!!!" Later that day, one elf asked for a hamster. It went like this.
Elf: Can we have a class hamster?
Me: No. Who will take care of it during the school breaks?
Elf: We can put all the food inside the cage.
Me: Then it would eat all the food at once and die. (Sorry, I don't sugarcoat things)
Elf: Then we can have a robot that will feed the hamster everyday.
Me: When you make a robot that will feed a hamster, I will buy the class a hamster.
CHEERING .... and then silence as every student quietly contemplates how to make a robot for a good 5 minutes.
I have just completed a milestone: the dreaded third week of school. For the first time in four years, I am not withering in my bed with some germy-school sickness after 3 full weeks with the little ones!! *knock on bamboo*
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