Classes

I have seven classes that I am teaching this semester.  Four of them are conversation classes at the Foreign Language School.  Three of them are reading classes for English majors at a more general school. (Minsheng)  The Foreign Language School classes are about thirty students each, and the Minsheng classes are about forty students each.  I have some stories about them, but they were written throughout the last week.  I have dated these, and not edited them.

9/12

Just now, right before I started writing this, four of my students stopped by.  Two of them, Ruth and Jane, had brought me presents back from home (this weekend was mid-autumn festival, and many students went home to be with their families).  Ruth brought me moon-cakes (see last entry to read more about moon-cakes).  I have been telling all of my classes that my favorite Chinese food is moon-cakes.  Jane brought me a fake sunflower and blue rose, both of which she made herself by weaving silk threads around wires to make the petals.

Ruth, Jane, and Linda had lunch with me on Friday.  They took me to a place that serves heated stone pots filled with rice, vegetables, and meat.  Linda was pretty quiet, but Ruth and Jane and I talked.  I am hopeful that we may be friends.

When they came by to give me their gifts and wish me a happy mid-autumn festival, once again Ruth and Jane did all the talking.  Linda and another friend (who is also in my class) were quiet.  But I just received a text from Linda.  “hello , Ann . Tonight I saw you I feel very happy . I want to say again : happy moon ' s day ! I love you .best wishes for you . Linda”

I have been feeling kind of sick today, and a bit lonely.  These girls made my day!  I'm so happy!

This Saturday was Teachers' Day.  I received many many text messages wishing me happy teachers' day.  My favorite I will reproduce here: “Happy Teachers' Day to you,Ann!maybe it is your first teachers'   day in China.don't feel lonely. We are all here with you ! I will bring you mooncakes when I come back from home, Ok?i am really glad to be your friend! Sandy” Another good one, “Happy Teathers' Day , happy every day,best wishes to my lovely friend_like teather ^^ by Marissa from class 2”

I need to remember these things for whenever I feel down.  In Japan, I would be afraid that if I received this kind of praise I was somehow going to let down whoever said these things to me.  But I am not in Japan.  All I can do is be myself, with all my shyness and all my enthusiasm.

9/13

One thing I will say about being a quiet girl amongst less shy American boys – the conversations I've had with students have been very focused.  I went to English corner, and I talked a great deal to one girl (where as the other English teachers talked a bit with many different people).  Though I envey that – charisma?  Outgoing-ness?  (I'm not sure what adjective to put here), I am finding that my personality has its own advantages too.

9/16

I have just finished my first week of classes (I should say, my first week of actual classes.  The first week was just introductions.  This week I actually taught).  It's interesting to give the same lecture and get different responses from my classes.  My reading classes I assigned the short story “The Blue Cross” by G. K. Chesterton (a detective story).  One class was shy but when I asked them what the author may have meant by the story, came up with really good answers.  The second class was less shy and had lots of questions.  The third class had very few questions about the story, but asked me about churches, if I had ever met a priest, and about sex education in America.

Hairstyles here tend to be practical, though there are some girls with perms and some boys and girls with bleached hair.  There are a few boys with really crazy hairstyles that seem to come out of a Japanese cartoon.

I have found that people don't expect me to speak Chinese, but are happy to talk to me once they find out I speak a little.  The first week here I had at least one god exchange a day which I was proud of (look!  I ordered in a restaurant all by myself!).  Since then it's gone down to once or twice a week.  But it seems much easier to start a conversation than it did in Japan.

Yesterday there was a patriotic singing competition between the freshman classes.  I talked to a few freshman boys who didn't speak much English.  I talked to some of my students who were also there.  And a group of boys from one of the Physical Education major classes asked to take pictures with me.

9/17

Today, air-raid sirens went off for an hour this morning commemorating the day and time the Japanese first attacked.  Those of you from Beloit may remember I did my symposium project on perspectives on World War II in Japan.  Though there are certainly many ceremonies remembering the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there is nothing that compares to this.

Also, I saw an advertisement with cartoon versions of the main characters from 'Journey to the West' (if you have heard of the Monkey King, 'Journey to the West' is the novel he is from) promoting ibuprofen.

I have taken to channel surfing when I have time to kill.  My favorite show so far is one that I have nicknamed 'Beautiful People' (美人心计 mei3ren2xin1ji4, literally it means scheming beauties).  I think it takes place during the Tang dynasty, and mostly takes place inside the palace.  

Most nights at about 8:30 until 10:00 there is English corner.  English corner is just a meeting place for students and English teachers to meet and talk.  There are many fewer people than in class, and the people who come tend to be from different classes as well, so there's less pressure.  Also, since it's a less formal setting, we teachers can act more like peers.  It has been a great deal of fun!  Several people from my reading classes have started coming regularly.  

There are also a few students I have had dinner with.  One was from Eaaf and Will's class, who is interested in studying at University of Pennsylvania for graduate school.  The other was one of my students.  My student, I invited after seeing her by chance around campus.  She is very quiet, but so cute!  She went to English corner with us after dinner, and she and I have texted a number of times afterward this week.  All of this is something I wouldn't have if my students were not my own age.