Well, it's almost the end of my time here in China. I've avoided writing about it. I don't want it to seem like I have disliked my time here, and want to go. Because I have enjoyed being here. Not every day was good, but I learned a lot about another culture, and about myself.
In six days I will be in Guiyang. I'll spend the night there so I can catch my 8:00am flight. From Guiyang I'll go to Beijing; Beijing to JFK; JFK to Rochester. It's about 22 hours of traveling. But I'll be home, for good, at 7pm on Thursday, June 28th.
Between now and then I have one more final to give, and about a million finals to grade. My apartment is pretty well packed. I've shipped a couple of boxes to myself in NY, so I don't have much to pack. I'm washing my clothes for the last time (yay!), and still have to do sheets and towels. I just defrosted my freezer. I need to clean out my fridge and my cabinets. I'm not ready to leave, but I will be next Wednesday.
It's sad to say goodbye to my students. I've become attached to many of them. They are sweet, and make me feel like a good teacher. It's a nice feeling.
I'll try to write at least once more before I go.
I can't believe it's almost over.
Showing posts with label updates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label updates. Show all posts
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Friday, June 01, 2007
Ups and Downs
Hi all,
Well, I'm finishing my final chapter of life in China. In 26 days I'll be on a plane home. I must admit, I'm looking forward to it. It doesn't reflect poorly on China, I'm just ready for the next step in my life.
Things here are about the same. My graduating students graduated. I miss them already. They spent the first six weeks of the semester student-teaching. The next month or so they had class here at the University. And then they were done. They were a good group of students, and it was hard to see them go.
I'm trying to get my apartment in good shape little by little each day. The state of my apartment when I moved in was quite messy, and I don't want to leave that for the next people. I'm also packing up some boxes to ship back via the mail, rather than schlepping bulging suitcases across the ocean.
I have two and a half weeks of classes left, plus a week of finals. I'll have to turn in my final grades before I go, obviously.
So life is odd here - trying to stay in the moment; not to "check out" too early. But I also have a lot of work to do to get ready to go home. And I have to get myself mentally prepared to go back to the States and look for a job. Life is stressful here, but American life is stressful, as well. The stresses are just different.
Well, it's been nice. I'll keep writing for the next three and a half weeks. :)
Well, I'm finishing my final chapter of life in China. In 26 days I'll be on a plane home. I must admit, I'm looking forward to it. It doesn't reflect poorly on China, I'm just ready for the next step in my life.
Things here are about the same. My graduating students graduated. I miss them already. They spent the first six weeks of the semester student-teaching. The next month or so they had class here at the University. And then they were done. They were a good group of students, and it was hard to see them go.
I'm trying to get my apartment in good shape little by little each day. The state of my apartment when I moved in was quite messy, and I don't want to leave that for the next people. I'm also packing up some boxes to ship back via the mail, rather than schlepping bulging suitcases across the ocean.
I have two and a half weeks of classes left, plus a week of finals. I'll have to turn in my final grades before I go, obviously.
So life is odd here - trying to stay in the moment; not to "check out" too early. But I also have a lot of work to do to get ready to go home. And I have to get myself mentally prepared to go back to the States and look for a job. Life is stressful here, but American life is stressful, as well. The stresses are just different.
Well, it's been nice. I'll keep writing for the next three and a half weeks. :)
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Firewalls & Such
So every once in a while, the blogger site gets firewalled here in China. So that's why I've been gone for a while - sorry!
Let's see, since I wrote last:
-I made a recording for Huangguoshu waterfall, the largest waterfall in Asia
-We had our mid-term holiday the first week in May
-I decided not to go to grad school next year
-I started teaching the graduating students; they have their final exam this coming week
-I bought my ticket to come home
I'll write more about each of those things in the next week. Hopefully I'll be able to access this site from here until I leave (six more weeks).
As always, I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to email me at e.ludington@gmail.com.
Let's see, since I wrote last:
-I made a recording for Huangguoshu waterfall, the largest waterfall in Asia
-We had our mid-term holiday the first week in May
-I decided not to go to grad school next year
-I started teaching the graduating students; they have their final exam this coming week
-I bought my ticket to come home
I'll write more about each of those things in the next week. Hopefully I'll be able to access this site from here until I leave (six more weeks).
As always, I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to email me at e.ludington@gmail.com.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Back in Anshun
Well, I'm home in Anshun. The journey from New York to Guizhou was long.
Friday February 9th my flight left Rochester at 9:45 am. I flew to Chicago where I got on board the flight to Beijing. Unfortunately there was a problem matching luggage with passengers, so we were delayed in the plane, on the ground for 2 and a half hours! That's a lot when it's tacked onto a 13 and a half hour flight. I arrived in Beijing two hours late.
Another couple from my organization was on the flight from Chicago with me. The three of us split a taxi to the hotel where we were having our conference. We had dinner and a short introduction time and then went to bed.
The next three days were part ESL teacher conference, part sight-seeing around Beijing. I got to see the Great Wall, which was great!
I also went to the Silk Market, which is famous for being a good place to buy things cheaply in Beijing. I bought three pearl necklaces for 130 kuai (about $16 total).
Beijing also had such great international dining options. It is certainly different from the China I deal with on a daily basis!
We also were trying to get train tickets back to Guizhou. The problem was that we were trying to travel too close to the Spring Festival. Spring Festival is what the Chinese call Chinese New Year. And, much like Thanksgiving in the US, pretty much everyone goes home. So the trains, planes and buses are full. We didn't get train tickets for the 14th like we had hoped. The earliest we could go was February 17th.
So two other ULS teachers and I stayed in Beijing for three more days. Another ULS teacher who lives in Beijing was gracious and allowed us to stay with her. We went to the Summer Palace to do some sightseeing. It was really cool.
The 17th Susie (ULS teacher in Guiyang) and I got on the train to Guiyang. It was a 29 hour train ride. We had "hard sleeper" seats. It was great - we had beds in the same compartment. There was hot water for noodles (like Ramen), a reasonably clean bathroom, pillows, lights - everything you could want for a long trip! And it was easy to sleep because of the rocking motion of the train.
The train arrived in Guiyang February 18th at 8:30 pm. I spent the night with Susie, since the buses had stopped running for the night. The next morning I caught a bus to Anshun, and a taxi to the university. And 10 days after my departure I was home!!
My apartment is a little musty from being closed up for five and a half weeks. I had to restock my kitchen since I got rid of all perishable food before I left. Shopping today was intense - I had a long list! And since I have to take the bus in and out I can only buy as much as I can carry. At the end of the trip my backpack was full and I had large shopping bags in both hands. And I didn't even get as much as I needed. I'll go to the more local market tomorrow morning to get the rest of what I need.
Classes start March 5th. So I have a week and a half to get my life in order for the second semester. Campus is very quiet. My neighbors are at home, but all of the students are gone. The mail room board says that I had mail (as of 2/16). But it is closed right now for the holiday.
I will write more later about the things I saw in Beijing.
Happy [Chinese] New Year!
Friday February 9th my flight left Rochester at 9:45 am. I flew to Chicago where I got on board the flight to Beijing. Unfortunately there was a problem matching luggage with passengers, so we were delayed in the plane, on the ground for 2 and a half hours! That's a lot when it's tacked onto a 13 and a half hour flight. I arrived in Beijing two hours late.
Another couple from my organization was on the flight from Chicago with me. The three of us split a taxi to the hotel where we were having our conference. We had dinner and a short introduction time and then went to bed.
The next three days were part ESL teacher conference, part sight-seeing around Beijing. I got to see the Great Wall, which was great!
I also went to the Silk Market, which is famous for being a good place to buy things cheaply in Beijing. I bought three pearl necklaces for 130 kuai (about $16 total).
Beijing also had such great international dining options. It is certainly different from the China I deal with on a daily basis!
We also were trying to get train tickets back to Guizhou. The problem was that we were trying to travel too close to the Spring Festival. Spring Festival is what the Chinese call Chinese New Year. And, much like Thanksgiving in the US, pretty much everyone goes home. So the trains, planes and buses are full. We didn't get train tickets for the 14th like we had hoped. The earliest we could go was February 17th.
So two other ULS teachers and I stayed in Beijing for three more days. Another ULS teacher who lives in Beijing was gracious and allowed us to stay with her. We went to the Summer Palace to do some sightseeing. It was really cool.
The 17th Susie (ULS teacher in Guiyang) and I got on the train to Guiyang. It was a 29 hour train ride. We had "hard sleeper" seats. It was great - we had beds in the same compartment. There was hot water for noodles (like Ramen), a reasonably clean bathroom, pillows, lights - everything you could want for a long trip! And it was easy to sleep because of the rocking motion of the train.
The train arrived in Guiyang February 18th at 8:30 pm. I spent the night with Susie, since the buses had stopped running for the night. The next morning I caught a bus to Anshun, and a taxi to the university. And 10 days after my departure I was home!!
My apartment is a little musty from being closed up for five and a half weeks. I had to restock my kitchen since I got rid of all perishable food before I left. Shopping today was intense - I had a long list! And since I have to take the bus in and out I can only buy as much as I can carry. At the end of the trip my backpack was full and I had large shopping bags in both hands. And I didn't even get as much as I needed. I'll go to the more local market tomorrow morning to get the rest of what I need.
Classes start March 5th. So I have a week and a half to get my life in order for the second semester. Campus is very quiet. My neighbors are at home, but all of the students are gone. The mail room board says that I had mail (as of 2/16). But it is closed right now for the holiday.
I will write more later about the things I saw in Beijing.
Happy [Chinese] New Year!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Hello from Meiguo
Well, my Cambodia/Laos trip was not meant to be. I am writing from my home in Brockport, NY.
The evening when we were supposed to leave I noticed a boil on my leg. I also felt flushed. After some quick webmd.com research, I found out that a boil with a fever can be quite dangerous and that I should seek immediate medical attention. I called my parents who contacted my doctor at home.
After several dozen phone calls to various people, I left for the hospital in Anshun. Sara and Laura Leigh (foreign teachers) came with me. We met Miss Zhang, Charlie and Jack (University faculty) at the hospital. I was examined by the doctor, I had my blood drawn and tested, and was prescribed some antibiotics.
In the meantime, the rest of the group started their journey towards Laos. I decided not to go on the trip, but to go back to America, for the holiday. It was an easy decision at the time. Boils usually don't, but can get into the blood stream and cause blood poisoning, which can be fatal. It would have been unwise to be traveling in unknown areas with the symptoms I had.
My parents helped me purchase tickets home. It was 27 hours of traveling: 20 hours on planes and four flights before I got home. I'm here until February 9th. Then I'll travel back to Beijing, where I'll stay for four days for the ULS Winter Conference.
The Spring semester will start March 5th. I'm thoroughly enjoying America, but am looking forward to going back. My life is in Anshun and I like it.
P.S. "Meiguo" is Mandarin for America
The evening when we were supposed to leave I noticed a boil on my leg. I also felt flushed. After some quick webmd.com research, I found out that a boil with a fever can be quite dangerous and that I should seek immediate medical attention. I called my parents who contacted my doctor at home.
After several dozen phone calls to various people, I left for the hospital in Anshun. Sara and Laura Leigh (foreign teachers) came with me. We met Miss Zhang, Charlie and Jack (University faculty) at the hospital. I was examined by the doctor, I had my blood drawn and tested, and was prescribed some antibiotics.
In the meantime, the rest of the group started their journey towards Laos. I decided not to go on the trip, but to go back to America, for the holiday. It was an easy decision at the time. Boils usually don't, but can get into the blood stream and cause blood poisoning, which can be fatal. It would have been unwise to be traveling in unknown areas with the symptoms I had.
My parents helped me purchase tickets home. It was 27 hours of traveling: 20 hours on planes and four flights before I got home. I'm here until February 9th. Then I'll travel back to Beijing, where I'll stay for four days for the ULS Winter Conference.
The Spring semester will start March 5th. I'm thoroughly enjoying America, but am looking forward to going back. My life is in Anshun and I like it.
P.S. "Meiguo" is Mandarin for America
Monday, January 01, 2007
Happy New Year's
Well, it's 2007 here (you still have two hours left if you live on the Eastern Seaboard). It's been quite a year. A year ago I had just graduated from college and went on a rather unsuccessful job search. I think it was unsuccessful largely because I had unrealistic expectations of how quickly I would find employment. But whatever the reason, the search lead me to ULS and China, which is a good thing!
The Chinese obviously celebrate Chinese New Year (lunar new year), but they also celebrate the calendar New Year. The lunar celebration is in February (around the 18th, I think) and is a much bigger deal. But this is also a holiday. There is no school Jan 1-3 and there were many firecrackers set off last night. One of my students told me that they set off firecrackers to scare away evil spirits for the next year.
This week is grading for me, and packing for my trip. I need to get my house ready for me to be away from it for six weeks. That's about it. I'm glad that I have this quiet week before my trip.
While traveling I will *try* to find internet cafes and update the blog. And when I get back I will definitely post photos!
Happy New Year!
The Chinese obviously celebrate Chinese New Year (lunar new year), but they also celebrate the calendar New Year. The lunar celebration is in February (around the 18th, I think) and is a much bigger deal. But this is also a holiday. There is no school Jan 1-3 and there were many firecrackers set off last night. One of my students told me that they set off firecrackers to scare away evil spirits for the next year.
This week is grading for me, and packing for my trip. I need to get my house ready for me to be away from it for six weeks. That's about it. I'm glad that I have this quiet week before my trip.
While traveling I will *try* to find internet cafes and update the blog. And when I get back I will definitely post photos!
Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Catching up
Christmas is a small deal here. There are some Christmas decorations in shops and restaurants. You mostly see “Santa faces” everywhere. You don’t really see trees or wreathes or candles or anything – just Santa faces. It’s a little creepy, but nice. Last weekend we went to Guiyang Guiyang
Well, it’s almost the end of the term here. Semesters are technically 20 weeks long, but foreign teachers are asked to give exams on week 18. We just finished week 17, the last week of classes, and next week is week 18. It seems crazy to me that finals week is the same as Christmas week! According to our contracts, we do not work on Christmas, so I had to reschedule my Monday class to take their exam Friday. It’s cool, though.
My finals’ schedule is as follows:
Tuesday 2-4 Writing Exam (they have a research paper due January 2nd also)
Wednesday 8-10 Pronunciation Exam
Wednesday 10-12 Literature Exam
Thursday 2-4 Oral Exam
Friday 8-10 Listening Exam
Friday 10-12 Listening Exam
Of these exams four are written and two are spoken. For my Pronunciation and Oral classes I have the students signed up to talk to me for 5 minutes at a time. In Pronunciation they have a poem prepared, and an impromptu dialogue to read. I’ll assess their pronunciation this way. In Oral I will have cards that they will draw randomly and have a conversation accordingly. They have an idea of the parameters of the cards-it covers things we have learned in class-but they don’t know exactly what they will say. It makes for a long two hours, but there isn’t any additional grading to do, so that’s nice.
After December 29 I just have to collect the research papers from my writing class. That will probably be a bit of grading, but I can handle it. That’s why I get paid the big bucks. :)
The week of January 1-8 I will finish my grading. I have to hand in special grade sheets. Then I’ll prepare for my trip! Here’s the plan: we are taking a train to
It’ll be nice to travel to the warmer climate and to see
I was talking to a student the other day and she asked me how many countries I had visited. I said 5 (I forgot about
I have learned so much this semester. I’m very excited for next semester because I’ve already made so many mistakes that I hope I can avoid next semester. I know how long 18 weeks feels and how to pace myself. I know what teaching the students appreciate, what teaching I’m good at, and where to find the balance between the two. And I know the students. I am not teaching any new groups of students next term. We signed up for classes a few weeks ago. I will teach 3 Oral classes (all 5-year students), a Literature class (5-year), a Writing class (5-year) and a Listening class (3-year). I’m pretty excited.
Wow, that’s a lot of information. I know I haven’t been faithful in updating, and really wanted to let you all know what’s going on with me. I appreciate your thoughts and support!
Merry Christmas!
Friday, October 06, 2006
National Day
Well, it's the National Day holiday here in China.
*Guoqingjie, or National Day, marks the founding of the People's Republic of China by Mao Zedong on October 1, 1949.* (from answers.com)
There are no classes this week. In America that means that you get two weekends, plus one week off (total of 9 days). Well, only three of the five school days are excused holiday days, so we have to make up the other classes during the weekends. So we had Thursday classes last Saturday, and Friday classes this Sunday. So the total days off is only 7 (Sunday to Saturday).
I was so looking forward to a week of doing nothing. My wish was not granted :)
Sunday we went out with Joni (another American living in Anshun) because it was her birthday. We met her at 12 for lunch, then facials, then head massages, plus a lot of walking around and window shopping. Finally we went to her apartment for dinner and birthday cake.
Monday a student of mine taught me to cook. It was informative, but a lot of work. She arrived at 10am and we didn't finish lunch until 3pm. Phew!
Tuesday we met up with Joni again to check out more of Anshun. We visited the fabric market, went shoe shopping and had lunch. In the afternoon Sara and I attended one of the classes that Joni gave at the English Salon on teaching methods.
Wednesday I met Sara at 7am and we caught a bus to Guiyang. We were there by 9am. Rickey (another student) was visiting her grandma in Guiyang and hosted us for the day. It was a long, full day of shopping, eating snacks and walking around. We got back to Anshun around 8 and to our apartments by 8:45 or so.
SO... Thursday I did NOTHING! I didn't even get dressed! Actually, I rearranged my living room, did dishes, and did my laundry. But still.
I'll post soon about learning to cook. I just thought I would catch you up on my little life here in Anshun.
*Guoqingjie, or National Day, marks the founding of the People's Republic of China by Mao Zedong on October 1, 1949.* (from answers.com)
There are no classes this week. In America that means that you get two weekends, plus one week off (total of 9 days). Well, only three of the five school days are excused holiday days, so we have to make up the other classes during the weekends. So we had Thursday classes last Saturday, and Friday classes this Sunday. So the total days off is only 7 (Sunday to Saturday).
I was so looking forward to a week of doing nothing. My wish was not granted :)
Sunday we went out with Joni (another American living in Anshun) because it was her birthday. We met her at 12 for lunch, then facials, then head massages, plus a lot of walking around and window shopping. Finally we went to her apartment for dinner and birthday cake.
Monday a student of mine taught me to cook. It was informative, but a lot of work. She arrived at 10am and we didn't finish lunch until 3pm. Phew!
Tuesday we met up with Joni again to check out more of Anshun. We visited the fabric market, went shoe shopping and had lunch. In the afternoon Sara and I attended one of the classes that Joni gave at the English Salon on teaching methods.
Wednesday I met Sara at 7am and we caught a bus to Guiyang. We were there by 9am. Rickey (another student) was visiting her grandma in Guiyang and hosted us for the day. It was a long, full day of shopping, eating snacks and walking around. We got back to Anshun around 8 and to our apartments by 8:45 or so.
SO... Thursday I did NOTHING! I didn't even get dressed! Actually, I rearranged my living room, did dishes, and did my laundry. But still.
I'll post soon about learning to cook. I just thought I would catch you up on my little life here in Anshun.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
The week with all the power outages
So around here they just turn the power off from time to time. It's not that there was a storm and the lines are down or anything - they choose to turn the power off. There is only so much electricity to go around, and they will turn it off on campus buildings to do construction or to check wires or something.
It happened twice this week - Tuesday and Thursday. They turn the power off around 8am, and it comes back on at 6pm. It makes for a quiet day. And it means no internet connection, hence few blog updates this week...
The week was good. Still no Literature book... Sara, Kris and I decided to do a rotating dinner schedule. I cook Tuesday dinner, Sara cooks Wednesday dinner and Kris cooks Friday lunch. It's nice to cook a big meal and to have company!
We started this week and it went pretty well. I made scalloped potatoes with green onions. The only "regular" onions I could find were red, and I didn't really want pink scalloped potatoes :) So I bought a pound of green onions (which is a lotof green onions!) and just used the white parts. It was reasonably successful. Sara made "coca cola chicken" which was good, and Kris made cream of chicken soup and biscuits. Mmmmm, I may get spoiled on this plan!
This weekend has been delightfully quiet. I have done very little. Yesterday my accomplishments included some grading, doing dishes and sweeping. And I spread that out over the whole day! Since yesterday I have watched the entire A&E Pride and Prejudice - three hours yesterday and three hours today.
I bought some yarn and am working on a blanket for my sofa. It's coming along pretty well!
I needed this weekend. I guess one of the biggest aspects of culture shock is just that it takes significantly more effort to do "everyday" things. Buying groceries in a different language, taking a bus into a new city, climbing 106 stairs to get to your apartment... they all take a physical toll, you know? So down time and rest are vital in maintaining sanity!
Well, I have a meeting with my group here tonight, but nothing else is on the agenda for today. Maybe I'll take a nap... :)
It happened twice this week - Tuesday and Thursday. They turn the power off around 8am, and it comes back on at 6pm. It makes for a quiet day. And it means no internet connection, hence few blog updates this week...
The week was good. Still no Literature book... Sara, Kris and I decided to do a rotating dinner schedule. I cook Tuesday dinner, Sara cooks Wednesday dinner and Kris cooks Friday lunch. It's nice to cook a big meal and to have company!
We started this week and it went pretty well. I made scalloped potatoes with green onions. The only "regular" onions I could find were red, and I didn't really want pink scalloped potatoes :) So I bought a pound of green onions (which is a lotof green onions!) and just used the white parts. It was reasonably successful. Sara made "coca cola chicken" which was good, and Kris made cream of chicken soup and biscuits. Mmmmm, I may get spoiled on this plan!
This weekend has been delightfully quiet. I have done very little. Yesterday my accomplishments included some grading, doing dishes and sweeping. And I spread that out over the whole day! Since yesterday I have watched the entire A&E Pride and Prejudice - three hours yesterday and three hours today.
I bought some yarn and am working on a blanket for my sofa. It's coming along pretty well!
I needed this weekend. I guess one of the biggest aspects of culture shock is just that it takes significantly more effort to do "everyday" things. Buying groceries in a different language, taking a bus into a new city, climbing 106 stairs to get to your apartment... they all take a physical toll, you know? So down time and rest are vital in maintaining sanity!
Well, I have a meeting with my group here tonight, but nothing else is on the agenda for today. Maybe I'll take a nap... :)
Friday, September 08, 2006
Dao Guiyang
"Dao Guiyang" is Chinese for "to Guiyang"! Sara, Kris and I are headed to Guiyang for the weekend. We'll meet the rest of our ULS team there. I think we'll also visit Walmart.
There was a huge thunderstorm last night. At 4 in the morning some lightening struck so close - the sound was deafening! The electricity was out and I was groggily trying to close all of my windows and unplug my computer in the dark. It took me a while to get back to sleep because there was so much thunder and lightening!
I changed my Thursday 4-6 class to Friday 8-10. It means that my Fridays aren't free anymore. But to me, there is little difference between no classes and an 8 o'clock class. I still have the majority of the day free.
I think (hope) that my second week of classes was more successful than my first. The only exception may be my literature class. The students still don't have the book, and it's practically impossible to teach literature without a book! We spent two hours making a timeline of the authors and periods of American and British literature. It's a boring thing to do, but even more boring when the terms "Renaissance", "Neo-Classicism" and "Critical Realism" enter the conversation. The students were totally unfamiliar with those words, and it's very difficult to explain them! Thankfully their book (when they get it) is mostly in Chinese. So hopefully they can read some of the words in their own language and have a better understanding than I can give them!
Well, I need to pack since we're leaving in thirty minutes!
:)
There was a huge thunderstorm last night. At 4 in the morning some lightening struck so close - the sound was deafening! The electricity was out and I was groggily trying to close all of my windows and unplug my computer in the dark. It took me a while to get back to sleep because there was so much thunder and lightening!
I changed my Thursday 4-6 class to Friday 8-10. It means that my Fridays aren't free anymore. But to me, there is little difference between no classes and an 8 o'clock class. I still have the majority of the day free.
I think (hope) that my second week of classes was more successful than my first. The only exception may be my literature class. The students still don't have the book, and it's practically impossible to teach literature without a book! We spent two hours making a timeline of the authors and periods of American and British literature. It's a boring thing to do, but even more boring when the terms "Renaissance", "Neo-Classicism" and "Critical Realism" enter the conversation. The students were totally unfamiliar with those words, and it's very difficult to explain them! Thankfully their book (when they get it) is mostly in Chinese. So hopefully they can read some of the words in their own language and have a better understanding than I can give them!
Well, I need to pack since we're leaving in thirty minutes!
:)
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Classes
So, I'm teaching six classes this term: two listening, two oral, one reading and one writing. I only had five of them this week because freshmen don't start right away. It's amazing how tired I am from teaching only ten hours this week!
Monday was listening at 10:00. The classroom is pretty high-tech. Each student has a computer screen and a headset. I can put a book under a document camera and all of the students can see it at their stations. When I play the tape (it is a listening class, after all), the students all put on their headsets. It's a pretty easy class to teach. I play the tape, the students answer questions about the passage, I go over the answers. Rinse, repeat. There is very little preparation needed for that class. I teach the same class on Thursdays.
Tuesday I had both oral and writing. Oral is hard, just because it is a class of 41, and the goal is for them to learn how to talk. I can't possibly talk to each of them in the time given! I assign some pair work, but there is always the possibility that they will just talk in Chinese. We also do some "choral readings", but that's not a useful for learning how to speak "off the cuff". So that's an experience.
My writing class was challenging, only because the students didn't bring paper. I think I'll actually really like it. It is my most advanced class - they are juniors who are on the 4 year program. We wrote a collective essay on summer vacation, which was rather successful.
My last class is Literature, which has the potential to be my favorite class. The students aren't terribly advanced - they are only on the two year program. But I love Literature, personally. The book is really cool. It has just the most famous parts of the most famous literature. For example: this week we studied Shakespeare. The book had Hamlet's "to be or not to be" soliloquy and Sonnet 18 (Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?). I think that I may be more excited than all of the students combined, but that's OK!
I don't have many photos to share, because my batteries in my camera are dead. They are rechargable and I brought a charger with me. Unfortunately I don't have the right electricity converter to plug it in to the wall! Once I buy a new charger I'll take more pictures! I'm incredibly tired, but it's good. Life just takes a lot of effort here!!
Well, it's Saturday night and I'm just got back from doing some shopping, so I'm going to put things away.
:) Liz
Monday was listening at 10:00. The classroom is pretty high-tech. Each student has a computer screen and a headset. I can put a book under a document camera and all of the students can see it at their stations. When I play the tape (it is a listening class, after all), the students all put on their headsets. It's a pretty easy class to teach. I play the tape, the students answer questions about the passage, I go over the answers. Rinse, repeat. There is very little preparation needed for that class. I teach the same class on Thursdays.
Tuesday I had both oral and writing. Oral is hard, just because it is a class of 41, and the goal is for them to learn how to talk. I can't possibly talk to each of them in the time given! I assign some pair work, but there is always the possibility that they will just talk in Chinese. We also do some "choral readings", but that's not a useful for learning how to speak "off the cuff". So that's an experience.
My writing class was challenging, only because the students didn't bring paper. I think I'll actually really like it. It is my most advanced class - they are juniors who are on the 4 year program. We wrote a collective essay on summer vacation, which was rather successful.
My last class is Literature, which has the potential to be my favorite class. The students aren't terribly advanced - they are only on the two year program. But I love Literature, personally. The book is really cool. It has just the most famous parts of the most famous literature. For example: this week we studied Shakespeare. The book had Hamlet's "to be or not to be" soliloquy and Sonnet 18 (Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?). I think that I may be more excited than all of the students combined, but that's OK!
I don't have many photos to share, because my batteries in my camera are dead. They are rechargable and I brought a charger with me. Unfortunately I don't have the right electricity converter to plug it in to the wall! Once I buy a new charger I'll take more pictures! I'm incredibly tired, but it's good. Life just takes a lot of effort here!!
Well, it's Saturday night and I'm just got back from doing some shopping, so I'm going to put things away.
:) Liz
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Finally in China!
Well, I'm finally in China! I traveled for about 27 hours straight, and arrived in Guiyang at 12:45am on Friday August 18. Susie, another ULS teacher, and Charlie, my school's foreign affairs officer, met me at the airport. We drove back to Anshun, and at about 2:30am stopped for an "early breakfast". We got to my apartment by 3:00.
We stayed in Anshun until Saturday afternoon. I unloaded my belongings and did some cleaning in the apartment. I live on the fifth floor, which is six flights of stairs up. I'll certainly get some exercise! I have a lot to do in the apartment before I get it so that it feels like home...
We took a bus on Saturday back to Guiyang (where Susie lives). I'm staying with her until the other members of my team arrive on Friday. Kara is another ULS teacher in Guiyang, and I'm spending my time with Susie and Kara. They have lived in Guiyang since February, but are pretty well aquainted with the city.
I'm very excited to be in China. It is definitely different than I was expecting. To me it doesn't look that different from other developing countries I've visited (Nicaragua and Bolivia). There are shops up and down all of the streets. The buildings are concrete and a little dingy. The food is different, the toilets are different, the smells are different. I was a little overwhelmed by my apartment because the people who had lived there before me hadn't thrown away some of their "junk." They left used toothbrushes, and empty shampoo bottles. All of the "stuff" in the apartment felt like the apartment wasn't really mine. But I cleaned most of that out, and now it feels better. Seeing Susie and Kara's apartments makes me feel better. I'm sure that I can put things on the walls and really make my apartment feel like home...
I'm grateful for this week of "nothing" before classes start. Since I'm not in my apartment I can't work on it. So I feel a little un-useful. But at the same time, it is nice to get used to being in China. The language is still really hard, but I'm trying! And I'm getting used to riding the bus (it costs about 12 cents to get anywhere in the city) and listening to vendors tell me how much things cost.
When I get back to my apartment and get my internet set up, I can post some photos. The mountains here are really beautiful. I'm glad to be here.
I'll definitely write more later!
We stayed in Anshun until Saturday afternoon. I unloaded my belongings and did some cleaning in the apartment. I live on the fifth floor, which is six flights of stairs up. I'll certainly get some exercise! I have a lot to do in the apartment before I get it so that it feels like home...
We took a bus on Saturday back to Guiyang (where Susie lives). I'm staying with her until the other members of my team arrive on Friday. Kara is another ULS teacher in Guiyang, and I'm spending my time with Susie and Kara. They have lived in Guiyang since February, but are pretty well aquainted with the city.
I'm very excited to be in China. It is definitely different than I was expecting. To me it doesn't look that different from other developing countries I've visited (Nicaragua and Bolivia). There are shops up and down all of the streets. The buildings are concrete and a little dingy. The food is different, the toilets are different, the smells are different. I was a little overwhelmed by my apartment because the people who had lived there before me hadn't thrown away some of their "junk." They left used toothbrushes, and empty shampoo bottles. All of the "stuff" in the apartment felt like the apartment wasn't really mine. But I cleaned most of that out, and now it feels better. Seeing Susie and Kara's apartments makes me feel better. I'm sure that I can put things on the walls and really make my apartment feel like home...
I'm grateful for this week of "nothing" before classes start. Since I'm not in my apartment I can't work on it. So I feel a little un-useful. But at the same time, it is nice to get used to being in China. The language is still really hard, but I'm trying! And I'm getting used to riding the bus (it costs about 12 cents to get anywhere in the city) and listening to vendors tell me how much things cost.
When I get back to my apartment and get my internet set up, I can post some photos. The mountains here are really beautiful. I'm glad to be here.
I'll definitely write more later!
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Today is the Day!
It's 7:01am and my flight leaves at 11:20! I can't believe the day is here!
My flight pattern is: Rochester to JFK, JFK to Beijing, Beijing to Guiyang. I arrive in Guiyang at 11:50pm, which is 24 hours and 30 minutes after my first flight leaves, but it will only be 12 hours later because I lose 12 hours in travel. Does that make sense?? I don't know that I completely understand it myself! I do know that day is going to seem like night for a while!! :)
I just wanted to let you know that I may or may not be able to access this blog once I'm over there. There are firewalls and restrictions that are different than ours. If there is a change I will try to email you. But I did want to give you a "heads up".
So hopefully, hopefully, the next time I write it will be from Anshun! Finally!!
:)
Liz
My flight pattern is: Rochester to JFK, JFK to Beijing, Beijing to Guiyang. I arrive in Guiyang at 11:50pm, which is 24 hours and 30 minutes after my first flight leaves, but it will only be 12 hours later because I lose 12 hours in travel. Does that make sense?? I don't know that I completely understand it myself! I do know that day is going to seem like night for a while!! :)
I just wanted to let you know that I may or may not be able to access this blog once I'm over there. There are firewalls and restrictions that are different than ours. If there is a change I will try to email you. But I did want to give you a "heads up".
So hopefully, hopefully, the next time I write it will be from Anshun! Finally!!
:)
Liz
Monday, August 14, 2006
Almost there!!
Wow, I haven't updated in a while! Sorry about that...
Since my last update my brother got married in Indiana, and I went on vacation for a week. Today I spoke at my club. I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed with how much there is to do in the next few days!! I still have some last minute paperwork to do, and I have to pack (obviously).
My flight leaves Wednesday at 11:30. I'll arrive in Guiyang at 11:50pm on Thursday after just about 24 hours of travel.
I was a little apprehensive about arriving in China, since I was to be the only American in my town for a whole week (!!). But Susie, another ULS teacher living in Guiyang, offered to come to Anshun with me and help me get settled. Yay! That's very comforting.
Well, I hope that the next time I write it will be from China!
Talk to you soon,
Liz
Since my last update my brother got married in Indiana, and I went on vacation for a week. Today I spoke at my club. I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed with how much there is to do in the next few days!! I still have some last minute paperwork to do, and I have to pack (obviously).
My flight leaves Wednesday at 11:30. I'll arrive in Guiyang at 11:50pm on Thursday after just about 24 hours of travel.
I was a little apprehensive about arriving in China, since I was to be the only American in my town for a whole week (!!). But Susie, another ULS teacher living in Guiyang, offered to come to Anshun with me and help me get settled. Yay! That's very comforting.
Well, I hope that the next time I write it will be from China!
Talk to you soon,
Liz
Monday, July 24, 2006
Getting closer
Hi all,
Well, we're getting closer to the departure date.
I addressed some of my concerns Saturday: I filled my suitcases with clothes and books and toiletries, and it wasn't too bad. I fit in more than I thought I could, and it wasn't too unwieldy. So that's good news.
My visa should arrive today via FedEx or something. I used travisa.com and they were very nice to work with.
My brother is getting married this weekend in Indiana. So we'll be there from Wednesday night until Sunday. Once we get back it'll practically be August!
I'm still learning Chinese; I read a list of the ten most important phrases to know going to China, and I already knew eight! So that's encouraging. I'm sure my pronunciation is terrible; but I can work on it when I get there.
Here are the ten phrases:
1. Ni hao: pronounced, “nee how.” This is the most common way to say Hello in China, and is typically understood regardless of your pronunciation. This is also a good phrase to begin more complex Chinese conversation, as it preps the listener to hear Chinese rather than the expected English, etc.
2. Xie xie: pronounced, “shay shay.” Thank you. In my opinion, this is the number one phrase to know. You cannot be thankful enough for the many waiters/waitresses, cab drivers, and citizens for helping you get the things you want without knowing the language they speak. This phrase typically raises a smile, as it is greatly appreciated, and often unexpected.
3. Bu yao: pronounced, “boo yow” Literally translates to “no want.” This phrase is especially useful in the major tourist areas in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, where countless vendors are continuously trying to make a sale.
4. Wo yao yi ping shui: pronounced, “whoa yow ee peeng shway” Translates into “I would like a bottle of water.” A little lengthier, but just as useful, as water taken directly from the tap is not drinkable in China. I have never been to a restaurant or hotel that did not provide bottled water.
5. Cesuo zai nar: pronounced, “tsuh-swhoh zi (rhyming with eye) nahr” “Where is the restroom?” This phrase is rather self-explanatory. Even if the person being asked responds in more Chinese than you can handle, they will at least point you in the right direction.
6. Wo e le: pronounced, “whoa uh luh” This phrase translates into “I am hungry” and is probably the most basic way to get someone to help you find food.
7. Zai jian: pronounced, “zi jee-ann” The most common way to say “good bye.”
8. Duo shao qian: pronounced, “dwoh shaow chee-ann.” Here you are asking how much something costs, a phrase especially helpful in the many markets around town.
9. Wo bu shuo zhongwen: pronounced, “woh boo shwoh jong-wun,” and meaning “I don’t speak Chinese.”
10. The last thing to know are the numbers, one through ten, broken down as follows:
a. Yi (ee) – 1
b. Er (ar) - 2
c. San (sahn) – 3
d. Si (suh) – 4
e. Wu (woo) – 5
f. Liu (lee-oh) – 6
g. Qi (chee) – 7
h. Ba (bah) – 8
i. Jiu (jee-oh) – 9
j. Shi (shr) – 10
Well, we're getting closer to the departure date.
I addressed some of my concerns Saturday: I filled my suitcases with clothes and books and toiletries, and it wasn't too bad. I fit in more than I thought I could, and it wasn't too unwieldy. So that's good news.
My visa should arrive today via FedEx or something. I used travisa.com and they were very nice to work with.
My brother is getting married this weekend in Indiana. So we'll be there from Wednesday night until Sunday. Once we get back it'll practically be August!
I'm still learning Chinese; I read a list of the ten most important phrases to know going to China, and I already knew eight! So that's encouraging. I'm sure my pronunciation is terrible; but I can work on it when I get there.
Here are the ten phrases:
1. Ni hao: pronounced, “nee how.” This is the most common way to say Hello in China, and is typically understood regardless of your pronunciation. This is also a good phrase to begin more complex Chinese conversation, as it preps the listener to hear Chinese rather than the expected English, etc.
2. Xie xie: pronounced, “shay shay.” Thank you. In my opinion, this is the number one phrase to know. You cannot be thankful enough for the many waiters/waitresses, cab drivers, and citizens for helping you get the things you want without knowing the language they speak. This phrase typically raises a smile, as it is greatly appreciated, and often unexpected.
3. Bu yao: pronounced, “boo yow” Literally translates to “no want.” This phrase is especially useful in the major tourist areas in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, where countless vendors are continuously trying to make a sale.
4. Wo yao yi ping shui: pronounced, “whoa yow ee peeng shway” Translates into “I would like a bottle of water.” A little lengthier, but just as useful, as water taken directly from the tap is not drinkable in China. I have never been to a restaurant or hotel that did not provide bottled water.
5. Cesuo zai nar: pronounced, “tsuh-swhoh zi (rhyming with eye) nahr” “Where is the restroom?” This phrase is rather self-explanatory. Even if the person being asked responds in more Chinese than you can handle, they will at least point you in the right direction.
6. Wo e le: pronounced, “whoa uh luh” This phrase translates into “I am hungry” and is probably the most basic way to get someone to help you find food.
7. Zai jian: pronounced, “zi jee-ann” The most common way to say “good bye.”
8. Duo shao qian: pronounced, “dwoh shaow chee-ann.” Here you are asking how much something costs, a phrase especially helpful in the many markets around town.
9. Wo bu shuo zhongwen: pronounced, “woh boo shwoh jong-wun,” and meaning “I don’t speak Chinese.”
10. The last thing to know are the numbers, one through ten, broken down as follows:
a. Yi (ee) – 1
b. Er (ar) - 2
c. San (sahn) – 3
d. Si (suh) – 4
e. Wu (woo) – 5
f. Liu (lee-oh) – 6
g. Qi (chee) – 7
h. Ba (bah) – 8
i. Jiu (jee-oh) – 9
j. Shi (shr) – 10
Friday, June 23, 2006
Update, finally
Well, I have my ticket to China! I'm leaving the 16th of August, which is much sooner than I keep thinking it is. I've finished work, the school year is over here in NY. I'm not working full time this summer, but I am substituting at the summer school where I've worked the past eight summers. So that should give me the two things I want this summer: cash and flexibility.
I'm getting really excited about going to China. I need to focus on my language study more and look into teaching materials. It's going to be a wonderful adventure!
I'll keep you more updated in the future :)
Elizabeth
I'm getting really excited about going to China. I need to focus on my language study more and look into teaching materials. It's going to be a wonderful adventure!
I'll keep you more updated in the future :)
Elizabeth
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Flights
Again, I do not have much news on the China front. I graduated and was able to send a copy of my diploma to China, as well as my health forms. The next step is to arrange flights. I have to fly to Oregon in July for orientation, and to Guiyang in August. I'm trying to re-use a frequent flyer to fly to Portland. I'm also trying to coordinate my flight to China with other people who are going with ULS. At this point it looks like I'm flying out August 16th, to arrive August 17th. That gives me a little while to settle in and adjust to the time change before classes start the 28th.
Also, I'm working on sending out fund-raising letters. If you are interested in one, please email me at e.ludington@gmail.com.
Enjoy your Memorial Day,
Liz
Also, I'm working on sending out fund-raising letters. If you are interested in one, please email me at e.ludington@gmail.com.
Enjoy your Memorial Day,
Liz
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