The days just keep getting better! We were treated to an all you can eat breakfast and headed out to Shehong Tuo Pai Experimental School to teach and test English skills. My group was in charge of testing the 9th graders on their English. Isaac and I were in charge of reading a passage to the students as they answered questions then we individually tested each student. The students did a great job and I was very impressed with their skills! It was funny to watch them cram like a typical student would right before the test! They had workbooks out and you could see their mouths moving as they reviewed the words and phrases. I now understand why teachers get so bored with testing; it is very repetitious! It was apparent when a student was very good because they would think outside the box and give an answer I hadn't heard yet. :)
For lunch, once again we were treated like royalty with about 23 different dishes! We were treated to some local delicacies including fish and turtle! My grandma told me stories of when my grandpa and uncles would go turtle hunting and how they would eat them for dinner when they were successful. She told me they were very good but I could never wrap my mind around the idea of eating a turtle. I was brave today and I discovered she is right! They are very tender and kind of taste like beef. So far we have had chicken, beef, fish, rabbit, pork (pig intestines today!), and turtle. It was interesting to see men spit on the floor during lunch, it is just the usual to do so here but its very gross! When we left the restaurant we got to see how good of a driver you have to be to live here. The bus driver maneuvered the bus in an alley way around cars and other obstacles coming just inches away from them! I would have panicked in that situation!
One thing is for sure, even though the clothes make you feel big, the people, especially the students, make you feel great with their compliments! I have lost track of the amount of times I have been told I have beautiful eyes and that I am very beautiful. You can get a big ego here!
Afternoon class was very enjoyable. Going through worksheets was boring but by asking questions, drawing pictures, and sharing stories intermittently the lesson spiced up a bit. I had the 9th graders for three class periods so the last one we decided to play some games and I let them ask me questions. We took a group photo and I was able to see a lot of personality come out from each of the students. The class was very kind; a couple of students sang me a song, and one showed me his artwork. It was great practice for the future. I was given a workbook, told what lessons to do, and set free with a full class! I had to figure out what worked and what didn't work, and had to think on my feet! The communication barrier was also very tricky!
By now we should be used to it but I was amazed at dinner yet again. Over 25 dishes including exotic dishes such as: lobster, duck, and eel! Then they took us on a tour of a winery with a 600 year history and ties to the Han Dynasty. We were able to go into one of the buildings where fermentation takes place and tour some of the other buildings. There was a very distinct smell in the atmosphere and the wine we taste tested was more like hard liquor! Unfortunately the tour was all in Chinese so I couldn't understand but it was fascinating to see everything.
After a long week and with full bellies we decided to treat ourselves to a full body massage in the hotel. The hotel has mahjong rooms, karaoke, a restaurant, massage area and I'm sure there's more we haven't seen! The massage was very rough but super relaxing. It was a great way to relieve all the stress and end the night. :) Tomorrow marks another yet another busy day of teaching! I will be on the other end of the spectrum working with kindergarteners. It should be a busy day and I'm sure we'll have our hands full!
Things I learned today:
- always watch your step! (You might step on a dead mouse! Eeew!)
- sometimes the bottom part of a tree is painted to keep the bugs away
- dress code in the school and other rules are very flexible
- it is customary to decorate your car in red ribbons and bows for weddings
- always have an umbrella!
For lunch, once again we were treated like royalty with about 23 different dishes! We were treated to some local delicacies including fish and turtle! My grandma told me stories of when my grandpa and uncles would go turtle hunting and how they would eat them for dinner when they were successful. She told me they were very good but I could never wrap my mind around the idea of eating a turtle. I was brave today and I discovered she is right! They are very tender and kind of taste like beef. So far we have had chicken, beef, fish, rabbit, pork (pig intestines today!), and turtle. It was interesting to see men spit on the floor during lunch, it is just the usual to do so here but its very gross! When we left the restaurant we got to see how good of a driver you have to be to live here. The bus driver maneuvered the bus in an alley way around cars and other obstacles coming just inches away from them! I would have panicked in that situation!
One thing is for sure, even though the clothes make you feel big, the people, especially the students, make you feel great with their compliments! I have lost track of the amount of times I have been told I have beautiful eyes and that I am very beautiful. You can get a big ego here!
Afternoon class was very enjoyable. Going through worksheets was boring but by asking questions, drawing pictures, and sharing stories intermittently the lesson spiced up a bit. I had the 9th graders for three class periods so the last one we decided to play some games and I let them ask me questions. We took a group photo and I was able to see a lot of personality come out from each of the students. The class was very kind; a couple of students sang me a song, and one showed me his artwork. It was great practice for the future. I was given a workbook, told what lessons to do, and set free with a full class! I had to figure out what worked and what didn't work, and had to think on my feet! The communication barrier was also very tricky!
By now we should be used to it but I was amazed at dinner yet again. Over 25 dishes including exotic dishes such as: lobster, duck, and eel! Then they took us on a tour of a winery with a 600 year history and ties to the Han Dynasty. We were able to go into one of the buildings where fermentation takes place and tour some of the other buildings. There was a very distinct smell in the atmosphere and the wine we taste tested was more like hard liquor! Unfortunately the tour was all in Chinese so I couldn't understand but it was fascinating to see everything.
After a long week and with full bellies we decided to treat ourselves to a full body massage in the hotel. The hotel has mahjong rooms, karaoke, a restaurant, massage area and I'm sure there's more we haven't seen! The massage was very rough but super relaxing. It was a great way to relieve all the stress and end the night. :) Tomorrow marks another yet another busy day of teaching! I will be on the other end of the spectrum working with kindergarteners. It should be a busy day and I'm sure we'll have our hands full!
Things I learned today:
- always watch your step! (You might step on a dead mouse! Eeew!)
- sometimes the bottom part of a tree is painted to keep the bugs away
- dress code in the school and other rules are very flexible
- it is customary to decorate your car in red ribbons and bows for weddings
- always have an umbrella!
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