Baseball: America's Pasttime. A game boys and girls learn to love before they even begin walking. A time for families to come together, watch their rival get blown away, eat hot dogs, and drink pop until there is no more room in the tummy. A game my own dad taught me to love (even though I have been known to take a book to a game or two...sorry, dad!).
One of the adult program teachers is visiting the Shanghai team this week and asked me to help teach her students baseball. "Sure, I would love to help!" You see, this the only time in my life when people think I'm really good at sports. All the students think I'm just great; does something for the ego if you know what I mean!!
So at 8am this morning, I headed to the adult program classroom, helped Sharon go over the rules again, and off we headed to the track (the only place big enough for us to play). I've learned something from my time in China: it doesn't matter how old the student is, if you give him or her a ball, he/she will throw it and not look! Thank goodness no one got hit. The boys (men actually) were fanatics when it came to throwing. Seriously, they could have really hurt themselves or the other students. Since this is America's pasttime, I wanted them to take pride in the game. In the two hours we played that never happened:-( It was while they were practicing the different parts of the game that I came to the realization that you really need to have grown up around the game to even appreciate it and understand it all. The students had no idea what "shagging the ball" meant (why did I even think they would?).
Overall, I think most of them enjoyed it. Some of the ladies weren't so keen on the sport, but the men seemed to really get a small piece of it.
The mosquitos are feasting on my extremities every night and leaving quite the track. With several days of sun and a nice breeze, I've had my windows open. Guess there must be some holes in the screens that are allowing the little buggers to manuever in. Emily and I have killed so many already. Maybe once it gets cold, they will leave me alone!
This evening, Emily and I have been invited to a game night at some friend's place. It will be nice to be get away from our places and be with other people! I'm looking forward to building more bonds with those I only see once a week!
Until next time.......
Friday, October 17, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
October Holiday and such......
I am not so good at updating my blog this time around; I like to blame it on the fact that I only teach class two days a week. Hopefully this will all change as the semester progresses.
Last week was National Holiday for China (think of it as a week long 4th of July in the US). Four of us (Sheila, Emily, Kristen, and myself) headed to Beijing and Tianjin. The fun began a few days before when Emily and I interviewed our new freshmen. They are cute but very shy and quiet. We had come up with English names before we met them to help speed the process along. The weather had turned unseasonably cold, but I managed to stay in a good mood. That evening, all four of us were invited to attend the "Friendship Concert" the province put on to honor ex-pats who have helped make inprovements socially and culturally to the area. The highlight for me was concert afterwards. I just love orchestral music. Instead of violins, there were traditionally Chinese instruments.
Monday was spent packing for our big journey north. There was, however, a minor problem. Kristen misread the time our train departed (it was at 20:22, she read it as 22:20). She felt horrible, although we kept telling her any of us could have done the same thing. Sheila, Emily, and I raced to the station to try to get our tickets changed. Thankfully, they were; our new train left Xian at 0334. Since we had about five hours to spare, it was decided we'd hit up Starbucks until they closed at 11:30pm. McDonald's was next on our "tour"since they are open 24hours. By this point, I'm trying to convince myself I can stay awake for another two-and-a-half hours. Train station, here we come! Oh yeah, did I mention that in my haste to get to the train station I left my train snacks. Oh well! It was all the four of us could handle, but our eyes did manage to stay open until we got on a very dark train at 0330. We climbed into our bunks and closed our eyes.
Last week was National Holiday for China (think of it as a week long 4th of July in the US). Four of us (Sheila, Emily, Kristen, and myself) headed to Beijing and Tianjin. The fun began a few days before when Emily and I interviewed our new freshmen. They are cute but very shy and quiet. We had come up with English names before we met them to help speed the process along. The weather had turned unseasonably cold, but I managed to stay in a good mood. That evening, all four of us were invited to attend the "Friendship Concert" the province put on to honor ex-pats who have helped make inprovements socially and culturally to the area. The highlight for me was concert afterwards. I just love orchestral music. Instead of violins, there were traditionally Chinese instruments.
Monday was spent packing for our big journey north. There was, however, a minor problem. Kristen misread the time our train departed (it was at 20:22, she read it as 22:20). She felt horrible, although we kept telling her any of us could have done the same thing. Sheila, Emily, and I raced to the station to try to get our tickets changed. Thankfully, they were; our new train left Xian at 0334. Since we had about five hours to spare, it was decided we'd hit up Starbucks until they closed at 11:30pm. McDonald's was next on our "tour"since they are open 24hours. By this point, I'm trying to convince myself I can stay awake for another two-and-a-half hours. Train station, here we come! Oh yeah, did I mention that in my haste to get to the train station I left my train snacks. Oh well! It was all the four of us could handle, but our eyes did manage to stay open until we got on a very dark train at 0330. We climbed into our bunks and closed our eyes.
The train made it to Beijing just after 4pm. A former student of Sheila and Kristen met us at the station and helps us buy our returning tickets to Xian. The only tickets available left were for hard seats (they are exactly what you imagine they are). A new adventure awaited us for the ride home. Tuesday, September 30th, was Julia's birthday, so our group headed to a little restaurant in the Hutong area. Quite delicious! Many of her former and present students, as well as ESEC members enjoyed a great meal!
TIP hosted us for three nights--thanks everyone! Kristi and I headed to Changping on Wednesday to shop and get some exercise. It was the official holiday which meant people were EVERYWHERE! I was in need of a watch; a cute Mickey Mouse one was purchased. Some of the Chinese team members made us dinner....Chinese BBQ. A nice, interesting experience for me.
Julia, Emily, Kristi, and I headed into Beijing after a wonderful Beijing Duck lunch in Changping. I wanted to get some new glasses and just walk around the city. You see images of the Olympic and Paralympics around every corner. I did find a great pair of new glasses for the low price of 60RMB (less than 10 dollars). We headed to Jenny Lou's to pick up some Western food and got lost of a street where different ambassador's live. I just stood for a moment in front of our flag; it was so good to see the ole' red, white and blue! Peter's Tex-Mex was our dinner of choice; I love mexican food!
Friday, Emily and I said goodbye to the "TIP-sters" who were left and headed to Beijing's South train terminal. It was a beautiful day for a nice ride. A fast train took us east, going as fast as 334 km/hour. It was a nice change from the usual trains I've ridden in. Doug, a former ESECer, and his wife, Stella, met us and took us to our hotel. Tianjin is a beautiful old city with many buildings built by many different countries. I was quite impressed with our "home-away from home." A superb dinner of Chinese style ribs and other goodies completely filled any space left in my tummy. Some of Sheila's former students met us at the restaurant.
Saturday was Gerald's Chinese wedding to his bride, Julia. He actually was married in his home state, Virginia, this summer but wanted to have a celebration for his wife's family and friends. I got to see some ESEC friends and see some interesting food. It wasn't the night for me to be adventuresome, but Emily did try webbed feet....ewww!
Sunday, the four of us headed back to Xi'an. The ride on hard seats was quite the adventure. Twice, Sheila and Kristin tried to get us sleepers. My highlight was getting peed-on by a baby two seconds after we got on the train. Yes, it was gross. Oh, and the train ride was 13-hours long. Apparently, this train wasn't as packed as it could have been. Once all of the seats and beds are sold, standing tickets are sold. Some people will pay a very little amount to stand the entire ride. I started to get claustrophobic about six hours in. The smoking was very thick and people were standing right next to me. Our train arrived 45 minutes late, but it was in time for Sheila to freshen up and get to class on time. A nice, hot shower and some time of the phone ended with me taking a nice long nap!
Overall, it was a wonderful trip! I'm really looking forward to heading back in that direction for Thanksgiving and a retreat. There is something about Beijing that just captivates me.
Until next time..........
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Change (and other randomness)
I am used to change. Been doing it for most of my life thanks to Uncle Sam! After 18 months or so, I seem to get antsy and am looking forward to what lies next. What new job should I look for? Or where should I move? Now the idea of going someplace all by myself is not exactly something I enjoy, but I just get this need to see what else is out there. The world is getting smaller every day.
There is no change I do not like. Have you ever been out of someone's life for a period of time, then come back. It could be one week, one month, or one year. The next time you see/talk to that person, you want to stop them in mid-sentence and ask, "what's your name again?" I struggle with the change in people. Now, don't get me wrong: I'm thrilled to have grown into my own skin (or at least attempting to). My college days are behind me and I am moving on! But so many of the people from my past are like polar opposites of who I knew them to be. It's all I can do not to grieve for what once was..... I know in my heart it's good (and mostly beneficial) to explore what's around you, but at the same time, must you begin cursing or turning your back on what you have believed to be the truth for the last 22 years of your life? I realize with more knowledge comes more understanding oh what is around you, but why can't you just stay the loveable, understanding, funny, honest, etc... person you used to be. Why do people have to change so much that I don't even know who they are when they are "standing" right in front of me? Maybe it is true, maybe we do get more cynical and hard the older we get. For so long, people have told me I am eternally optimistic for my own good. But I just can't help seeing to good in what is around me (people or experiences); it's just how I'm wired. Maybe people don't like the way I've changed??
It has taken a month, but I think I'm finally feeling settled in here. Three weeks of being sick was not fun; however, my body seems like it used to all the yucky stuff in the air. The highlight of the week was being the question-master for the CCTV English speech contest. Emily received a call from the dean of English asking if we would be willing to help. Since there was no good excuse, we said yes. Wednesday, the two of us went to a professor office to pick up the speeches. The two of us decided I would be the question-master, while Emily would be a judge. I had the chance to read through the essays beforehand and write one question for the student to answer. Let's just say there were several that didn't make a lick of sense. Even after listening to the student present it in person, I was completely confused with what he/she was saying. A former ESEC student won the school competition! (Maybe it helped that she asked us to help her with it before we even knew we would participate??) The school provided a van to take us to-and-from the north campus and a nice dinner beforehand.
The biggest surprise of the week was seeing an old friend from OBU on the main campus where I live. It truly is an answer to prayer. After Emily and I went to get the speeches, we were walking back to our apartment when I saw a girl with an "OU" shirt on. I told Emily we just had to say "hello" since it looked like someone we could be friends with. Lo and behold, as we got closer, it was MacKenzie Martin (not sure what her married name is) and her husband! We exchanged numbers and plan to meet this next week! God is so good!!
My first class teaching by myself went very well. There is, however, a girl who is so eager to learn, she dominates any group she is in. I'm going to watch it for a couple more weeks, but I think I'll have to pull her aside and have a talk. I forgot how the students are so timid when you first meet them. Thankfully, they are used to having a foreign teacher, so I'm not totally brand new to them.
The weather is starting to get cooler! You won't hear me complain. The leaves even seem to be changing colors. Sheila, Emily, and I helped a new friend (for me anyway) celebrate her birthday last night, along with about 12 other people. It is so comforting to be around those just like me!
Until next time............
There is no change I do not like. Have you ever been out of someone's life for a period of time, then come back. It could be one week, one month, or one year. The next time you see/talk to that person, you want to stop them in mid-sentence and ask, "what's your name again?" I struggle with the change in people. Now, don't get me wrong: I'm thrilled to have grown into my own skin (or at least attempting to). My college days are behind me and I am moving on! But so many of the people from my past are like polar opposites of who I knew them to be. It's all I can do not to grieve for what once was..... I know in my heart it's good (and mostly beneficial) to explore what's around you, but at the same time, must you begin cursing or turning your back on what you have believed to be the truth for the last 22 years of your life? I realize with more knowledge comes more understanding oh what is around you, but why can't you just stay the loveable, understanding, funny, honest, etc... person you used to be. Why do people have to change so much that I don't even know who they are when they are "standing" right in front of me? Maybe it is true, maybe we do get more cynical and hard the older we get. For so long, people have told me I am eternally optimistic for my own good. But I just can't help seeing to good in what is around me (people or experiences); it's just how I'm wired. Maybe people don't like the way I've changed??
It has taken a month, but I think I'm finally feeling settled in here. Three weeks of being sick was not fun; however, my body seems like it used to all the yucky stuff in the air. The highlight of the week was being the question-master for the CCTV English speech contest. Emily received a call from the dean of English asking if we would be willing to help. Since there was no good excuse, we said yes. Wednesday, the two of us went to a professor office to pick up the speeches. The two of us decided I would be the question-master, while Emily would be a judge. I had the chance to read through the essays beforehand and write one question for the student to answer. Let's just say there were several that didn't make a lick of sense. Even after listening to the student present it in person, I was completely confused with what he/she was saying. A former ESEC student won the school competition! (Maybe it helped that she asked us to help her with it before we even knew we would participate??) The school provided a van to take us to-and-from the north campus and a nice dinner beforehand.
The biggest surprise of the week was seeing an old friend from OBU on the main campus where I live. It truly is an answer to prayer. After Emily and I went to get the speeches, we were walking back to our apartment when I saw a girl with an "OU" shirt on. I told Emily we just had to say "hello" since it looked like someone we could be friends with. Lo and behold, as we got closer, it was MacKenzie Martin (not sure what her married name is) and her husband! We exchanged numbers and plan to meet this next week! God is so good!!
My first class teaching by myself went very well. There is, however, a girl who is so eager to learn, she dominates any group she is in. I'm going to watch it for a couple more weeks, but I think I'll have to pull her aside and have a talk. I forgot how the students are so timid when you first meet them. Thankfully, they are used to having a foreign teacher, so I'm not totally brand new to them.
The weather is starting to get cooler! You won't hear me complain. The leaves even seem to be changing colors. Sheila, Emily, and I helped a new friend (for me anyway) celebrate her birthday last night, along with about 12 other people. It is so comforting to be around those just like me!
Until next time............
Monday, September 8, 2008
Visit to Campus
Our school has a big campus north of the city about 45 minutes from the main campus where I live. In order for Emily and I to get to that campus, we take a bus provided by the university. Today was my first go-around with the whole "take-the-bus-to-work." It 's just incredible to see the growth in the city. I'm not quite sure where all the people come from, but then again, this is China.
We arrived in the middle of the morning to clean the office. While there isn't much in the office besides six chairs and two tables, the floors where a mess. It took quite some time for us to sweep and mop twice (once with regular water to get the first layer of dirt off, then the next with bleach and floor cleaner). I must say the floor looked pretty clean when we finished! There was a wonderful breeze that kept us from melting! Both Emily and I thought the room needed to be arranged (as well as you can rearrange a room with eight pieces of furniture). Overall, we are very pleased with the results.
One of Emily's former students met us for lunch; they let me choose the noodle place. I just LOVE the noodles in China; my hips may not, but I sure do! The student went back with us to the office. We watched the freshmen perform their military drills (I will post the video later).
I hope you all enjoyed seeing the pictures of my new "home."
Until next time.................
We arrived in the middle of the morning to clean the office. While there isn't much in the office besides six chairs and two tables, the floors where a mess. It took quite some time for us to sweep and mop twice (once with regular water to get the first layer of dirt off, then the next with bleach and floor cleaner). I must say the floor looked pretty clean when we finished! There was a wonderful breeze that kept us from melting! Both Emily and I thought the room needed to be arranged (as well as you can rearrange a room with eight pieces of furniture). Overall, we are very pleased with the results.
One of Emily's former students met us for lunch; they let me choose the noodle place. I just LOVE the noodles in China; my hips may not, but I sure do! The student went back with us to the office. We watched the freshmen perform their military drills (I will post the video later).
I hope you all enjoyed seeing the pictures of my new "home."
Until next time.................
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Day Four
I'm so glad my blogspot is working! Crazy technology... Anyway, I am settled into my new apartment minus getting a foam cover for my mattress. My hips are quite sore all the time as I tend to sleep on my side. Sharon, one of my new teammates, as one that she is not using and said I could have hers. I hope to get it from her today since my sheets are clean!
The first few days have been busy with organizing and going through all the stuff previous teachers left. It was a bit overwhelming in the beginning, but everything know seems to be in order! Emily and I are waiting to hear back from an administrator, so we can see our schedule. My tummy has managed to stay fairly healthly. I'm still a bit nervous to go to far from my apartment after eating anything. You just never know when something you eat decides to reject your stomach!
All in all, it has been a great start to a new school year!
The first few days have been busy with organizing and going through all the stuff previous teachers left. It was a bit overwhelming in the beginning, but everything know seems to be in order! Emily and I are waiting to hear back from an administrator, so we can see our schedule. My tummy has managed to stay fairly healthly. I'm still a bit nervous to go to far from my apartment after eating anything. You just never know when something you eat decides to reject your stomach!
All in all, it has been a great start to a new school year!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Maiden Voyage
This is how I will now be communicating with my friends and family back home as I head back to the Middle Kingdom. Be sure to check back for more updates one I arrive and get settled in!
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