A New Place

Immediately after the last day performance we headed back to the hotel, grabbed our bags, and headed to the train station - on our way to the next town and school. It was a really sad time because our group was splitting up. Gayna was headed back to the USA, Cheri  was headed to another school, and Donna, Jonathan, and I were headed to a school in Shijiazhuang, where we would be joined by 2 other teachers. We had the most awesome group. We all got along, enjoyed the culture and people, and were easy going and eager to learn. I'm not sure if the group was carefully planned or simply put together by chance, but I was very grateful to be with such a great group. I was sad to see it ending.

Things got worse when we sat down to wait for our train. Anmeng (our handler) stepped away to call her boss, and when she got back she was visibly upset. She told us that she wouldn't be staying with us at the next school because the school felt they could meet our needs without her and didn't want to pay her salary for her time. We were all shocked because we were not expecting to have to say good-bye.

I was really upset because I was worried about being at a school where I didn't have someone to advocate for my interests. We were supposed to live in the teacher dorms, eat all of our meals in the cafeteria, and, of course, teach on the campus - all behind a guarded and locked gate. I was worried about being stuck, having no one to speak up for my needs or wants who doesn't work at the school. It's not that I thought the school was "bad" in any way, but they have their own interests to consider, and I wasn't sure they'd always align with mine. I wanted a representative. (FYI - normally I can speak up for myself just fine, but in this case I couldn't because I don't speak Chinese.)

After we got to the hotel in Shijiazhuang I immediately emailed the directors of the program to voice my concerns. I really wanted this to be fixed ASAP. I didn't want to wait for their to be a problem before I voiced my concerns. Thankfully, my email was immediately answered and a compromise was resolved. Anmeng visited us everyday during our morning break to check-in and take care of any issues. I was also able to contact her via QQ (a Chinese texting app) when I needed her. So all was well.

I have to admit that when I was told we'd be living in the teacher dorms I was not excited. The word "dorm" implies old and gross and yuck to me. I was very nervous about what I'd be forced to live in. Boy was I surprised. It turns out that we each got our own apartment, built for teachers who stay for a year or more. They had just been renovated. We were the first people to stay in them. Each apartment had a bedroom, living room, full kitchen, and a bathroom. It was all brand new and pretty. There were two thrilling parts: 1) the western mattress. meaning it was soft and padded - not rock hard. and 2) we each had our own washing machine! WOO! See pics of the awesome apartment below:

View down the Teachers Apts Hall

Shower

Toilet and sink

I think this bed was bigger than my king size at home. I love it :)

I didn't cook but that refrigerator was amazing!

This is a "normal" chinese washing machine. You have to hook it up to the water source every time you use it. We still had to line dry clothes, but it was so nice to be able to wash them ourselves (but not in the sink).

living room

See the gates locking us in? -that's the police/guard station right next to it.

We had a few days off to rest and plan before we started teaching on Monday, July 21. I was very happy to get some time to sleep and relax before having to start teaching again. Though I love teaching, I find it terribly exhausting.

One interesting thing did happen after we got to the school. It is common practice by now that we have to turn in our passports at hotel etc so that they can register us being there. However, the girl who helped us get set-up at the school came around and asked for our passports. She said, "Can I get your passport? I need to make a copy to give to the police". This was somewhat alarming! I didn't say anything, but in my head I was thinking "Why do the police need a copy? - What do they have to do with this?"  Turns out that all the hotels etc have been doing the same thing the whole time. All of these places have been reporting the location of all of us Americans to the police and government. We are officially being watched and tracked.

Performance Day! and the last day in Baoding

Thursday, July 17

No. 17 Middle School

Baoding, Hebei, China

Today was performance day! Each of the 5 classes, as well as a few small groups of students, prepared a short performance. First, a few students gave speeches. The day the teachers took the field trip to the lake the students had a English Speaking Competition. Of all 125+ students, one of my girls was one of the 2 chosen to give their speech on performance day. She recited parts of the education speech that Obama gave to students a few years ago: 

My students performed Pharell's "Happy". We worked so hard on it -  for days and days. I think they did an amazing job! When you watch it you might not agree- but please keep in mind that English is their SECOND language. They are singing and dancing in a second language. The came up with all the dances themselves. I felt like a proud mama.

Here is a group shot:

Me and my class holding up their certificates of completion for English Summer Camp

Me and my amazing assistant, Athena, aka Mrs. Deng

Another group shot earlier from earlier in the week.

Mid performance

dancing!

singing!

More dancing!

This last day was such an emotional day. The kids were crying and so were the teachers. I took pictures with a ton of kids. I received so many thoughtful and kind gifts from my students. Two of the best are 1) a painting done by the student. It's currently being custom framed, but I'll post a picture when I get it back, and 2) 

This was made by a student. He took a piece of cardboard and carved spots for each coin. They he labeled it with their names and value. This is one of the best gifts I got the whole time in China. Who isn't interested in foreign currency? - and you can tell he really cared and took his time to do this for me. Thank you, Ender :)

In honor of my last day in Baoding, here are some "street shots" taken while walking around town:

Street shot

"street food" we were advised not to eat it

A Few Days in One

The last few days at No. 17 Middle School in Baoding where kind of a blur. We were super busy getting ready for the end of the summer camp performance, and I was still trying to fit in some of the fun activities I had planned for the kids.

Some of the activities we completed in class:

1. morning interviews (of course)
2. finishing our letters to USA students, and addressing the envelopes (more about that later).
3. field day!
4. watched YouTube videos
5. went out with more students
6. prize giveaway - using a raffle, I gave away all the souvenirs, t-shirts, candy etc that I brought over from the US. The students loved it! T-Shirts and pencils with my school name on them were a big hit. Also, books were very popular. I gave away Amelia Bedelia, and all the Halloween books, as well as others.

•  Who knew that Chinese people don't know their own address? Okay, maybe not all Chinese people, but literally every single one of my students, and the teacher who was my assistant, did not know their own address. They knew the street, or "area" but none knew how to write a formal mailing address. I was shocked! I kept saying, "So what if someone wants to visit you, or send you mail? - what do you tell them?" I was told that they don't use mail much, and that if someone wants to visit you tell them the "area" of town you live in and the building. Apparently the cities are sectioned off into communities or areas with distinct names so as to identify them from one another. My assistant, Mrs. Deng, went home the first night we talked about it and figured out her address. She wrote it on the board the next day to serve as model for the students. Some of them had asked their parents or done some research the night before, as well. I ended up getting addresses for almost all of my students, but I cannot believe what a hassle it was. I told Mrs. Deng and my students that in the USA students are required to learn their address in kindergarten in case of an emergency, such as getting lost etc. They thought it was so funny that little kids in the USA know their address but none of them did. 

         On a side note, I learned that in China, many employers, both public and private, own residential buildings where their employees may buy apartments and live with their family. One of my student's mother works at a bank and her family lives in the bank's building. Of course, you aren't required to live there, and once you buy it you own it, so they can't make you move out. But still. I find it quite interesting. I suppose they are giving the employees good deals on homes, and the commute is probably ideal, but I can't imagine living in an apartment building filled with people I work with (no matter how amazing they are). It's almost like they own you. The employer, I mean. They can find you at all times. They know where you live. They own where you live. Even the schools had teacher residential buildings. The Chinese didn't seem to see any problem with this way though, so who am I to say it's not good? Certainly a cultural difference.

• The last night and the day before our big performance, I went out with another group of of my students. Four precious girls, Zoey, Yuki, Sunny, and Nina requested to go out with me. Zoey's dad picked up us. He drove a Ford Escape. Upon saying hello I immediately pointed out that he drives an American car. He was very proud of it and pleased that I noticed. I was somewhat surprised. I guess because Fords are so commonplace here, it didn't occur to me that people would import them and find them desirable in other countries. We didn't see many when in China, so I took notice when I saw one.

Zoey's dad drove me and the girls and 2 other teachers, Gayna and Cheri, to a park in Baoding. The girls wanted to rent a pedal-cart (I don't know a better name) and asked if I would like to try it. I tried to act cool, but really I was super excited! I had always wanted to ride one of these things and now was my chance! Little did I know that it is actually super hard and great leg workout!

Nina, me and Yuki. I love these girls!

The other car.

Sunny and me and Zoey. Notice how these 2 are doing all the work while I enjoy the ride! :)

After the park we went to eat a traditional Chinese restaurant. When we got there Sunny said she had a special gift for me and asked if I was ready for it. I said sure and she gets out this headband thing. It's not something I would ever wear normally, but I ask her to put it on me, since I don't know how. She seems so pleased that I wore it all through dinner and for the rest of the night. Isn't it cute? LOL

This pretty much sums up the last few days. Tomorrow is the big performance. Pictures and video to come!

A Field Trip

Day 12

Monday, July 14

Bai Yang Dian Lake, Hebei Province, China

The summer camp where I am working is 10 days long, with one of those days being an "off" day where the school takes the teachers site-seeing. To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to it. We'd been teaching for 6 days straight. We've had late nights out with students. We've had nights planning activities and shopping for the relevant materials. I've been going on less sleep than I like and am exhausted. I didn't want to go site-see. I wanted a real day off.

And then there was the plan. They told us ahead of time that we were going to a famous lotus "lake". They told us it would be very hot, so we should dress appropriately and bring lots of water and sunscreen. And they said we'd be walking ALL DAY LONG. Ugh. This sounds like my worse nightmare.

Then it got worse. We showed up that morning and they had packed a picnic lunch for us all. They said we'd stop somewhere between all the walking to eat. I was not amused. Picnic lunch almost always means something yucky. Yes I know this sounds high-maintenance. I keep these thoughts in my head most of the time. But dang. This day didn't sound fun at all.

It started with an hour drive to our destination. The driver dropped us off and we started the hike. It was early and still kinda cool. The walk was pretty.

There were a couple different parts of the "park". We took a boat to one section - it had a museum and a garden area. The school paid for a very nice big boat, where we were the only people on it. The ride was pretty, but very hot!

Me and An Meng, our handler and my Chinese BFF. Love her!

View from the docks

Look closely. You can see these people taking our picture :) and so it goes in China.

Here is a group shot going into this section of the park:

group shot

I have to say that I didn't find the museum and garden part all that interesting. So I don't have a lot of pictures. Well, except for one thing. You know that carnival game called  "Duck Shoot". Well this park had a live action version! I turned a corner and saw a man holding 2 dead ducks by a rope. It appeared he had just been duck hunting or something. He was holding them up, looking at them carefully. Then all the sudden he walks over to the trashcan and drops the ducks next to the can and walks away. I was horrified and ran over. I asked the group, "Why did he do that?!" and then someone pointed out the live action duck shoot. Literally, there was a roped off area with a net behind it, where the ducks couldn't get away. There was tent where you could pay to use a gun and shoot ducks. I guess this man shot his ducks but didn't want them. I couldn't believe it. First, the total disregard to the ducks' life. Second, the way they trap the ducks so that it's not even hunting, just shooting caged animals. And finally, the way he killed them and then threw them away. I was so upset. It was really the first time I was disappointed by what I saw in China. I had to talk myself down from how upset I was. "Yes Shaina, it's terrible. Yes, it's wrong. But this is a different country. They are still working on human rights and running water. Ducks aren't high  on the list. It's okay. It doesn't define the Chinese people. Just walk away, walk away." And I did, but not without a few pictures of the shocking scene:

you know this game :)

It's hard to see, but this is the game. Note the net in the back and the guns for rent. Those ducks don't have a chance.

Next, we got back on the boat and headed to the main attraction, the Lotus Lake: 

notice the guide at the front of the line. long pants, jacket, and hat. in 95 degree weather. INSANE!

Real life black swans. They were beautiful.

Overall, I have to say that this was a hard day. I didn't really enjoy it. Five to six hours walking in 95+ degree heat with no shade is not my idea of a good time. I don't care how beautiful the attraction is. I know that is spoiled and bratty. The Chinese are a hardy people. They don't seem to mind the heat all that much. In fact both of the Chinese women with us wore long sleeves to avoid getting darker (Chinese people like super white skin). It was worth it to them to protect their skin, even at the expense of their comfort. They are tough. I am not. I admit it.

Here are a few pics I found interesting:

Funny sign!

Fisherman. He has these birds tied to his boats with ropes around their necks. They retrieve the fish that he catches (and maybe catch their own), but are stopped from eating them by the rope around their neck. Crazy, huh?

pic of the famous "squatty potty" (that's what I call it). Full disclosure, this is a pretty dirty one. They weren't all this bad. You put your feet on the grooved part on either side of the hole and squat to handle your business. It was very interesting, but not as difficult or traumatic as I expected.

But what if you get pregnant accidentally?

Since I knew I was coming to China, and probably even before, I was very interested in the law that we hear about in the USA, which says that Chinese people can only have one child. I've wondered how it works, how the government controls and enforces that, and what happens if you do have more than one child.

When I got to China I quickly learned how odd it is for Chinese people to have siblings. Without doing an actual survey and data collection,  I would say that the percentage of people in the USA who are only children is about the same percentage of people in China who are not. Simply said, it's not crazy rare to have a sibling, but rare enough to be "weird" or "unusual". I mean, I knew a few only-children growing up, but not many. I can't think of any off the top of my head. In my class of 29 kids (here in China), only 2 have siblings.

I gave this a lot of thought. And I wondered. Pregnancy is such a private thing. The government can't actually stop you from getting pregnant if you want to  (or don't want to) unless they keep men and women far apart, or there is government mandated preventative measures. From what I could gather, China is not making women take birth control. Nor are they requiring any other forms of contraception. So technically, women can get pregnant at their own whim. What is to keep them from having a second child? Will they get in trouble? How does it all work?

My amazing assistant in Baoding seemed to enjoy having these sort of frank discussion with me. Her name was Athena. So I asked her. I said, "So what happens if a woman gets pregnant accidentally?" - meaning that we all know that sometimes pregnancies aren't planned. Sometimes you get pregnant when you weren't meaning to. Sometimes you get pregnant when you think you are actively trying to prevent it (short of abstinence, of course).

Athena said in response, "Well we try very hard to prevent that from happening." I told her yes, of course, But what if it happens anyway?

She said that if a person gets pregnant accidentally with their second child then they must have an operation to get rid of it. I asked, "You mean an abortion?" She didn't know that word so I explained and she said that was correct. I was a bit shocked. Even among pro-choicers (like myself), you don't hear people talk about it so matter of factly. It's always the last resort, last choice, last thing you'd want to do. Athena just said it so....easily.

So then I asked her, "Well what if the woman doesn't or won't?" This is where story got interesting.

Athena said that if a woman won't have a abortion she will most likely be fired from her job. Her husband will most likely be fired, too. They won't be able to get new jobs, in most cases. In other words, have a second child and your life will be ruined. These are terrible choices. She did say that your employer gives you two weeks off of work if you have an abortion, to recover.

So then I told her the perspective of most Americans. I told her that in the US abortions were legal in most states, however most people believe it is wrong to get an abortion. I told her that most people think there is NO reason why anyone should ever choose an abortion - no matter the consequences or situation. I told her that even though some people still have them, it is something you definitely keep to yourself. In fact, I bet most of those who have an abortion tell no one, or only a few people. You definitely don't tell your place of work etc. She asked why people think it is so wrong.

I told her that most people believe it is against their religion. That it is against God and his teachings. I told her that if you get an abortion and people find out you will most likely be shunned and harshly judged. People would probably quit talking to you. People might not be friends with you. And at least, people would think you are a bad person.

She seemed to understand. It was such an interesting conversation for both of us. I learned a lot. I admire the Chinese for being so practical, even in the face of a difficult decision and situation. She said she would like to have more children, and wishes she was allowed to, but can't risk losing her job and livelihood. It isn't worth it. I have to say in her situation, I agree.

I can't say that I agree with our way or their way "more", but I see the merits and downfalls of both systems. I'm not saying I agree with society pressuring you to have an abortion, but I do think that if more Americans felt true consequences of poor decisions they make (as the Chinese do) that maybe people would be a little more careful and thoughtful about how they live their lives.

Day 11 - Trick or Treating

Day 11

6th day teaching
Baoding, Hebei, China

Sunday, July 13


We started our day with the morning talks outside the door - on their way in. I'm still loving this time to speak to each student individually. I try to ask them new questions each day so that I can learn something different about them. Today I asked them how they get to school each day. There were a fair number whose parents bring them, or they live close enough to walk. However, there were a few that shocked me. One student rides a bicycle about 30-40 to get to school. One student rides the city bus about 30 minutes. Many live quite far away. This school is considered one of the best in the city, and so many parents opt to send their kids here instead of whatever school they are zoned for. They pay a fee to do this - but I've heard the fee is pretty steep. I am constantly impressed with the value that the Chinese culture puts on education. I don't see any American students riding their bicycle 30+ minutes to get to school because they know it's such a good school and worthy of the effort. The commitment is impressive.


Next I read the students a book. Since we learned about Halloween, and made masks to use for trick-or-treating - I thought it would be fun to read a Halloween book. They enjoyed it :)

After the book, I knew I wanted to a play a game using my "Eggspert".

So during the break between periods I went through all of the songs that we've studied. I wrote down all the words, phrases, idioms etc that we had discussed the whole week. I used this list to create the game. I wrote a word on the board and the students had to buzz in if they knew it. They worked in teams and were allowed to use their notes. It was a lot of fun. Well it was until one of the students cheated.

There was one team that was dominating the game. They were so good. They were smart and focused and wanted to win. A student on another team, Vadar, (interesting name, right?) decided to turn off the awesome team's buzzer. It was a few rounds before anyone noticed it. When I realized it I got really upset and kicked him out of the game. I sent him to sit in the back of the room, alone. It was a moment for me though. Turns out, kids are kids, no matter where they live.

After class we had a break and I went to sit down in the teacher break room. Vista (a student) came in and seemed very upset. He asked me, "Are you mad?" I had to explain to him that I wasn't mad at anyone except Vadar and that he shouldn't worry. He seemed relieved and left. A few minutes later he came back with Vadar and Vadar apologized for messing up the game. I'm not sure he was really sorry, but I appreciated the effort. I was mostly impressed with Vista. He couldn't stand that I might be mad and made his friend apologize to make it all okay. Sweet kids :)

Next, the students worked on writing a letter to my American students. I encouraged them to write about daily life, school, family etc. I gave them the option of providing an address or email so that my American students could respond. This task took longer than I expected because the students were such perfectionists. They wanted me to revise and edit and check over their letters and then write a final draft. We really didn't get to finish, so we'll continue tomorrow. I'll include some pics when they are done.

After our lunch break, we had the best part of the day and one of the most fun parts of the whole school session: Trick-or-Treating! The night before, the other teachers and I bought lots of candy for the kids at the grocery store. I had my students bring a bag to collect their candy - just as we do here. I taught them to say "Trick or Treat!" to get their candy. Then we had all the students (150+) go from room to room to Trick-or-Treat. My rule was that they couldn't get candy from me unless they asked properly and wore their masks. I wanted them to get the real experience.

me getting in the halloween spirit. yes, i know. i look ridiculous.

group of boys from my class

me waiting to give out candy

aren't they creative?

fellow teacher and friend, Gayna, giving out candy :)

one of the best masks. simple but awesome. 

me and john :)

another american teacher and friend, Cheri