Empty Nest

BEAUTIFUL QINGDAO

   April 4-6 was a festival in China called Chingming (Tomb sweeping Day).  In 2007 we did our tomb-sweeping early in January for Paul's grandparents.  Wonderful things happened for Paul and Maren after we left a letter for the Ou Yang family at the tomb.  This year we had the opportunity to go with the Thelins and Cannons to Qingdao for some fun. Qingdao is on the coast, a bullet train ride of 2 3/4 hours, so fast that photography is not possible with a point and shoot camera. 

Qingdao has beautiful blue sky and soft breezes off the China Sea.  Qingdao has long been famous for its beer, which we didn't try.  In 2008 they hosted the boating and rowing event for the Summer Olympics (we saw one or two of these sites).  The city was greatly influenced by the Germans for a long time.  There are churches, castles and prisons built by the Germans.  The churches are still in use but the castles and a prison are tourist sites.

  We did stay in a small hotel named Beach Castle Hotel next to the prison.  We had rooms in a smaller building named The Villa. When we arrived on Friday afternoon the weather was somewhat cold, but fortunately for us, the hotel had space heaters which we put to good use.

  We spent most of Saturday at the "sea world" of Qingdao.  I couldn't believe all the varieties of fish that were displayed in small tanks built into the walls.  There was also a very large tank where a diver was feeding the fish while a guide was describing the fish and the diver (I think) since I don't understand much Chinese. 

We also took time for the women to do a little shopping at the "Pearl Market,"  I'm proud to say that I was in complete control and only purchased a mother of pearl pendant and had it attached to 2 strands of baroquetype pinkish pearls, spending less than $12 US. 

We found a wonderful French Restaurant and ate ourselves silly on Saturday night finishing off the meal with Blueberry Cheesecake that was out of this world.  We returned Sunday night to do it again!  Also happened onto a 5 star hotel which we were told would have a good American style breakfast. I don't think any of us lost weight.  We finished off Monday late afternoon eating KFC nuggets and French fries (ugh), before boarding the train back to Jinan.

 We had spent Sunday morning watch the Saturday morning session of General Conference on the Thelin's computer.  Then had a Korean grill lunch with a Korean doctor that the Thelins met in Jinan.  I tried octopus leg (two bites) but it is tasteless and is tough like a rubber band....how can this be a delicacy?  We also had tongue, which I had eaten while in Chile.  I think it tastes very good, but some were skeptical, after trying it several did admit that it was good.  Korean do a lot of lettuce wraps with their food, so we had lots of green leaf lettuce with our meal.

We felt like we were returning home (actually Jinan has become our second home) when we returned.  Now the weather is heating up fast!  We have been in the high 70's since our return.  The apartment is quite cool still, but that will be changing rather quickly. I can now wash and have the sheets hanging outside dry in about one or two hours compared to all day during the cooler month.

On April 25th we will be going to Weifang for the kite festival.  Anyone need a new bigger, better kite?  Let me know quickly and I'll be sure to get you one while we are in Weifang!

Time is passing very quickly.  Next week is the 8th week of a semester of 17 weeks. I really like my oral classes, we have been having fun and yet learning new words.  These freshmen are really very smart and some are excellent in writing and speaking English.  Several of the students have been abroad, so have been exposed to having to speak English to survive.  The weekly conversations outside of class seem to be helping those who participate regularly.  Even I am surprised by the number of synonyms there are for some of the words the students are looking up in a Thesaurus.  Junior writing classes are also going well, but they are not near at the level of my senior writing classes last semester. 

Life is good and we are staying healthy!

I THINK SPRING MAY HAVE SPRUNG!!!

The days are getting amazingly warmer.  Today's forecast is for 69 degrees.  Nothing can make me happier than shedding my winter coat.  I will miss the coat because there are so many wonderful   secret pockets in it.  I have a secret pocket for hiding my money and Bank of China ATM card, another for my Rosetta Stone (a business card holder) with all the various directions in Chinese for the important place I need to go like New World Market to pick up the latest additions to my wardrobe. There is even a pocket that will hold a small bottle of water, another important necessity.  I have seen one drinking fountain in China and that was in a store that sells appliances. The temperature is warmer this year than when we were here in 2006-07.  I suspect that within this next week the radiators will be turned off even if the weather is cold.  We are grateful for the heater we bought last fall.  We have used it daily during the winter to help the radiators heat our small apartment.

Spring in Jinan includes wind, and we seem to get more and stronger winds here on the eastside of the city.  This tends to lower the temperature considerably, so even though the temperature is sweater or light jacket weather, the wind makes it feel 5 to 10 degrees colder.  One of the great "finds" this year was HAIRSPRAY, yah! so my hair stays somewhat in place when walking in the wind.

The trees are also budding and I think this campus will look especially nice within the next few week.  There are some Southern Magnolia trees on the campus and so I am anxious to see if they will bloom soon.  Also, spotted some magnolia bushes like the one in our front yard that are already budding and will soon be in full bloom.

Today is one of my writing classes and I'm sorry to say that I very strongly suspect plagiarism by about 6 of my students.  So out comes the plagiarism sheets and they get to rewrite their 400 word essay.  I don't know why they think they can get away with it.  So today's lecture is on Plagiarism instead of irregular verbs and verb/subject agreement.

I was inspired this semester to assign my oral classes to speak in English with a friend for 30 minutes on 3 days each week.  Some are responding very well and seem to enjoy the challenge of improving their English.  They also write in their journals twice a week (250 each time) and have to have two new words each class.  They much pronounce the correctly, give a definition and use it in a sentence.  So far so good!  Now if I can find other new acitivities for them during class.  My ideas are good for one semester, but this year one of my classes has continued for the full year!  Thankfully it was my favorite oral class.

We will have a short vacation April 4 to 6 for Chinese Memorial Day this is the day they "sweep the tombs" and leave letters in hopes that other relatives will contact them and then May 1 to 3 for Interaional Labor Day and May 28 & 30 is Dragon Boat Festival.  I was hoping that we could go to the Yellow Mountains, but the time is too short, so maybe we can go to Zibo to the porcelain factory or Weifang to buy kites or even Qingdao to the beach or maybe just stay in Jinan.

I will be doing finals from June 8 to 11th and then have one last class the 15th thru 18th and fly out by June 21st.  Then we will be packed up and come home.  The time is passing very fast. We are beginning the 4th week of the semester out of 17.  I think I will be sad to leave China, but happy to return home.

 

 

 

Five Day Countdown to Classes

We have now been home for 14 days from our wanderings through Southeast Asia.  Time goes fast when you are having a good time and seeing interesting places.  Thailand was my favorite country, but of course Hong Kong is the place I like to be the most.  I think it is because I know my way around to some of the places I visited in 2004 with Maren.  The Octopus card for the subways, buses and ferries makes traveling around the city and out to the outer islands so easy.  This year we discovered that senior citizens get a break!  The Star Ferry between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island is free.  You don't even have to swipe your card.  Every other destination is half-price.  We went to Lautau Island to visit the big sitting bronze Buddha and I have the pictures to prove that I made it up all 248 steps by your Father's count.  I rested occasionally, but wasn't as slow as I thought I would be.  The view was beautiful.  While I was sitting minding my own business a young lady approached me with camera in hand accompanied by an older man that I think was her father.  She handed the camera to him, pointed at the camera and then me and sat down beside me.  "Father" took the picture, she smiled and got up without a word and went on her way.

Also, while in Hong Kong we went to Stanley Market and I shopped while Dad calmly followed me or went off my himself for short periods of time.  I made sure that we had lunch at Mijas in the Murray Building.  It was great!  The romaine salad was delicious and the grilled salmon was some of the best I have had.  We had met the Lyons while shopping and invited them to have lunch with us.  They hemmed and hawed and so we went to lunch alone.  We ate on the balcony overlooking the bay.  It was beautiful!!  As we were walking through the restuarant to leave we passed the Lyons sitting at a table thoroughly enjoying lunch!  They raved about the food.  Silly people, I guess they decided to take a chance on my recommendation. What is even funnier is that they told another couple about their lunch the next day and we all went to lunch at Mijas!!  Pricey food, but well worth the price!!

Another interesting experience in Hong Kong, well to be precise in Kowloon at the Peninsula Hotel. I think we are establishing some traditions in HK.  We arrived about 5 p.m. to have High Tea at this HK landmark luxury hotel.  While waiting in line to be sitted (hundreds of people have this desire to have tea at the Peninsula)  a young Chinese man dressed in a suit carrying a bag approached Dad and asked him for $100HK, Dad looked a little shocked, but had his wits about him and said,"no."  The young man turned to me and asked if I would give him $15HK.  I said,"no."  So he quietly left and seemed to be looking for someone else to ask for money.  Knowing me and how I am you won't be surprised at my next move.  In Asia so everyone has a job lots of employees have a job to stand and watch customers and other employees.  I found one such man and reported what had transpired.  I was able to point out the culprit.  Went back to the waiting line and watched as the employee sent another "watcher" employee off to get someone with some authority while he watched the culprit.  They were really cool and seemed to know how to handle the situation quietly.  They finally approached him and eventually got him out the door.  We had a lovely tea with hot chocolate, finger sandwiches, sconces with clauted? cream, strawberry jam, dainty pastries, candy and an interesting custard or pudding.  Now for you meat and potato guys this doesn't sound like much of a meal, but we were full when it all ended!  Oh, yes and one of the nicest things is the string quartet up on the mezzine balcony playing classical and some semi classical sounding music including big band era songs and even ugh! a Beatle song or two.  Dad and I enjoyed that wonderful hour of food and relaxation!!

I think I have seen enough Buddha temples, reclining, sitting, indoor and outdoor with gold and inlaid colored stones.  Probably the most impressive Buddha by shear size was the reclining Buddha in Bangkok with inlaid mother of pearl on the bottom of his feet.  The mob of people was incredible, I wonder if there is ever a time when you can go and not be pushed and bumped by the crowds as you are trying to take a photograph or just peacefully look at something.

While in Thailand I got my souvenir--ten yards of silk fabric!! Yay!!  Funny thing was that I wanted to get some Jim Thompson silk, but we were taken to a silk factory owned by the former PM of Thailand who is currently in England avoiding corruption charges after fleeing Thailand.  His brother-in-law became PM, but the courts removed him shortly before we arrived!

When we were at Angkor Wat the crowds were enoromous!  Many or most with tourist are standing listening to their tour guide explain everything right in the doorway or just in a small room while the other millions of people are trying to walk though to see the ruins.  I finally, gave up on our tour guide and did my own self tour finding spaces that weren't filled with people.  I got some great photos and peaceful gazing done.  I only had 2 tourist approach me when I was taking a photo though multiple doorways and they kindly stopped and waited quietly for me to finish!  I turned and thanked them for their kindness and patience, they were Americans!!  So much for ugly Americans, ha, ha!  We do have some sense of courtesy for our fellow tourists!

VietNam was HOT in Ho chi minh City (Saigon)  Hanoi was cold.  We went to the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" and read some nonsense about the VietNam War and then to another war museum.  After the "Hilton" I had had enough propoganda for one day so just sat in the shade while Dad looked at all the gory pictures.  We also went to a tunnel in a small village where the Vietcong hid during the day and then came out at night and threatened the villagers and attacked the UN forces.  Again I sat in the shade and Dad did the tourist thing.

We now have 5 days until the new semester begins.  Originally we were told it would begin on February 16th, but changed their minds and the date to the 23rd.  No extension of the semester.  Our classes will end on June 20th and we are to give our finals by that date.  Chinese teachers have finals week until July 5th. I only have four classes.  Two freshmen Speaking and two junior writing classes, one class each day Monday thru Thursday.  Three of the four classes are in the morning so life will be good!!  I can use last semester's lesson plans for this semester writing classes, unfortunately, one of my speaking classes is a continuation from last semester so I have to come up with new ideas.  Two preparations isn't that time comsumming, I'll have plenty of time to read and roam around Jinan.

No promises when I'll write again, but I'll be back sooner or later!  Spring is coming, I hope!!

We're Almost Ready

Now don't everybody faint!  But I do remember how to do this!  Sijbrich might just put me back on her list of contacts.

Well, here we are with 20 days before take off!!  The plane leaves at 4:22p.m. from Boise on the 27th of August and we will land (after two stops and 10 hours of layovers) in Jinan, China on the 29th of August having lost one day to the International Date Line for another interesting 10+ months.  The passports are on their way to the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C., The airplane tickets have been ordered and paid for and will be coming from Portland, Oregon next week (They are paper tickets, how untech!) on United/China Air.  Even got all our seats assigned so we can have aisle seating all the way.  Our longest layover is in LAX for 8 hours so maybe we can get some of our old friends to come and go to dinner with us to while away the time.

My new black boots and two new sweaters arrived this afternoon so my feet will be warmer this winter.  The tights should arrive next week.  Then packing begins.  I even have some fabric to take to my tailor for a new suit.  The periwinkle blue has turned into a grape or wine color, but it is wool and should be toasty warm for winter.

We have already received an email from the travel service in China wanting to know if we would be interested in a tour of the southern part of China and stay with a Miao family overnight in rather rustic conditions.  This is the ethnic minority which I have the painting of a small girl.  I think we just might be adventurous enough to go.  They live in the same province that had the earthquake in May, but weren't affected.

We have had a very short and I do mean short email from the assistant to the dean of the Foreign Language Department, with a promise to send us more info shortly.  Usual Chinese m.o.  We will both be teaching oral English and writing, we assume to undergraduates, but who knows?

We were so glad that so many of you could come to see us before we go and look forward to seeing Cary next week and Vanessa and the troops if they can bear to ride 8 hours in the car to get here, we'll understand if they can't. I don't think Corey has the time to ride his bike this far!!

There may or may not be more posts before we actually leave, or I may be like lazy-eye, or the Hick, or others of you that manage one per month.  Anyway love you all and I'll try to do better this time around.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

What a surprise I had today when my 10 a.m. PhD class began coming into the room. I was calmly standing at the teachers podium greeting everyone by their English names and collecting their Final Exam Reports when Minnie and Fang (actually that is his Chinese family name) came in and informed me that today the class had party plans for the first hour of our two hour class. I could have 20 minutes, but when the cake was delivered Minnie would be the master of ceremonies and take over! Then Will came in with a beautiful bouquet of white lillies and long stemed red roses. When the cake arrived from the bakery Minnie stood up and I was finished for the day! Some of the students brought me small gifts and wished me an early happy birthday since I would be in America on my birthday. Another student had a camera and didn't stop taking photos for the full hour. I'll probably get the photos by email sometime this weekend. The party consisted of students performing a song or poem. The first to sing was Roman. She is from Inner Mongolia.....she has a fabulous voice. Minnie wrote on the blackboard that the best singer in the class would be the first to perform. Then Tom was called up to sing. He is also from Inner Mongolia.....another great voice. Then all students over 35 years old got up as a group and sang (they were the largest age group). Next came 30 to 34 years old, then under 30. I had to get up, hold my bouquet and have my picture taken with each group. Then groups were formed my majors: Marxists (4 students), Theory of Education (6 students--they also had their Advisor and his daughter to help them sing), History ( 2 students, one being another student from Inner Mongolia with a great voice), Chinese Literature ( they were the largest group with 21 students). Minnie then wrote on the board that "we will now have a song by Mrs. Judd. I told them that I really was a very poor singer, but they insisted. So I told them that I had sung my song with my children and grandchildren. I sang one verse of "I am a Child of God." I was able to keep pretty much on key and they seemed to enjoy it. We had cake and now it is about 11:15 a.m. so Minnie wanted me to give them some words of advise. I said, " Students need to eat to stay healthy so I think we should dismiss class and everybody have lunch." So we left, and Will, the monitor walked home with me carrying my heavy bag filled with the final exam papers, gifts and (as the Chinese say) so on. How am I ever going to leave these wonderful students!?! The China experience has been so great! Had lunch with another students, and dinner with yet another student! It's been a great day! THAT'S ALL (another much used familiar Chinese/English phrase)

PhD Student Lunch

If I wait much longer, you may all think that I am dead!  I keep waiting to load a picture on to my blog, but never seem to have just the right picture or the ability to get one from one place to the other.

Yesterday was my last lunch with my PhD students.  For the past 6 weeks I and Mr. JL have been hosting our Phd students at a lunch which lasts from 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  We walk to a restuarant near the north gate of the university, reserve a private room with a large round table with a lazy susan, order Chinese dumplings (2 to 3 varieties), mushroom soup, spicy potatoes (shoestring cut) brocolli with fungus, fried peanuts with soy sauce and other spices, sweet and sour pork (the only thing that American's have really tasted in the U.S.A.) mutton sticks (slightly spicy mutton on a toothpick) water, tea, Sprite, Coke and beer for some of our students.  Most of the students pass on the beer!  All this sets us back less than $15 U.S. for 8 or 9 people.

The most interesting discovery we have had is that some of these students can really speak, though you'd never know it from their lack of participation in class discussions.  I know many have great vocabularies because they write essays in English very well.  Some write so well that I make copies of their essays to save!

We discuss everything and anything they want to discuss.  Yesterday, we had a discussion about the Iraq War.  Many of the students support us about 9/11 and how terrible that was, but the know little about the war.  One day we had a discussion about the news media in China compared to the U.S.  Interestingly, the students know that they hear only the good news, never anything bad about the government, etc.  I mentioned that in the U.S. the news media reports only the bad news so we know a lot more about what is going on.

Some days the discussion is about families, the one child policy (which most are sad about) and the fact that they leave their spouse and child behind in their hometown while they come to the university to study for their PhD degree.  My students range in age from 23 to 45 years of age, some married with a child.  I think the oldest child we have learned about is 17 years old--her father is a psychiatrist, head of the department at another university, teaches and has his own clinic!  Rather busy man! Lived in the U.S. and England for schooling (1 yr. in each country) so he speaks excellent English.

One of the reasons I used to convince our Foreign Affairs Officer that we should have a larger apartment was so that I could have my students come for small discussion groups.  Well, after further thinking I realized that nights were spent with families if they live locally, many of the students who live within a few hours come on Wednesday night attend four hours of classes on Thursday and go back home either Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.  Many of the students are teachers at other universities so go there to teach after class on Thursday.  But everybody needs to eat and few turn down a free lunch. 

I have gained about four pounds so it is time to stop eating for awhile.  I have mixed emotions about the ending of our lunches together, but my waist and pocketbook can't handle any more at the present time.

This semester is going so fast.  I am really having the classes write every time we meet.  I think some of them are getting sick of writing, however, when they do it in class, they write, if it is a homework assignment many don't hand the work in with the excuse that they are too busy.  The newest assignment is for three weeks.  Acting as the President of the University, choose three project that need to be considered to improve the university.  I think, as usual, my scientist will be more creative and do a better job of writing about this subject.  They seem to be more outspoken and creative, as well as, more willing to express their opinions about any and all subjects.  We'll see what happens on May 17th when the papers are due.

Life is ever so interesting, but we will now "have a rest" as the Chinese say while we cruise the Yantze River four 4 or 5 days.  I'm taking along "Great Expectations" so I will have it read before I have to talk about the book in my British Literature classes when we return on May 7th.

Being wined and dined

Time passes so quickly and every day here brings new experiences.  Christmas was rather quiet.  We had a turkey dinner of sorts on Christmas Eve.  The turkey was great, but there wasn't much of anything else.  The hotel did their best, but don't understand about portions for special occasions.  Christmas night we were invited to a dinner at another hotel by some of Mrs. L's students (CEOs and managers of government owned companies).  They of course had a very nice dinner and gave gifts of Christmas ornaments to everyone.  We had to sing a song, KTV style, so the four of us sang Edelweiss.  It was one of the few English songs on the karaoke machine.

Tuesday we went signtseeing around Ji'nan with two of Mr. D's students from the Yellow River Group.  We ate at a new New Zealand restuarant named Kiwi Corner.  We taught the students how to use a knife and fork and they did very well and seemed to like the roast beef, mashed potatoes, salad and pizza.

Thursday night we had dinner in a dorm room hosted by 2 of my PhD students.  We seem to almost always team with the Ls because we share some of the same students.  We had hot pot which is a family type meal.  There is a pot of boiling water on the hot plate on the table, you put mutton, spinach, lettuce mushrooms and Napa cabbage in the spiced water and let it cook and then in go the chopsticks to pull it out and you eat it.  You do have a small bowl with some rather hot dipping sauce that was even too hot for me.  The students are always so surprised that we can do a good job eating with chopsticks!

Friday night was KTV night with a class of PhDs with the Ls once again.  This time we sang Yesterday, Once More and surprised more students with our chopstick ability!  We also did some dancing!

Saturday night it was back to Kiwi Corner since a Canadian friend wanted to take us to dinner because we had taken him and some others on Wednesday night out for dumplings, etc.  So we ate "western".  There is really no difference between NZ and USA food (here in China).  This was a nice change from Chinese though we do like most Chinese food and don't mind eating it except I al ways overeat because I like so many of the different dishes.  Even with all the eating I've managed to lose 15 pounds and never been sick from the food!!!

No dinner invites so far for the coming week.  Finals begin on January 18th.  My juniors from American Literature have three days of testing (no one told me that it included Monday (today)). I was the only one at the locked classroom door this morning so came back home to do other things.  Oh well, this is China!!! 

Dancing at the KTV.

Students are the Best

Hooray, we now have a picture!  This is Jason, he is a student at the "west" campus of Shangdong Normal University.  His ex-girlfriend (Jessica) asked me if I would help one of her friends learn English better.  I thought she meant a girl.  What a surprise when a good-looking 6 foot tall young man came with her to our door!  I don't think Jason said 3 words that first time.  Now he is beginning to speak in short sentences.  He still has to think before he speaks, but has a very light accent.  He also has the ability to remember the pronunciation of a word after he repeats it a few times.  We really have a lot of work left to do before January 17th when he is to take the CET-4 test (English comprehension, speaking and writing)  He is now working on a 120 essay. Since the "west" campus is a 1 1/2 hour bus ride we will begin to use email and the telephone to communicate more.  When Jason first came he brought fruit as a gift every time he came. . . we were drowning in fruit. Then he took us to dinner (that's when this picture was taken).  He was the perfect host. . . made reservations, asked what we liked to eat; Jessica had spoken to an assistant in the English Dept. and asked about our eating habits since we had been to dinner with the department heads.  They knew that we didn't drink tea or alcohol so there was no problem there.  In fact Jason and Jessica don't like tea nor do they drink alcohol.  We had warm soybean milk with honey.  It was delicious!  We are becoming very Chinese.  Jason had been running to get to our apartment by 3 p.m. because he was stopping to buy a gift for me every time he came.  A few weeks ago I told him that he didn't have to bring anything, just himself!  So he has been here early ever since then, except today when he was late because the bus was slow.  He is so intent on being on time.  I told him that he didn't need to worry, that I would be here when he arrived.

Last week he told me that his Father would be returning to Quingdao for a 2 week vacation.  I asked if his father would be coming to see him and Jason said no, because his father is very busy!  Today he was so excited before he left he said, "my father called me yesterday from Quingdao in the middle of the day and in 8 days he and my mother are coming to see me."  He was just beaming, I think it has been a long time since he has seen or spoken to his father.  His father is stationed in Hainan Island in the south and his mother lives in Quingdao near her family, but will be going to Hainan for several months.  I hope I will be able to meet his parents.

I was invited to go to dinner with some of Mrs. L's students the night before Thanksgiving.  These people are incredible, they searched for 2 days to find a turkey and arranged for the restuarant to roast it and serve it with cranberry sauce and gravy! Then the rest of the meal was pure Chinese.  It was delicious!!  Last Friday we were invited to dinner with another group of adult students (high level businessmen and women)  Had a fabulous dinner.  They served a "steak" and insisted that I needed a knife and fork.  I thanked the waiter kindly and said that I would use chopsticks like the others.  He would have none of it and insisted that I should have the knife and fork, so I said okay and let him place the knife and fork carefully on the table, then used my chopsticks!

Tonight we celebrated JJ's birthday by going to a Chinese restuarant.  Several of us decided that that was our first and last time there.  We prefer what we call the "dumpling" restuarant.  Friday night its off to probably downstairs in our hotel for dinner (hopefully)  They have a wonderful Chinese restuarant with elegant private dinning rooms and great food and service.

With all this eating you would think that we must be gaining weight like crazy, however, we have both lost about 15 pounds and feel really great!  I think it must be the walking and climbing stairs.  I have 2 or 3 flights of stairs every day and can even get to the top without huffing and puffing.  Of course Mr. D has 7 flights sometimes twice per day.  He is still winded slighty when he reaches the 7th floor, but is surviving nicely.

LIFE IS GREAT IN CHINA

 

 

Still Alive and Doing Well

Well, I’m still alive and well in China. Three of the teachers have colds and are down right miserable. . . Mr. D being one of them.  Today I substituted in Mrs. L’s 8 a.m. class.  If she weren’t such a good friend I might have had second thoughts.  You see, it is still dark until about 7:30 a.m. and I have never liked getting up on a cold dark morning for anybody or anything.  Especially not to begin and walk to a class that includes 7 flights of stairs to get to the 7^th floor.  The only good thing about the whole ordeal is that the classroom is one of the cleanest in the entire school and the students are great and the class had a total of 12 students today, all happy and ready to learn more English.  Tyrone is one of the students; he is a “kick.”  He loves to talk and I don’t think he knows how to frown!  He is always upbeat.  One evening several weeks ago he came to our apartment with Galen (who has since changed his English name to Daniel) Tyrone and I talked while Daniel helped Mr. D. organize his pictures which were in a mess to put it kindly.  Tyrone has many interests and much to talk about and has a very good vocabulary so we talked for about an hour while the photos were being organized! I think the best and part of teaching here are the students.  Emma wrote a wonderful journal entry about how I helped her gain the courage to open her mouth and speak and now speaks in class and will stand up in front of the class to speak. . . . Mr. Li in my PhD class always looked bored and out of sorts until about 3 weeks ago when I assigned the students to write and deliver a 3 minute speech in front of the class.   Mr Li came to me after the first class when the students had been giving their speeches and said that next week he would deliver his speech.  HE DID as promised.  It certainly wasn’t perfect and the delivery needs improvement, but the express on his face and his attitude since has been a 180 degree change.  He now smiles and looks happy and is enthusiastic about class and will speak to me!  Mr. L has him for a speaking class and unbeknownst to me and Mr. L we had both been trying to get this man to speak.  He came to an English Corner with one other man and the four of us talked about many things for 2 hours non-stop!  This is really the fun of China, seeing students who have a “hidden vocabulary” get up the courage to speak and express themselves.I found an article about 10 secrets to speaking English and shared it with my students.  Now instead of saying, “my English is very poor”  I’ll ask them how is your English today and they will say, “I love to speak English and I am working hard to improve everyday.”  I have happier looking students and they are really trying more to speak English. I had a wonderful Chinese Thanksgiving Dinner the night before Thanksgiving with a dozen of Mrs. L’s students (they are movers and shakers with money)  We had dinner at a beautiful restaurant.  They had searched for 2 days to find and turkey and one of the students knows the manager of the restaurant and they agreed to cook it for us.  They even had cranberry sauce and gravy!  Of course the rest of the dinner was Chinese (but really good) food. The private room was large and elegant and the table setting was magnificent!  Red and Gold every where.  Gold charger under our fine china plates, large gold colored soup spoon, large red napkins.  They have a very interesting way of placing the napkin.  One corner of the napkin goes under the plate so as you look at it it is diamond shaped.  Then you have the rest of the napkin on your lap, so the food can fall and not hit your clothes!  Very Clever!!!

WOW!  Emma called on the telephone and we talked!  She is coming to the apartment to bring some medicine for Mr. D even though he isn’t here!  WOW just hearing her talk on the phone is so exciting!!  I haven’t seen Emma for several weeks so this will be fun. . . .gotta go will try to be better!