Firstly, my condolences to those affected by the Navy Yard shooting. Hearing about the flooding in Colorado and having to worry about that was enough, but hearing about something like this from across the globe is another experience in and of itself.
My week has started off ok. Teaching this week has been more of a challenge, since I am starting to have to come up with more engaging and interesting things for the students. I have learned that this is not always easy. It takes a lot of creative thought to make sure that the materials covered in class are interesting but that the students are getting something constructive out of it.
But, on the bright side, this week is the mid-autumn festival. I will post a blog tomorrow explaining it in more detail, but for now, it means no school Thursday or Friday. Bad news: I have to make up my Friday class on Sunday. Yep. Since classes here are only once a week, those that are missed because of a holiday or day off of school must be made up at a later time. It kind of sucks. But c'est la vie...or however that would be said in Chinese.
On that note, my Chinese classes are very difficult. Because there are Russians, Poles, Koreans, and Tajiks in the class along with us Americans, the only common language is Chinese. So, we are learning Chinese from teachers speaking and teaching in Chinese. It makes very little sense and what I have gotten out of classes has only been a couple words every now and then. Nonetheless, I will preserver and I am hoping that by the end of December I will be able to walk into a restaurant and order something by not pointing to a picture.
The freshmen have been doing some hand-to-hand combat training, so I hear them shouting and practicing. They will be in training for probably another week before they start classes. Every night for the past week there has also been rehearsal for a performance or something. Most of the people in the choir are freshmen, so I imagine it is for a ceremony ending their training and welcoming them into the university officially. Maybe. More updates later.
I went out the other night on my own for dinner and again, just pointed to something on the wall. I was brought this bowl with a bunch of things in it. I think it had some vegetables, noodles, chicken, flat pieces of noodles, and a really good broth. I really liked it, especially the broth, so I will be getting it again when I venture out for more food.
I have no idea what I am doing for the Mid-Autumn Festival, but I would like to go somewhere outside of Qufu. I have thought about going to Jinan and just spending a couple days there, but it depends on if I can find train tickets and what they cost.
My week has started off ok. Teaching this week has been more of a challenge, since I am starting to have to come up with more engaging and interesting things for the students. I have learned that this is not always easy. It takes a lot of creative thought to make sure that the materials covered in class are interesting but that the students are getting something constructive out of it.
But, on the bright side, this week is the mid-autumn festival. I will post a blog tomorrow explaining it in more detail, but for now, it means no school Thursday or Friday. Bad news: I have to make up my Friday class on Sunday. Yep. Since classes here are only once a week, those that are missed because of a holiday or day off of school must be made up at a later time. It kind of sucks. But c'est la vie...or however that would be said in Chinese.
On that note, my Chinese classes are very difficult. Because there are Russians, Poles, Koreans, and Tajiks in the class along with us Americans, the only common language is Chinese. So, we are learning Chinese from teachers speaking and teaching in Chinese. It makes very little sense and what I have gotten out of classes has only been a couple words every now and then. Nonetheless, I will preserver and I am hoping that by the end of December I will be able to walk into a restaurant and order something by not pointing to a picture.
The freshmen have been doing some hand-to-hand combat training, so I hear them shouting and practicing. They will be in training for probably another week before they start classes. Every night for the past week there has also been rehearsal for a performance or something. Most of the people in the choir are freshmen, so I imagine it is for a ceremony ending their training and welcoming them into the university officially. Maybe. More updates later.
I went out the other night on my own for dinner and again, just pointed to something on the wall. I was brought this bowl with a bunch of things in it. I think it had some vegetables, noodles, chicken, flat pieces of noodles, and a really good broth. I really liked it, especially the broth, so I will be getting it again when I venture out for more food.
I have no idea what I am doing for the Mid-Autumn Festival, but I would like to go somewhere outside of Qufu. I have thought about going to Jinan and just spending a couple days there, but it depends on if I can find train tickets and what they cost.
Bonus picture of one of the stray cats that lives around the apartment. I like this one the best, since it just chills around the apartment, but if you throw a piece of meat towards it, it will pounce on it, snatch it up, and run away. But then 5 minutes later it wanders back, looking smug and casual, but it knows that there is more meat to be had. And it works...I ended up giving it half of my hot dog...