Today, I woke up bright and early at 6am. We heard last night that there would be an earthquake between 3am and 5am. So once we heard that I set my alarm to wake us up before time, but it didn't go off and everyone was asleep. Thank God nothing happened though!
I laid awake in my bed e-mailing family. We had class from 8 until 11am.
Today class was more interesting than usual to me. I really enjoyed my teacher. She reviewed very well and is helpful with learning new words. Also, she speaks English well.
After class, I headed back to the room and relaxed until it was time for class again. Chinese singing is our culture experience for the week. I like it! It's interesting and we have a great teacher. We have learned "Mo Li Huar," and "Ta Xue Xun Mei." There is a mixture of low tones and high tones. I like doing the high tones in the song. Afterwards, we went to teach.
This week's English class lesson is about American driving and cars. Class was frustrating for me today because my group members were not understanding and I kept explaining and explaining. All in all though today was a nice, productive day! ---By Shekerra
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
From Terrance - June 2
Itʼs Monday in China! Itʼs exciting hearing about every oneʼs weekend with their host families. My family sent everyone sweets as gifts. During Chinese class we practiced on more dialogue to use with friends and family. Wen Zi, a classmate, and I had lunch. I ordered, Fu He Qiezi which is fish and fried eggplant. We often practice English and Chinese over the meal. This evening was interesting. The theme of this weekʼs culture class is Chinese Songs. OMG...I sounded soooooo bad...: ) But the teacher's voice was amazing. I recovered in service learning where my group did awesome in English. ----By Terrance
Monday, June 2, 2008
From Terrance - June 2
This weekend was our first visit to our host family's home. Early Saturday morning I woke to shower and prepare to go with my Chinese family. My host father and cousin picked me up around 9am. My little brother was at school and my host mother was at work. We immediately started to see the city, stopping at a local market, People's Park, and the Torch Park. We enjoyed fried chicken for lunch while we waited for the rest of the family to come home. When my brother came home I help him with his English homework. He is very smart.
Later, my little brother and I stayed over his cousin’s house. We helped the cousin who's in the 8th grade with Algebra and English.
The next morning the two taught me Kong Fu, it was very relaxing. We had soy drink, ham, and peaches for breakfast. It was Children's Day, so two other cousins came over. They taught me how to play Chinese chess. The youngest cousin beat us all. A third grader beat a 6th grader (my brother), an 8th grader( a cousin), a 10th grader(a cousin), and me, a junior in college. We laughed and played with the pet turtles. My host father took us to the park, there were a lot of families. We ended the day making dinner, duck head, dumplings, and fried fish.
---- By Terrance
Later, my little brother and I stayed over his cousin’s house. We helped the cousin who's in the 8th grade with Algebra and English.
The next morning the two taught me Kong Fu, it was very relaxing. We had soy drink, ham, and peaches for breakfast. It was Children's Day, so two other cousins came over. They taught me how to play Chinese chess. The youngest cousin beat us all. A third grader beat a 6th grader (my brother), an 8th grader( a cousin), a 10th grader(a cousin), and me, a junior in college. We laughed and played with the pet turtles. My host father took us to the park, there were a lot of families. We ended the day making dinner, duck head, dumplings, and fried fish.
---- By Terrance
From Krystal - June 1
Today we had a good day today, we had our reflection and everyone had a good week this week. This was our first week of classes and we were quite productive. Learning new words and sentence structures were very helpful. Tomorrow we are going to meet our host families for the first time and I think that everyone is a little nervous.
We also had our ESL classes today and it seems that everyday the students are more and more interested in what we are saying. Some of them are nervous to speak English and we have to tell them to be confident in what they are saying, the same with us speaking Chinese. The sentences that our teachers have been giving us in class for dialogue has been helpful, that is usually how I break the ice so to speak with the Chinese students that I am teaching. The group is still having its problems but I think that since Chen Loashi is gone we have to step up and solve problems on our own and that has made us closer as a group. I must say that I have really enjoyed this week and looking forward to what the other weeks have to offer. We are meeting new friends here and they are all nice. The Chinese are very polite people except when they drive. They drive really crazy. Walking everywhere I must say is slimming me down. I can't wait to get home and tell all the stories that I have experienced here.
Wei Jing Ying AKA Krystal
We also had our ESL classes today and it seems that everyday the students are more and more interested in what we are saying. Some of them are nervous to speak English and we have to tell them to be confident in what they are saying, the same with us speaking Chinese. The sentences that our teachers have been giving us in class for dialogue has been helpful, that is usually how I break the ice so to speak with the Chinese students that I am teaching. The group is still having its problems but I think that since Chen Loashi is gone we have to step up and solve problems on our own and that has made us closer as a group. I must say that I have really enjoyed this week and looking forward to what the other weeks have to offer. We are meeting new friends here and they are all nice. The Chinese are very polite people except when they drive. They drive really crazy. Walking everywhere I must say is slimming me down. I can't wait to get home and tell all the stories that I have experienced here.
Wei Jing Ying AKA Krystal
From Antonay - June 1
Being here in China has been a GREAT experience so far. Not only have I gotten a chance to meet Chinese students, but I have also befriended some French students too.
Being here is really humbling because it's almost as if they live in poverty, but they think of it as so much more than that.
They don't look at their broken down houses as being poor or nearly homeless, they look at them as the suburbs. I couldn't imagine living in homes in the conditions that I've seen & I respect them so much more.
Zibo students are so welcoming, helpful and friendly. Plus, they are helping me to better myself as I learn the Chinese language. Not to mention the fact that the shopping is GREEEEEEEEEEAAAT!!!!
Outside of the very different food that Ive been eating, being here in China so far has been exactly what I thought it would be, Wonderful. I even have a spot on the front of Zibo newspaper....how exclusive is that:) I've adjusted well as far as sleeping goes & have gotten used to walking almost Everywhere. I just look at it as exercise. Chinese traffic is extremely Crazy, but funny. The buses are always almost running over the bike riders and the bike riders are always almost running over us......It's funny. Despite the fact that some of us are taking longer to adjust than others, being here is great & I'm glad and blessed to have this experience.
Until next time........Shang Di Bao You Ni
Being here is really humbling because it's almost as if they live in poverty, but they think of it as so much more than that.
They don't look at their broken down houses as being poor or nearly homeless, they look at them as the suburbs. I couldn't imagine living in homes in the conditions that I've seen & I respect them so much more.
Zibo students are so welcoming, helpful and friendly. Plus, they are helping me to better myself as I learn the Chinese language. Not to mention the fact that the shopping is GREEEEEEEEEEAAAT!!!!
Outside of the very different food that Ive been eating, being here in China so far has been exactly what I thought it would be, Wonderful. I even have a spot on the front of Zibo newspaper....how exclusive is that:) I've adjusted well as far as sleeping goes & have gotten used to walking almost Everywhere. I just look at it as exercise. Chinese traffic is extremely Crazy, but funny. The buses are always almost running over the bike riders and the bike riders are always almost running over us......It's funny. Despite the fact that some of us are taking longer to adjust than others, being here is great & I'm glad and blessed to have this experience.
Until next time........Shang Di Bao You Ni
From Instructor Mei-Chi
My students and I are currently in Zibo, Shandong, China. We are not in the earthquake hit area, because Chinese government doesn't want non essential people going into the area. Too many volunteers from other provinces or countries potentially cost the local government (Sichuan province) more money to feed these outsiders.
People need to apply for permission to get in the earthquake hit area. What we have been doing is donating money to Chinese Red Cross and other national organizations approved b
y Chinese government.
Meanwhile JSU students will start their summer classes and service learning at Zibo Vocational College (ZVC) next Monday (5/26,5/27) teaching Chinese students English and American culture/ history. Next Tuesday ZVC will officially launch a "2008 JSU teacher/students language/cultural immersion and service learning program" on campus. The media from City of Zibo will be present next Tuesday as well. I have been meeting with ZVC's administration this week to plan out this summer's program for JSU students.
Next weekend I'll fly to Taipei to meet with our second group (3 JSU, 4 MSU) of students studying in Taiwan. I plan to stay there till mid June.Mei-Chi
People need to apply for permission to get in the earthquake hit area. What we have been doing is donating money to Chinese Red Cross and other national organizations approved b
y Chinese government.Meanwhile JSU students will start their summer classes and service learning at Zibo Vocational College (ZVC) next Monday (5/26,5/27) teaching Chinese students English and American culture/ history. Next Tuesday ZVC will officially launch a "2008 JSU teacher/students language/cultural immersion and service learning program" on campus. The media from City of Zibo will be present next Tuesday as well. I have been meeting with ZVC's administration this week to plan out this summer's program for JSU students.
Next weekend I'll fly to Taipei to meet with our second group (3 JSU, 4 MSU) of students studying in Taiwan. I plan to stay there till mid June.Mei-Chi
From Terrance - May 28
The pics are Zibo Institute, and culture class.
China has been great thus far, students at Zibo welcome us and are always eager to dialogue w/ us in English and Chinese. A day in china consists of:
- morning running(6am w/ several thousand zibo students)
- shower then breakfast by 7:45
- chinese lang class from 8am-11am.
- lunch til 2:30 then culture(dance, cooking, kong fu..etc) til 4:30.
- then service learning(teaching english/american culture) til 5:30.
- dinner then study, hang with french and chinese students.
My chinese is improving more than ever thanks to friends and my host family(who's a bank manager of 17 local banks) the father.
My most memberable moment was opening the bath room door....lol...the chinese use swaters.
I haven't talked 2 my family but I love and miss them more each day.
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