May 8, 2012
Student Responses
I gave a really small, short (and easy!) in-class assignment to check to see if students could remember different occupations. When asked "What do you want to be, and why?" my Junior 1 students (around 12-13 years old) answered with the following. (My personal favourite will be revealed later--> tomorrow's post).
May 3, 2012
Resources for Learning Chinese
For those of you studying Chinese, I've found a few good resources that will help you with memorisation, translation, and stroke order (for writing!).
1. Laowai Chinese --> Laowai meaning Foreigner, this website is a great website written by an English speaking expat. His articles are interesting and his site provides reviews and links to a great number of other sites. I definitely gain new perspectives on certain phrases or topics whenever I read an article (or thread) posted on here.
2. MDBG --> this is an online dictionary that has clickable options for each word. This includes translation (from Eng-Chin and Chin-Eng, both simplified and traditional characters), pronunciation tools, stroke order tools, and practice tools. Also has pinyin input!
3. Transparent --> an online blog, helpful for learning new things about the Chinese language and culture.
1. Laowai Chinese --> Laowai meaning Foreigner, this website is a great website written by an English speaking expat. His articles are interesting and his site provides reviews and links to a great number of other sites. I definitely gain new perspectives on certain phrases or topics whenever I read an article (or thread) posted on here.
2. MDBG --> this is an online dictionary that has clickable options for each word. This includes translation (from Eng-Chin and Chin-Eng, both simplified and traditional characters), pronunciation tools, stroke order tools, and practice tools. Also has pinyin input!
3. Transparent --> an online blog, helpful for learning new things about the Chinese language and culture.
^ screen shot from MDBG
May 1, 2012
Stories from 厦门 (Xiamen)
I have spent the last week traveling in beautiful Xiamen, which is on China’s east coast – directly across the strait from Taiwan. Despite daily rain, usually only in the mornings, the weather has been sunny and breezy.
So, where exactly have my adventures taken me this time? I’m a wanderer, so by walking around the city I’ve managed to come across some interesting people, sights, and sounds. Like the night I walked into a hole-in-the-wall restaurant at 11pm, ordered some peanut noodles, and had a conversation with a vibrant storytelling Chinese man – who, despite being in his 60s, tried to convince me that I should have two boyfriends. Him being the second, of course. I tried to follow along with his elaborate motions, musical words, and the sparkle in his eyes, but overall I just felt lost. Amused, perhaps, but very lost, as his dialect of Chinese was something I’ve never heard before. (It’s amazing that no matter how much standard Mandarin Chinese I learn, there will always be the challenge of understanding local dialects, which are so different from each other that it’s almost like hearing a different language altogether.) But I made a friend that night, sitting on a wooden stool eating delicious peanut noodles.
There’s also the time I poked my head into a tiny DVD/music shop, asking “你们有没有英语电影？” (Do you have English movies?). The girl nodded her head, stepped out of the shop, and locked the door behind her. Motioning for me to follow her, she turns down a dark back alley. Oh shit, I’m thinking. It’s not like I asked for a Gucci purse or anything... where the heck is she taking me? Thinking that I was in for some sort of Chinese scam (or hostage-taking situation), I held back a bit, waiting to see where the girl was going. A door opens. I glance into the room, into what appears to be a small restaurant. We continue walking into another room. Then, at last, I breathe a sigh of relief when I see walls lined with shelves of DVDs. There were several Chinese people perusing the items, and another foreign couple walked in behind me. Fifteen minutes later, I walked out with nine movies for less than $15 USD. Score.
Yesterday, I went out searching for a statue. Not just any statue – the one that I glimpsed from the 27th-floor apartment I’m staying at. I figured out which direction I needed to walk in and, armed with a 1.5-L bottle of water and my camera, I set out on my quest. Twenty minutes later I’m standing at the base of this obelisk-type statue erected in honour of Chinese soldiers during an unknown (to me) war. (Xiamen has a military base and a historical military fort, so I’m assuming there was an attack here, perhaps during the Opium Wars or by invading-Japan during the early 20th century. Sadly, my Chinese isn’t advanced enough to understand the words on the memorial stone). I take a few pictures of the statue on continue exploring. Ten minutes later I’ve stumbled upon the Xiamen Botanical Gardens, which is more like a huge park with kilometres of walking trails. After paying a discounted entrance fee (“Hi, I’m a student at Xiamen university”), I picked up a map and entered the park. Remember that I have limited water and no food. SIX HOURS later I’m still wandering around the park, which I definitely hadn’t planned for. I almost fainted several times from light-headedness. However, I got some great pictures and had a *blast* getting some fresh mountain air, some great exercise, and being surrounded by nature. (Flowers grace the top of my list of “favourite things”). An unexpected adventure encompassing an entire afternoon and evening ended with watching the sunset over the city, its colours reflected in a palm-lined lake. So beautiful.
There’s also the time I took a ferry to Gulangyu Island, a pedestrian-only island nicknamed “Piano” island for having hundreds of pianos (and an organ museum). Armed with water and an umbrella (and snacks, this time!), I paid the ¥8 fee and pushed and shoved my way onto the already-full ferry. Hey—this is China, and if you don’t do a little pushing and shoving, you’ll get NOWHERE. So, it’s raining and grey and I’m questioning my day-trip decision, especially since it’s a Sunday and really, really crowded. As we’re herded off the ferry like cattle, I notice a guy with his arms full, carrying a cooler and some other things. Since it was raining I decided to walk beside him and hold my umbrella over his head to keep him dry. He was very appreciative, trying to converse with me in Chinese that I definitely wasn’t understanding. He wanted a picture with me since it was probably his first time interacting with a foreigner. Then, he goes in search of his friends to whom he needs to drop the cooler off. I start meandering around the cutesy streets lined with souvenir shops, restaurants, coffee/tea shops, etc. ... when Mr. Cooler bumps into me. He can’t find his friends’ shop, and he wants me to help him get there with umbrella cover. So, what the heck, I’m otherwise schedule-less, so I help him. Turns out his friends own an ice-cream shop, and once we find the place, I'm welcomed with smiles from all the 20-something students who work there. After we take pictures (of course, haha), they treat me to a huge, mango-flavoured ice cream. Soooo delish! ☺ I then spent the rest of the day sticking my toes in the ocean, browsing the shops, enjoying the blue skies... and walking around the entire island trying to walk off the gigantic ice cream. Haha.
Tonight I get on a train to head back to Zhuzhou. Despite buying my ticket a week in advance, the only tickets available were seats, not sleepers. I’ll keep you posted on whatever adventures come next during the grueling 21-hour train ride. Hopefully I’ll manage to get a few hours of sleep. (That might be aiming too high). I’m sure there will be enough chatter with the curious Chinese passengers to keep me busy for at least 5 hours. I saved one book (The Alchemist) to pass the rest of the time, and then I have my iPod.
Wish me luck!!
So, where exactly have my adventures taken me this time? I’m a wanderer, so by walking around the city I’ve managed to come across some interesting people, sights, and sounds. Like the night I walked into a hole-in-the-wall restaurant at 11pm, ordered some peanut noodles, and had a conversation with a vibrant storytelling Chinese man – who, despite being in his 60s, tried to convince me that I should have two boyfriends. Him being the second, of course. I tried to follow along with his elaborate motions, musical words, and the sparkle in his eyes, but overall I just felt lost. Amused, perhaps, but very lost, as his dialect of Chinese was something I’ve never heard before. (It’s amazing that no matter how much standard Mandarin Chinese I learn, there will always be the challenge of understanding local dialects, which are so different from each other that it’s almost like hearing a different language altogether.) But I made a friend that night, sitting on a wooden stool eating delicious peanut noodles.
There’s also the time I poked my head into a tiny DVD/music shop, asking “你们有没有英语电影？” (Do you have English movies?). The girl nodded her head, stepped out of the shop, and locked the door behind her. Motioning for me to follow her, she turns down a dark back alley. Oh shit, I’m thinking. It’s not like I asked for a Gucci purse or anything... where the heck is she taking me? Thinking that I was in for some sort of Chinese scam (or hostage-taking situation), I held back a bit, waiting to see where the girl was going. A door opens. I glance into the room, into what appears to be a small restaurant. We continue walking into another room. Then, at last, I breathe a sigh of relief when I see walls lined with shelves of DVDs. There were several Chinese people perusing the items, and another foreign couple walked in behind me. Fifteen minutes later, I walked out with nine movies for less than $15 USD. Score.
Yesterday, I went out searching for a statue. Not just any statue – the one that I glimpsed from the 27th-floor apartment I’m staying at. I figured out which direction I needed to walk in and, armed with a 1.5-L bottle of water and my camera, I set out on my quest. Twenty minutes later I’m standing at the base of this obelisk-type statue erected in honour of Chinese soldiers during an unknown (to me) war. (Xiamen has a military base and a historical military fort, so I’m assuming there was an attack here, perhaps during the Opium Wars or by invading-Japan during the early 20th century. Sadly, my Chinese isn’t advanced enough to understand the words on the memorial stone). I take a few pictures of the statue on continue exploring. Ten minutes later I’ve stumbled upon the Xiamen Botanical Gardens, which is more like a huge park with kilometres of walking trails. After paying a discounted entrance fee (“Hi, I’m a student at Xiamen university”), I picked up a map and entered the park. Remember that I have limited water and no food. SIX HOURS later I’m still wandering around the park, which I definitely hadn’t planned for. I almost fainted several times from light-headedness. However, I got some great pictures and had a *blast* getting some fresh mountain air, some great exercise, and being surrounded by nature. (Flowers grace the top of my list of “favourite things”). An unexpected adventure encompassing an entire afternoon and evening ended with watching the sunset over the city, its colours reflected in a palm-lined lake. So beautiful.
There’s also the time I took a ferry to Gulangyu Island, a pedestrian-only island nicknamed “Piano” island for having hundreds of pianos (and an organ museum). Armed with water and an umbrella (and snacks, this time!), I paid the ¥8 fee and pushed and shoved my way onto the already-full ferry. Hey—this is China, and if you don’t do a little pushing and shoving, you’ll get NOWHERE. So, it’s raining and grey and I’m questioning my day-trip decision, especially since it’s a Sunday and really, really crowded. As we’re herded off the ferry like cattle, I notice a guy with his arms full, carrying a cooler and some other things. Since it was raining I decided to walk beside him and hold my umbrella over his head to keep him dry. He was very appreciative, trying to converse with me in Chinese that I definitely wasn’t understanding. He wanted a picture with me since it was probably his first time interacting with a foreigner. Then, he goes in search of his friends to whom he needs to drop the cooler off. I start meandering around the cutesy streets lined with souvenir shops, restaurants, coffee/tea shops, etc. ... when Mr. Cooler bumps into me. He can’t find his friends’ shop, and he wants me to help him get there with umbrella cover. So, what the heck, I’m otherwise schedule-less, so I help him. Turns out his friends own an ice-cream shop, and once we find the place, I'm welcomed with smiles from all the 20-something students who work there. After we take pictures (of course, haha), they treat me to a huge, mango-flavoured ice cream. Soooo delish! ☺ I then spent the rest of the day sticking my toes in the ocean, browsing the shops, enjoying the blue skies... and walking around the entire island trying to walk off the gigantic ice cream. Haha.
Tonight I get on a train to head back to Zhuzhou. Despite buying my ticket a week in advance, the only tickets available were seats, not sleepers. I’ll keep you posted on whatever adventures come next during the grueling 21-hour train ride. Hopefully I’ll manage to get a few hours of sleep. (That might be aiming too high). I’m sure there will be enough chatter with the curious Chinese passengers to keep me busy for at least 5 hours. I saved one book (The Alchemist) to pass the rest of the time, and then I have my iPod.
Wish me luck!!
Apr 29, 2012
Traveling ^-^
Hello! I'm traveling this week due to China's "International" Labour Day. In reality, they're the only country to celebrate the acclaimed 五一节 (Wu Yi Jie), but hey-- I get a week off, so I'm happy. I took a 21-hour train ride to the Fujian province and I'm currently in the beautiful city of Xiamen.
Today I went to visit the small, pedestrian-only island of Gulangyu, about a 5-minute ferry ride from mainland Xiamen. Although it rained the first few hours, we had blue skies and SUN for the entire afternoon. It ended up being a glorious day!
And, here is my latest Facebook status update:
~ I wore aviators and used a sun umbrella to mask my "foreign-ness" today. Lo and behold, an *entire* tour group of Chinese people got a hold of me while I was meandering around Gulangyu Island... There was a queue for photos with me. LOLOL. #ishouldstartchargingforthis
Apr 16, 2012
Foot Binding
Foot binding was popular in China several hundred years ago, and continued all the way until the mid-20th century in traditional parts of the country (mostly in the countryside).
What is foot binding? It's a process that began when a girl was anywhere from 2 to 7 years old, and the desired outcome was "lily" feet that measured a mere 3 inches. The process took several years and was extremely dangerous to the girls' health, sometimes resulting in death from infection and rotting. The girls' feet were reshaped entirely, requiring each bone in the foot to be broken (and walked on...).
I recently read an amazing book called "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See. This book took place in the 1800s in China -- in a village in the Hunan province, only a few hours from where I'm living this year. It's a "historical fiction" story about two young girls who have their feet bound, and it follows their life stories as they get older. It's extremely interesting from a "cultural insight" perspective, as it explains a lot about Chinese traditions and how something as painful as foot binding can change a young peasant girl's future. I definitely recommend picking up a copy of this book.
Aside from the NPR article (linked in the first paragraph), I found another article about foot binding HERE.
I recently read an amazing book called "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See. This book took place in the 1800s in China -- in a village in the Hunan province, only a few hours from where I'm living this year. It's a "historical fiction" story about two young girls who have their feet bound, and it follows their life stories as they get older. It's extremely interesting from a "cultural insight" perspective, as it explains a lot about Chinese traditions and how something as painful as foot binding can change a young peasant girl's future. I definitely recommend picking up a copy of this book.
Aside from the NPR article (linked in the first paragraph), I found another article about foot binding HERE.
Apr 15, 2012
Stormy Day
Apr 14, 2012
Something I've been learning the longer I've been on the earth is this: BE SHAMELESSLY YOURSELF. Don't let others' rules define you. Revel in your uniqueness. There are too many people telling us what's wrong with us... Just enjoy life and keep trying to grow. That's all you can do.
"Others have no right to demand that I be anything else than what I ought to be in the sight of God. No greater thing could possibly be asked of a man than this!" -Thomas Merton
Apr 9, 2012
Interesting Fact
This is what happens when the same government ministry is in charge of both promoting sales of and curbing consumption of cigarettes. Will the Chinese government do what's right for its people's health? The answer appears to be NO - not if there's money to be made. See the excerpt from Beijing Today below:
Yikes. No wonder lung cancer stats are so high here.
Apr 6, 2012
Around Zhuzhou
Pictures from the past two weeks... enjoy!
^ at a theme park with my students
^ one of many street cleaners
^ the homeless man I see everywhere in Zhuzhou
^ my gorgeous boyfriend
^ daily errands
^ just your average sidewalk blockade
^ Josh at Shen Nong park
^ students playing basketball (class teams)
^girls' shooting competition
^ school gate (view from inside the gates)
^ more basketball
^ 4th floor... my office is on the right
^ my office door
Apr 4, 2012
On My Heart
I am a child of the Most High God - the Creator, Saviour, and Ultimate Satisfier. He alone completes me and is the source of all love. He loves me no matter what, and for that I am truly thankful. As the love in my earthly relationships grows I can't help but feel closer to Him... the beauties and intricacies of life are clearer. Life is more colourful and meaningful.
Apr 3, 2012
Apr 2, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)