Food

Perhaps one of the most interesting components of the trip has been our change in diet!  Our Chinese hosts have provided us with several formal banquets, and as a result we have learned about some of the etiquette.  For example, the most prestigiuous guest at the table would eat the chicken head.  No, we have not been eating chicken heads, but there was one on the plate that one of the hosts was happy to consume!  We also noted that the fish cheeks are the tastiest and most desired parts of the fish.  As for me, I have chosen to eat vegetarian while I am in China so I have been enjoying many cold dishes containing tofu, vegetables, fungi, peanuts, pumpkin...I could go on and on!  Last night our group split up since we didn't have a formal dinner scheduled and we went to Pizza Hut and ordered a Veggie Lover's Pizza which contained tomatoes, peppers, corn, and pineapple.  Pizza Hut is actually an expensive sit-down restaurant here!  It was nice to
have a break from Chinese food after eating it twice a day for almost a week.
Some of my colleagues visited an outdoor food market last night where they saw the scorpions, grasshoppers, snakes, etc.  They said that the sights and smells were a little overhwhelming, but I hope to get down there tonight to at least take some pictures.
I am trying to enjoy all the conveniences of Beijing because I know that the whole trip will not be like this!  In fact, I may even walk over to the nearby McDonalds to grab a coffee after I post this because good coffee is definitely something that is hard to come by over here.  I ask that you continue to please write comments and I will publish them as soon as I figure out the best way to accomplish this!

Time for English

Our second stop of the day was at Wall Street English.  We learned about their English training program and unique centers all throughout China and around the world.  They hosted a special "English Corner" where students sat and conversed with us and we did a scavenger hunt activity around the center.  It was really fun to hear a variety of levels of English and to teach them some new expressions like "don't cheat!" when playing a game.  Many students are participating in this program in addition to other jobs and responsibilities and it is incredible to see how motivated they are to learn English and to want to visit the United States.

Our days are very packed with activities and by the time we return to the hotel at night I am exhausted!  I am with a great group of educators and we are learning so much already. I am looking forward to the weekend when we can have some time for sightseeing!

Let the learning begin!

Today we began the day with a meeting with a teacher trainer from the Beijing Chongwen District, Ms. Di Di Yan.  Together we discussed how the English teachers are being trained to teach English and what their classrooms might sound and look like.  Some of the main things to note are that their semester grading breakdown looks much different than ours.  The mid term exam can be worth 30%, the final exam 40%, and the class activities, participation, and homework may only be 30% in total.  Also, there are not many discipline issues in class and students tend to be very quiet.  Asking a lot of questions and taking up the teacher's time can be considered a waste of class time by the other students.  To wrap up our meeting with her we practiced eye exercises which are often times performed several times a day to maintain attention and focus.

Our Arrival

We arrived in Beijing on Monday afternoon about 4:15 after departing San Francisco at 11:15 am on Sunday.  Due to an erupting volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, our plane had to divert to a more southerly route to avoid volcanic ash.  This resulted in several more hours of flying time!  Our plane was then greeted by national health officials who board the plane and individually take every passenger's temperature with a laser-type gun.  Anyone even displaying a low-grade fever is quarantined in a hotel for 7 days!  Thankfully we all managed to safely pass the inspection but a few of my colleagues had to have their's re-taken after walking through the terminal and being flagged by a laser-scanning temperature device which are installed throughout the terminal.  It is more than obvious that the Chinese are taking H1N1 very seriously and we have had multiple reminders by our hosts and the hotel to contact someone if we begin to feel
ill. This is especially important within the first 7 days since this is when people would begin to develop symptoms after exposure.  We even had some locals plug their noses today and cover their mouths when we boarded an elevator! Our school visit tomorrow in Beijing has been changed to a briefing at the Chinese Education Association for International Exchange since officials are being cautious about possible exposure so close to final exams.

I am unable to post directly to Blogger so please bear with me while I try to figure all of this out!  I will love to read your comments but you may not see them posted right away. 

Adios!

Tomorrow morning we will be departing the Vallombrosa Center bright and early for our flight to Beijing. We have spent the last few days here preparing and learning about Chinese history, geography, sociology, and economics from university experts. We have also participated in two "Survival Chinese" lessons and after those I have to say that Spanish is easy! I have spent time with my fellow partcipants who come from New York all the way to Alaska and am very excited to continue this journey with them.

Orientation

On Thursday I will arrive in California for my pre-departure orientation and finally get to meet my fellow travelers. We will be convening in Menlo Park, California, just outside of San Francisco for a 2 day orientation to prepare us for our what to expect in the upcoming weeks. http://www.vallombrosa.org/ On Sunday morning we will depart as a group to Beijing and actually arrive on Monday afternoon at 2:40 pm. I am almost finished packing and the nerves are starting to set in...

Blogging Bans in China

Since I may encounter problems posting directly to Blogger from China due to internet bans, I am testing a new application from my Facebook page where hopefully I can post directly from here. Only about 10 days left until I arrive in Beijing!