Letter #3 September 7 – 13, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008 – Dad – Our meetings began at 1pm with sacrament meeting first and a general Sunday school class the second hour. It was announced that we will be going to a three hour session just like back home. I was sustained as the First Counselor to the Branch President today – another opportunity to serve. Testimony meeting was very good. Only 18 in attendance today with almost all bearing testimony just to fill the hour. As a branch we had a potluck at Sister Amanda’s apartment. All 18 took five taxi’s to get to her apartment along with our “potluck”. Amanda is not married and runs an orphanage for babies. Many people come from all over the world to adopt these infants. After the potluck we held our first Branch Presidency meeting. We organized the branch in less than 15 minutes and made the calls as all were still at the potluck. Wow, I have never organized a complete branch in an hour. Mom was called to work in the primary where there is only one 11 year old boy named Curtis. Mom will be assisted by Elva Orton, our next door neighbor. I am sure they will use our apartment to hold primary since we only have one large room in a hotel next door to the apartment. Upon arriving home we made sure we had our lesson finalized and everything packed in our briefcases and bags.
Monday, September 8, 2008 – Mom – For our classes this week, we have chosen idioms and vocabulary about traveling, since we are teaching in the tourism department. Some of the idioms are: hit the road, travel light, end of the line, road hog, drives me up the wall, one track mind, in the same boat, port of call, down the road. The kids really enjoy these type sayings and their “American” meanings. One girl said she watched “Friends” and wanted to know the American slang words. We explain their meanings, put them in sentences, have the students repeat the words and then have them think of a sentence. They are very smart. We followed the same procedure with vocabulary words that a tour guide might say on a tour or a travel agent might plan. The second hour we divided them into teams of 4, either an A team or a B team. The A team was supposed to give the reasons why Mr. and Mrs. Brown should visit Beijing on a vacation rather than Xi’an and the B team was supposed to give the reasons why we should visit Xi’an instead of Beijing. Each person on the team was supposed to give a reason. They did a very good and convincing job. We shall visit both cities. In the second class, they actually started debating which is the better city to visit. It was very interesting. We ate lunch at home and then walked to Metro to buy some plug in Raid for mosquitoes. For dinner, the Jessops (here last year) took us to the faculty cantine and showed us how to order things. The weather cools down in the evenings and is still hot and humid during the day.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008 – Dad – This was probably the first day that has felt normal around here. We taught two classes in the morning then home for a peanut butter and jam sandwich and a well deserved nap. In the afternoon the Jessop’s came to stay in our apartment while their maid cleaned their apartment. They pay her 30 Yuan for two hours of cleaning. That equates to approximately $4.50 for the two hour session. Mom is going to get a maid for two hours a week. She is being recommended by the branch president’s wife. We have yet to hear from her. This evening we ate with the students and paid $.70 total for a meal. We ate flat bread and a bowl of very hot soup with dumplings in it. This evening we corrected assignments which we gave to each class. Mom mentioned the assignment above. It rained today – it will hopefully clean the air.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008 – Mom – We had been told previously that the 10th of each month is payday. But all of us new foreign teachers must wait until the Bank of China sets up an account and gives us a debit card. There is a very fine grey dust around here – some have said it comes from the Gobi Desert. Anyway, it is everywhere and that is why it is suggested that we have a cleaning lady. Besides, it gives her an opportunity to make money. We found another little grocery store today with the help of the Jessops. They have helped us understand a few more things. Babies from about the ages of 1 yr to 2 yrs wear pants that are open in the crotch and up the back a little. That is how they train their babies. I do not see little accidents on the ground, so it must be cleaned up quickly, but I have seen a lot of cute little bottoms. Another interesting thing is the reason why the Asians have holes in the ground for their toilets. They consider it unsanitary to sit on a toilet seat where others have sat. We learned today that the teacher from England, who we have been substituting for, will arrive tonight.
Thursday, September 11, 2008 – Dad – Seventh anniversary of 911. Mom and I went our separate ways today. She was invited to a festival and I did the teaching. After my classes a student wanted to Xerox my quote book. So, I missed the faculty bus to stay as the book was being Xeroxed and went to lunch. I was able to select three choices, all of which had rice as a basic. I then caught the green bucket of bolts (bob) which is a bus that you can take for 25 cents back to the main campus. At each stop more people got on and we all felt as sardines in a can until the main campus showed up. I thought that I had taken the wrong bus because it was taking so long and going through strange places. I began to think how I would talk with them to help me get home. The evening was spent talking with students in English on the open square. It was called English Corner. A fun time.
Mom-I was invited by our neighbor, Elva Orton, to go to the Pomegranate Festival. We thought it was a flea market situation. We were wrong. The Business Department had been asked to invite 3 foreign teachers to participate in this “activity.” The activity was to promote advertising for the upcoming pomegranate season, which will be in 2 weeks. Just Elva and I and our interpreter from the Business Department were there. We were taken to a different town to the government building. We were asked if it was okay with us to be part of an advertising campaign. Then there was a car caravan up a winding hill (much like going up on Monroe Mountain) that was covered with pomegranate trees. This is the largest pomegranate “garden” in Xi’an. At the top of the mountain or BIG hill, we were interviewed by 3 newspaper men who began taking our pictures. Some of the questions I was asked, was, “when did you first taste pomegranate?, where do the pomegranates come from in America? How much do they cost in America?” Then, we, along with the farmer’s wife, and the newspaper entourage followed the farmer into the hills to find the perfect pomegranate tree. When the perfect spot was found, they wanted Elva and I to pick the pomegranates off the tree and put them in a basket. It was like a photo shoot. We think they must have taken 1000 pictures and we picked 2 trees! Then we helped carry the basket back up the trail with more pictures being taken. Evidently, we may see our faces on billboards!!! And in the newspaper!!! Afterwards, we were taken to a very up-scale restaurant and served a marvelous meal with many, many things to eat. Most we recognized – thank goodness. And of course, we were offered wine and tea. They were very cordial with our request for cold water and I know they thought we were very odd. Then, after watching us struggle with the chopsticks, the government dignitary (whom I was seated next to) requested the waitress to bring us forks. The lady dignitary is the president of the advertising department for the government of this city. She gave us toasts, helped dish up my plate and spoke a little English. It was a very, very interesting day. After the long lunch (2 hours and many courses), we were given the pomegranates and chauffeured back home.
Friday, September 12, 2008 – Londyn’s Birthday – Mom – No school for us today. We took a walk in the morning and found a Chinese bakery. We are trying everything and ruling out where we will visit again. We hired Mrs. Leo to come and clean the apartment. She worked for 2 hours and she earned $6.00 (40 yuan in Chinese money). The apartment was very nice when she finished. It is amazing how quickly the grey dust appears on the floors here. At 3:00 pm, we met Bruce and Carol Armstrong from Tasmania, Australia. They are the teachers we have been substituting for. Then Charlie asked us if we would like to record a phonetic book for some teachers who have just written it. He reminded us that we would not be working for the next two weeks, so we said yes, we would do it. At 4:30 pm, there was a meeting for all the foreign teachers. We met the dean of the foreign affairs department and the president of the university. They gave us a gift of Moon Cakes. The boxes are very elaborate and beautiful and the little cakes inside have different fillings, of which we are still trying to decide if we like. Everything tastes very different here. We came home and watched Barnyard on HBO.
Saturday, September 13, 2008 – Dad – A quiet day! We had to go to the ATM to draw out some Yuan ($300) to make it until payday. The Chinese officials said that we would be paid on the 10th of each month except the first month. So, here we are taking money out of our account. They have said to expect the 20th (Sat ?). Mom purchased an over the shoulder bag for three dollars. The lady started at 12 dollars and Mom got her down to $3. We then had to buy an ironing board. Yes, we do have an ironing board in the apartment but it is only half the height of a regular one – so, to keep the shirt sleeves off the floor we had to buy a larger one. We were going to go back to the “Tang Paradise” park again but decided to stay home. Our evening meal was fresh noodles (4 days old) with broth and some Chinese bread. I am learning that I cannot eat much over here – my stomach has a hard time. We also ate for lunch a Chinese pizza which was onion, pepper (hot), sliced hot dog and dry crust. We hope we survive over here. The good side is that we are losing weight. I have been working on a talk for tomorrow off and on today.
Sunday, September 7, 2008 – Dad – Our meetings began at 1pm with sacrament meeting first and a general Sunday school class the second hour. It was announced that we will be going to a three hour session just like back home. I was sustained as the First Counselor to the Branch President today – another opportunity to serve. Testimony meeting was very good. Only 18 in attendance today with almost all bearing testimony just to fill the hour. As a branch we had a potluck at Sister Amanda’s apartment. All 18 took five taxi’s to get to her apartment along with our “potluck”. Amanda is not married and runs an orphanage for babies. Many people come from all over the world to adopt these infants. After the potluck we held our first Branch Presidency meeting. We organized the branch in less than 15 minutes and made the calls as all were still at the potluck. Wow, I have never organized a complete branch in an hour. Mom was called to work in the primary where there is only one 11 year old boy named Curtis. Mom will be assisted by Elva Orton, our next door neighbor. I am sure they will use our apartment to hold primary since we only have one large room in a hotel next door to the apartment. Upon arriving home we made sure we had our lesson finalized and everything packed in our briefcases and bags.
Monday, September 8, 2008 – Mom – For our classes this week, we have chosen idioms and vocabulary about traveling, since we are teaching in the tourism department. Some of the idioms are: hit the road, travel light, end of the line, road hog, drives me up the wall, one track mind, in the same boat, port of call, down the road. The kids really enjoy these type sayings and their “American” meanings. One girl said she watched “Friends” and wanted to know the American slang words. We explain their meanings, put them in sentences, have the students repeat the words and then have them think of a sentence. They are very smart. We followed the same procedure with vocabulary words that a tour guide might say on a tour or a travel agent might plan. The second hour we divided them into teams of 4, either an A team or a B team. The A team was supposed to give the reasons why Mr. and Mrs. Brown should visit Beijing on a vacation rather than Xi’an and the B team was supposed to give the reasons why we should visit Xi’an instead of Beijing. Each person on the team was supposed to give a reason. They did a very good and convincing job. We shall visit both cities. In the second class, they actually started debating which is the better city to visit. It was very interesting. We ate lunch at home and then walked to Metro to buy some plug in Raid for mosquitoes. For dinner, the Jessops (here last year) took us to the faculty cantine and showed us how to order things. The weather cools down in the evenings and is still hot and humid during the day.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008 – Dad – This was probably the first day that has felt normal around here. We taught two classes in the morning then home for a peanut butter and jam sandwich and a well deserved nap. In the afternoon the Jessop’s came to stay in our apartment while their maid cleaned their apartment. They pay her 30 Yuan for two hours of cleaning. That equates to approximately $4.50 for the two hour session. Mom is going to get a maid for two hours a week. She is being recommended by the branch president’s wife. We have yet to hear from her. This evening we ate with the students and paid $.70 total for a meal. We ate flat bread and a bowl of very hot soup with dumplings in it. This evening we corrected assignments which we gave to each class. Mom mentioned the assignment above. It rained today – it will hopefully clean the air.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008 – Mom – We had been told previously that the 10th of each month is payday. But all of us new foreign teachers must wait until the Bank of China sets up an account and gives us a debit card. There is a very fine grey dust around here – some have said it comes from the Gobi Desert. Anyway, it is everywhere and that is why it is suggested that we have a cleaning lady. Besides, it gives her an opportunity to make money. We found another little grocery store today with the help of the Jessops. They have helped us understand a few more things. Babies from about the ages of 1 yr to 2 yrs wear pants that are open in the crotch and up the back a little. That is how they train their babies. I do not see little accidents on the ground, so it must be cleaned up quickly, but I have seen a lot of cute little bottoms. Another interesting thing is the reason why the Asians have holes in the ground for their toilets. They consider it unsanitary to sit on a toilet seat where others have sat. We learned today that the teacher from England, who we have been substituting for, will arrive tonight.
Thursday, September 11, 2008 – Dad – Seventh anniversary of 911. Mom and I went our separate ways today. She was invited to a festival and I did the teaching. After my classes a student wanted to Xerox my quote book. So, I missed the faculty bus to stay as the book was being Xeroxed and went to lunch. I was able to select three choices, all of which had rice as a basic. I then caught the green bucket of bolts (bob) which is a bus that you can take for 25 cents back to the main campus. At each stop more people got on and we all felt as sardines in a can until the main campus showed up. I thought that I had taken the wrong bus because it was taking so long and going through strange places. I began to think how I would talk with them to help me get home. The evening was spent talking with students in English on the open square. It was called English Corner. A fun time.
Mom-I was invited by our neighbor, Elva Orton, to go to the Pomegranate Festival. We thought it was a flea market situation. We were wrong. The Business Department had been asked to invite 3 foreign teachers to participate in this “activity.” The activity was to promote advertising for the upcoming pomegranate season, which will be in 2 weeks. Just Elva and I and our interpreter from the Business Department were there. We were taken to a different town to the government building. We were asked if it was okay with us to be part of an advertising campaign. Then there was a car caravan up a winding hill (much like going up on Monroe Mountain) that was covered with pomegranate trees. This is the largest pomegranate “garden” in Xi’an. At the top of the mountain or BIG hill, we were interviewed by 3 newspaper men who began taking our pictures. Some of the questions I was asked, was, “when did you first taste pomegranate?, where do the pomegranates come from in America? How much do they cost in America?” Then, we, along with the farmer’s wife, and the newspaper entourage followed the farmer into the hills to find the perfect pomegranate tree. When the perfect spot was found, they wanted Elva and I to pick the pomegranates off the tree and put them in a basket. It was like a photo shoot. We think they must have taken 1000 pictures and we picked 2 trees! Then we helped carry the basket back up the trail with more pictures being taken. Evidently, we may see our faces on billboards!!! And in the newspaper!!! Afterwards, we were taken to a very up-scale restaurant and served a marvelous meal with many, many things to eat. Most we recognized – thank goodness. And of course, we were offered wine and tea. They were very cordial with our request for cold water and I know they thought we were very odd. Then, after watching us struggle with the chopsticks, the government dignitary (whom I was seated next to) requested the waitress to bring us forks. The lady dignitary is the president of the advertising department for the government of this city. She gave us toasts, helped dish up my plate and spoke a little English. It was a very, very interesting day. After the long lunch (2 hours and many courses), we were given the pomegranates and chauffeured back home.
Friday, September 12, 2008 – Londyn’s Birthday – Mom – No school for us today. We took a walk in the morning and found a Chinese bakery. We are trying everything and ruling out where we will visit again. We hired Mrs. Leo to come and clean the apartment. She worked for 2 hours and she earned $6.00 (40 yuan in Chinese money). The apartment was very nice when she finished. It is amazing how quickly the grey dust appears on the floors here. At 3:00 pm, we met Bruce and Carol Armstrong from Tasmania, Australia. They are the teachers we have been substituting for. Then Charlie asked us if we would like to record a phonetic book for some teachers who have just written it. He reminded us that we would not be working for the next two weeks, so we said yes, we would do it. At 4:30 pm, there was a meeting for all the foreign teachers. We met the dean of the foreign affairs department and the president of the university. They gave us a gift of Moon Cakes. The boxes are very elaborate and beautiful and the little cakes inside have different fillings, of which we are still trying to decide if we like. Everything tastes very different here. We came home and watched Barnyard on HBO.
Saturday, September 13, 2008 – Dad – A quiet day! We had to go to the ATM to draw out some Yuan ($300) to make it until payday. The Chinese officials said that we would be paid on the 10th of each month except the first month. So, here we are taking money out of our account. They have said to expect the 20th (Sat ?). Mom purchased an over the shoulder bag for three dollars. The lady started at 12 dollars and Mom got her down to $3. We then had to buy an ironing board. Yes, we do have an ironing board in the apartment but it is only half the height of a regular one – so, to keep the shirt sleeves off the floor we had to buy a larger one. We were going to go back to the “Tang Paradise” park again but decided to stay home. Our evening meal was fresh noodles (4 days old) with broth and some Chinese bread. I am learning that I cannot eat much over here – my stomach has a hard time. We also ate for lunch a Chinese pizza which was onion, pepper (hot), sliced hot dog and dry crust. We hope we survive over here. The good side is that we are losing weight. I have been working on a talk for tomorrow off and on today.
1 comment:
Mom I love that you turned into this pomegrante model in China. That looked like that was a fun day.
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