Teaching

Xiasha Campus

So I just finished my second full-week of teaching (my week technically starts Wednesday). I’m sure you’re wondering, “Does she still love it?” To answer your question simply, I say “YES!!” To answer your question in more detail, I say:

My classes have been responding very well to my teaching method (which involves a lot of class participation – it’s a conversation class right? You can’t learn to converse by listening to a lecture.) I prepare a lesson plan for each week (flexible plans, of course. You never know what could happen). And so far I think I have set a good pace for my classes. I can’t take all the credit for this, however, because I’ve had a lot of help from the other foreign teachers – especially those who have been here before. For instance, I teach most of the same classes as a man named Edward. He is a 60-something-year-old Australian man who has been teaching in China for at least ten years. He has taught these classes before, so he’s been helping me to set a good pace and also given me some really great ideas for running the class. For example, in my English major classes, we are focusing on interviewing. He recommended having the students do a lot of role-playing exercises – taking turns as the interviewers & interviewees. I think this is a great idea because the students will get a chance to think from both perspectives, giving them an insight to what their future interviewers are looking/listening for.

Bldg A where I teach all my classes

For my other class (the first-year English minors), I’ve been having a lot of fun. Last week, our class topic was “Giving & Receiving Directions.” The students learned new vocabulary, had class discussion & practiced giving each other directions (based on a made-up map I drew on the board). I also had them play the human knot (when people stand in a circle, cross their arms & grab hands with two different people – in essence, a knot. Then, everybody has to work together to untangle their arms so the group is back in a circle – we played this when I was at band camp as a team-building exercise). The only rule was that the students had to direct each other in English ONLY! (Using Chinese disqualified the team). They had a great time and it kept class more interesting (it’s a night class – it has to be interesting!). This week in that class, we will be discussing China (culture, traditions, concepts) because what’s the number one thing people want to know when they meet a foreigner? Facts about their country! These students probably haven’t encountered a situation when they have to explain these concepts in English – it’ll be interesting to see what they come up with.

So, all in all, I’ve been having a great time and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing my students make progress and learn new things. It’s been incredibly gratifying so far.

When I’m not teaching or preparing for teaching, I’ve been spending time with my friend Rachel (from Syracuse) and Dave (from San Francisco). They both live in my building, so it’s convenient to spend time with them. I also (finally!) got some cushions for my wooden furniture!! I got fairly inexpensive ones, so they aren’t the most attractive things. But at least I don’t have to sit on wood when I want to watch TV anymore. I’ll get past the ugly brown design.

I’m really enjoying myself (and the food, and that everything is so cheap, and my job, pretty much everything!). But it’s been great to hear from home too. I hope everything is going well for everyone, I think about home all the time.

Much love! Zaijian!

Olivia

West Lake

Ni Hao Everyone!

Sorry for the delay – life has been surprisingly busy. I’ve had to prepare a lot of paperwork for the University/my classes. Last weekend (Sept. 10 – 12) was a holiday weekend; it was “Autumn Festival.” I suppose it’s similar to the “Harvest Moon” (the full moon last weekend was beautiful, by the way). Over the weekend, I caught up on sleep and also visited the famous West Lake (Xihu, in Chinese).

First, I went to West Lake with Terry & Rachel (two of my foreign teacher friends) on Saturday. We went to the tourist-oriented side. We visited an ancient temple (very cool) and also walked across the lake, where we witnessed beautiful views like ancient pagodas on hilltops & serene, lotus-covered water. It was very lovely, and very “Asian.” There were a lot of other people and tourists around us though, so it was not very secluded.

 On Monday, however, I visited the lake again with my friend Noah (the Chinese student who picked me up from the airport). He took me to the more secluded side of the lake, where there were not so many businesses and tourists. We sat on a sort of deck over the lake, next to old Chinese men & women playing Chinese chess & Mahjong. I really enjoyed this because I felt like it was a more authentic taste of China’s culture. We also walked across the street from the lake, where we wandered through a tea plantation. It was on a hill, so it sort of looked over the lake and other parts of Hangzhou – I really loved it. And it was so secluded – not hustling & bustling with people like the rest of the city.

After exploring the lake, Noah and I went to a restaurant called “City Perk.” Sound familiar? Yes, it is a (nearly) exact replica of the café from the show “Friends.” Not to mention, upstairs the restaurant rents out party rooms that look like the apartments of the main characters. I couldn’t believe it! To top it off, while eating in the Friends Café, you watch episodes of Friends where the characters are in the same café! Oh the irony… But it was very cute. The picture is of Misa (a Chinese guy we met at the café – he spoke English well and loved the chance to speak with a foreigner), myself & Noah. What an experience.

My week at school went well – Thursday, of course, was incredibly long. But at least this time I was prepared for it! And I still really enjoy my students – and I’m under the impression that they are enjoying my class as well! So everything is going well so far. And I hope the same for anybody reading this. Until next time…

ZaiJian!

Li Wei Ya (My Chinese name!)

Misa, me & Noah at City Perk

Yu Fue Temple at West Lake

Pagoda over lotus leaves at West Lake

Me over the tea plantation

My First Days as a Teacher

So, on Thursday & Friday (Sept. 8^th & 9^th) I taught my very first classes in China (honestly, they were my very first classes ever – but we don’t need to emphasize that!) First of all, I’ll tell you what I am teaching. I teach a total of seven classes. Five of them are “Oral English III,” which is a class for sophomore English majors at HNU. The other two classes are evening classes called “Oral English I,” which are for English minors (so each of those students is majoring in something other than English). All seven classes last all year long, which is good because it means I might have a chance at remembering my students’ names. Oral English III focuses on interviewing skills during the first semester & debate skills during the second. Oral English I focuses more on conversation & presentation skills. Each class has roughly 25 – 35 students, most of which are female (boys don’t like English I suppose). So now you have the basics, let me tell you about Thursday.

6:55am – 7:10am  – Ride the bus to Xiasha campus.
                I live on “Wenyi” campus of HNU, which is a small campus located near the city center of Hangzhou. However, I teach my classes on Xiasha campus, which is totally on the outside of town – it takes about an hour to get there, hence the ridiculously early bus ride over.

8:20am – 9:45:am  – Teach Oral English III

9:55am – 11:25am – Teach Oral English III, again

11:30am – 1:30pm – Lunch Break!
                Usually other American/foreign teachers have a break at this time as well, so we meet up and eat together in the cafeterias on campus. What type of food? Chinese, of course!

1:30pm – 2:55pm – Teach Oral English III, again again

3:00pm – 6:00pm – Relax in the Foreign Teachers’ Office

6:00pm – 7:30pm – Teach Oral English for Minors

8:00pm – 9:30pm – Ride the bus back to my apartment
                Because I am the only foreign teacher who teaches a class so late on Thursday, they do not provide transportation back to Wenyi campus. This means I had to figure out how to ride the public bus – fortunately, I met a Chinese girl at the Xiasha bus station who spoke English & helped me to get off at the right stop. I was very lucky!!

Okay, so if it’s not clear what I’m trying to tell you, let me spell it out for you: THURSDAY IS A REALLY FRIGGIN’ LONG DAY!!! All I wanted to do when I got home was lay in my bed & sleep. Don’t worry, I did J.

By now I’m sure you’re saying, “Okay, I get it. Long day. But how were the classes??” I can answer this question with one word: Great!! I was very impressed with my students. They all arrived on time & were more than willing to participate (maybe it was because I bribed them with M&M’s?). Not to mention, I was called “beautiful” at least a dozen times just within my first two classes. Who wouldn’t want a job where you weren’t constantly reminded of your beauty?? J Needless to say, I loved it! Of course, the first day mostly consisted of introductions, so it wasn’t anything challenging. But even when I was tired, blistered & sweaty on the ride back to my apartment on Thursday, I knew that I had made the right decision to come here. And you really can’t beat that feeling. So, as my classes take off, I will be sure to share with you more details (for example, I have students named “Toffee” & “Cookie” – they chose their own English names). But for now, you at least know that I am doing well & truly enjoying the classroom experience thus far.

I can’t wait to tell you more!

ZaiJian!!
- Olivia

P.S. I did have my first experience with public restrooms on Thursday as well – it was not a pretty sight. I took a picture of what the “toilets” look like. They have been nicknamed “Squatty Potty”s - you’ll see why!

Discovering Wu-Mei and Ordering Chinese Food

Ni Hao Everybody!! And xie xie (thank you) for visiting my blog once again. It is the night of September 5^th here and, let me tell you, I have had a long past few days! I’ve been spending my time navigating the streets of Hangzhou (never venturing too far from campus though – I’m not ready to get completely lost yet!), buying various necessities for my apartment & figuring out what to eat and how to order it. During this time, I have learned a few basic “rules” about living in China. I’d like to share them with you:

1.       Being stared at shamelessly is perfectly normal. Get used to it.
2.       Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way.
3.       Even after you make it clear that you do not speak Chinese, people will continue to loudly talk at you as if your hearing were the problem. Which it is not.
4.       Potato chips come in any & every flavor. So far I’ve seen blueberry, cucumber, hot & sour shrimp soup, numb & spicy hot pot soup, & stir-fried shrimp flavors.
5.       There is no Chinese word for “excuse me” (& even if there is, I sure haven’t heard it). To get where you need to go, all you need is a little pushing & shoving.

I’m sure I could continue, but that would make this entry entirely too long. Instead, I will tell you of my adventures at Wu Mei, the so-called Chinese Wal-Mart. Wu Mei is a giant building about 15 minutes (walking) away from my apartment. It has at least six floors, each filled with all sorts of stuff – everything you could imagine. The ground floor is dedicated to mopeds, bicycles & the like. The first floor is comprised of various clothing, shoe & jewelry shops. The second floor is a giant grocery store (with some of the strangest foods I have ever seen). The third floor is all things considered “home goods,” plus toiletries, cleaning supplies, electronics & more. I haven’t even ventured to the fourth floor – I find myself scared to see what more a store could carry. If this place doesn’t sound overwhelming enough, then picture it COMPLETELY FULL OF PEOPLE.  I first went on Saturday, where I was so flabbergasted that I couldn’t even bring myself to buy anything – I had to get out of that maze! On Sunday, I had better luck. I was able to buy toilet paper (finally!!) and other living necessities. And it didn’t take me 30 minutes to find the exit this time. I found myself there again today (even after I had decided that two days in a row was more than enough) to purchase just a few more things I had added to my list. Hopefully, that’s the last time for the rest of the week. However, if you come to China for one reason, then it should be to see this outrageous store. I have never seen anything like it. It truly has been an adventure each time I’ve gone.

When I’m not wandering around Wu Mei like a mouse in a maze, I have been preparing for my classes (I begin teaching on Thursday!) and organizing my apartment. I also reached another important milestone today – I ordered food (in Chinese) in a restaurant! Up ‘til now, I have either had someone else order for me or I have just eaten food from the convenience store. And boy, the “Eggplant that Smells Like Fish” sure was delicious!! (It doesn’t really smell like fish – in fact, it smells like butter & heaven all in one. And it melts on one’s tongue like nothing I’ve ever tasted). Hopefully by the end of next week, I will have expanded my meal repertoire so that I’m able to order a wider variety of dishes. Yum!

So, like I’ve said – I have managed to finally get my apartment in order,  and I’d like to share it with you. Here are some pictures of where I live:

If you’d like to see more, then just send me an e-mail! I hope everyone is doing fine & dandy, I can’t wait to hear from you.

Zaijian,

Olivia

I Made It!

For those of you who don’t know already – I successfully made it to Hangzhou!! The 26 hours of hauling luggage, flying on planes & navigating through terminals was worth it. I can’t even describe the relief I felt when I finally landed at the Hangzhou airport.

A senior from HNU (Hangzhou Normal University) met me at the airport to help me with my bags and make sure I got to my apartment safely. His English name was Noah (When Chinese students learn English, they choose English names). He was very friendly and super helpful. During the ride home, he told me all about what there is to do in Hangzhou (from movies to shopping, eating and more!). He also told me, in his opinion, the most important Chinese phrase: “Tai Gui” which means “too expensive.” I found this hilarious, especially since he was completely serious. He informed me that most prices in China are not fixed, and the Chinese will always try to charge the foreigners extra - definitely a valuable piece of advice.

We finally arrived to my apartment building where I was informed that I will live on the sixth floor. Great, right? Except for there are no elevators. As if I’m not tired enough already, Noah and I lug my two HUGE suitcases all the way up to the sixth floor into my apartment. Phew! However, the hard work was worth it – my apartment is much better than I thought it would be! I have a living room, equipped with couch, coffee table, television & DVD player. A small dining set, a kitchen with a fridge, microwave & stove (not to mention, a rice cooker). PLUS I get two bedrooms, each with a bed, desk & closet!! Overall, the apartment has definitely been a pleasant surprise.

I haven’t really had a chance to explore the rest of the city (it’s huge, by the way) but what I have seen so far is really cool! There are huge posters and signs all in Chinese, which just looks so pretty to me – it’s like art. Everybody who I have interacted with so far has been incredibly helpful, even those who don’t speak English. So, even though I am mostly lost at this point, I feel very welcome. It’s a truly great feeling to have in a country so far from home.

Tomorrow (Saturday), I am going to a meeting with all the other foreign English teachers to discuss classroom expectations, goals, etc. After that, Angela (the Chinese woman who offered me this job initially) is taking me to buy a cell phone & other necessities (i.e. toilet paper!!). And, I begin teaching classes on Tuesday.

So, now I am off to bed (it is currently 11:30pm here)! And remember, I can’t read comments you leave on the blog, so if you’d like to message me just e-mail me at either one of the following: oec7146@hotmail.com or oecunningham2010@gmail.com. I can’t wait to hear from you, and I love everyone’s support. Xie xie!! (thank you)

Zai Jian,

Olivia

P.S. Today, I bought three bottles of water and a bottle of Sprite for 6 Yuan… which slightly less than one US dollar. I am loving this currency!!