Spring Festival! Wow, this is so cool. Very neat that you got to travel north and experience new year with Emily. The kangs seem so cool. I love that they have animal guardians and bring little magical touches into their world (like the red blanket for good luck for newlyweds). Seems a little sad that there aren't wildlife there anymore. What was the Buddhist temple like?? Love you guys. Emily's uncle seems awesome.
Wonderful! I couldn't wait to hear about how your trip was-- it looks like it was absolutely fantastic and special! And the pictures are lovely! Especially Shannon on the train! Can't wait to hear about Thailand! Much much love!
Amazing What a great picture of you boarding with the Great Wall behind you. Around here $33 would only buy you lunch. I hope you had a great time. Jill
discipline Shannon, I don't remember what I did about it. I think in kindy it wasn't that much of an issue, because of the teacher I worked with-- she was great and didn't really use discipline in that way. With the older kids it was definitely an issue, but I didn't have another (Korean) teacher in the classroom with me, so I didn't have their influence. When I needed more support, I kind of just deferred to the headmaster's physical methods. I didn't know enough at that time to do anything differently, and I'm not sure we can really buck the cultural norms too much. Especially as they get older the kids are used to it and expect it as a display of authority. It was hard to navigate otherwise.
thanks! Hey there Shannon,
This post soo much reminds me of my time in Korea. It's the same! From the discipline, to the teachers spending so much time prettying up their classrooms, to the age of the students and their beginning to learn a new language. There was so much pressure on the teachers to make everything look perfect. We even had these high-pressure plays twice a year that were in English, that the teachers had to make sure went off without a hitch. Big money. Thanks for writing this!
Comments Wanted Hey Abi, thanks for your comment. It's really nice to hear from people on the blog!
Yes, we also have to do Demo classes where the parents come in and watch us teach. How did you handle the discipline?
snow days Yes! We had 2 snow days that lengthened our winter break. Nobody was too sad about that. :)
Now, after getting lots of snow, we have also had warm and rainy weather, so conditions aren't great. I'm hoping that changes soon.
It's strange to think that pollution would stop it from snowing; such a concrete cause and effect -- perhaps someone should send the global warming doubters to China?
In other news -- saw your student videos today. Love it! Take care.
Bi Bim Bab My favorite dish a Shin La. It looks pretty yummy in Korea, too :)
I love seeing your adventures! It is snowy and COLD here in VT!
We miss you !!
Snow Hey Dana,
We are missing you guys too. We are also missing the snow if you can believe it. It gets cold here but doesn't precipitate due to the pollution. Kinda dull. Any snow days yet?
Hi Sounds like you two are having a great time traveling. Interesting that you should choose China, Hunter is enthralled with Asian people and their culture. He actually kept the postcard you sent! Have fun traveling and be safe. God Bless - Teresa
The food looks better than what I expected! It seems mostly reasonable too. Are you getting used to the air \"quality\" and how is your Chinese coming along? Thanks for the update!
Just hold your breath! So good to find this blog! Saw Kendall's post of facebook with how to get here. Look forward to following it. Do you have access to e-mail also?
We are newlyweds who moved from Brattleboro, Vermont, USA to Beijing, China. Recently we began teaching English at a training school, touring around the city and getting to know the people of China. We are excited to share our experiences with you!... full info
kristen
non-member comment
Spring Festival!
Wow, this is so cool. Very neat that you got to travel north and experience new year with Emily. The kangs seem so cool. I love that they have animal guardians and bring little magical touches into their world (like the red blanket for good luck for newlyweds). Seems a little sad that there aren't wildlife there anymore. What was the Buddhist temple like?? Love you guys. Emily's uncle seems awesome.