Blogs from Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, Asia - page 60

‘We have now completed our 7th week here, more than a third of the way through our term. The activity level has only increased, as we witness and participate in new areas of interest. For example, I have previously written about the 4 suicides that occurred on a neighboring campus in February and the proposal that we drafted for the Social Work Department to develop a suicide prevention program. This proposal has not been acted upon although it was well received in an initial meeting between our department chair and one of the VPs of the university. Nothing like this happens quickly and we expect this effort is no exception. Nonetheless, Ellen’s undergraduate students, who are located on a ten-college campus along with the school that experienced the suicides, are eager to get going on some ... read more

Week five has rolled around and we continue to find ourselves amazed, bewildered, and captivated by our experiences. Our students are energetic and engaged, working hard to make themselves understood in English, a language that he been mostly textbooks and language tapes for them until now. They are seriously motivated to gain greater mastery of English, as they see it an important key to the future. Some number of them will end up in jobs having nothing to do with social work; they are in the department because they were offered an opportunity. The decision about what students go to what schools is guided by the winner take all exam held each July. We have already heard of several undergraduate students who have been offered positions in sales once they graduate this summer. Eli joined us ... read more

We have now begun our fourth week here and the routine remains “dynamic”. We have a teaching schedule, which has me in class on Monday and Tuesday and Ellen in class on Monday and Friday. We each have some additional responsibilities that require a fair amount of additional time during the week. For Ellen, it is supervising the students who are working on the Chinese Working Women’s Network (CWWN) bus, which each Saturday parks in an industrial area about an hour from here. She has some social work students, for whom this is a field placement and some staff and volunteers for the CWWN. This is important work, one that nourishes the tendrils of an independent labor movement here in the PRC with Ellen’s considerable experience and acumen. She has also been going with the bus ... read more

Having purchased our bus tickets the night before by going to the all three bus stations, working out that Guilin looks like tree-ladder-tree-tree on the departures board so that we knew we were at the right station & pointing lots to get two tickets leaving at nine in the morning, we arrived back at the station to meet the bus. We were directed to a queue of people led by a yellow-jacketed man who then guided us back across town to another bus station where we finally met the bus. Our bus had tree-ladder-tree-tree on the front so we were pretty sure we were heading in the right direction, but a German fellow who was alighting on the way wasn't so sure but he joined us all the same. We positioned ourselves in front of the ... read more

Normal? We are home and life is back to normal - - - which means abnormal for the Spitler household! Guangzhou to Hong Kong to Newark to Charlotte to sleep or adrenalin (whichever wins the battle). Abby slept most of the first night after a bottle with mommy. She woke at 1:34 a.m. but was asleep by 3 and stayed that way until noon. Sandy and I stayed that way until after noon! There is mutual admiration between Abby and her brothers. She also seems to admire American food such as Cheerios and Lemon Cake! Thanks for being a part of this journey with us. Through it all we have seen the handiwork of God the Father. He chose Abigail Pinglan Spitler before the foundation of the World to be a part of our family. The ... read more