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Published: December 8th 2012
Group photo
This was actually taken afterwards. When we got there we just jumped on into the hiking.I finally got to hang out with my students today! They've invited me out before "to play", but I've usually been busy with volunteer work or travelling. So today we took a short trip out to the nearby mountains to go hiking. I wasn't sure what to expect since most of my students English is mid level at best, but all of them tried to include me in conversations or whatever activity we were currently doing.
What really impacted me though was their level of giving. I've heard about it from other teachers and foreigners, but this is the first time I've experienced it to such extremes. First it was the food. My students kept trying to give me food from when they first saw me in the morning all the way up to when we got back in the cars to go back to school. They also wouldn't let me pay for anything! Two of my students paid both for my travel fees and my entry fee into the mountain. I wanted to insist, but I wasn't sure if it would be considered inconsiderate. I know how I feel when back home I try to help someone out by
Group photo take 2
We had to switch people in and out to make sure everyone got in at least one photo. paying and they insist on paying for themselves anyway. I wasn't sure how much of a taboo, if at all, it would be if I flat out refused to let them pay for me.
They also coddled me all the way up the mountain. For part of the trip it wasn't hiking in the sense of stair climbing, it was all out, grab that rock, push me up, don't let me fall, mountain climbing. They always made sure there was a guy in front of me and a guy in back of me and grabbed and pushed me all the way up the side of the mountain. I heard "take care! Watch out!" so many times throughout the day. I felt a little insulted, like my students thought I was too old or too fragile to take care of myself, but in a way it made me feel very taken care of.
From beginning to end they looked out for me and I felt so bad when at the end I made a mistake and got in trouble. There was this fun little water area at the end of the hike where you could take out these rafts
and do a water obstacle course. I have absolutely no upper body strength to speak of, but I really wanted to do the water swing. My students didn't want me to do it in case I fell, but right before we were going to leave one of my female students said I should try it. I did, ended up right on my butt in the water and was soaked from the waist down. I also sadly had neglected to take out both my phone and camera before attempting my swing. My students were all in histerics! It was like the end of the world to them. Oh I must cold! Oh I'm going to get sick! Oh, it's all my fault (my student who encouraged me to swing said that about herself)! I felt so horrible, not because I was wet, but because I made all of them worry after having such a good day with them. I did my best to let them know I had still had a great day, I wasn't cold, I wasn't going to get sick, no it wasn't my student's fault, and so on and so forth.
It really was a super day
and I'm grateful they thought to include me on such a fun outing. They all have such fun spirited personalities and I look forward to any future outings with them. : )
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Mom
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Just a Swinging
I would have been right there with you, remember the time at Wisconsin Dells waterpark on the zip line, I didn't make it 2 seconds! lol