Beijingpants

After returning from Ruijin and having a day off to shop, alas no iPhone, we traveled to the Great Wall. As we hiked I realized that the wall was going to be too much and that I would have to turn back. So team Dragon, for various reasons, decided to turn around and head down to lower elevation. But rather than walking, we zip-lined. I will admit, this was the best decision I've made in quite some time. The route was 1350m of awesomeness. After being strapped in and promised that I would survive, I "sat" and flew across the river, all while enjoying some of the best sights of the wall. Jess, Rachel, Linda and Mr. Sun soon followed me down and we all had ice cream to celebrate. Apparently, you can haggle with the ... read more

We traveled yesterday to the city of Bao Ding which is, apparently, a WWF certified low-carbon city. While that is all well and good, seeing the solar panel factory of Ying Li was more about the juxtaposition of the 1920’s steel mill and the modern factory, than the actual production of solar cells. While both factories produce a needed commodity, the refined nature of the Ying Li plant and its robot arms and computer screens is drastically different from the large furnaces and billowing smoke stacks that we saw in the mill. The mill seemed primitive and dangerous, while the Ying Li plant was more alienating and mind numbing. I can’t imagine working at either facility, yet I think the steel mill would be more interesting (albeit dangerous). In reality, I guess, this all goes back ... read more

It’s a little strange to walk down the street of a large, metropolitan city and have no idea what 90% of the people around me are saying. We’ve been in Beijing for four days now and the shock of me return to China is finally beginning to wear off. I can’t believe it’s been exactly a year since I’ve last been in China, and it is reaffirming my desire to come live in China in the next few years. The trip has gone well so far. We’ve gone to the large tourist attractions that you “must see,” but also we’re traveled into the areas where Beijingers actually live and work. It’s bizarre to go from walking near the Forbidden City, turning the corner and being in the middle of a sea of vendors who speak enough ... read more

Well here is the situation. The school I work for has broken the contract with my internship company and I need to decide what to do. I can renegotiate my contract, try and find new placement, or come home. I'm leaning towards the last option. But we'll see. The Matouqin lessons are going fabulously. I love playing the Matouqin. I'm not very good though. But for studying for 1.5 months I think I'm okay. I bought my own Matouqin a week ago, his name is Xiao Yu and I love him. At first I did not think that the horse carved at the head was very attractive, but he's growing on me (Lele wants to trade, it makes me smile everytime). Lele is a wonderful teacher, and we have our lessons in Chinese. Even though my ... read more

The look on her face was priceless. She looked at her classmates wondering if I was serious or joking. Yes, we were having class on a Ferris Wheel today. No, there was no hidden camera, this was not a joke. I wish I had teachers that broke the rules when I was in school. I understand that education has a goal, and forgive me for using my blog to voice my opinions but I learned so much more by doing rather than being lectured to. And that is the approach I am trying to take with my older students. When we got to the park she still thought I was joking, I don't think she believed me until we were at the top. "We're really on a Ferris Wheel." Yes, dear. Yes we are. Since class ... read more