12/29

I have so many stories to tell! I'll try to just pick a few so it does not turn into a 200 page novel ;)

So on Wednesday I started my afternoon classes. The students are older than me (late 20s or older), and some of them actually have family in America and they are learning English and will someday be moving to America to join the rest of their family. They are very interested in learning about American culture, and are actively trying to learn English but are typical language students: too nervous to speak in English so they ask the Chinese English teacher if they are saying it correctly before proceeding in English--even half way through the sentence. It would be much better if they would just try to say it right and then be corrected later, but we're working on that ;) I am helping with pronunciation and putting sentences together in the right order. But that's every day that I do the afternoon classes.

I've been doing that most days...except for when I was sick. I only went to one of my night classes due to the parties we had :)

Saturday we had our free class. A decent amout of people came. I helped with the little kids. I found out that though I am really good with kids, I am not quite as good with them when they don't speak English....and when I failed to talk with the teacher I'm helping before hand to ask what I should do during the class--whoops! But that's ok. They just stared at me like normal--cause I look different.

Sunday afternoon I went to a weekly meeting. I had a friend translate for me so that I knew what was being said. It's a 2 hour long 'program' and not knowing what is being said is...well...quite boring. It was nice, though. At night we had another free class. There are certain things I am not allowed to talk about because...well...I am a foreigner. These are the things I also cannot mention in email because...well...I'm a foreigner. I also do not lead these Sunday classes, but I am able to participate if a question is asked where maybe I have more expertise than someone else. But on Sunday night at the free class, we only had maybe 20 people show up as opposed to the normal 100 or more. So we only split up into 2 groups instead of 3 or 4, and talked about John...preparing the way for Someone. We had so many questions asked. There were many new words, and we explained what they meant. And when we explained the words, there were questions that no longer had anything to do with the words, but with the concepts. It was wonderful seeing how hungry they were. And I don't mean physically! There was a very difficult and deep question that was asked, because the whole 'water and word' with infants vs adults came up, and then we talked about how babies are often...well, yeah, because they do wrong things as well, and we are commanded to do so as well. And we were asked how they do wrong things. I got the opportunity to explain some deep stuff. It had to be translated though, because this was the low level English group, and I'm not sure if they knew enough English for that idea to fully come across well in English. So one of the strong (in a non-physical sense) Chinese young men translated for me, and it was wonderful. I could just see the eager faces looking at him while he was sharing. I got goosebumps because of how amazing it was and how much I felt Him there. We actually went overtime because of all the questions people had. It was very enjoyable.

Monday was my day off...but it felt nothing like it! I went to lunch with friends and then walked around and visited some ancient buildings. It was very cool. Then I went to the university with one of the students and walked around there for what seemed like FOREVER because this university is HUGE! Then I went back to my apartment for half hour and went out for supper with a friend and her fiancee. After supper we went to the park and I tried my hand at tai chi, and also at dancing. You will never guess what kind of dancing they were doing---LINE DANCING! I would have never guessed that that's what I would learn in China.... haha. But there was also a beautiful water show going on in that park as well as a stage performance: singers and dancers (modern and ballet and such). It was a beautiful night. I had a good time.

Today I went shopping at the western store so I could get food to cook so that some of the Chinese can experience what I like to eat in America. So I will be cooking enchilladas and pizza eventually. Probably not together...but yeah. Then I came back and had classes at 2:30. We talked about getting groceries and about other things, we played a game, and we took a break. During the break they decided that we should go out for afternoon tea. So we left and ate together, and they were practicing their English in a practical location. We were going to go to an actual high tea restraunt, but it closed 15 minutes after we got there, and that did not leave us enough time. So we went out for dumplings instead. They were wonderful. Then one of the students invited me over for supper with her and a friend (and their daughters) at her friend's apartment. I accepted.

We had hot pot. That is a traditional Chinese meal. You cook soup...water and chicken and/or pork bones...for a couple hours. You also prepare many things such as meat, vegetables, or other things to put into the soup later. Then, you make rice. You have a hot plate in the middle of the table where you have a pot and you have the soup in it (now without the bones). You then sit around the table, and put in the first dish. So you put in the lamb, which is what we had. You wait for it to cook (it's precooked, but it has to get warm). Then you take it out whenever you feel like eating some, and it's good. Then, eventually you add the next dish. We had potatoes, lotus, and something else I was unable to identify. They were pretty good. We then ate until we were full, and then put some of the soup (now with LOTS of flavor) in our bowls. Then you drink the soup. It was delicious! That is the traditional hot pot. We happened to also have rabbit on the side. It was pretty good--it was made up with a spicy sauce and everything. But I had a hard time eating what I usually identify as a pet...

That was the rest of my day. I then agreed to take on some more substitute positions...so I teach classes at a local school tomorrow morning, and then also Saturday morning I will teach some classes. I hope they go well.... I guess we'll see! I will be talking about the New Year----not Chinese style.

Well, even though I weaned out some stories, it still became a novel. Oh well. I hope you enjoyed it anyway :)

I must go, as I have to be waiting for the bus in 9 hours and I have to somehow sleep between now and then.
Have a wonderful New Year!
-Alissa