There were a couple of pop singers who sang some songs accompanied with
dancers. One of the songs was really nice and I was able to hum along with
it. The young adult dancers also did a couple of numbers by themselves
(ballet/pop/jazz? combo). They (13 men, 13 women) were very good. I'm not
used to seeing so many elegantly moving men. There were lots of fireworks,
smoke and 4 air cannons for throwing confetti type stuff into the air (for
Neale). The performance was really fun.
We have had only 4 dining room chairs to sit on as the love seat left for
us by the landlord was unusable. It was covered in mold so we put it in the
spare bedroom until they come to get it. So on Sunday, we went to a huge
furniture store looking for a cheap chesterfield. We spent many minutes
sitting on many different ones. I kept going back to a suite which was
really comfortable. At first we thought it was too expensive but every time
we came back and sat in it, our ideas softened. A cheap 3 seater would have
cost 500 rmb. It wasn't as comfortable and didn't look nearly as nice. So
we bought the set.
There is a 3 seater chesterfield and 2 matching chairs.
It is turquoise and white leather. It is very modern looking and very
comfortable. The set was 2000 rmb (about $300 Canadian). The salesperson
told us to be home in an hour as it would be delivered. We took the bus
home. Doug and X. L. (one of Doug's Chinese friends who had come to
translate and bargain) went to the grocery store on the way home and I went
right to the apartment. Before they could get back to the apartment the
delivery "van" arrived. It was one man on a tricycle/wagon. He had the set
all wrapped up in big woven plastic bags and piled on the back. Luckily,
the furniture is much lighter than Canadian furniture as he had to carry it
up to the fourth floor. He took the 2 chairsup one at a time and then
Doug, who had just come home, helped carry the chesterfield up. The
delivery cost 100 rmb but we gave him an extra 20 because it wasn't easy
getting it up the stairs.
I went shopping yesterday morning at a huge enclosed market with hundreds
of stalls. I went to the section for toys to look for educational toys for
the 3-4 year old "preschool". I have convinced this school that if they
are going to have 3-4 year old children come to learn English then the
class has to be set up in the manner of a preschool and that learning has
to occur mostly through individual play.
I bought 2 sets of building blocks, 2 sets of puzzles, a set of beads to thread
and a flat, thin wood 'doll' puzzle that has six interspersible heads, bodies (tops), bodies (bottoms) and pairs of feet. The six faces all have a different emotion expressed on it and the clothes are all different styles and colours. It
will give lots of chance for choices and discussion as well as developing
manual dexterity.
Tomorrow I am going back to find some more puzzles plus numbers and letters for
playing with. There are about 4 children in this class. There is only one students so far in the older class. He is 11 and has come for one lesson so far. We had lots of fun. I have given 5 demo lessons. I think most parents like what they
see but not everyone can afford the fees. I have suggested to the school that they might like to renegotiate the contract for less pay and fewer hours but they
have said no.
I am also teaching at a College which is part of the city's Normal
University. My class of 51 has been divided into 3 sections of 17 each.
Each group comes once a week for 2 classes which is 80 minutes plus a 10
minute break. I teach 2 groups on Monday afternoon and one on Wednesday
afternoon which is a total of of 6 classes or 4.5 hours. I had my first
classes this week and really enjoyed them. The pay is not very good because
universities always pay lower than private schools and because part of the
reimbursement is usually accommodation on campus. We can't take advantage
of that because we have leased an apartment. The other disadvantage is that
the classes are held at the new campus. A shuttle bus is provided to
transport people. The trip takes from 40-60 minutes depending on the
traffic. Today I had to take the 12:30 bus and wait around for my 3:10
class because there is not a later shuttle. On the good side, the college
is providing me with a resident visa and working permit until Feb. when the
term ends and with medical insurance. It will all be renewed for the second
term which goes until the end of June if I teach for them then. They would
like me to work there full time but I can't if I am going to work for
the school for younger children. I don't know how long it will continue if they
don't get more students.
Yesterday evening the faculty of the English section of the college had supper
together. There are 2 young female teachers from a college close to Boston, U.S.
A. This Chinese college has had an exchange relationship with their college for
a few years. I believe that both of them studied Chinese in college. One of them
is on her second year teaching here and she can speak some Chinese.
There were 9 of us at dinner. We ate in an individual room in the elegant school
hotel dining area. The service was superb and the food delicious. There
were many small dishes placed on a lazy-Susan in the middle of a round
table. There was a huge variety most of which I had never seen or tasted
before. Tomorrow night all the foreign teachers from the whole of this city'sNormal University are invited to a banquet put on by the government. I'm
sure that it is going to be very enjoyable.
Love Linda
*********
End until Linda's next letter.
