i can't help it. today's INSTANT weather change was too amazing to pass up to write a blog about ;)....
during our training in the very beginning, they encouraged us to "steal with zeal" and take others ideas to help you.. so here i am, stealing with zealing from my teammates laura's blog with my changes or additions in parentheses hehe... (thanks laura!! :D) oh, and apologies for no pictures- i didn't have my camera at the time.. but thank goodness we have imaginations! hehe
(i was watching the movie "once" with some teammates and a student for a while and saw flashes of light randomly- just thinking it was silent fireworks, when really it was brilliant lightning- but i didn't know that then), when all of a sudden, I heard the windows violently shaking, and student screaming their heads off outside. (we paused the movie) and ran to the living room window to look out. The calm, cloudy blanket of 80 degree weather (from most of the day) was instantly shattered by the most outrageous wind and rain and lightning. The trees were bent in half, and I thought they'd all snap. (i thought out loud- "what on earth is going on?! this weather is sooooo changeable... we're gonna get electrocuted by lightning!) or "the building's going to collapse!" But that didn't happen either.
(Throughout the rest of the movie shannon, jonathan, aaron, his student, and i) were magnetically pulled to the windows, watching the eerily fascinating scene unfold outside. The rain came down in sheets, the wind whipped the piles of trash and debris high above the trees, and everything on the buildings shook. Students who had just been playing basketball or chatting along the sidewalk, scattered in a million different directions. They were all shrieking their heads off. People were leaning out of the windows in the apartment building facing ours, also shrieking. I think they just wanted to join in the chaos. (meanwhile, we were in awe of the scene and aaron captured some of the great lightning, winds, rains, and people frantically running on his handy camera nearby! what a night!!!
maybe tomorrow will start snowing?
i think i'm going to miss the changeableness of the weather here.. there's nothing quite like it. it keeps you on ur toes, flexible, reminds me to be prepared for anything (kinda like spiritual life!)... anyways. it's past my bedtime. wan an (goodnight!)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
highlights of my life.
meet riley and michelle- two of my new business english students and absolutely precious! i had lunch with them for the first time this past week and it was their first time eating with a "foreigner"... they are full of smiles, giggles, and preciousness (if that is a word! haha)... afterwards we took some creative silly sticky pictures, a personal favorite past time, and it was WONDERFUL. i hope to get to know them more during these last few months- please ask for more opportunities and open hearts :)
meet my tiny cute class of freshman nursing students.. don't they look young to be nurses? it's okay, they have a few more years to mature :) this is their winter nursing uniforms, but they normally don't wear it in oral english class of course- just for the picture. hehe
meet my tiny cute class of freshman nursing students.. don't they look young to be nurses? it's okay, they have a few more years to mature :) this is their winter nursing uniforms, but they normally don't wear it in oral english class of course- just for the picture. hehe
"singing a song for someone is a sign of friendship" a student once told me.. my whole sophomore class one decided to sing my family a song.. i think they liked them very much :)
my dad doing his famous magic tricks for my students, i think it was their first time to see a magic trick. haha.. love their reactions, especially mendy in the front row :)
btw, did i mention it is no longer COLD here?? goodbye to my winter coat and hello to t-shirts :)... i've actually had my fair share of sweating this past week in the classroom and it's only the beginnings of spring!! yikes.
Monday, March 16, 2009
a family reunion
the past 3 days i have been extremely blessed to have my family (and "cousin" jason) come to visit!! it was a packed-non-stop-action-fun-filled-tiring-but-good 3 days indeed! it was like christmas in March with their presence and goodies they brought (thank you to all of those for the notes, cards, drawings, food! nothing but goodness and love- thank you thank you!!) they also brought sunny southern california weather with them too!! yay!! there's nothing quite like good ol' sunshine when you haven't seen it in a while and when your clothes are able to dry in a day as compared to a week in the cold damp weather here...
the first day we went skating with several of my teammates and students... skating in China is just an experience in itself. the shoes barely fit the asian american boys- poor things.. people hold hands while skating, guys with guys, girls with girls, everyone with everyone... several of our students have never been before so they were clinging onto us for dear life hehe.. my favorite was when random skaters from the skate crew wanted to hold hands and skate with my mom. hahaha... it was awesome- i think they thought she was pretty cool and had cool long nails. hehe
my roommate and i. holding hands awkwardly. we're just tryint to embrace the culture hahaha...
then frances and amy wanted to cook chinese dishes for my family... so we slaved in the kitchen and prepared 9 authentic chinese dishes (mainly vegetables of all kinds.. my family never ate so healthy before. hahaha) hao chi! (how chir- taste good!)
on sunday we went to fellowship in downtown, did some walmart shopping and ate some greasy chinese fried chicken bought IN walmart and ate at the KFC in walmart. haha.. like america- but not. what's a sunday afternoon without playing some bball of course! we had some friends from another team come and play too... i felt bad though, we pretty much took over a whole court and played a few games of knock out, then 4 on 4... i was definitely winded and exhausted for i am NOT a professional baller in any way. but it was fun... while the chinese people stared and watched from the sidelines, i'm sure they were very confused about we were.. chinese people that play like americans, WITH americans.. haha.. later they played with and it was good times.
oh, this is one of team's regular dining at the Upper Room (we really don't know the real name of the restaurant but we often eat in the upper room hehe)... cheers to my two families!
on monday, they came to my two morning classes and THEY were my lesson plan that day. haha i broke my students up into groups so they can talk to each family member and ask questions and get to know them better.. my first class was especially estatic and excited... the whole class was filled with "ooo's" and "ahhh's" and clapping, laughter, taking pictures with their cell phones, and practicing a whole lot of English- which was great :) My dad did a few magic tricks- i don't think chinese students have ever seen magic tricks before, they were a GREAT and gullible audience hehe... jason did some hip hop pop and lock moves... jonathan showed some self-defense actions... joni displayed her long long hair.. my mom showed them her nails and gave them lots of mom hugs... justin- he was just his cool self and people loved him. haha.. it was awesome... VERY tiring for all of them i'm sure but it was quite an experience.. i'm a lil nervous that my students will never be able to focus in class again! haha.. 
now they're on their flight back home :(... the apartment is empty and silent but the noise of basketball players and chinese music continues to go on outside... it was a GOOD weekend with bittersweet feelings of seeing them again in 3 and a half months but also knowing that my time will be done at this school... please be asking for fruitful opportunities and for me to be wise with my time and future decisions! i'll try to post some classic videos and more later! thanks for tuning into to this REALLY long blog. sorry. hehe
the first day we went skating with several of my teammates and students... skating in China is just an experience in itself. the shoes barely fit the asian american boys- poor things.. people hold hands while skating, guys with guys, girls with girls, everyone with everyone... several of our students have never been before so they were clinging onto us for dear life hehe.. my favorite was when random skaters from the skate crew wanted to hold hands and skate with my mom. hahaha... it was awesome- i think they thought she was pretty cool and had cool long nails. hehe
my roommate and i. holding hands awkwardly. we're just tryint to embrace the culture hahaha...
then frances and amy wanted to cook chinese dishes for my family... so we slaved in the kitchen and prepared 9 authentic chinese dishes (mainly vegetables of all kinds.. my family never ate so healthy before. hahaha) hao chi! (how chir- taste good!)
on sunday we went to fellowship in downtown, did some walmart shopping and ate some greasy chinese fried chicken bought IN walmart and ate at the KFC in walmart. haha.. like america- but not. what's a sunday afternoon without playing some bball of course! we had some friends from another team come and play too... i felt bad though, we pretty much took over a whole court and played a few games of knock out, then 4 on 4... i was definitely winded and exhausted for i am NOT a professional baller in any way. but it was fun... while the chinese people stared and watched from the sidelines, i'm sure they were very confused about we were.. chinese people that play like americans, WITH americans.. haha.. later they played with and it was good times.
oh, this is one of team's regular dining at the Upper Room (we really don't know the real name of the restaurant but we often eat in the upper room hehe)... cheers to my two families!
on monday, they came to my two morning classes and THEY were my lesson plan that day. haha i broke my students up into groups so they can talk to each family member and ask questions and get to know them better.. my first class was especially estatic and excited... the whole class was filled with "ooo's" and "ahhh's" and clapping, laughter, taking pictures with their cell phones, and practicing a whole lot of English- which was great :) My dad did a few magic tricks- i don't think chinese students have ever seen magic tricks before, they were a GREAT and gullible audience hehe... jason did some hip hop pop and lock moves... jonathan showed some self-defense actions... joni displayed her long long hair.. my mom showed them her nails and gave them lots of mom hugs... justin- he was just his cool self and people loved him. haha.. it was awesome... VERY tiring for all of them i'm sure but it was quite an experience.. i'm a lil nervous that my students will never be able to focus in class again! haha.. 
now they're on their flight back home :(... the apartment is empty and silent but the noise of basketball players and chinese music continues to go on outside... it was a GOOD weekend with bittersweet feelings of seeing them again in 3 and a half months but also knowing that my time will be done at this school... please be asking for fruitful opportunities and for me to be wise with my time and future decisions! i'll try to post some classic videos and more later! thanks for tuning into to this REALLY long blog. sorry. hehe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)