to make it more understandable i'll write it from an American's perspective.
imagine you've been DYING to go to China (it's been your dream since you were a child), paid LOTS of money (to get a visa, ticket, and for the tour group), show up to several cities but feel RUSHED at each place and have to pay more to go to do or see anything, being promised to see beijing opera but they say there's no time, taking a train for 8 hours to only see a city for 30 minutes, being stuck in a small hotel room after 6pm and never seeing night life, eating ONLY western food (western food in china is NOT so great) and the only Chinese food you eat is from Panda Express, losing your iphone at a major amusement park that has all your memories and pictures from the trip, and hoping to speak to Chinese people to practice your Chinese (because you studied Chinese and that is one of the main reasons for going) but only speaking ENGLISH the entire trip because your tour guide only speaks English and you only talk to other Americans from your tour group!!!
so so SO sad. my heart broke when i heard their stories of their time in America and felt sooooooo bad for them. in short, my students:
-felt rushed at every tourist site
-couldn't leave their hotel after 6pm
-stayed in the worst hotel rooms (esp in downtown LA- the more dangerous side of town!)
-lost one's iphone at Disneyland with all her pictures
-ate ONLY horrible (non-authentic) Chinese food every meal (except for McDonald's and Burger King!)
-never saw local/real American life
-never talked to locals and Americans to learn more about the culture!!!
when i heard about all these things i was determined to make the most of my 3 hours with them the best possible! first stop: mexican food- it's the best in southern california and definitely a cultural experience right? they loved it and i encouraged the new boy, Tony, to open a Mexican restaurant in his hometown.. he said determinedly, "i will research it!" haha then we went to my house to eat our take out tacos and hung out with my family. it was their first time driving in an American neighborhood, entering an American home, and being a part of my non-touristy life. We chatted for a bit with my mom and Ruthy to visit. I served them some leftover banana cream pie in our fridge and they LOVED it (so sad that their best American dessert was leftovers! haha). I showed them my kitchen and what a dishwasher was... we later had to head back to LA by curfew time but stopped by a grocery market along the way so they can see what it looks like and bought a few American snacks for the road too :) A half in hour later we arrived at their ghetto hotel in the middle of downtown LA and hung out in their tiny ghetto little hotel room (surrounded by bums and homeless people) for another hour to talk. my student said her most enjoyable part of America was seeing me. *heart melt*... it was SO good to see them and how i wish i could have been their personal tour guide and show them all the great food, people, and places in america.. or at least my hometown :) *sigh* maybe next time...!
here's some pictures from my brief time with the students in america :)
their first time meeting and talking to a mexican at a random mexican restaurant
miss their faces already but it was so great to have a piece of china for a night and reconnect with them :)
