connie's space

            For two weeks, my classrooms on the 4^th floor of Teaching Building # 3 have been filled with talk of Thanksgiving Day. 

            Last week, the history of the holiday was covered in detail.  This week, our American Thanksgiving Day dinner was brought to life with a lesson on setting the table and the special foods we enjoy for that day.  Photos from my family Thanksgiving Day in the States graced the board, including the process of cooking a turkey.

            “Oh, I want to eat!” the students sighed with longing while crowding around the board during break.

             They ran their fingers over the plump, juicy turkey and pumpkin pie pictures, wishing them to somehow come to life.  (They weren’t the only ones.  I felt the same way.)

            Usually during the 10-minute break, I am gathering my thoughts and preparing the blackboard for the second half of the lesson.  But this week, I was grabbed right and left by students wanting us to stand by our beautiful classroom table setting for a photo. 

           The holiday center pieces, which I have carted around with me for over 12 years, delighted everyone. The cardboard turkeys, pilgrims, and pumpkins were snatched up right and left.  These were held aloft for photo ops or posed with while everyone’s classmates clicked away using their cell phone’s digital camera options.

            Another busy room aside on our campus, aside from my classroom,  has been the English Center.

            I am using this wonderful facility to the fullest, making every student give 3 mandatory visits by January 1^st.  To entice them, I’ve been leaving seasonal movies for them to watch.  For Thanksgiving Day, the selections have been:  Pieces of April (a Thanksgiving Day story about a troubled teen who invites her  family to dinner in her run-down New York apartment building), Indian in the Cupboard (Walt Disney film), and Dances with Wolves, which gives students an understanding of the Native Americans.

            And to entice them even more, I’ve been joining our movie crowd in the Center so we can enjoy the films together. 

            Today is no different. 
            So for my Thanksgiving Day celebrations, it’ll be another showing of Pieces of April to enjoy with my students as we learn the true meaning of the holiday:  the acceptance of differences, the love of family and the generous helping hands of strangers.  

            (I really encourage you all to check out this short, low-budget film.  It’s a real heartwarming winner.) 

            From Longzhou, China, Little Flower and I wish you our usual Ping An (Peace) along with a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Connie Wieck

Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities

125 Dushan Road

Longzhou County, Chongzuo City

Guangxi Province, 532400

P.R. of CHINA

            Last Saturday had my apartment filled with eager English Center volunteers.       What was the occasion?  It was time for us to record, catalog and fill the shelves of the English Center with the many books and games that so many of you have sent over the years.

            If you remember, I had been collecting books for an English Language Center in my former placement, Luzhou.  In 3 years, we had quite a nice display of English language materials in book cabinets I had purchased for the English office.  But we ran into a problem.

            The departmental staff wanted the books to be kept in the office, not shared with the students.  They were worried the books would be borrowed and not returned.  And so there they remained, under lock and key, with only the faculty using them as resource materials.

            While I was very happy the staff was making use of our small library, that was not the original purpose I had hoped for.  So upon my move to Longzhou, I went through all the donated books and pulled out the ones I felt would be appropriate for my new college’s English Center.  These went into boxes and were trucked, along with all my things, on the 4-day journey to Guangxi.

            In addition to books from Luzhou, other reading materials have also arrive in M-bags from the States. 

            Last week, the English Center students finally cleared away enough space for all your offerings.  It was time to get them into the student population for use.

            On Saturday, 15 volunteers and I spent 2 hours preparing 243 books and 42 DVDs for the Center.  Afterwards, we sat enjoying my homemade banana bread, fruit drinks and candies as my thank you for all their hard work.

            As each left my home, their arms loaded with books for the hike to the 6th floor Center, they thanked me again and again.  I think those of you who sent these donations would truly have been moved by everyone’s excitement and gratitude.

            I know I certainly was.

            Thus from a grateful American, I want to say from all of us, “Many, many thanks for all you’ve done to make our English Center a shining star on our campus.”

            Ping An (Peace) from China!

Connie Wieck

Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities

125 Dushan Road

Longzhou County, Chongzuo City

Guangxi Province, 532400

P.R. of CHINA

  Reunited With An Old Friend

            The past two weeks have been a whirlwind.

            Immediately after our Halloween festivities, I was visited by a very good friend from America, Becky John.

            Becky and I first met about 17 years ago when I was going off to China and she was working for the United Methodists in the New York offices.  Later, in 1999, Becky and I met up in Taiwan where I was teaching at the Wesley Girls’ High School and she was studying Chinese.  Our kindred spirits launched us on an immediate, long-lasting friendship.

            Although we lost track of one another, we never forgot about our fun times in Taiwan which just recently were relived.

            Yes, Becky managed to swing a vacation visit to China after years of being back in America, working for State Farm Insurance.  Her first order of business was to find me, which she did, and arrange a visit to our little town of Longzhou. 

            For 6 days, Becky and I enjoyed the high-life of remembering our youthful 20’s and 30’s as well as being ushered about to visit this area’s scenic spots.   We were able to enjoy the famous 2,500 year old cliff drawings by riverboat tour (courtesy of one of the tourism majors here at the college) and even the Detian Pubu (falls), the world’s second-largest transcontinental waterfalls.  (Niagara being the first).

            Becky, being the utterly delightful and friendly person that she is, also busied herself meeting the students both at our English Center and in the classroom.  Everyone was not only impressed by her Chinese but also by her warm personality.

            Having such a great guest at a new school has certainly stengthened my relationships among my colleagues and those in my community.   And it’s also been wonderful to share my new life with an old friend.

A Campus Highlight:  The Chinese Language Department’s Food Fair

            While Becky’s classroom and English Center visits were  a nice bonding experience for her, I’m going to have to say experiencing the campus Food Fair was probably what endeared the students to us the most.

            I wasn’t aware of this annual event until Becky landed on Thursday.  The students were already in an excited mode concerning what goodies they’d be cooking for Saturday night.

            “What’s happening Saturday night?” I asked.  “My friend Becky is coming.  We should know.”

            I was then inundated in news of the annual Food Fair, which was sponsored by the Chinese and Management Departments.  Classes and student groups organized a small booth and prepared all their own foods, cooked or not, which they sold to the student population for a small amount.  Those participating had already signed up and I was told there would be over 90 booths lining the student walkway on Saturday evening.

Teachers would be the judges to taste and decide what the winning foods would be. 

            Since there are no student cooking facilities on campus , participants had to be creative in borrowing equipment, such as gas burners and charcoal grills, or doing their own make-shift cooking areas for their booths. 

            I really had no idea what this all entailed until Becky and I finished our cliff-drawing riverboat tour and landed in the midst of the crowds on Saturday evening.

            It was incredible how the students had so carefully made their booths, with huge signs and colorful drawings inviting  hungry passers-by to try their wares. They shouted, grabbed, dragged, and shoved people in the direction of their enticing foods, hoping to make a 1 or 2 yuan sale (15 – 30 cents). 

            Becky and I managed to cruise the stalls first before returning to fill our empty stomachs with what the students had to offer.  We saw a lot of  local delicacies and then the normal Chinese fanfare.  Such offerings included stuffed with meat tofu squares, fried donut and sesame seed balls, lamb, pork, chicken feet and chicken wing kabobs, pig feet soup, grilled vegetables and corn-on-the-cob, fruit cups, jelly tea, thick rice-noodle wraps,

stir-fried sliced potatoes, french fries and the list goes on.

            Deciding whose to eat wasn’t quite as difficult as deciding whose not to eat. The students were over-enthusiastic in their drive to grab up the two foreigners and hustle them over to their booth.  On several occasions, we wound up with free servings even though we tried to pay.  Stuffing the Americans seemed to be the top priority on their “to do” list for the evening.

            Did we mind?

            Not in the least!

Still Keeping Busy

           Becky left last Tuesday, leaving the apartment quiet once again aside from Little Flower’s playful antics with her toys.   We certainly had a great time together and I look forward to having such a gracious guest again.

            But the week didn’t slow down with Becky’s departure.

            I still had visits to the English Center and then English Corner on Friday evening, from 8 to 10 p.m., where we all enjoyed outdoor free talk and games. 

            Saturday morning found me on the bus at 6:30 a.m., heading off to the capital city (Nanning) to meet up with our Amity teachers in this province for our regional meeting.

            Every semester, the Amity teachers in our respective areas get together for fellowship, sharing and a relaxing weekend together.  I spent only a day as I had to return for a student-planned evening activity that night but it was well worth it to catch up on all the latest from our new Amity folk.

            In our province, we have 3 new comers, two who came accompanied by their spouses.  Claire with her husband Martin from the UK, Ueli from Switzerland with his South American wife Johanna and Bob also from the UK.   Then we have Lena (Sweden) and myself (America), who are pretty well-established long-term teachers, which brings us to a total of 5 teachers, 2 spouses.

             Claire was unfortunately in Hospital (as the Brits say) and wasn’t able to join us.  Martin, her husband, stayed behind to take care of her. Her high blood pressure has been a serious factor here in China and we are all a bit worried about her at the moment.  Please keep her in your prayers.

Thanksgiving Day’s Coming!

            Now it’s back to classes on Monday, which ushers us all into my Thanksgiving Day Unit.  This week, we will concentrate on the history of the day and next week, we’ll be learning how to set tables and all the foods involved in the grand dinner.

            Too bad there are no turkeys in China but I have plenty of family photos to give them a “taste” of Thanksgiving Day in America.

            And on that last note, I wish you all Ping An (peace) for your upcoming week!

A Visit To the English Center

            It was a fair hike to the 6^th floor of Teaching Building No. 1.

            A small crowd followed behind me as we made our way up the stairwell with our English Center student volunteers in the lead. 

            This was the semester’s opening day for the campus English Center and I had been invited to welcome the newcomers.

            Being a newcomer myself, I was eager to see what materials this school had to offer for students studying English.  Most small Chinese colleges have nothing much as far as resource materials or books are concerned.  Even the libraries are pretty sparse with ancient, smelly Chinese texts available only for in-house reading.  Checking out books or materials is usually not allowed in Chinese schools.  The leaders are afraid no one will bring them back.

            But the English Center is a different story.

             It was started 6 years ago by former Amity teachers.  Over the years, more Amity teachers have increased the English reading materials by asking for donations from their home countries or adding more themselves.

            Magazines, world country picture albums, novels, short stories, maps, resource books on teaching, listening tapes and over 200 English language DVDs are all available for check-out or just for reading in the small room.

            The walls are painted with English phrases and cartoons.  There’re plenty of stools for students to sit down and read or watch DVD’s on the TV there in the room.  There’s also a water dispenser and paper cups, which are greatly needed in this roasting weather.  A fan above blows down cool air to keep the stuffiness and heat down.

            There are 15 volunteers who take turns opening the center Monday to Friday, 4 – 6 p.m. when students don’t have classes.  No one is allowed to speak anything but English in the Center and the volunteers make sure of that. They are quite strict and shove those who start chattering away in Chinese out the door.

            As I sat in the Center, talking with the new visitors and the volunteers, I was so impressed by what Amity had done and then how the students themselves had taken over to make this Center their own.

             The volunteers are very particular about who gets to be a Center volunteer member.  Last Sunday afternoon, they invited me for their interview sessions for new members.  We had 73 who wanted to join and we listened to all of them for 2 ½ hours.  They introduced themselves first and then we asked them questions. 

            My questions were quite simple, such as, “Tell us about a happy memory” or “What’s your favorite animal and why?”
             But the current volunteers, in their quest to find the best, were more indepth.

            “If you are an English Center member, what are the duties you will have to perform?”

            “What will you do if those in the English Center start to speak in Chinese?”

            “How will you improve the English Center if you are a member?”

            After the first rounds, the top 40 were chosen.  This coming Sunday afternoon, we’ll again have our last interview to choose the top 15. Then the current volunteers will invite them to become members.

            What I’m quite excited about is adding even more to the books on their shelves.  Already, I have Scrabble games and Boggle (an English word game) to add to their shelves, numerous DVDs and over 100 books that have been sent over the years to me in Luzhou.  I brought a large number of them with me.

            Other books are current arrivals from Paris and Champaigne, Illinois UMCs.

            The volunteers are heading over this weekend to pick up all the new materials so they can begin cataloging them next week. I’ve been sifting through them, putting them in order according to difficulty and genre.  Then I’ll join our staff to help organize for the shelves.

            Definitely a joyful celebration will be in order for our small English Center.  Not only will we be increasing our number of volunteers, but the volume of books as well.

            Many, many thanks for those of you who have helped to stock the shelves here with new reading materials.  They will be greatly appreciated and put to good use.

Halloween Celebrations

            During the past 2 weeks, students have been learning about the history and customs of our American Halloween traditions. 

            With a new foreign teacher, it’s always difficult to break-the-ice and get students comfortable enough to talk.  The best way to tear down that barrier is to invite everyone over for a visit. 
            Halloween is always the best enticement to have my new students visit my home.  It comes at just the right time, when the foreigner’s teaching methods  are starting to become more familiar and students’ ears are attuning themselves to “English-only” for our 2 periods together every week.

            And what better way to get these shy, worried language learners into my home than a trick-or-treat venture coupled with promises of candy and a huge photo session in Connie’s apartment?

            All week, students have descended upon me in the evening in small groups, carrying their hand-made masks and candy bags.

            Carved watermelon Jack-o-lanterns (pumpkins this far south are impossible to find) alighted my balcony for those who didn’t know where I lived.

             “Trick-or-Treat!  Trick-or-Treat!  Trick-or-Treat!”  filled the stairwell numerous times, making my neighbors peer from their doorways to see what all the commotion was about.

            And my apartment was loaded with excited Chinese youth, digging through my photo albums, clamoring for photo sessions around the decorations and practicing their English, however limited it might be.

            After 20 minutes, it was time for the next group to arrive.  Off they went, shouting their thank you’s and feeling confident that, yes, they can communicate in English with Connie after all.  Wow!  What an accomplishment!

            Saturday evening, the English Association student group is hosting an outdoor Halloween party.  Students will be bobbing for apples, carving Jack-o-lanterns out of watermelons, having costume racing games and  dancing to English pop songs as a closure.

            What a great way to end October and bring in November! 
           

            Wishing you Ping An (peace) for your weekend and hoping yours is as fun-filled and exciting as ours.    

Getting to Know the Students

            As the students appeared at my doorway last week, I ushered them in to my spacious sitting room where  they plopped themselves down on the furnishings.  This was their first visit to a foreigner’s apartment and they were getting the full treatment.  Drinks, candy, cookies, and Connie’s family photo albums adorned the coffee tables.  Fun gadgets, such as a mini Etch-n-Sketch and battery-operated toys (Kung Fu Hamster, a favorite), were displayed for use.  Picture books of America and China were within easy reach. 

            The evening groups that came to my home in waves were quiet, overly polite and shy at first but within 30 minutes, the place was alive with laughter and chatter.  The fear of speaking in English began to melt away.  Little Flower added even more to our time together with her insistence on squeaking toys at everyone’s feet.  In Little Flower’s mind, playtime is always a must for every guest who wanders into her home.  Her basket of doggie toys attests to that.

Getting to Know My Colleagues

            Others who have been enjoying my hospitality efforts are my colleagues.

            I invited the Chinese English teachers here on our Longzhou campus (about 21)  to meet me last Friday afternoon after they finished classes.  Those who weren’t busy came, including our vice-dean (Ms. Liang), Kate (my co-teacher) and several others.  Two in our numbers were expectant mothers so much of the conversation was given to joking with them about their upcoming babies and the work that will involve.  A lot!

            In reciprocation of my invite, Grace (3 months pregnant) invited me to attend her 26^th birthday party last Monday night at her home.  Co-teacher Kate came to pick me up and together, we walked to the teachers’ apartment building behind my own where the younger staff are living.

             Grace and her husband had pulled out tables and stools to set up outside their  small 1-room apartment, furnished by the school.  Snacks of pumpkin seeds, shelled peanuts, peanut brittle, dried squid, cooked chicken wings, kabobs of tofu and mutton, candy, tangerines, bananas and juicy watermelon slices greeted us upon our arrival. 

            The stools began to fill as their friends gathered around to wish her a happy birthday.  Her husband presented her with a bouquet of flowers and a huge birthday cake.

After lighting the candles and making a wish, Grace served big pieces of cake which we certainly weren’t about to turn down.   Some even had second helpings.

           In the cool night air, we entertained one another with stories and teasing anecdotes about family members and friends.

             I just remember thinking how very welcomed I felt and how very grateful I am for being here.   

Meeting the Neighbors

            As for my new neighborhoods, it seems the children have taken a liking to me.  I have two sweet little girls (Huang Ya Wei, age 10, and Yao Xiao, age 6) who have come for afternoon Saturday and Sunday visits to play with my stash of kids’ toys, draw pictures and talk to the foreigner.  Both of these girls are from the poorer families on our campus.  Yao Xiao’s father, for example, is a watchman at our front gate.

            I am very impressed by their polite manners and their understanding of what it is to be a guest.  On their second visit, Huang Ya Wei brought a cooked squab from the nearby fast food joint (KMC, a Chinese knock-off of KFC) to share with all three of us.  I poured us drinks, pulled out a plate, cut up the chicken, brought out the chopsticks and we dug in with glee.

            The highlight of their afternoon was dressing them up in Halloween paraphernalia.  Masks, foil hair and witches hats were their attire.  Since this tradition is alien for most Chinese, I didn’t bother explaining. We just enjoyed the fun of dress-up and I left it at that.

The Classroom Teaching Situation

            As an Amity Foundation language teacher, a majority of my classes are to be English education majors.   Amity stresses that its foreign language experts concentrate on those who will be teachers, not working in other English related fields.   However, I find myself currently in the situation of teaching 6 classes of  Business English and Practical English majors (tourism – service industry) and only 2 classes of  English Education majors.  All of these are the 1^st year students (total 260), just beginning their college studies away from home. 

            While this is not the purpose of Amity, I’m sure that next semester, we can rearrange the schedule to fulfill the organization’s goals.

            In the meantime, I am very happy to do what I can for those struggling with their choice of major.  My classes are smaller than in Luzhou, giving me 30 – 35 in the room at a time.  This is certainly needed due to the low level of English I have been finding.         My education majors, who will one day be teachers, I am not worried about.  They have enough of a skill level to build upon.  But in my Business English and Practical English classes, a large number don’t even know simple English vocabulary, such as their colors, names of countries, common animals and even basic phrases.   The books we are using, O.K. starts for those with a foundation, are quite a challenge.  In many cases, the units are a bit useless because they center on these students being in America, which will most likely never happen.

            More appropriate dialogues and vocabulary would have them here in China, not abroad.

            Due to this problem, I have compiled my own textbook which has already been distributed to everyone.  A local photo copier and I bargained for a decent price and 300 books came off her copy machines in 4-days’ time.

            Although my own materials and lessons are a challenge, at least they are more useful for the students’ fields.  My units center on traditions and holidays, and are an integrated approach to learning with writing prompts, dialogues, vocabulary building, listening exercises (movies, songs)  and pronunciation practices.

            Coupling my textbook with the one they currently have will satisfy my needs and theirs, or so I hope.

            At present, we’re digging deep into the Halloween traditions of America.  This past week, we’ve done the history, vocabulary and pronunciation of new words. Next week, we’ll be diving into the fun activities of trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving, bobbing for apples and creating plus wearing costumes.

            Sound like fun?  You bet!

            After only 3 weeks in my new home, I am already feeling settled  and quite excited about future activities with students and new friends. Watch this space for more reports of our times together!

            From Connie and Little Flower, here’s sending you Ping An (peace) from Longzhou, small town along the Li River.