Last Friday student came with their parents to visit the classroom and new teachers. That morning it was raining and I had to catch the bus. Now rain in North Dakota is nothing like the rain here in Beijing. The heavy rain flooded the streets on the route to the bus stop. I was in good spirits and not going to let the rain dampen my good mood, but that was before I can to the giant puddle. It was 30 feet wide, 3 times as long, and 4 inches deep. Now picture me in dress clothes walking through a heavy downpour, not a pretty sight. There was no way around so I bucked up and went through it. A long story short, I was soaked by the time I made it to school. As i walked into school drenched and my shoes completely soaked, Mrs. Brock (head teacher) and Mrs. Armstrong are standing in the front entry greeting me with a smile. They were pleased to see me arrive so early in this terrible weather. Also they made comment that I will not have a problem being on time the rest of the term if I can make it to school early in a Beijing rain. I got some advice from them to pack my teaching clothes in my bag and change once I get to school. Needless to say I had learned valuable knowledge that morning and it wasn't even 7:30 am.
By mid afternoon I was dried out and had met all of two student who made the trek to school in the bad weather. Meeting the students and their families made me very excited for the year to start. The students (they are referred to as pupils in the British education system) seemed excited to begin class again after their holiday break. They both had been traveling, one to Italy and the other to Scotland. Many of the students that attend BSB: Sanlitun have parents who work in the consulate. Money and supplies are not an issue at this school. Between Nord Anglia and the supportive parents they have plenty of funding. This year my Year 5 class is going to take a trip to Xi'an (Shee an) and see the Terra-catta Warriors . To get there they are taking a plane. The school is very privileged to have the opportunity and I believe the trip will excite the students to learn. Unfortunately I will be gone second term and back in the States.
After having a productive week of school and getting my classroom ready, I spent Saturday afternoon at the Summer Palace. The Palace was nothing I expected and I was pleasantly surprised that it was nothing what I had envisioned an UNESCO site to be. Its origin came to be when the capital of the Jin Dynasty moved to Beijing. In the scorching hot summers emperors would escape the city and stay in the gardens of the Summer Palace. Many emperors added their own gardens and some even created their own lakes. It is now an expansive collections of gardens and lakes. Now days it costs 30 RMB to enter the grounds and an additional 30 to tour the temples and buildings. It is a very popular place for locals to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon. There are paths to hike and boats to rent and spend an afternoon on the water. While hiking Longevity Hill I came across a group of elderly locals playing recreational games on a porch. The Chinese like their parks, especially the retired. On one side there was a couple playing a racquet sport of some sort. Then there was a gentleman practicing his Chinese characters on the floor boards of the porch using water and a sponge attached to a pole. On the other side there were two ladies dancing to Chinese folk music. I have to say they had more grace than I do on the dance floor. Then along the railings of the porch there were 3 groups of men playing card games and discussion what old Chinese men discuss. As I said earlier I was surprised to see the what the Summer Palace is all about. I would describe it as the Central Park of Beijing. Families come and enjoy a breezy afternoon by the lake and partake in recreational games. One thing that bothered me was to see the souvenir shops and restaurants inside the UNESCO site. I think it would have a more authentic feel if they kept that on the outside of the park.
Monday school starts!
No comments:
Post a Comment