All in a Days Work

Two presentations down, and only one more left to go,I thought as I sat in my eight o'clock morning class. I called the next student up and she approached the podium with a slight amount of confidence, laid her papers before her and in a powerful voice started in, "When I heard the topic of the most influential person in my life..." She was doing well in her speech. I noted good speed, interesting stories about her best friend and her in high school, good eye contact, not too many filler words; this is going pretty good. As if timed with my thought, she hesitated and stumbled over her words. Placing her hand on her head and pushing her fingers into her head she desperately tried to find the words she practiced so hard for this day. Her eyes rolled around a little and she seemed like she just stepped off a boat after a storm. Oh no, I thought, as her fellow students looked over to me as the leader and teacher of the class. She is almost done; she can make it through; she'll find her words, I now was the desperate one. The stumbling through of words stopped and as if on cue, her eyes rolled back into her head and eye-lids closed as if she were giving the long-blinks of someone who is really tired. Down she went. She didn't fall hard like a book being chucked to the ground, but like a feather floating its way down. What the crap! My student just fainted!!! As if they were a wave heading to shore, the whole class came flooding to the front of the room around the island of my student. "Everyone go sit down." I commanded the students to get some of the attention off of my one student who had just fainted. "Does anyone have water?" Another student in the front role lurched her water towards me immediately. Even though I told all the students to sit down, the boys remained around the girl until she came to. Luckily, it only took a minute for her to come back from her fainting spell. Like gentlemen, they helped her walk to her seat and brought her some candy. "Are you okay? Do you need to go back to the dorm? I will let someone go with you." I asked her with matching shaky voice and hands. She shock her head indicating she wanted to remain in class. And so on with class we went... So today, I felt like a teacher, doctor, helper, friend, entertainer, and so many roles. Besides just having interesting dramatic moments like the one above, my class has also been up to some other interesting things. Last week, I taught about St. Patrick's Day and asked all my students to wear green to class. To my green delight, many of my students did!! Below are pictures of my class all ready for the holiday!

A Night to Remember

Last Friday night about 250 students wanted me to get beat-up, and I deserved it too. It was our first English Night at Jon and Ryan's campus. Part of our night included a skit where I played the character "Jamelia." In the skit, Jon plays my boyfriend Jack and I start to get pretty angry when Rose shows up to our Kongfu class making eyes at him. He helps Rose work on her "elephant move" complete by sticking her hand on her face and pulling her other hand through to make a trunk. As he is doing this, they literally have a "titanic" moment as they gaze off into the distance and the music fades in...and of course 250 students clap and "ohh." I am mad enough though that I come and send Jack off and put my best Kongfu move on Rose, knocking her down to the ground. Jack and I leave and the skit ends with Rose giving a monologue. At one point she says, "What I am going to do about Jamelia? She is so strong." Pause...And a student yells out from the audience, "BEAT HER!!!" Emily had to keep herself from laughing at this moment.
All in all the whole night was terrific. We played games with the students; making the boys be chairs for the girls during musical chairs and a game where the students are naming items under bowls only to pull one up and find Tim's head! Hilarious really! We couldn't make a night in China complete without singing songs. The last part of the night, Ryan gave a talk about "Love in Action." It was sweet to see some of the student taking photos of his slides and really soaking in all his words about loving your neighbor as yourself.
English Night is only a small part of all the action going on so far this semester. I have officially started my classes again and it feels great to see my students. At my New Campus classes, I have the same students as last semester and it really fun to try and come up with lessons that will really challenge them this semester. I am also trying to accomplish a couple of goals for myself this semester. Not only am I a teacher this semester, but a student. It feels so nice to sit behind the desk in Chinese class and just try to take in all they can teach me. Right now, I know a few things in Chinese, but once you get beyond the first basic greetings, or we have ordered our food at a restaurant, I am out. I have can not offer anymore Chinese than that, so it is exciting to think about being able to chat with some of the people here that so far our biggest communication is hand gestures and exaggerated facial expressions. Soon that day will come, but until then it just feels really good to be back in a rhythm. So now, I leave you with some photos of what's been happening lately...

The team out on Valentine's Day.

Snow in China!!

My Students with Flat Stanley: Flora, Jenny, and Amy

Flat Stanley Getting Some produce

Visiting my students Joyce and Dora in their dorm!

A Grandma and Child

"But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for He will go before you, He will be your rear guard."

The little ham was bundled up like so many other Chinese babies, layers so think their tiny arms constantly stick out a little by their sides as if they are always in preparation for a hug. The Grandma was also like so many other Chinese Grandmas: a solemn face yet with a twinkle in the eye. She walked in slow, smooth shuffle holding her hands behind her back as she followed her little one around. I couldn't help but be drawn to this pair as I made my way own slow shuffle of a run around the track. There is often Grandparents and grandchildren at the track when I go running, so much in fact I often think of my running time as "baby hour." I think it is the jumping pit full of sand that really attracts them. This baby seemed to be full of joy as she discovered this whole new world at the track. She followed safely along the wall of the stadium, losing as regaining speed at each footfall. The Grandma the whole time just followed patiently behind watching her every move. A few times, the Grandma went out in front of the child and lead the way. At one point, the curious little one couldn't help but expand her discovery beyond just the track, but also to the trash can at the track. She stuck her little hands in and then tried to put her whole head, just before she could get it in there the Grandma came up and gently led her away from it. Good idea, since trash cans in China are a scary thing to think about messing with. The little ham just kept on going though after being pulled out and walked straight to the next trash can and did the same thing! There she went putting her head in the trash again. Grandma came not too far behind though and gently pulled her right back out again and showed her a new path to walk on around the side of the stadium. As I watched the simple interaction between this Grandma and grandchild, I couldn't help but think about my relationship with the Father. He leads me everywhere I go and also watches me as I make my way. How many times does He have to pull me out of horrible trash! I am so glad to know the gentle care of the Father.