Week Two Update!

Chinese Classes:

We concluded our Chinese language classes last Friday and everyone did a great job on the final exam. No one received lower than an 80 on their overall score. Their success is surely due to their hard work and dedication. Brandon came to the leaders for help with the lessons both before and after every class. Daphne just arrived a few days ago, but worked hard and caught up in record time. Even our teacher, Wu Lao Shi, remarked at how quickly Daphne has caught on. Cole consistently put forth a great effort and ended up as a bit of the teacher’s pet – funny since he is home-schooled. Harper and Joelle have been taking private lessons from March during the normal class time and also helped to teach the others. On the last day of class Amy and I asked the teacher to continue with the lesson until the last minute. The purpose of this was to show the students that learning is a life-long activity – you don’t stop learning just because a class or even a school year is over. We wanted our students to understand that learning takes a lifetime and in order to get to the desired end, you must work hard and enjoy the journey. At the end of the course, the teachers from Beijing Normal had a farewell lunch with us and passed out certificates to congratulate all our students on a job well done. During the lunch everyone was emotional and the teacher hugged everyone, cried, and took lots of group pictures.

Adventuring and Exploring:

During our second week in Beijing, we explored this amazing city even more and had a great time! Our sightseeing spots included the Bird’s Nest, Water Cube, Olympic Green, Pearl Market, Xian Shopping District and the Temple of Heaven. The Bird’s Nest is the colloquial name for the Beijing National Stadium, where the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics were held. It is the largest steel structure in the world! Likewise, the Water Cube is the National Aquatics Center used for the ’08 Olympics. Both are part of the Olympic Green – the area where most of the Olympic events were held. The group was able to wander and around the Green and take lots of pictures. Many of the Chinese people there turned their attention to our group though; they all wanted to take pictures with us! Tanisha and Alex, in particular, draw a crowd wherever we go. The Bird’s Nest is actually in the process of being converted to a shopping mall! Our kids thought it was a shame that they are taking the place apart. The Water Cube was awesome! Everything was sparkling and the place was simply amazing!

The Pearl Market was great and everything was so beautiful. The Xian Shopping District is where the Chinese youth do their shopping, so everything was very age-appropriate for our group. As we shopped and explored, Jacob and Brandon continued to work their bargaining magic. Harper and Tanisha bought Chinese silk dresses and four people got laser pointers. The laser pointers are very cool, military grade and can point up to 5 km. After playing with them for a bit, we (the leaders) eventually had to take them up as they became a bother and a bit hazardous. Sebastian bought a toy helicopter and Tanisha got some stuffed animals. The students also bought some cool magnets. Brandon and March got Manga-related items (a type of Anime). At the center of the shopping district was a restaurant where we had a hot pot dinner (there is a boiling pot of broth in the middle of the table and everyone gathers around to boil their own food items in the pot (such as beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables, and tofu). Our students had a great time with the hot pot and we all ate a lot of food that night – so delicious!

The Temple of Heaven is a complex of Taoist buildings in the Xuanwu District of Beijing. The Temple was constructed between 1406 and 1420 and was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. The Temple was amazing to see but one of our more difficult trips. We arrived a bit late and it was raining. However, we decided to keep going and we ended up touring the Temple for about an hour and a half. We learned about the Emperors and the history of the Temple. We also saw many elderly Chinese people playing games, singing songs and playing cards all over the Temple.

Another highlight was our Peking Duck dinner. March and Amy’s family invited our group to have dinner with them at a fancy restaurant. The group thought the duck was amazing and delicious! Even Joelle, who is a vegetarian, liked eating the Peking duck. Daphne tried the duck eyeballs and Harper ate some duck brain! That was certainly a fun dinner….!

The Group:

The group is rocking it, they are really close and there really aren’t any problems. Our students are working well together; they stick by each other and always offer a helping hand when someone is in need. The only concern March and Amy had was with the laser pointers – since they have now been taken up, everything is going smoothly.
Tanisha set a great example of generosity the other day when she offered to give up her lower bed on the train to a Chinese lady who had back problems. That was so great of her! Tanisha is often admired by the local Chinese – they want to take pictures with her and often offer her candy and other types of food. It was great to see her giving back to the community. Alex, Brandon, Jacob, Cole, and Joelle did a great job of helping the leaders carry the extra weight during our train ride. It’s been great to see everyone helping each other out. Alex taught the game Mao to our group and we have been playing it ever since – it is getting intense! March taught everyone Chinese poker. He still wins about 60% of the time, but the students are having a fun time learning and practicing their card skills. The students are all taking their safety and responsibilities seriously – they can already take cabs and navigate the area in small groups without March or Amy. Joelle and Harper have very strong linguistic skills and are great about helping other members of the group with the language when necessary. Jacob absolutely loves basketball – he played for four hours straight last Thursday! The leaders are just amazed by his level of energy!

Student Blurbs:

Joelle is a total “A” student in the classroom. She learned so much from the teacher and leaders. She is a real student and her thirst for learning is admirable. Joelle can always be counted on; she is responsible, strong, and not afraid to share her inner thoughts and feelings. Joelle is someone who you want as a friend. She is always there for everyone. We love her energy and drive!

Harper is fun and loving. She never complains and we love her sense of humor! She participates in every activity and is just simply cool. She will thrive when she gets to college. Harper was able to help teach Chinese to other group members during our classes. She is a great person to go shopping with and she’ll help you bargain mercilessly. Our group has greatly benefited from having her with us.

Tanisha is loved by all. Chinese people are drawn to her, she makes friends with ease, and strangers often walk up to her and begin conversations. Tanisha is well liked by everyone and contributes so much to the group. She loves to read and is very strong in the classroom – the teacher often asked her to solve some of the more difficult problems.

Daphne is a wonderful person. She is always cheerful and nice to everyone. Just having her around will put a smile on your face. We wish she was here from day one! The group loves hanging out and talking with Daphne. She is not afraid to tell you what she thinks and always has amazing stories from back home that will draw you in. Daphne is adjusting to Chinese food and is making a great effort to try new things.

Jacob is in love with sports. He is fit and strong, funny and smart. His Chinese is improving rapidly and he can hold a conversation in Chinese on his own. Jacob is simply a nice and fun person to be around. He always offers to carry the extra weight – like 15 extra bottles of water for the group on our train ride. He also once played four hours of basketball and became more energetic afterwards – amazing!

Sebastian is the brain of the group. He knows when to have fun and when to be serious. He is cool and has a great sense of humor! Sebastian is also really good with the Rubik’s Cube. We are all amazed as he continues to solve them on a regular basis! Sebastian is teaching March how to work through the cube as we speak. He is also the king of ping pong and can beat just about anyone. He did a great job during Chinese classes and is loved by all.

Brandon is still the king of bargaining. He is nice and always watching your back. Brandon would go a long way for anyone in the group and is always there for his group members in times of need. He is a person you can call a true friend. He loves is family and is always trying to get gifts for them. Brandon is simply great to be around. He is adjusting to Chinese food and having a great time with all the new experiences.

Cole is one of our teacher’s favorite students. She loves to give him hugs and praise for his efforts. Cole is very smart and money-savvy. He is catching on to Chinese poker and Mao very quickly. He is a cool kid who brings so much to the group. Cole loves laser pointers and is trying hard on the ping pong table. He never complains, knows the group well, and loves to try all the different kinds of Chinese snacks.

Alex is cool and collected. The group can always count on him to come up with a fun game. Mao is our new group obsession and we have him to thank for it! He is really good and soccer and very personable. Alex is always approached by the Chinese because, according to them, he is very photogenic. Alex is an understanding and caring person who everyone loves being friends with.