So this week wasn't as exhausting, and the kids were marginally better behaved. There's one group that sets out to wind us up though, and usually we all end up wanting to die in the car on the way home.
This week, we've taught the kids 'In the Jungle (The lion sleeps tonight)' and the oldest 3 groups can sing it in 2 parts, a wym-ba-way and the descant line! After only 2 weeks on it, it sounded pretty impressive, especially as they all try so hard to get the English pronunciation right!
With the youngest two groups, we've taught them heads, shoulders, knees and toes, and the hokey kokey which always goes down well - and even their English is improving slightly picking up odd words that we say a lot and chanting them back at us! It's impossible to get angry because they just mimic everything you say which is very cute.
Almost all of the groups have mastered the basic steps of Caliph dancing and have learnt the start of one dance! It actually seemed like an impossible task at first especially with the boys, but now some of the boys are the best dancers!
As for my lessons, I've just been trying to give them a basic understanding of rhythm, dynamics, tempo, technique, balance and performance. Yesterday rather than sit them in a circle where I could all see them... I put them in the formation that they will be for the performance, and got different kids to lead the group. Amazingly - they listened to each other. kept a steady tempo when things started to speed up, and experimented using different techniques. So although sometimes the basic rhythm was a little shaky - their listening and teamwork skills have improved tremendously!
The one thing we have learnt over here is that none of the kids are very confident, and when you do pick someone to lead, or to demonstrate something or even just to sing the loudest they can - they are all too shy!
We've had a couple of meals out this week which were delicious, and last night we all had a full body massage with oils and hot stones. WOW! Although I couldn't understand a word the lady was saying to me - whatever she was doing felt amazing after a long week with screaming children!!
The weather has been fairly steady, averaging 37 ish during the days, and 33 at night. It's a little cooler this morning though as we had typhoon weather all last night and horrendous thunder and lightening. The lightening lit up the whole of my room room and the thunder sounded like several bombs being dropped! Hopefully it will be nice tomorrow as we were planning to go to the pool.
We have finally sorted out travel plans as well, choosing not to travel up to Beijing and instead fly home early and spend a weekend in Hong Kong, and another in Guangzhou - so yesterday I had a trip to some very fancy offices (just like those you see on american films with different lifts to different floors, marble corridors, awesome water features) in Guangzhou to change my flights - so we are now arriving home on the 4th September and flying via Doa, Qatar.
Also - because apparently it's difficult to find without a link - this is my Flickr page which I'm updating a little more regularly than my blog. A few snaps of the children, the places I've been, and our wonderful translators, Nikki, Rhyme and Pen! http://www.flickr.com/photos/98787505@N06/
Off out shopping today, so I'd best get up!
Zai Jian 再見再見
Friday, 19 July 2013
Sunday, 14 July 2013
Sunday
So it's Sunday and I've officially made it through the week. Teaching is so difficult, major respect to all of my teachers... now I understand the sheer exhaustion when you get to the end of a week!
Our groups have been cut back to 4 now- and the oldest two groups being fantastic! They are so willing to learn- well behaved, happy, trying to learn some English - and really lovely groups to teach! Group B which is the second youngest are a little chaotic as there are so many of them... 37 in total! And the youngest are adorable! So difficult to teach but very cute!
They all love singing, and the drumming went down really well with the older ones :)
It's such a strange place China. The roads have no logical rules, everyone is so polite and helpful, and the food is incredible! I've not had the same thing twice yet, and my chopstick technique is definitely improving! I'm even getting slightly used to the heat- I now set my air-con to 26°C to keep cool!
One week down... Several more crazy weeks to go! As my blog is blocked and facebook too... I've set up a flickr account to share some photo's... If you go on flickr, and search my name or misscjrogers I should pop up :)
Anyway it's past my bedtime!
Night!
Sunday, 7 July 2013
My blog is blocked in China!
Nothing could have prepared me for how strange this experience would be... 8am and it's 30°C! Bonkers!
When I got in last night I wrote this blog post, excited to tell you all how my first few hours had been... then find out blogger is blocked over here! As is wordpress, blogspot, basically anything that gives you the means to express yourself. So for now, Joe will be posting all my blogs (and hopefully not adding anything to them as I won't be able to see!).
The flight here was a lot better than expected. I managed to get a couple of hours sleep as well as 2 films and some Big Bang Theory. I think hospitals need to take note as the food was fantastic! It Was burning hot, healthy and there was a lot of options - and if they can pull it off in mid-air why can't a hospital with a Kitchen manage it! I didn't realise they'd just throw food at you (not literally of course) but even on the flight to Paris we were given snacks and complimentary drinks, Alcoholic or still! Then on board the long flight we had a choice of two menu's. The one I chose had Tomato, Mozzarella and Pesto pasta salad. followed by Mustard chicken with herb mash potato and carrots. And for dessert Camembert, apple, and lemon tart. There were also complimentary Ice creams t drinks through the flight :) Breakfast was a full continental... Salami, ham, cheese, bread, yoghurt etc...
As you can tell... I was pretty amazed! Mainly by how effortlessly everything was done and how much free stuff there was!
We arrived at Guangzhou about 5pm and arrived at our accomodation after a long wait through customs at 8pm. After a quick cool shower and dumping our stuff we went for dinner in town with the Company CEO, the Chinese manager and his family, as well as our translators and a few other Chinese people from the factory.
It's nothing like English Chinese (apart from its just as difficult to eat with Chopsticks and we don't get a choice over here!) - It's so tasty and there is so much choice. Basically everyone sits around a table with a section in the middle that spins... several different dishes are ordered and everyone tucks in. You each get a bowl, plate, small glass and a small pot (cup) for your tea. And befor the meal you rinse each item out with tea, which you also do between dishes!
Saturdays favourite food was some kind of beef Soy noodle dish. The noodles were thick and transparent like a jellyfish but they tasted gorgeous!
Over and out
Cathryn
When I got in last night I wrote this blog post, excited to tell you all how my first few hours had been... then find out blogger is blocked over here! As is wordpress, blogspot, basically anything that gives you the means to express yourself. So for now, Joe will be posting all my blogs (and hopefully not adding anything to them as I won't be able to see!).
The flight here was a lot better than expected. I managed to get a couple of hours sleep as well as 2 films and some Big Bang Theory. I think hospitals need to take note as the food was fantastic! It Was burning hot, healthy and there was a lot of options - and if they can pull it off in mid-air why can't a hospital with a Kitchen manage it! I didn't realise they'd just throw food at you (not literally of course) but even on the flight to Paris we were given snacks and complimentary drinks, Alcoholic or still! Then on board the long flight we had a choice of two menu's. The one I chose had Tomato, Mozzarella and Pesto pasta salad. followed by Mustard chicken with herb mash potato and carrots. And for dessert Camembert, apple, and lemon tart. There were also complimentary Ice creams t drinks through the flight :) Breakfast was a full continental... Salami, ham, cheese, bread, yoghurt etc...
As you can tell... I was pretty amazed! Mainly by how effortlessly everything was done and how much free stuff there was!
We arrived at Guangzhou about 5pm and arrived at our accomodation after a long wait through customs at 8pm. After a quick cool shower and dumping our stuff we went for dinner in town with the Company CEO, the Chinese manager and his family, as well as our translators and a few other Chinese people from the factory.
It's nothing like English Chinese (apart from its just as difficult to eat with Chopsticks and we don't get a choice over here!) - It's so tasty and there is so much choice. Basically everyone sits around a table with a section in the middle that spins... several different dishes are ordered and everyone tucks in. You each get a bowl, plate, small glass and a small pot (cup) for your tea. And befor the meal you rinse each item out with tea, which you also do between dishes!
Saturdays favourite food was some kind of beef Soy noodle dish. The noodles were thick and transparent like a jellyfish but they tasted gorgeous!
Over and out
Cathryn
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