My visit to Yarmouth High School
Sep.17
On Thursday, Sep. 17, I headed for Yarmouth High School after school. Kris drove me to Durham to catch the train to Portland. At 7:25 pm, I saw Xiao, the Chinese teacher there! How excited we were! It was wonderful to see each other after the Beijing and DC orientation.
On Friday, I visited the school and observed Xiao’s class, also Mr. Fox’s Spanish class. He had been to China on business before. At noon, Amy drove us to a Chinese restaurant called China Rose in Freeport. After school, the two Chinese teachers shopped for about 5 hours. We each bought two bags of clothes, enough for autumn. At LLBean, while we were getting the taxi information, a lady kindly came to us and offered to drive us back to Xiao’s apartment. She was just visiting Freeport with her husband. How nice they are! They also gave us a can of peanut when we got to the apartment. Unbelievable experience!
On Saturday, we did bicycle tour around the town of Yarmouth. We even rode to the Atlantic Ocean. The neighbors kindly lent me bicycle and pumped it. We were impressed by the scenery. But more importantly, we were moved by people there. Everyone there is just so friendly. We also did a lift back to one grocery store. We wondered if we could succeed to ask for a lift. The man just warm-heartedly agreed and also told us not to do this again. We should not be always so trusting.
My friend Nancy who gave me a training last summer in Dalian picked me up to visit her home in a village called Woolwich next to Bath. That’s very peaceful time I had with her. It’s a miracle to see her in Maine after we met each other last summer in China. And we will have a chance to meet each other again in Boston in November. Dear Nancy will be there for a course.
So this weekend was great fun! I also tried tow truck back.
My first kayak
Sep. 25, Friday
Today is wonderful. I joined Cliff’s Best 11 class field trip. I did kayaking on the river of Merrimack. It is my first time kayaking. And I definitely enjoyed it. At first, I couldn’t control my directions very well. But later, I was an pro. The scenery is so beautiful, and the weather is amazing. We also had fun in the mud and warm soft sand. One guidance counselor was also there. She is very nice and she is going to take me when her family has interesting activities. On our way back to school, we ate ice-cream.
I will share this with my Chinese students. At first, one of my students mentioned this to me and recommended that I should try. This morning she met me in the lobby and wished me good luck.
Chinese Tea Drinking
Sep. 10, 2009
Today is the Teachers’ Day in China. What a happy feeling when I received Happy Teachers’ Day from TCLP staff. In Bow High School, I invited all the teachers for a tea drinking party. Many came and had a taste of real Chinese tea. Not only did they drink the tea, but also they were informed basic tea knowledge.
Tea bags are great for convenience. But loose leaf teas that are fresher and tastier are the real Chinese tea.
Enjoy the pleasures of real Chinese tea.
Observe color of water and shape of tea leaves.
Smell it before drinking.
Taste it slowly while Chinese tea's impact on one's psychological health is immediate.
It's wonderful to feel the tea still working after you finish drinking it.
The practice of drinking tea has had a long history in China, having originated from there. The Chinese drink tea during many parts of the day such as at meals for good health or simply for pleasure. Although tea originates from China, Chinese tea generally represent tea leaves which have been processed using methods inherited from ancient China. According to popular legend, tea was discovered by Chinese Emperor Shennong in 2737 BCE when a leaf from a Camellia sinensis tree fell into water the emperor was boiling. Tea is deeply woven into the history and culture of China. The beverage is considered one of the seven necessities of Chinese life, along with firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce [clarification needed] and vinegar.
Some writers classify tea into four categories, white, green, oolong and black. Others add categories for red, scented and compressed teas. All of these come from varieties of the Camellia sinensis plant. Chinese flower tea , while popular, is not a true tea. Most Chinese tea is consumed in China and is not exported. Green tea is the most popular type of tea used in China.
Within these main categories of tea are vast varieties of individual beverages. Some researchers have counted more than 700. Others put the number at more than 1,000. Some of the variations are due to different strains of the Camilla plant. The popular Tie Guan Yin , one of the top ten famous tea in China for example, is traced back to a single plant discovered in Anxi in the Fujian province. Other teas draw some of their characteristics from local growing conditions. The largest factor in the wide variations comes from differences in processing after the tea is harvested. White and green teas are cooked soon after picking to prevent oxidization, often called fermentation, caused by natural enzymes in the leaves. Oolong teas are partially oxidized. Black and red teas are fully oxidized. Other differences come from variations in the processing steps.
Chinese tea is healthy in a lot of ways. It lowers blood pressure, protects the heart, helps to prevent obesity, prevents tooth decay and increases immunity, etc. Sounds like a TV commercial but it has been working on more than billions of Chinese people over thousands of years.
It's announced in November, 2001 that research has found scientific evidence that Chinese tea can actually help to prevent cancer. It's more than just empty talk now.
Trip to Boston
Sep. 5 2009
I went to Boston with my host family including 2 hosted exchange students, one from Ukraine, the other from Albania. I am so honored that the Val from Ukraine chooses Chinese after I taught her to count 1 to 10 in Chinese.
In Chinatown there, we eat Chinese food in a restaurant call Gourmet Dumpling House. The food there is very delicious. We waited for about 6 minutes to be able to have a table. Val bought a traditional Chinese shirt for Chinese lessons. In that shop, I also came across an American couple who adopted a Chinese girl in Yichang in Jiangxi Province who is now about 8 years old. They bought a cheong-sam for the girl. I am touched by the woman when she says that the daughter is the best thing she has ever had in her life. Wish them happiness for ever.
Boston is really fabulous. Waiting to see all of you in Boston!
Class Observations
Sep 4, 2009
First class observation on Sep. 2
Spanish IV
I cannot understand Spanish. But judging from students' expressions, I know they are reviewing Spanish happily. And at the end of the class, the Spanish teacher kindly came to me. I have a clear idea what she does in the whole class.
1. finish online student attendance
2. syllabus for the first class
3. talk about your summer vocation
a good thing and a bad thing
with your family
with your friends
by yourself.
Through this pair work, students practiced what they learned before in a fun way to start a new semester.
Second class observation on Sep. 4
World Study co taught by Heidi and Derek
A video called back to school pbs.org wide angle showing different students' education in different countries.
The video is powerful. Students keep notes while they see it. They give their opinions and finish 3 questions by the teachers to compare Bow High School with the other countries.
For someone, you work until the day you die. Students drop out of school.
For someone else, he feels that if he tries his best, he can do everything. Be in high spirit in School.
For yet someone else, the father tells him to study hard at school and never rest to change fate.
The same world, but different world.
The teaching team is the most successful team in Bow High School. They have been working together for 12 years. Heidi is so nice that she sent me a welcome card to me.
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