Mark Heiden's Educator SIP Trip to China

I'm Home

2007-07-20T21:47:00.000-04:00

I returned home today on time via my two flights. The long flight home was only about 12 hours because of the jet stream helping to push us along at over 650 MPH across the Pacific Ocean. It has been a very long Friday with lots of good-byes said along the way. It was quite a way to spend a summer, studying Chinese language and culture in China, and I met some great friends doing it. Now it is on to reading the new Harry Potter, tennis, and then school for me. Below you can see a picture of the fabulous Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

To any newcomers to this blog: Please start reading at the bottom so you can go in chronological order. This blog was created to be daily communication with my students, family, colleagues, and friends, but now that my trip is over, it will remain up, unchanged, so that any interested parties can read it. Email me directly at mheiden@sbcglobal.net or mheiden@hse.k12.in.us with any questions or comments. Thank you.

On My Way Home

2007-07-20T04:29:00.000-04:00

I’m up early this morning to leave for the airport at 5 AM on a bus that Professor Lin reserved for all of us. Though my flight isn’t until this afternoon, others in our group are leaving at 10 AM, so all of us are leaving very early. I am flying on United flight 836 from Shanghai leaving at 3:45 PM local time (3:45 AM EST) to arrive in Chicago at 3:55 PM CST. Notice that I actually get into Chicago on the same day and time that I leave Shanghai. This will be a very long Friday for me. I am then flying to Indianapolis on United flight 7796 at 6:55 PM CST to arrive at 9:00 PM EST. I am looking forward to getting home.

Final Day in China

2007-07-19T19:49:00.000-04:00

Our last day in Hangzhou began with a morning final quiz over the material we have learned the past two days, one last trip to Trust Mart, followed by a farewell lunch at the Louwalou Restaurant. The Louwalou Restaurant is one of the oldest and best known restaurants in Hangzhou and specializes in the famous Beggar’s Chicken. Beggar’s Chicken is a whole chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and then cooked in a clay shell. When they serve it a person gets to break open the clay-incased chicken with a hammer. Jose did the honors for our group.

After lunch we all had a moment to speak about our time in China, and to talk of our plans for the future in regards to Chinese language and culture instruction. Earlier in the day I gave Cherry, our Chinese teacher, several gifts that I brought with me from home. I gave her an Indianapolis calendar, some Brooks School Elementary pencils, keychain, t-shirt, and some coins including the new Presidential Dollar coins. She surprised me by showing up at our lunch wearing her new Brooks School Elementary t-shirt! Below you can see me pictured with her in her new t-shirt.

After lunch I, along with several others, elected to head back to the hotel to organize for tomorrow’s journey home. After getting mostly packed and ready, Jose, Jessica, Katie, and I went out to Pizza Hut for a final dinner here in China. The evening’s activities now include finishing packing, weighing my suitcase, checking out of the hotel, and getting as much sleep as possible before our 5 AM departure from the hotel tomorrow for Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Hangzhou Youth and Children's Center

2007-07-18T22:04:00.000-04:00

We finally had a chance to visit some elementary-aged students today at the Hangzhou Youth and Children’s Center. This is a summer school/camp of sorts for children aged from preschool through at least middle school. They have all kinds of classes from art to English to music classes for the children. There is even an amusement park there as well to entertain the students. It was my understanding that students can take individual classes, or can do sort of a day camp there as well. I was able to give out all of my school pencils and gifts during the visit, so I was very pleased. You can see a cartoon drawing class in the picture below.

After a quick lunch at McDonald’s we had several hours of class. We did have a gourd flute player perform during class, and that helped things to speed along during the afternoon. After dinner we had another hour or so of class to wrap up some group projects we have been working on during our stay. I am now working to figure out exactly how many Yuan I need for the little time I have left in China. Most of us are beginning to pack up for our Friday return to the USA.

An Irish Pub

2007-07-17T22:45:00.000-04:00

After an hour meeting to work out the logistics of the remaining couple of days of our trip, Jose, Jessica, and I went out to have dinner at an Irish Pub called Shamrock. Though our taxi driver had some trouble finding it, he did get us there eventually for a few extra Yuan. We all had sandwiches and fries. My hamburger tasted a little different, but was still really good. We played a couple of games of pool as well during the evening. Take a look at the signage for the Shamrock and you'll see why we had a bit of trouble finding it.

Tea and a Pagoda

2007-07-17T17:45:00.000-04:00

Today started with several hours of class, but the afternoon brought a field trip. We started by visiting the China National Tea Museum here in Hangzhou. The Chinese have a rich tea history that the museum sought to illustrate. It was a very nice museum and I enjoyed the visit, which is saying something since I don’t really even like tea. Richard Nixon even visited the museum back in 1993. The beautiful grounds of the museum are pictured below.
After departing the museum we headed for the Dragon Well Tea Farm area nearby. This is a grouping of functioning tea farms that you can visit, and then stop by a local house to have tea. We visited a house on top of a hill that offered beautiful views all around. We had tea (well, I didn’t) and then relaxed for a while. There was a funny mynah bird that kept saying Chinese phrases that kept us entertained for quite a while. Below is a picture of our Chinese teacher Cherry and me at the tea house. Cherry is a freelance teacher that is known as one of the best Chinese teachers in the area. She lives in Hangzhou with her husband and daughter, who we got to meet at the dinner on July 4th.

After the tea farms we went to visit one of the famous pagodas in the area. This one is called the Pagoda of Six Harmonies, and has quite a story associated with it that involves a boy Liuhe (pictured below in front of his pagoda). We did climb to the 13th floor to see some great views of Hangzhou.

A Dinner with a Family

2007-07-16T22:45:00.000-04:00

We had a lecture this afternoon from Professor Yin Qiping on modern Chinese literature. He focused mostly on three Chinese poets: Xu Zhimo, Ai Qing, Luo Qing. The latter wrote an interesting poem called Six Ways of Eating Watermelon. Try Googling it. Professor Yin is pictured below. It was a fun lecture because he was very passionate about poetry and put a lot of style into his reading aloud.

Over the past few days we have been communicating via email with the Chinese student, Ding Ding (I think I referred to her earlier as Ariel), we met back on July 4th. She invited us to dinner at her parents’ house along with her college roommate. Ding Ding emailed us directions to a nearby hotel in Chinese characters and we loaded up in a taxi and headed off to meet her there. Jessica, Katie, Jose, and I made it on time and then she led us up to her parents’ apartment. We were really looking forward to seeing a real Chinese apartment and how a real Chinese family lives. It was a nice, small apartment with two bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room, and front room. I would imagine that it was around 600 square feet total. We met her parents, and her dad had already memorized our names from a group photo we had emailed a few days before. We sat down to eat right away at the table that was already full of food and Barbie plates. Her mother had taken the afternoon off from work to prepare the meal for us.

Dinner consisted of dishes like stewed chicken, stewed pork, green beans, beef, asparagus, spinach, dumplings, steamed buns, and some more dishes as well. We had to eat and eat, and then our hosts still kept putting food on our plates. Even though I have sworn off Chinese food, the meal was good. After dinner we had green tea and then we all performed some songs on their piano. Katie and I played Heart and Soul, and Jessica and Ding Ding both played much more complicated music. Ding Ding even sang a Chinese song for us. She was also very good at translating for us throughout the evening so we could talk back and forth with her parents who didn’t speak any English. Her dad had been all over the US several years ago though and showed us lots of pictures. The picture below is of him opening a gift I brought for his family. We had brought a bottle of fine rice wine with us for a gift, and I brought an Indianapolis calendar, some Brooks School Elementary pencils, a t-shirt, and some new presidential dollar coins. They gave us each some postcards and a copy of the group photo that we had taken several days before.

All in all is was a very good time with the family--probably one of the best evenings thus far on the trip. A group picture of all of us is below.

McDonald's and then Shopping

2007-07-16T12:15:00.000-04:00

We had a break from class this morning which gave Jessica and me a great chance to go to McDonald’s for breakfast. No one else seemed excited about a McDonald’s breakfast, but Jessica and I were ready. I had pancakes, sausage, and orange juice and I must say it was excellent. I wanted a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, but all of the breakfast sandwiches here come on regular hamburger buns (and usually have mayo and ketchup on them). You can see me with my wonderful meal below.

After breakfast we took a taxi to Hefang street to shop for some souvenirs. I bought some packages of bamboo chopsticks and a little trinket that I had engraved. The shop owner did the engraving and then posed with me for a picture.

Funny Translations

2007-07-16T00:53:00.000-04:00

One of the really nice aspects of navigating around China is that most signs that you see in Chinese characters are also translated into English. However, a lot of these translations were either done by someone who wasn’t very good, or by a computer program that uses a very literal translation. Enjoy a sampling of some of the funnier signs I have seen during my travels here. (Click on each to see a bigger version of the picture.)

Saved by Pizza Hut

2007-07-15T23:39:00.000-04:00

We were given the option this morning of either sleeping in and having the morning to eat breakfast and venture back to the ocean, or to go and see another temple on a different part of the island. Well, almost everyone, including me, decided to sleep in and take the morning off. Though several awoke and went out walking, I enjoyed sleeping in and having the morning to eat Ritz crackers, peanut butter, and water for breakfast (I wasn’t going to chance the breakfast buffet this morning). We then met as a group and departed back for Hangzhou via a boat (had a fishy lunch—I didn’t eat much), bus, ferry, and bus again. We got back “home” by 5 PM and then Jose, Katie, Jessica, and I went to Pizza Hut to try to alleviate our hunger that had built up over the past two days. We ordered lots of food and enjoyed a very western dining experience. Pizza Hut is so clean and comfortable! After dinner we made a quick run to Trust Mart for some supplies and then came back to the room for a movie and then to bed. The picture below is from Pizza Hut tonight. There are so many differences between the USA and China, but one of the funnier ones to me is the salad bar at Pizza Hut. If you buy the salad bar, you only get one trip. So, it seems to be an art form to see how high you can stack your salad on your bowl to get the most out of your one trip. The girls below did the best job of anyone we observed with a huge stack supported by cucumber and watermelon on the outside.

A Day on Mount Putuo

2007-07-14T22:38:00.000-04:00

The day began early with a 6 AM departure by bus, for a several hour ride until we took a ferry ride for about an hour to a nearby island, where we had lunch. Fishy was the best way to describe lunch as that was the theme. Supposedly about a third of China’s seafood comes from the island port that we were at, so most of our food had shrimp or fish favor. Since I have pretty much sworn off Chinese food, I didn’t eat much. We then took a fifteen minute speed boat ride to Putuo Island. Below is a picture from the ferry ride across to the first island. Notice the very brown water—that is because of all of the silt in the water from a nearby river emptying into the bay. All of the water around Putuo was very brown from all of the muddy silt. I am not sure if this is natural, or if it is pollution from all of the construction near the length of the river.

Once we landed on Putuo Island, or Mount Putuo as it is sometimes called, we dropped off our bags and began a long hike up some winding paths. Though it was quite pretty, it was also very hot and humid. It was around noon, but because China has only one time zone, it was more like two in the afternoon. (Yes, you heard that correctly, China has only one time zone for the entire country. That means that in western China the sun would rise around 10 AM and set around 11 PM. I don’t know why China has decided on one time zone, but they seem to have in spite of all the countries around it.) The picture below has a nice description on Putuo for you to read to better understand the significance of the island.
We continued our very hot and sweaty hike up to a temple for the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. There we lit three sticks of incense and dropped them into the cauldron in front of the shrine. I am sure there was more to the ceremony than this, but I think this was supposed to bring me luck or answer my prayers or something. I wished for the sun to go behind a cloud for the rest of the day, but that prayer was not answered by the Goddess of Mercy. This temple is shown below.

However we kept hiking up and stopping to see rocks that were supposed to be turtles, but really looked like rocks. The pictures below are of the more spectacular views out over the ocean. In the second one you can see a famous statue off in the distance.
Eventually we did get to the top, only to descend to our hotel back near where we started. The funny part of this is that we entered the back door to the hotel, and it looked VERY sketchy. We were worried about the conditions until we made our way into the front section of the hotel that was much better. Below Helen and Reza walk into the back door very concerned about our sleeping arrangements for the evening!

Everyone was quite happy to go and crank the air conditioning in the rooms and watch some Chinese TV for a while. After a short break we met for dinner in the hotel, which again had a very fishy theme. It was interesting that at the restaurants on these islands they had kiddy pools in the restaurants where you could go and pick the seafood you wanted for dinner. It was like picking your lobster in the states, but considerably less hygienic (and very smelly)! No one at our table ate much for dinner. You can see most of our meal below. Notice the traditional circular table where you take what you want from the dishes into your bowl. During the meal you just keep rotating the table to get what you want to eat.

After dinner we all went out scavenging for food in the local stores. We did find ice cream bars, Oreos, juice drink, and water to tide us over for the evening. Then we all went to the ocean. Though there wasn’t any swimming allowed, there were many people out on the beach running around and enjoying the sand. After some time in the sand we played some cards in the room (Jose and I won) and went to bed.

Off to Putuo Island

2007-07-13T20:50:00.000-04:00

For the last of our weekend trips around China most of the group will be departing for Putuo Island on Saturday morning to return on Sunday evening. Some of our group really wanted to go to Xi'an to see the terracotta warriors, so they are taking a plane to do that while the rest of us are at Putuo Island. The trip to Xi'an would have cost an additional $350, so I elected to go on the already included trip to Putuo Island. Besides, I will be sure to see the terracotta warriors when I return to China some day.... So, it will be a day or two before I update the blog again.

A Catholic Church

2007-07-13T17:25:00.000-04:00

After about two hours of class today, including a quiz, Jose, Jessica, Katie, and I took a bus across the city to go to Subway. I had a foot long Italian BMT that really hit the spot. I have at this point pretty much sworn off Chinese food, except when it can’t be avoided. The sandwich was surprisingly just like one that could be bought in the US, but I did go out on a limb and chose a soda that was like a liquidized sour apple jolly rancher. Though it was a bit sweet, it wasn’t too bad. The Subway restaurant is pictured below.
After Subway I stopped by a Bank of China ATM to get some Yuan to make it through the next week. Then, Jose and I wandered into the Hangzhou Catholic Church. We happened by it after hearing of it from Jessica and Katie who had found it yesterday. It was amazing to walk through it, knowing the persecution that religious people have endured here from the Chinese government. Even now all churches have to register with the government and follow guidelines, or risk being shut down or possibly prosecuted. There is an underground network of churches here that is flourishing under the constant risk of being discovered and crushed. These underground churches often advocate for the end of the communist government, and this is of course not allowed in China. Political dissent is not something that is tolerated from almost anyone. Enjoy the pictures of the church below--it was an amazing sight to behold.

Chinese Modern Art Lecture

2007-07-12T19:54:00.000-04:00

Today began with several hours of class this morning as usual, and then a break for lunch. Several of us went to a restaurant that we went to two days ago (I had the garlic fries there). However, we tried other items and it wasn’t quite as good. Also, they messed up my garlic fries and brought something entirely different. The kicker is that this restaurant has a dog that runs around lose through the dining room and kitchen—I am not sure how the health department would feel about this in the US. I had to settle for a quick yogurt snack at McDonald’s. We had to hurry back for a lecture on Chinese Modern Art by Professor Zhang Shengqiang. He spoke English very well and gave us live demonstrations, so it was a fun lecture that was mainly about the types of classic Chinese calligraphy. There were a couple of items of note about him: one was that he studied at Indiana University for a time in the 1980s and two was that during Mao’s reign here in China he created propaganda art for the government. A lot of artists were either killed or sent to reeducation camps during the Cultural Revolution, and no doubt he stayed alive and kept from starving by creating art for the government. A picture of the professor is below.

After this presentation we went out to another supermarket store across town that is known for its import sections. They actually have cheese there, along with many other American and European items that you can’t obtain anywhere else. After enjoying the exploration of the store (there is little that is more fun than going grocery shopping in a foreign country), we stopped by McDonald’s and I had another Big Mac meal with a strawberry shake this time. (I am not wasting away, Mom.) I am now home for the evening to prepare for the quiz that we have tomorrow morning. I think I may also watch a movie that I bought at Trust Mart a few days ago (Flags of our Fathers). Pictured below are several items that might be quite common in the USA, but quite so common over here in China.

Crazy Drivers and Street Cleaners

2007-07-11T22:41:00.000-04:00

A couple of other observations from today….first, China's drivers are absolutely crazy. I was crossing the street today on a crosswalk with a green walk light when a bus nearly ran me over. Jessica was walking with me and yelled out and I looked up to see a very calm bus driver roaring straight for me. He didn’t seem worried at all that he was about to make me into a hood ornament. Pedestrians never have the right-of-way in China. There are always bikes, scooters, motorcycles, and cars turning across walking paths. Also, when riding in a taxi it is normal to nearly have 10 accidents on the way to your destination. They just weave in and out into gaps that are way too small, even for the small cars here. However, having said all of that, I haven’t seen a wreck yet while I have been here. Unrelated to this is another interesting thing about Hangzhou—the street cleaners. It is quite often that you hear a little song coming from a truck driving down the road, like an ice cream truck. Then, you see that the truck is a street cleaner. So, when in China, and you hear a little song playing, step back from the road because you will be soaked if you are too close! The street cleaner truck is pictured below from our hotel window.

McDonald's Big Mac

2007-07-11T22:20:00.000-04:00

After class all morning, Jessica, Katie, and I went to McDonald's for lunch. We all agreed that we needed a good western meal, and McDonald's was the ticket. I had a Big Mac meal and a strawberry sundae that really hit the spot. Oddly, after lunch I came back to the room and slept for most of the afternoon even though I rarely take naps. Then, Jose and I went to a restaurant later in the evening for chicken wings and fries. Today was a pretty good day mainly because I got enough to eat!

A Day of Class

2007-07-10T21:25:00.000-04:00

This day was full of class all morning, and for most of the evening. The middle of the day was time for lunch (I ate garlic French fries and some breaded chicken) and a trip to Trust Mart for food. I am feeling better today from my recent sickness, but I am still being very careful with what I eat. Pictured below is a scene from a game we were playing during the evening class. We were practicing our Chinese numbers, and when we messed up, Cherry (our teacher), taped a piece of paper to our face. (Hey, Chinese teachers are tough!) As you can see, I messed up twice during the game. I still have a way to go to master counting in Chinese.

My Sick Day

2007-07-09T21:45:00.000-04:00

I took a sick day today from class. I didn’t feel well this morning when I woke-up, and it became obvious that I wasn’t going to make it to class. I think it was a combination of all the crazy, greasy Chinese food I have been eating, the tiring schedule, the cold I caught, and the heat/humidity that finally got to me. So instead I spent the day rereading the 6th Harry Potter, typing email, updating my blog, and just resting in my room. The rest and relaxation really did benefit me and I am feeling much better as I write this post. Jessica made me the get well card that is pictured below.

The Return to Hangzhou

2007-07-08T22:34:00.000-04:00

Today began with a very hurried packing and leaving the hotel via taxis to the Beijing Airport. Our group leader, Professor Lin, knew that we needed to get to the airport early to beat the large group of other people that were in the hotel with us because of the cancelled flight. We didn’t beat them, but we were able to get on an 11:45 AM flight back to Hangzhou ahead of them because Professor Lin went to a different window to get us booked. I got to witness what happens in China when things aren’t going well in an airport--lots of yelling and screaming! The flight left on time and we were back in the hotel by 3:30 PM. We had about an hour until we were to meet some local Chinese college students and have dinner with them. We were to have spent the entire day with them seeing Hangzhou, but because of the cancelled flight the night before, we only had the evening. Jose, Jessica, Katie, and I met Ariel (the girl from the dinner on July 4th) and Cynthia and went off to visit the local Yue Fei Temple and Tomb before having dinner near the old Hangzhou section of town. After walking a bit through the shops in the old section, we said good-bye to our new Chinese friends and went back to the hotel. The four of us are pictured with Ariel and Cynthia below at the temple.

Cheated in Beijing

2007-07-07T23:59:00.000-04:00

I have one additional story from July 7th that I think I need to share. It is the story of me getting swindled by a street vendor as we were leaving the Summer Palace. This guy was selling fake Beijing Olympics t-shirts and I was haggling with him. I wanted two for 20 Yuan (about 3 dollars) and he finally agreed. Unfortunately I only had a 50 Yuan bill, so I paid him with that. He grabbed it from me and quickly put it in his wallet. I knew this was trouble, and sure enough he began to say 3 for 50 Yuan. I told him I wanted my 50 Yuan back and he dug around in his wallet and gave one to me. I was worried about it being fake so I quickly looked it over and checked for the water mark. The bill looked good, and I was mad at the guy, so I just walked away and boarded the bus. Because I was concerned it was counterfeit, later at the market I took three of my 50 Yuan bills, including the one in question, to a vendor to have them checked. They immediately knew that the one the street vendor had passed me was a counterfeit bill. They can tell by the feel and also by the way the ink looks in the light. Everyone who accepts any bills 50 Yuan or more checks for counterfeits here in China because this crime is so common. So, I lost a 50 Yuan bill that is worth about 7 dollars. I read somewhere that you can’t say you have visited China until you have been ripped-off in some way, and now I can say that I have been ripped-off! I do plan to keep the fake bill and have it framed when I get home.

The Second Day in Beijing

2007-07-07T23:58:00.001-04:00

We woke up early today to have a fantastic breakfast at our very nice Beijing hotel, and then leave for a hike up the Great Wall. On the way we did pass several future Olympic sites, including the soon-to-be famous Beijing Olympic Stadium (I have heard it called the bird’s nest stadium, and I can see why). It was really fantastic to see, even if it was just from the highway. Next summer you will be seeing a lot of China through the Olympics, and they are working hard to get ready.

The Great Wall is of course huge, and the one small section we visited was at Juyongguan, about an hour or so outside of Beijing. This section was originally built from 770-476 BC and was worked on and linked up to others sections throughout history. It was rebuilt in 1993 to restore it for tourism. The beginning of the climb up is shown below, and then with me pictured just getting started.

It was a hot, clear day so it was a beautiful but exhausting climb up. I did make it and was rewarded with some great views from the top. The picture below is from about half the way up looking towards the top.

Once I made it to the top with several other group members, we took a bunch of pictures and then bought little metal plaques that said we climbed the Great Wall. It was especially rewarding since we had the date etched into the metal: 7-7-07. We assume it will bring us luck. After climbing back down we relaxed on the bus and rode to a shopping center/restaurant to have lunch and do some shopping. Next we headed off to see the Summer Palace. This was where Chinese emperors came to escape the heat of Beijing. It is a beautiful complex right on a lake outside of Beijing. Part of the site is pictured from our boat ride across the lake.
We had about two hours to explore what could have taken a day, however we were able to climb to the top of the complex pictured above. The architecture and artwork on the buildings was incredible throughout. Each of the individual buildings had names and purposes, and some had statues and thrones to visit. It was certainly an impressive sight. Below is just a taste of the color and design of the palace.

After leaving the Summer Palace, we drove to a market that sold almost everything from MP3 players to pearls. Jose and I walked around together just looking and being called at to buy from each booth. We left from there for the airport to leave on our Air China flight at 8:40 PM. However, there were big storms and our flight was delayed and then delayed some more. They fed us some horrible meatballs and gave us water while we waited. Finally the flight was cancelled around 11 PM. We were all very dirty and tired from having been out climbing in the sun all day, and all just wanted to take a shower and go to bed. Fortunately the airline bused us all to a hotel (that at first sight was really scary because it looked like a prison camp when we entered the grounds) that was pretty nice and we were able to spend the night there. This was a very long day that was wonderful right up until the four uncomfortable hours at the airport waiting for a flight that would be cancelled.

In Beijing

2007-07-06T23:40:00.000-04:00

Today began with an early flight to Beijing, but the flight was on time and was only 1 hour and 45 minutes long, so it was an easy trip. We all just brought a backpack or similar overnight bag so we didn’t have to lug any luggage around. After landing in the very hazy (from air pollution) Beijing, we boarded a bus to our very nice hotel out in the third ring of the city. Beijing is divided into rings with the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square in the middle. We had a quick lunch at our hotel and then we traveled to Tiananmen Square. This is the famous gathering place in Beijing/Chinese history with several government takeovers and protests happening here—with the most recent famous event being the uprising in 1989. Try Googling Tiananmen Square and you will see the amazing history of the place. Below is my picture in the center of it. Off to my left is the mausoleum where Mao Zedong’s body is still kept and viewable to the public. We did not have time to visit Chairman Mao unfortunately.

We walked from one end of Tiananmen Square to the other end to enter the Forbidden City through the Tiananmen Gate. You can see me in front of the famous gate below, with Mao’s huge portrait hanging at the entrance.

The Forbidden City is a huge sprawling complex that was built starting in 1406. It has an amazing history that even includes being partially destroyed during Mao’s reign, and then sealed-off from everyone after that. They are renovating it currently to get it ready for the Olympics, and are in the middle of an overall renewal of the city to past glory. The grounds are immense and there is history everywhere. Enjoy two pictures of the city below--none of mine really do it justice.

After several hours of walking through the Forbidden City (we could have spent two days to try to see everything), we were off to navigate the gauntlet of street peddlers that were selling us everything from Gucci bag knockoffs to fake Rolex watches to pirated Beijing Olympics gear. Once they see Westerners, they flock and are quite persistent (until the police show up….the police seem to let them sell, but they don’t like it if they are harassing visitors). We did get on our bus and then went to a restaurant to have the famous Beijing Peking Duck.
The duck is actually carved in front of you into small slices of breast meat each with some of the crispy skin intact, and then you take some and place it into a thin pancake with some plum sauce and some onions and cucumbers and then eat it. It was quite good, and I will say we had a great feast.

After the feast we headed directly to see some Beijing Opera. I didn’t know anything about it, and to be honest, I still don’t. It was very beautiful and colorful, and at times even very acrobatic. However, it was in Chinese, as were the subtitles displayed at the side of the stage. Also, the singing sounded like a cat screaming, so just imagine that for two and a half hours. However, I am very pleased to have gotten to see it, and the Chinese people there seemed to really enjoy it, even shouting out and clapping at random spots. We never did figure out what happened, but our ears are still ringing… It was then time to head back to the hotel and get into bed exhausted after a very long, but good day.

A Feast and Mexican Poker

2007-07-05T22:37:00.000-04:00

This evening we had one hour more of class and then Jose, Jessica, Katie, and I went off to the local supermarket to buy food for an in-house feast. After eating quite well (see the picture below), we played some Mexican poker, and then Jose and I cleaned up the room and packed for our trip tomorrow to Beijing. We leave at 6:30 AM to catch an 8:40 AM China Eastern Airlines flight from Hangzhou to Beijing. We stay in Beijing to visit the Great Wall, Forbidden City, and Summer Palace through Saturday evening when we fly back to Hangzhou. It will be a couple of days before I update my blog again because I won’t take my computer to Beijing.

Chinese Fighter Jets

2007-07-05T17:24:00.000-04:00

Another interesting event today was that I kept hearing jets passing overhead all afternoon. When I finally spotted some in the sky, I realized that these were Chinese fighter jets. I think the jets I saw were Fantan Q-5/A-5 fighter planes, but I can’t be sure. The Chinese have several different fighter aircraft in their arsenal, with the Q-5/A-5 being the most common behind the Jian-7/MiG-21 and the Jian-6/MiG-19. You can read about China’s air force at this link and about the USA’s air force at this link. When I was younger I was really interested in fighter jets after seeing the movie Top Gun. So, perhaps some of you out there were be interested in reading about these jets as well.

Quishi (Jingzhou) Primary School

2007-07-05T16:40:00.000-04:00

As usual our day began with about three hours of class, followed by lunch. For lunch today we went to the cafeteria around the corner from our hotel that we go to often, and I got my usual chow mein and bottled water. It’s not a bad lunch, and after having bananas, peanut butter, yogurt, orange juice, and a multivitamin for breakfast, I don’t need that great of a lunch usually. After lunch today we had a visit planned to a local elementary school, so naturally I was excited. I had my bag of goodies from Brooks School Elementary (pencils, pens, key chains, erasers, t-shirts), my new presidential dollar coins, and my Indianapolis calendar ready to give away. Having lugged these items from the States, I was anxious to rid myself of them. Plus, it is always fun to see an elementary school in another country, and to learn more about how children are taught similarly and differently from the United States. Well, upon arrival at the school (pictured below) I found out that there were no kids present since they were on summer vacation!

We took a tour of an empty building and then had a sit down session with the two principals of the school. Needless to say I was very disappointed. We did get to ask questions of the principals, and we found out some useful information such as the average class size here is 50 kids per class. Also, about half of the teachers at the school are part of the Communist Party (club or group or association), and half are not members. In the picture below of the meeting with the principals, the two principals are on the left and our leader Professor Lin is on the right. Be sure to notice the hammer and sickle red flag of the communist party. This is displayed in the Party Member Activities Room.

One other note of interest to me is the eye exercises that each class does twice per day to supposedly delay near-sightedness. Of course this does not work, but all children still do these exercises each day. Take a look at the classroom poster below displaying these exercises, and the eye chart beside it.

An Independence Day Dinner and Fireworks

2007-07-04T23:49:00.000-04:00

Later that same evening we went to a hotel on the shore of West Lake to have a Fourth of July dinner together with many Chinese students. This was by far our most fancy dinner of the trip, and it was one that was very much enjoyed. All of the program participants were joined by the local Chinese students that will be with us on this Sunday to take us around Hangzhou in small groups. It was an amazing dinner buffet with all kinds of foods ranging from roast duck to sushi to salad to roast beef to spinach mashed potatoes to a huge dessert bar with many types of great ice cream (including green tea ice cream!). This great meal was aided by a nice view of West Lake, and by the very nice Chinese students that joined us at each table. It was fun to talk with them because their English was so good. It also allowed us to practice a little Chinese as well. After several hours of dinner we caught a cab back to our hotel and watched a movie in the room. We were interrupted however halfway through by fireworks outside. It was a pretty good display, and while I don’t think it was for our Independence Day, we decided to treat the display as such. The picture below is of me, our Chinese friend Ariel, Jessica, and Jose at dinner.

Laundry and a Steak

2007-07-04T16:52:00.000-04:00

Today was a success thus far for several reasons. First, I got a load of laundry done by the hotel for 15 Yuan (2 dollars). We have a special deal here at the hotel where they will wash, dry, and fold our casual laundry for this great price, and we get it back same day. Then, we had our usual three and a half hours of class. Afterward we made our semi-daily trip to Trust Mart and then took a cab to a restaurant called Curtilage Café. This was a very nice restaurant that had a mixture of food ranging from Indian to American to Chinese. I had a sirloin steak that came with a salad, soup, bread, and an egg. It was a good meal that was definitely a change from my normal meals here in China. The whole meal for me was 58 Yuan (almost 8 dollars). The Yuan goes a long way here in China with most items being quite cheap (unless they are American goods that are actually made in the USA). For instance, I had chow mein and a bottle of water at a local café yesterday for 8 Yuan (just over 1 dollar). In the States it would cost twice that just for the water! The picture below is of me with my steak for lunch.

A Lecture on Chinese Education Reform

2007-07-03T17:46:00.000-04:00

Looking at today on the schedule previewed that it was not to be a very fun day, with over six hours of class. However, it was as good as a day can be with actually more than seven hours of class time including a lecture. I am still struggling with my Chinese pronunciation and memorization of words and characters, but I am making some progress. We did have a very interesting lecture today by Dr. Zhang from Zhejiang University here in Hangzhou. She talked to us about the recent educational reforms here in China. She gave a very candid talk about the successes and the challenges of this reform. Basically China has been trying to move from a very authoritative style of teaching to a more student-centered model. The curriculum is almost entirely dictated by the national government, with input coming from some professors and other people along the way. But, this has been met with quite a bit of resistance from teachers, parents, and government officials. Also, the government has been trying to implement this very quickly, and on the cheap. It was very interesting to hear that a lot of the same troubles that the USA is having with education, China is experiencing also. The picture below is of Dr. Zhang at the beginning of her lecture.

An Afternoon of Walking and Boating

2007-07-02T22:39:00.000-04:00

This day in Hangzhou brought three and a half hours of class during the morning, and then a full afternoon of walking around the city. We began with lunch at a local cafeteria, but then headed out to find West Lake. West Lake is a beautiful lake here in the middle of the city, surrounded by pagodas and temples and walking paths. We walked all afternoon and evening to see some great shopping areas, restaurants, views of the lake, and many statues. Some highlights were dinner at Papa John’s Pizza, searching for Chinese characters we know, and a boat ride around the lake on a rented boat. We also were able to see part of a musical water performance from afar where there was a light show and people running around in shallow water. It was very beautiful and we may try to get tickets for it and see it in full some evening here. All in all, it was a good day. The picture below is of Jose and me driving our boat.

CCTV 9 International

2007-07-02T07:30:00.000-04:00

As usual Jose and I woke up this morning and turned on the TV to the only English speaking channel we have access to here in Hangzhou--CCTV 9 International. There are several CCTV channels, and they are all government owned and operated, just like all the TV stations here that are China-based. They are covering the 10 year anniversary of the transfer of Hong Kong from England to China with great enthusiasm right now. In fact, that is all they are talking about, and the news is so sticky-sweet that you know right away that it is fully censored by the government. As far as CCTV has reported at this point, nothing bad has ever happened here in China that China couldn't handle properly and overcome (even the stock market crash and SARS were handled easily--these are quickly mentioned and then the commentator moves on). We got to see the BBC in Yellow Mountain, and CNN International in Shanghai, and that was a welcome break. Who would have thought that news from English or American channels would be such a nice comfort!?! At some point it must be assumed that China will have to stop censoring and controlling all of the media and movies here, but that hasn’t happened yet. On a good note, CNN.com doesn’t seem to be blocked anymore, and I can get my news from there. So, if you watch the local or national news tonight, thank your American government for staying out of the news for better or for worse.

A Day of Class

2007-07-01T23:23:00.000-04:00

Today was a day of Chinese classes, with some food in between classes. We started today with three and a half hours of class, and then had lunch at a curious restaurant down the street that some others from our group discovered a few days ago. This restaurant only has a few items, but several are American or European. I had spaghetti, french fries, and orange drink for my lunch. It was a weird combination, but sometimes anything non-Chinese sounds good to me! After lunch several of us studied for a while, and then had dinner at a local restaurant (I had a fried rice dish) before two more hours of class in the evening. The Chinese language classes are really hard, and I am having trouble learning this very difficult language. The sounds are mostly different than English, there are four tones that make a big difference in meaning and pronunciation, and the characters still look like gibberish to me. However, we are all still trying to plug along and learn as much as we can. The day was finished with a movie in the room in our homemade theatre. The picture below is of my fine spaghetti dish and drink.

Back to Hangzhou

2007-06-30T21:49:00.000-04:00

Traveling is not always glamorous. The day began with leaving the hotel at 9 AM to take a cable car back down the mountain to depart from Yellow Mountain. However, we were met with a very large queue at the cable car station. So, we waited for about three hours to finally get into a car. The picture below is of our wait, just to prove the traveling is not always fun!

However, the view down the mountain was stunning, and it was definitely fun to see parts of the path we had climbed up the day before. One picture of the cable car view is below.

After getting down, we stopped for lunch at the same restaurant as the day before (no one got sick, so that means it was an OK place to eat!!). On our way back to Hangzhou we stopped by one store by the side of the road, and then by an old city (tourist) market. The market entrance is pictured below.

I did buy a four piece painting of Yellow Mountain and a little stone pig (it is the year of the pig) from stores at the market, so it was worthwhile. The Yuan seems to go very far here with goods being quite cheap. Then it was time to drive the three more hours back to Hangzhou so we can do our homework that is due tomorrow. I am putting that off as I type on my blog instead….

A Climb Up Yellow Mountain

2007-06-29T21:18:00.000-04:00

Today began with an early start at 7:30 AM to drive the four to five hours to Yellow Mountain (Huangshan Mountain is the Chinese name). Though we had to practice our Chinese sounds on the drive, otherwise it was peaceful. The scenery during the trip was beautiful with the countryside passing by my window. There were many farms built into the side of the hills, and the farmers were always out working by hand in their fields. We stopped for lunch at a place called Mr. Cheng’s Restaurant, and then finished our drive at the base of the mountain range. Half of the group chose to ride the cable car up to the hotel, but twelve of us were brave enough to decide to climb the 6.5 kilometer path (about 5000-6000 steps I think) to the top. I was especially excited since I like this type of challenge. We all had our ponchos on since it is constantly damp and often raining during the climb, but after a bit everyone had them off because it didn’t ever rain much on us. The picture below shows a part of the climb.

As everyone spread out during the climb, I picked up my pace and ended up alone for the majority of the climb. It was a fun climb because of the view, all the waterfalls everywhere, constantly dodging the porters, the cool moist air, and the challenge of it. The picture below is of me towards the top of the climb.

I ended up finishing in one hour and thirty-two minutes, and then exploring some other paths before waiting for others to finish so I could have help finding our hotel. One of the many porters is pictured below. These men carry all supplies (like water, laundry, fire extinguishers, propane, etc.) up the path and carry anything that needs to go down the path. This is a job I would not want.

We stayed at the top of one of the mountains in the Xi Hai Hotel, which was quite nice and offered beautiful views. (Another perk was getting to watch the BBC on TV—but more on that later…) After my long climb, I was ready to eat a quick dinner and get to bed. It was a wonderful day though in a very beautiful place. Pictured below is one of the many rewarding views after a tough climb.

Pizza and a Movie in the Room

2007-06-28T22:46:00.000-04:00

This day began with language class for three hours this morning and then lunch at a French restaurant. The French restaurant sounded good because it would be a change of menu at least for one meal. I had some type of stewed steak and rice that was pretty good. After lunch we had an hour and a half lecture on Changes in Chinese Culture by a local professor. After this we headed to the Trust Mart to stock up on goods for this weekend’s trip to Yellow Mountain. We bought food, water, and ponchos for the time we will spend on the mountain. Since all food that is at our hotel at the top has to be carried up, things can be expensive. So, we are bringing most of our own food and water, along with a day’s change of clothing. After returning from our market trip, we spent several hours trying to, and then successfully ordering Papa John’s Pizza. Jose, Katie, Jessica, and I ate pizza our room and used our classroom’s projector in conjunction with my laptop to watch a DVD on the “big screen” wall. The picture below is a view of part of the Trust Mart’s selection. Note: I will be away from computer access through Saturday evening local time, so it will be a day or two before the next blog update.

A Visit to a High School

2007-06-27T22:22:00.000-04:00

This morning we had to rise early to ride a charter bus to Yiwu High School. After a two hour bus ride through some very beautiful countryside with lots of rice and cultured pearl farms, we arrived at what looked to be a college campus. Yiwu High School (partly pictured below) is a top high school in the area, and only really high achieving students gain admittance.

In China first through 8th grade is compulsory. Kindergarten is not required and parents have to pay for their kids to attend it. Also, at the end of 8th grade the students who want to go to high school take tests to see which high schools they can attend. It is my understanding that Yiwu is a very good high school to attend. It was a huge, beautiful campus with dorms for the students to reside in since it is a boarding school. My fellow teachers and I were let off the bus and then led to a classroom where we were greeted as rock stars. Then, without warning, we were left to our own in the classrooms. None of us knew we needed to teach or interact for 35 minutes or so, but we all managed in our own classrooms by talking about the US, answering their questions, and just spending time with them. It was a lot of fun and most of us wished we could have had more time. The class of students I spoke with is pictured below.

After this impromptu English lesson, we were herded off to lunch and then a meeting with the principal of the school (he is at the end of the table on the left).

We left the school shortly thereafter, though again most of us would have liked to stay longer to learn more about the seemingly wonderful school. The bus then took us to a huge (and I do mean huge) market for bulk selling of all the junk you see in dollar stores around the US. After this we drove back to our hotel. After a birthday party and dinner for one of our fellow teachers, Claudia, Jose and I went back to the room to finish our homework for tomorrow.

A Mexican Meal

2007-06-26T22:49:00.000-04:00

We had two hours more of Chinese practice this evening, and then Jose, Katie, and I went out to have burritos at a place called the Maya Bar. It was a Mexican restaurant just down the road from our hotel. The burritos turned out to be soft tacos, but were still pretty good. Having Mexican food in China is quite an experience!

A Chinese Bookstore and Bus Ride

2007-06-26T16:54:00.000-04:00

This morning Jose and I woke up at 6:30 AM to go for a run around West Lake. West Lake is this supposedly beautiful lake here in Hangzhou, but we have never been able to find it. Jose and I set out with this goal, but fell short again today. However, we did get a nice run/walk in around the city in some places we had not yet been. Later we talked to a fellow student and got new directions to this lake. Perhaps tomorrow will bring the discovery of the lake. After a breakfast of bananas and peanut butter in the room, we headed out to a local bookstore that was much like a large Barnes and Noble. I bought some Chinese music CDs that turned out to be pretty good, a Chinese U2 CD and DVD, some books, and some Mao postcards. Pictured below are the Chinese translations of two familiar American books Hoot and The Cricket in Times Square.

After finishing at the bookstore we all parted ways and Jose and I went out walking around this new part of town. We walked a while and then started talking with a Chinese girl who knew English. She helped us pick out a bus to ride to get back to our hotel. Since the bus schedule is entirely in Chinese characters, it is impossible for us to read without help. Jose and I did get on a bus and then took it until it came near to the street our hotel is on. We stopped by a restaurant that looked nice for lunch, only to find a menu entirely in Chinese with no pictures. The waitress seemed to know this and just fixed us a bunch of fruit on a tray. So, we ate that and then the waitress brought us more. We grew concerned that she would keep brining more, but she didn’t. After lunch we went back to the hotel for our afternoon Chinese class. Below are Jose and I with our Chinese friends, and also us on our first Chinese bus ride.

A Chinese Pizza Hut

2007-06-25T23:04:00.000-04:00

After lunch Jose, Katie, Jessica, and I wandered over to another part of town that we had not been around, and stumbled upon a really neat street market, lots of clubs, the stadium site of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Trust Mart (a Wal-Mart of China), and lots of little stores in a mall. At the street market I purchased a cute little stone turtle after bickering for a lower price (20 Yuan/3 dollars). We spent several hours in the Trust Mart buying little odds and ends and seeing some interesting foods. There were actually live frogs and turtles available for purchase (and not meant to be a pet either!). After stopping by a McDonalds to see the differences between the Chinese menu and the American menu, we ate at Pizza Hut. Now, this Pizza Hut is not like any Pizza Hut you’ve been to before….it is very, very nice. The menu has pizza, but also many other things like fine dishes from all over the world. Jose and I started our meal with a green tea ice cream shake.

Then, we all shared some escargot (snails) and a supreme pizza. It was a nice meal and a very clean restaurant, which to be honest was a nice change. It was a little surreal to eat in an upscale Pizza Hut, but was a very nice change from the food I have been eating lately. After dinner we had an evening meeting tonight to discuss our goals for the program. Below is a view of the aforementioned Pizza Hut.

The First Chinese Class

2007-06-25T13:14:00.000-04:00

The goal this morning was to get up at 6 AM and go to the famous West Lake for a run around it, but Jose and I didn’t make it. My Palm went off, but I just turned it off and slept in a while longer. Our room during our time in Hangzhou is pictured below.

We did get up in time for our first Chinese class this morning with our teacher Cherry. Cherry is her Chinese name translated into English. I will learn her Chinese name at some point and hopefully be able to say it. I learned my Chinese name is Ma Ke (with some accent marks that I can’t do here). My Chinese name is a straight translation from English and means the same. I included a picture of our Chinese teacher below.

After class we went out for lunch at a local cafeteria and tried to order food by just pointing at someone else’s dish. It worked, so I had noodles with some type of meat. I don’t think my dishes had been washed though, perhaps just rinsed out. Sanitary expectations do not seem to be the same here as in the states. Jose made a nice display of American dollars and Chinese Yuan below. A dollar is worth something around 7.6 Yuan right now.

Now we are supposed to be studying our new Chinese sounds, and I seem to be procrastinating by blogging...

On to Hangzhou

2007-06-24T21:53:00.000-04:00

Today started with breakfast at our hotel in Shanghai and then a two hour bus ride to Hangzhou. We are going to be spending our weeks in Hangzhou, and our weekends on trips to other parts of China. Hangzhou is a nice city that seems much more livable than Shanghai. Once we arrived there we checked into our hotel and then went on a quick walk around the hotel to see the local banks, markets, bakeries, and restaurants. After lunch several of us then went on a long walk to the botanical gardens and to the local university. At the university I took a picture of this huge Mao statue in the mall of the campus. Chairman Mao, of course, was a famous controversial Chinese leader and is thought of here like George Washington or a similar American hero.

After our long walk around part of Hangzhou we took a little break and watched some Chinese TV. It was fun to try to figure out what was happening in the story when you can’t understand a word of what is happening. Then, it was time for dinner. This turned out to be a great adventure because we stopped at a restaurant that was busy (we figured that meant it was good/safe). The problem was that the menu was in Chinese and didn’t have any pictures.

We just each picked one dish each and took our chances. We ended up with chicken parts (we each had some brain—quite tasty!), some type of pork, and prawns. We even had some Cheerday drink that was supposedly from some green lake somewhere and is pure to drink. We did manage to each eat some of the food before rushing back to the hotel for our first introduction to our Chinese language classes. Tomorrow we begin in the morning with our language instruction. The picture below is of me, Jose (my roommate), and Katie and our fine Chinese meal.

A Word about the Blog

2007-06-23T22:02:00.000-04:00

Just to let you all know, I am having some trouble uploading to the weblog. My upload pages are in Chinese, so I am having to go from memory as to which buttons and links to press on screen. Also, I can't actually even view the blog, so I can't see my work after I hit the submit button. I can't see the comments either. The Chinese filter the internet, and they must not allow blogs (and for that matter CNN, CBS News, etc.) So, I won't be able to read or respond to your comments. I should still be able to post, but I can't see or correct my errors. So, if you have a question for me, feel free to email me. I will update you more on the situation later.

A Whole Day Exploring Shanghai

2007-06-23T21:48:00.000-04:00

Today began with our first Chinese breakfast, though I managed to eat mostly French fries, rice, and a substance they call orange juice. I’d imagine that there is very little real orange product in it because I think it is really just tang or a Sunny D variety, but it was drinkable. We then headed out to visit the old Shanghai area. It was a nice walk, and along the way we stopped to look at many things, including these older city streets where normal Chinese would live. I have a picture of one of these neighborhood streets below.

We wandered around this very touristy area for a while, and got to visit Yuyuan Garden, which has been there since 1559. We had several hours to explore on our own, and one interesting place I visited was a silk shop that showed us how to make silk from the cocoons. After that we had lunch at a local restaurant, and this meal was much better with many dishes being served in the middle of the table and everyone taking what they desired. The picture below is of me beside a funny Beijing Olympics sign that tells you that something is 300 inches away. A lot of the translated signs around are quite funny.

We had the afternoon to ourselves, and several of us took a taxi to the Oriental Pearl (the Shanghai TV Tower). We spent several hours up inside of it at various levels looking over Shanghai, exploring a space exhibit, and seeing a Shanghai museum. After that we visited the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium that is located right beside the Oriental Pearl. The aquarium was nice and I did get to see several fish that I had never seen before. After the aquarium visit we took another taxi back across the river to arrange a river cruise to see Shanghai at night. After all of that, and an impromptu rain storm, I am back in the hotel and ready to leave Shanghai tomorrow morning first thing. The picture below shows the aquarium in the foreground with the Oriental Pearl in the background.

I am in Shanghai

2007-06-22T19:42:00.000-04:00

Well, I did make it to Shanghai today on schedule. The fourteen hour flight was long and uneventful. The five movies that were shown helped to pass the time a bit, but it was still a very long fourteen hours. One interesting thing was just how far north we went on our route. We actually went straight north from Chicago and flew over the north pole before heading down over Russia and Mongolia. The picture below shows our flight path midway through the flight.

The picture below is of the north pole, or at least as best of a shot as I could get of it. I didn't see Santa around anywhere, but perhaps he is in Florida on vacation.

Finally, after clearing customs we took a wild taxi ride to Shanghai and then several of us went out exploring (and looking for dinner). I had a basic soup because after that plane ride, that was about all I wanted for dinner. We did get to walk along the Bund, which is the area along the Huangpu River. Enjoy a picture from my view this evening.

Note: The blogger website is coming up in Chinese, so I am having a difficult time posting. Please bear with me as I try to figure it out.

I Leave Today!

2007-06-21T04:33:00.000-04:00

I am leaving today for my trip, and at the moment I am trying to get all the last minute details out of the way. My bag is almost fully packed, and seems to be fairly light this year. I wonder what I have forgotten?

I am heading out today on United flight 7637 from Indy to Chicago O'Hare and then on United flight 835 from O'Hare to Shanghai. I take off from Indianapolis at 7:45 AM and I should land in Shanghai at 1:55 AM local EST. It will be 1:55 PM on June 22nd there when I land because they are 12 hours ahead of us (and because of crossing the International Date Line). All told, it will be about 18 hours of travel. Hopefully the Shanghai flight has some good movies!

If you want to track my flights, you can visit USA Today Flight Tracker. Just enter the flight number and then click on the flight status to see a close to realtime map of the flight.

Update: (8:04 CST) I just arrived in Chicago O'Hare Airport and am awaiting my flight to Shanghai. United had computer trouble yesterday and that really messed them up, so I am really glad I wasn't trying to travel then! Pictured below is the Boeing 747 plane I will be riding on to Shanghai.

I leave for China in 110 days.

2007-06-15T10:59:00.000-04:00

I am excited to say that I do leave for China in 110 days. Now, I have written that number in a different base than our normal base 10 system. Can anyone figure it out? I could also say that I am leaving for China in 11 days as well in yet another base.

If you would like to cheat a bit, after working hard to figure out the answer on your own using place value models, then visit this page to use the online base calculator.

I am actually in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in New York City right now visiting friends. It is strange weather here.....very cool and cloudy. I understand that it is hot and sunny in Indiana right now. If you would like to find out more about Greenpoint, Brooklyn, try reading this article.

Here is an image I found of Greenpoint, looking down Manhattan Avenue. You can see some buildings in Manhattan in the background. Also, below that image is a map that shows Greenpoint in the top left corner of Brooklyn. You can see how close it is to Manhattan (what most people think of as New York City). Remember, you can click the image for a larger view.

School is Out!

2007-06-11T11:40:00.000-04:00

Today is my last day of the 2006-2007 school year. I said goodbye and happy summer to all of my students on Friday, and today I officially sent them all to 4th grade by signing their permanent records. I also readied my room for summer by putting everything away in the closets. The room looks a little different now than it did just a week ago. I am looking forward to leaving for New York City on Wednesday, and then Shanghai, China next Thursday, June 21st.

Just found out today

2007-04-25T16:18:00.000-04:00

I just found out today that I will be getting to go to China for a month this summer with a group from Valparaiso University to study Chinese language and culture. Valparaiso University was awarded a Fulbright-Hays group grant that allows them to take educators over to China for a month to study how to implement Chinese language into their K-12 curriculum. The Hamilton Southeastern Schools has a pilot program now in Chinese language, and it is my hope that I can help that pilot spread to other schools as well. Stay tuned to this blog for more updates as I get closer to leaving on June 21st.