Life behind the Firewall is starting to suck; Blogger, Facebook, Picasa, Youtube are all blocked. I've also concluded that trying to get Facebook to work is more effort than is required.
Otherwise, what new is there to say? I'm teaching Science now to grade 11 students and English to grade 12.
One of my grade 11 students shat his pants today. It was funny. For everyone except Louis. One interesting thing I noticed however is the lack of ridicule he received. I suspect if I shat my pants in class during high school that would've been it for me. Time it move out, next school, city, area code. This wasn't the case for Louis. Maybe it has to do with so many of them all living together that little social ungraces are more easily forgiven. Or maybe not, I don't live with him.
--
William Hertha
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Today's Lesson - That's fucked!
One of my goofier kids, Bape, got expelled today. He's not an exemplary student by any means but he's one of the happier kids I have. He's happy go-lucky and always got a goofy grin. He's also from Inner Mongolia, so he's a long way away from home. Unfortunately, he was caught kissing a girl. In China, this doesn't fly. I didn't know what else to say so I taught him "that's fucked!"
There are no repercussions for the girl.
This isn't the first time it's happened either. I don't always hear the full reason why kids disappear, just that the rest of the class will tell me that a certain student "went back home." But last year I had it confirmed as well with another boy caught kissing a girl. He too was from far afield in China: Xinjiang.
My reasoning has two prongs. First, they may be in grade 10, but they're still kids being shipped so far away from home. They get little love from their parents being so far away and thus go out looking for it. Kids especially need physical contact. Neither of these two boys were bad kids. This brings me to my second understanding; they were just acting more grownup than their peers. And that likely stems from living so far away from home.
Chinese kids are too sheltered. In class I often yell (not angrily) at the boys who hold each others hands or sit in each others laps. I tell them when they go to America, this is the last thing they should ever do. But as said, they all receive little love from their parents being so far away from home, and then any instinct to love others they show is repressed and dealt with through expulsion.
You're now an adult, but you're not allowed to act like one. You've got all the responsibility, without any of the benefits.
There are no repercussions for the girl.
This isn't the first time it's happened either. I don't always hear the full reason why kids disappear, just that the rest of the class will tell me that a certain student "went back home." But last year I had it confirmed as well with another boy caught kissing a girl. He too was from far afield in China: Xinjiang.
My reasoning has two prongs. First, they may be in grade 10, but they're still kids being shipped so far away from home. They get little love from their parents being so far away and thus go out looking for it. Kids especially need physical contact. Neither of these two boys were bad kids. This brings me to my second understanding; they were just acting more grownup than their peers. And that likely stems from living so far away from home.
Chinese kids are too sheltered. In class I often yell (not angrily) at the boys who hold each others hands or sit in each others laps. I tell them when they go to America, this is the last thing they should ever do. But as said, they all receive little love from their parents being so far away from home, and then any instinct to love others they show is repressed and dealt with through expulsion.
You're now an adult, but you're not allowed to act like one. You've got all the responsibility, without any of the benefits.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Mac Air
I hate Mac enough already, but now I've seen the "Air." I think if I saw someone using this machine I'd have a gut instinct to punch them.
Why would you buy such a crippled machine?!
Why would you buy such a crippled machine?!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
National Week 1
The photo documentation resides here.
Our last day of class was September 30th, however I was unable to purchase train tickets for that date. Unfortunately in China you are unable to book train tickets online or even through travel agents. Tickets are made available only 10 days prior to departure meaning tickets for September 30th did not go on sale until September 20th. By the time I arrived on the 20th (noon time) all the tickets were sold out. All this is trivial, but I just wanted to point out the way things work in China.
So, on October 1st, National Day, we set off on our trip to 辽宁 Liaoning province beginning in 沈阳 Shenyang city. Here is a visual representation of the retardation whilst travelling during Chinese holidays.
At least we had sleeper beds for out 21hr train ride.
We arrove in Shenyang around noon and set out for a hotel.
Here is a view of the city from the train station:
The hotel I was looking for in the Lonely Planet China book did not exist (at this point). So we poked around and I tried asking some street people for a cheap hotel. A pair of ladies who spoke with a hardcore northern 'huarr' showed us to a penthouse suite for 180元 a night. Unfortunately we were denied due to our foreigner status. It was illegal to begin with since we were going to pay one of the hotel workers to stay in the unused room. The fact that we were foreigners made it too shady for the hotel workers to pull off.
We ended up in another hotel which wasn't bad. Remember, not bad is the new good!
Shenyang was a nice city, it was the ancient capital of the Manchurian empire. The Manchus came from the northeast China and they were the ethnicity which ruled China during the Qing (the last) Dynasty. Upon conquering China they moved their capital to Beijing. Shenyang thus was a nice large city with history, some culture and was overall very clean. The people spoke excellent Chinese which I could understand here and there.
After seeing the 'little' Forbidden City we went to the tombs of the first Manchurian emperor.
After this it got dark and we went shopping. The city had a nice night time pedestrian street on par with Nanjing Lu in Shanghai and Wanfujian in Beijing.
Lauren took this picture for Fox:
And here's the first picture of a number of cars with Chinese characteristics:
We went to bed somewhat early has our bus left the next morning for Dandong at 8am.
Our last day of class was September 30th, however I was unable to purchase train tickets for that date. Unfortunately in China you are unable to book train tickets online or even through travel agents. Tickets are made available only 10 days prior to departure meaning tickets for September 30th did not go on sale until September 20th. By the time I arrived on the 20th (noon time) all the tickets were sold out. All this is trivial, but I just wanted to point out the way things work in China.
So, on October 1st, National Day, we set off on our trip to 辽宁 Liaoning province beginning in 沈阳 Shenyang city. Here is a visual representation of the retardation whilst travelling during Chinese holidays.
 |
| From 2008-10-07 national week 08 |
At least we had sleeper beds for out 21hr train ride.
 |
| From 2008-10-07 national week 08 |
We arrove in Shenyang around noon and set out for a hotel.
Here is a view of the city from the train station:
 |
| From 2008-10-07 national week 08 |
The hotel I was looking for in the Lonely Planet China book did not exist (at this point). So we poked around and I tried asking some street people for a cheap hotel. A pair of ladies who spoke with a hardcore northern 'huarr' showed us to a penthouse suite for 180元 a night. Unfortunately we were denied due to our foreigner status. It was illegal to begin with since we were going to pay one of the hotel workers to stay in the unused room. The fact that we were foreigners made it too shady for the hotel workers to pull off.
We ended up in another hotel which wasn't bad. Remember, not bad is the new good!
 |
| From 2008-10-07 national week 08 |
Shenyang was a nice city, it was the ancient capital of the Manchurian empire. The Manchus came from the northeast China and they were the ethnicity which ruled China during the Qing (the last) Dynasty. Upon conquering China they moved their capital to Beijing. Shenyang thus was a nice large city with history, some culture and was overall very clean. The people spoke excellent Chinese which I could understand here and there.
After seeing the 'little' Forbidden City we went to the tombs of the first Manchurian emperor.
 |
| From 2008-10-07 national week 08 |
 |
| From 2008-10-07 national week 08 |
After this it got dark and we went shopping. The city had a nice night time pedestrian street on par with Nanjing Lu in Shanghai and Wanfujian in Beijing.
Lauren took this picture for Fox:
 |
| From 2008-10-07 national week 08 |
And here's the first picture of a number of cars with Chinese characteristics:
 |
| From 2008-10-07 national week 08 |
We went to bed somewhat early has our bus left the next morning for Dandong at 8am.
Poetry class
Gah, it's been a month.
This week I tried to teach some poetry and limericks. My way of getting the kids to start rhyming and overall figure out how to better pronounce words.
My favourite poem of the week so far as been:
Here is my sentence with cake
3 more sentences I will make
I won't fail
or go to jail
This poem is very fake
This week I tried to teach some poetry and limericks. My way of getting the kids to start rhyming and overall figure out how to better pronounce words.
My favourite poem of the week so far as been:
Here is my sentence with cake
3 more sentences I will make
I won't fail
or go to jail
This poem is very fake
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Yangzhou Yangzhou
From last year.
I believe our last year's dance was far superior is quality, staging, direction and fun.
Not to mention the lyrics were made ourselves.
Lauren took this video last Christmas when she came to visit.
or you can view it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIdkB_68NdY
I believe our last year's dance was far superior is quality, staging, direction and fun.
Not to mention the lyrics were made ourselves.
Lauren took this video last Christmas when she came to visit.
or you can view it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIdkB_68NdY
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