New site, new resolutions

As xanga is no longer working in China, I have decided to start this new site to keep in touch. Sorry it has been so long since I have corresponded with everyone. My new resolution is to keep in touch much better and more regularly. This semester has been very busy, but I am trying to get a better arrangement of my time to get done the important things (like keeping in touch!)

This semester is going well. This semester has been harder in some aspects, but very rewarding and good in other ways. I have realized more that it is not the inconveniences and lifestyle changes of living in a different country that are difficult to adjust to in living in China, but it is the lack of family and close friends that is the hardest part. When living in such a different world, you can not choose who your friends will be as easily. There are few Americans and these relationships arent always perfect and cross-cultural friendships take longer to develop into the kind of friendships that I had grown used to the last few years in college. I have developed some great frienships with my Chinese friends, but there are some areas of my life which are harder to share with these friends. It is difficult to express frustrations with culture or missing friends from home to new Chinese friends. The father is continuing to teach me, however, to lean on him and trust him in his love towards me and to bring me encouragement from his words. I am definitely learning to trust him more.

Chinese learning is going pretty well. I am still taking 8 hours of Chinese classes each week. My classmates are great-we always have fun learning (and making mistakes) together. They take 20 hrs a week so it is sometimes (most of the time!) difficult for me to stay caught up with them in their learning, but I am surviving! I am really enjoying learning Chinese however. I feel I am really gaining better insight into the culture and my Chinese friends and students. I am also gaining such insight into teaching English. I feel I am able to understand my students better and know how to better teach them and understand their language learning. I have been learning characters as well in my Chinese classes and really am loving it-it is so frustrating at times and discouraging, but yet so fun and rewarding to see, recognize, and be able to read characters when I am out in the city!

I have been teaching English at an English center just outside of Harbin on Saturday mornings for the last month or two to children in grades 1-5,7 (mostly 3-5, but i visit grades 1-2 and 7). This has been a very fun time for me as they are so cute and so fun and different to be around then my university students I teach. Every Saturday I am greeted with "Good morning teacher." and then they run around the room! They are learning quickly and it has been fun to teach in a completely different way! We have about 8-10 TA (Teacher assistants) from surronding universities who help translate and manage the students (There are only 3 other foreigners, 1 a Chinese American). These have become good friends and I enjoy teaching with them and then afterwards eating lunch together. Our relationships have really been growing and we have had some really great conversations!

Many other incredible things are going on here in Harbin and at my university and it has been amazing to see all the work being done. More information to come in email soon! (If you would like to get my email updates, let me know and I will add you to my email list!) I will leave you with one of my favorite things that has happened in class this semester. Often students will bring me notes to "ask for leave-qing jia" for their classmates. One I got the other day said the following. I just love it.

"Dear Teacher,
I am so sorry to tell you that I'll be absent for your class. Because I was beaten by a bad guy with a stick. I have to stay in hospital for two days. Best wishes. Yours truely"