I love... WHAT?

Today, I introduced a new question to my kindergarten class: What do you like to do?  This was meant to be a nice little review of the verbs they learned earlier this week (cook and study).

The students were to answer with a simple,   I like to... cook.   OR    I like to... study.

But as teachers commonly encounter, somethings don't always go as planned...

So after teaching them these new phrases, I randomly went around the room asking students to stand and answer the question.  They tried to stifle their excitement by sitting up straight, but their hands waved wildly and their bodies wiggled with anticipation.   

I called on the first student.  "James, what do you like to do?"  I asked with as much enthusiasm as a television salesman.

"I like to... cook!"  he shouted with passion.

I peeled a red sticker from off the sheet and placed it on his forehead.  Kindergartners go CRAZY for stickers.  Beaming with achievement, he took his seat, glancing proudly at his peers that had yet to be called upon. A few more students stood and answered with such accuracy it would make a teacher blush.  Then, I called on Sophia.

"Sophia, what do you like to do?"

Confidently, she rose from her chair, looked me straight in the eye, and with a smile said, "I like cock!"

The Chinese teacher in the classroom who acts as my interpreter never flinched, but noticed my hesitation.  Oh my, I thought, how do I possibly convey the meaning of "cock" to her in the middle of class?  You can't blame me for trying.  I felt it was important that she knew the students should not say it because of the negative connotation it carries, but I just wasn't successful.

"Megan," she told me, "We are taught to pronounce cook as cuck.  Is this not right?"  

Finally, I told her, "Juline, cock is a chicken.  It does not make sense to say, I like to chicken."  This she understood, and explained to the class.

Mission accomplished.  Tomorrow, I will yet again tackle another day of English!

Where are those fireworks coming from? Life During the Chinese Holidays

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, from Parkson Mall, Kunshan!

Merry Christmas, from Parkson Mall.

How can someone live in China and miss the single-most important celebration of the entire year?

Yep, that's right.  I missed  the Chinese New Year.  What a disappointment!  In my own comparison, it would be like a foreigner living in the US and not celebrating Thanksgiving with a big turkey dinner.  Who does that?

Even though the holiday continues for almost a month, there is only one week where most of the important festivities occur.  This was the time Chitrak and I were in the US.  Supposedly, you can watch colorful dragon dances in the street,  walk down sidewalks that are littered  with the color red, and view grand firework displays that light up the evening sky.  But to be totally honest, I really just wanted to see a dragon dance.

Because many of the workers in the city are migrant, they take almost a month off to travel back to their families in their hometown.  Schools are off for over a month, businesses shut down for a week or longer, and the city becomes vacant.  This huge shift of people moving from the city to the countryside makes Kunshan, a city of 2.5 million people, look like a ghost town.  My friends who stayed behind told stories of desolate streets and boarded shops.  As if you were preparing for Y2K, you stocked up on all the bare necessities you needed, like milk and bread.  Sarah told me afterwards, I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't stocked up; there were only few stores open.  My friends have vowed never to spend another Chinese New Year in China.

Little did I realize, the Chinese New Year is followed by the Lantern Festival.  Yay!  Another chance to see a dragon dance and some amazing fireworks!

The town becomes a alive again, as a fresh beginning breathes life into the city with firecrackers and laughter.  Mostly everyone has returned to indulge in the traditional eating of rice dumplings, family dinners, and you'll never guess.... fireworks.  These were the small moments I was waiting for...  the loud blasts of light touching the sky, filling it with the smell of gunpowder in beautiful formations.  I know the Chinese are experts in fireworks, and so I waited.

Chitrak worked late that Monday night, so I locked myself up in our warm apartment watching a documentary on National Geographic.  I could hear explosions in the background, and they continued to get louder.  I grabbed my camera and ran to the window.

A man was confidently setting off fireworks on the pavement within feet of my building.  A large blast sent me falling back, trying to get hold of my feet.  The firecracker had exploded right outside the dining room window.  I began filming.  With giggles of delight, I tried to hold the camera steady, but without much luck.  The second blast again took me back, and the camera bobbed up and down.  As I looked below, I panned the camera on the man shooting off the fireworks.  He placed the firecracker on the ground and lit it with a match.  Then, he casually walked away, without threat or fear of hurt.  Is he alone?  I thought, Where is his family?  


Although I cannot confirm that he was all alone, I can say that I did not see anyone with him.  Once finished, he quietly picked up his things and headed towards wherever his destination was.  Before this happened, I saw flashes of light burst out of a nearby window and down onto the ground.  Believe it or not, one of the crazy neighbors in  the building across from us was shooting fireworks out of his window.

The loud blasts and explosions went into the night, with little rest for the weary.  I awoke at 5 o'clock the next morning to another KABOOM just down the street.

Please watch the clip to see the story:

The Famous Tingling Park of Kunshan

Tingling Park, Kunshan

Last weekend, my husband and I visited the infamous Tingling Park in Kunshan.  It is an incredible multi-attraction, encompassing a wide range of entertaining activities, including a bonsai garden, zoo, opera museum, park, and haunted house.

Here is the grand tour...

Entrance

This is the entrance to Tingling Park, which is within a 2 mile walk from our apartment.  It is located towards the north of town in a popular shopping area.  On most nights, Chitrak and I will take our evening walk to the gate and then return home.

Here is our first exploration inside...

After entering the park, you walk down a beautifully landscaped sidewalk to view the mountain.

 After paying a minimal fee of 20 yuan per person, or $3.20, we entered the gates to see a well-manicured, recreational area.  Weathered pagoda buildings stood as bilingual museums to retell the history of Kunshan.  We walked down the path until we reached an open area of a lonely mountain overlooking a pond.  (Kunshan is known for its high rises and industry, but NOT for its natural land formations.)  We were quite taken away with the breathtaking views!




The Mountain

It's a long and steep climb to the top of the mountain.

 We knew what we had to do next, CLIMB!  It was a scary hike, as there is very little railing or fences on the path up.  At a leisurely pace, we climbed the mountain within 15 minutes.

It's worth the climb!  You can see the entire city from the top.

As we neared the top, the city skyline revealed its beauty to us.  It was then that I realized how massive Kunshan really was.  I stood atop the threshold and scouted for Yong Jing Wan, but never found it.

A small oasis sold drinks for a couple of bucks.  Picnic tables filled with resting visitors scattered around a scenic spot and the gazebo.

No trip is complete without some excellent "Engrish."

We walked down the other side of the mountain, and saw this stunning view.

This is the highest point in Kunshan, so as you walk around the mountain, you can see in all directions.
We found a new lake we never knew existed.

The water looked inviting for a romantic boat ride.

There are many things to do once you enter the park.  I especially liked the water ball!

The Haunted House.... Err Mountain....

The entrance to the haunted house.

I noticed a pyramid jutting out the side of the mountain...  It's one of those moments where you think, What in the world? What could it be?  Your right, a haunted house!  I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner!

We bought tickets for this unkown thrill at an additional 20 yuan fee.  We entered an underground tunnel, with heavy sealed doors swung open welcoming us.  This place was definitely eerie, straight out of a drama movie recapping the events of a nuclear holocaust.  The building was far scarier than any "ghostly creature" that was in the place.

The structure was the scariest thing about the haunted house!  It looked more like a dungeon or bomb shelter.

On your walk into the haunted house, the spooky pig greeted you with the song, "Hello Barbie, Let's Go Party."

It didn't take us very long to realize how foolish this haunted house was.  Teenagers followed us in with excited squeals and trembling white fists.  Our first encounter was of a creepy pig, dancing and singing to Barbie Girl by Aqua, a song reminiscent of my childhood.  (Barbie Girl Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyhrYis509A)

While everyone else screamed, we giggled to ourselves.  

We continued on to the next room, where badly constructed Styrofoam "demons" lurched towards you in the dark.  It wasn't too difficult to understand the contraption:  the figures were attached to some sort of garage door opener that would swing them forward and back again.

Towards the end, there was a closed, impassable door.  The tunnel didn't end.  It was sealed shut.  I am so interested in what might lay behind it... Batman's secret lair? An undercover army operation?  I have my own conspiracies, but as luck might have it, we had to turn around and exit the haunted house the same path we had come in from--through shrieking teenage girls clinging to their boyfriends.

But hey, at least I got a picture of the creepy dancing pig!



 The Bonsai Garden

The most incredible bonsai trees can be found in this garden.

This was the most impressive.  I wonder how old this one is?

International Spouse

The hardest part of being an international spouse is the fear of being jobless.

Well, maybe this isn't everyone's anxiety, as I am sure others have much better things to worry about.  You are probably thinking, geesh, can't you enjoy a little time off?  But if you know me, it's of no surprise that I would obsess over something, and that something was finding a job.

Let me explain...

Many wives and husbands who follow their significant others usually forfeit their careers back home to lead a new life working in a foreign land... if they can find work.  Typically, there are not many opportunities, especially in the field that you are educated.

I was not worried at first.  I am a certified teacher, and teachers are needed everywhere.  Where do you think all the expat children go?  I hardly think an expat family would send their child to a traditional Chinese school, right?

I was very fortunate to have the help of Chitrak's company, who scheduled all of my job interviews.  They even provided me with a driver and Chinese translator to all my potential job sites.  What could go wrong?  It was during June of 2011, when Chitrak was also having his final interviews with his company.  Schools were still looking for teachers, and I have many endorsements which allow me to teach a range of students.  I was certain to get a position somewhere.

But I quickly realized the schools where I interviewed were actually private after-school tutoring agencies in need of native English speakers.  Around China, there are many of these institutions, and they are in high need of foreigners to lead English classes.  This means, the requirements to teach are low, and so is the salary.

My heart shattered into a million pieces.  I had anticipated a hallway full of noisy kids shuffling to class, messy art stapled to bulletin boards strung down the walls of a long hallways, and the voices of stern teachers directing students back to work.

Instead, I entered a tiny lobby with a receptionist who led us to the second floor.  As I climbed the stairs, I passed by small, glass encased rooms that were big enough to hold no more than 4 people.  It was bare and dull, with only a table and whiteboard.  Business men and high school students walked around as if they were in between classes on a college campus.  Some where studying in sofas, with their feet propped up on the arm of their chair, while others were captivated with conversation and snacks.

In my mind, I told myself, you can do this.  It might be nice to have four students as opposed to 30, for once.  But the day continued, and things got worse.

They told me:

"Your schedule must be flexible.  You will be working most nights and weekends from 1-9pm.  We create a schedule for your a week ahead of time, so you know when you work.  We have a few shifts during the day, but they are very difficult to get, as most students and businessmen are at work."

I was almost sick at the thought of it.  I moved halfway around the world to see my husband when he gets off work.  I was not about to work in a tutoring agency that would hire any native English speaker off the street.  I am educated, and I want to see my husband!

I realize I must sound very cocky.  Please don't misinterpret my harsh words.  Can you imagine selling off all your valuables: your car, TVs, tables, and couches to live in a place where no one eats the same food, speaks the same language, or watches the same television shows?  Then to add to the frustration, throw in a job that takes away the only thing you hold dear, time spent with your family...  I just couldn't bear the thought of it.

My motivation kicked into hyper speed.

Shortly after Chitrak had been offered the job, I applied to private schools in the Kunshan area. No response. 

I reluctantly resigned my teaching position at Raymond Park Intermediate Academy, knowing it would be a while before I would teach in front of a real classroom again.  We moved to China.

The first few weeks, I stayed in our apartment and browsed the internet for jobs.  I studied maps of Kunshan and sulked in the fact that it was nearly the end of September, and with a month of school already underway, there was no chance at a teaching position at an international school.

There is a happy ending to this story.  I did get a job at an international school.  Although Chitrak had been working constantly once we arrived in China, I mustered up the courage to summon a taxi driver to take me around to local schools in the area.  It wasn't easy.  No one speaks English, nor do I Chinese.  I had no smart phone or translator to tell a taxi driver, Take me here...  I had no way of telling the taxi driver, Take me home.

I organized myself, having Chitrak print off a few of my resumes at work, I left for another job hunt.  

It was then that I stumbled upon Kunshan International School (http://www.ksis.org.cn/).  After a few interviews with the principal, Lisa Kan, I was hired on as an English teacher in their international program.  My job closely resembles that of a Spanish teacher in The States. 

Though the path to employment was difficult, it was worth the struggle.  Many spouses are not as lucky to obtain jobs similar to the ones they have back home.  Some work at tutoring agencies, while others happily become full-time mothers.  

I am happy to say I am now a proud working member of society at the Kunshan International School!

Pictures to come...

Don't Forget Your Wallet!

Our Apartment Building

Mornings are always uneventful for me, if you don't count this morning...

It all started as we were leaving for work.  As Chitrak boarded the elevator and began his descent, I noticed he had left his wallet on the table.  I ran over to the window, and watched as he walked out of the building without it.  

I shouted at him, "You forgot your wallet!  Let me bring it down to you!"  

"Don't worry about it," he said.  Any extra time would have made him late for his driver.

"Are you sure?"  I asked, because I was pretty sure he needed it today.

"Just throw it down to me," he said.  I contemplated it for a second, thinking of all the worse case scenarios in my head.  The most horrific thought played like a movie in my mind.  I could see all the credit cards and Yuans suspended in the air, moving in slow speed as it showered to the ground among the bushes and rain puddles that had remained stagnant for days.  

"Ok."  I said, and thought of a strategy of how to send it.  I'll send the fold down first, and let it drop straight down... I know the money won't fly out then.

In a matter of seconds, I had released the wallet from my hand and watched it float down to Chitrak... or the window ledge on the second floor.

What a disaster.  My driver would come to collect me in 10 minutes and all our money is now sitting in a puddle on an unreachable ledge.  I was certain there was no way to retrieve it.

At this moment, I had noticed an elderly woman had watched the entire act from beginning to finish from across the street.  She ran up to Chitrak expressing her dismay in Chinese.  She wasn't the only audience I had this morning. 

There was no time to waste.  I grabbed my keys off of the table and hopped in the elevator.  When I reached the ground floor, I found the only way to climb the building was through a balancing act from the wobbly rail, to the creaky door, and a not-so-humanly-possible jump to the ledge..  this wasn't going to work, although I did try one attempt to make absolutely sure the option was ruled out.

In the end, Chitrak made it to work on time, and I did as well.  As luck might have it, I had climbed the stairs to the 2nd floor and found a window.  After sliding it open, I crawled out onto a ledge, then hopped over to the other ledge with the wallet.  

Oh, and what was it that you asked?  Did Chitrak have his wallet for work today?  No, I left it at home on the table to dry.  :-)

New Year's Resolution

So much has happened since I've written my last article, I have had trouble keeping up with my blogs.  Therefore, I have made a New Year's Resolution (yes, in February... I follow the Lunar Calendar along with my fellow Chinese colleagues!), I will update my blog at least once a week.

Hold me to it!

In my high school English class, I had my students journal about their New Year's Resolutions.  They were very aware of this tradition, and made general comments about how they want to better their English.  They didn't win too many brownie points with me though, as they are a pretty transparent class.  For example, the other day I noticed one of my students sauntering up the staircase during break.  As I smiled a hello to him, I caught a glimpse of his cell phone tucked within the sleeve of his shirt.  He turned a ghastly white when I caught him and began to apologize with the reason he had it with him.  With a stern look, I put the "F.O.G.," or the "Fear Of God," into the boy.  A proud moment in my teaching career, with a special thanks to Raymond Park Intermediate Academy.  I don't think he will be bringing it back into class again.

There are many dreams I have for the New Year.  I promise to keep you posted on my progress.

Happy New Year!  Or should I say 新年好