Wuhuan Hotel Anshan

... book on Obama, a Clay High School yearbook, and a Clay Colonial blanket. Wang Yue, our event organizer, had a difficult time getting us out of the room and on to dinner. We had hot pot for dinner. Sarah got squeamish over the live shrimp being boiled alive, but everyone else enjoyed. The adult table of Chinese principals and staff would normally have had beer, but in deference to our custom of not having alcohol at school activities, they drank water. Tomorrow off to Shenyang.

Today was a big day, but a tiring one. Each member of our group visited four classes; Math, Physics, PE and English. I made the mistake of participating in PE: calisthenics, shooting free throws, running laps, and tai chi. In the afternoon, we were invited to participate in gym time. The boys played basketball against the Chinese and lost by 16 points. The game was ugly! Mr ...

This weekend is a festival where Chinese pay respects and give sacrifices to their dead ancestors. Most government workers were off work today but schools went on. Juniors and Seniors are preparing for their university exams. We began our day at Haicheng Senior High School. Our students were exuberant about their host families. All had been given the royal treatment. We were taken by bus to Maifeng village, where the mayor and his staff greeted us in his office. Maifeng's ecomonic ...

... have been the most tasty yet. Then we convened at Haicheng Senior High School to meet the host families. Every student was introduced to the host, and enthusiasm and smiles filled the room. Both students and hosts were delighted by the meeting. Group picture ( of course) and then home. My host is quite gracious and her husband is a wonderful cook. I am writing this morning before I meet ...

... so Shuang Shuang's place at the best high school in the city tells you something about her, the girl is really freaking smart. She speaks English almost as well as I do, and better than quite a few Americans, I think. But anyways, her life here is tough. She leaves for school at 630 every morning, and doesn't get home until 10:40, then it's another 1 1/2 to 2 hours of homework before she crashes for bed. This is Monday through Friday ...

... with classes, but with the family as well. On Friday it was a Chinese ballet dance class, which lasted an hour and a half and was mostly stretching....owie. Normally it wouldn't be too bad, but in China, teacher comes and stands on your legs or pushes on your back, to make sure your stretching to the limit...once again, owie! Sunday I went to have Chinese lessons with my aunty Liu, or Liu yi as I ...

... 11 if she could help it, regularly gets up that early, and doesn't even need an alarm clock! I can't take full credit for my wakefulness, as the hubbub outside my window usually wakes me. This starts anywhere from 530 to 6 and is the sounds of old grandmas chatting, old men coughing and spitting and sometimes, if I'm lucky the town drunk, singing and screaming at anyone who will listen in his crazy high pitched nasal voice. I get out of my bed, which ...

... have charmed me and I find myself very content. We did meet one very nice man, Eric, or Wang Laoshi (teacher wang) he teaches at the Science and Tech university, and actually took the time to learn mandarin. Um, its been a while since i typed the rest of this, it's now Monday and I'm recovering from a sinus infection, so I'm gonna just send this and add random stories as i think of them....toodleoo!

... and into the new terminal, where i got lost looking for my check in for my second flight. ugh, then i found the right place to wait in line and waited for about 15 minutes until it was my turn, then i was told that i had to come back in half an hour, because my gate was not ready until 2 hours before the flight. Luckily there was a Starbucks, so I went and spent a ridiculous amount of money for an iced latte while i dragged all of my luggage into the store and ...

... read chorally from a 3x4 ft black board she lifted. (No overhead projectors here). "World Forest Day, March 21, World Water Day, March 22" and so on. The lesson was nicely organized: an opening activity, partner work, work in teams, choral response, individual response. The only difficulty I saw was that the teacher couldn't check on every students because of the crowded room. Two boys in the back of the room did absolutely no work.They were attentive but it appeared ...