Deepening friendships, completing projects

After hearing the SST group sing at the televised Sichuan Normal University Film and Television School's 50th anniversary, SNU's art director asked the group to sing for the 50th anniversary celebration on the main campus. The group sang three songs amidst a number of other dances and performances, including solos by a tenor and a nationally known erhu player ("the best in the country," said waiban director Mr. Yang).

As part of his project presentation on Chinese cooking, Daron taught his colleagues how to make jiaotzi (dumplings filled with pork and greens), an SST favorite. Daron's cooking mother and cooking brother also participated in the event, which took place in the Graber Millers' apartment. Thus far Daron's was the only edible project.

 

On one of several warm and sunny days this week, Martha took a solo break on the roof, where students dry their laundry, to eat a snack and write in her journal. Students complete three journal entries each week, some assigned but most their own reflections on particular experiences.

On Thursday afternoon we took a 15-minute trek to Sichuan Normal University's eastern campus for an afternoon of English corner with 600 students, several of whom said they had never spoken with a foreigner before. The afternoon began, as usual, with the group singing several songs in the conference room. The English corner was arranged by the school's dean, Mr. Zhong, who was once an exchange scholar at Goshen College.

Several students have spent one or more weekends visiting middle schools in the countryside. Here Martha teaches at the middle school in Leshan we visited last week. This weekend Sophie and Ben were in Tianquan teaching at a middle school where the father of one of their SNU English students, David, teaches. No foreign English teachers had ever visited the school, which is about two hours west of Chengdu.

This weekend Ann and Keith had the pleasure of a visit from Zhou Wei Wei, now also known as Joel. Joel was one of Keith's brightest students at Leshan Middle School last weekend, and the two hope to keep in contact via e-mail in the coming months. Joel shows much promise as an English speaker and computer expert. He came into Chengdu with his cousin Xu Ping Ping over the weekend, and spent part of Sunday with the Graber Millers.

This will be the last week SSTers will teach English, so much of their time in the coming days will be spent with friends. The group will leave November 27 for Chongqing, where we will pick up the ferry boat to Shanghai. The weather continues to be pleasant, though nights are chilly. Life continues to be good at Sichuan Normal University.

 

Also ...

• After four weeks of living in the Chinese dorms, the final four dorm holdouts are in the process of moving back this week for 10 days in the international students' dorm. Here Sasha poses with his dormmates, who have exposed him to much Chinese food and culture over the last month.
  
• Just outside the international students' dormitory in the waiban, Nick chats with his friend Angel.
  
• Sophie eats out with two of her students, Roy and Nancy, at what we affectionately call "the good place" out the back gate, just 200 yards from the waiban.
• Daron, also known here as soccer star Michael Owen, poses with his entourage at the eastern campus of SNU following an afternoon of English conversation.