The best advice that I received before traveling to China was from my best friend’s mother: “enjoy the moment.” During this past year at Duke, I struggled to “live in the moment”. At times, I was too focused on the future, like what I should do to do well on a test / plan for a future career path, or the past, like how I could have handled a situation differently. So, I made it my mission to immerse myself “in the moment,” to be fully engaged and present this summer. This week was amazing... not because of one particular event, but because of the cumulative impact of the small moments of happiness that I enjoyed each day. :)
This week, I will divide my blog into the following themed sections: 1) English class, 2) extracurricular classes (film and magic), 3) “host” family (I will now refer to them as just my family), 4) Hsiaomei’s advice, 5) and small moments of happiness.
English Class…
During the middle of last week, I decided to switch up the style of my English class. I switched from a vocabulary and grammar heavy class to facilitating a class around conversation and cue-supported dialogue. At the beginning of the week, I was not completely satisfied with how I designed my lesson for the week as I thought that I provided too many cues: I thought that the class would be too focused on reading aloud rather than speaking original thoughts. However, I quickly learned that the students liked having a solid foundation / example / cue to initiate dialogue. I thought back to my time studying Spanish in high school, and I remembered how difficult it was to generate conversation in small groups when the teacher provided minimal speaking cues or a weak foundation to support detailed conversation. I will continue to provide detailed examples related to the week’s topic that students can practice reading aloud before the students engage in small group conversation. In the future, I will continue to learn how to balance integrating new vocabulary with speaking activities during class.
The most difficult thing about English class is tailoring the lesson / conversation to the students’ level of English understanding. As previously mentioned, each class is unique: some English classes have one solid English speaker that can help me translate difficult instructions or new concepts into Chinese, some English classes have a good understanding of English as a whole and can engage in more advanced conversation / concepts, and other English classes have more difficulty understanding new concepts explained in English (it is at these times when I wish I spoke Chinese the most as a translation application is not the most convenient to use during class). We are supposed to develop different lesson plans for the 7th and 8th grade classes, but English understanding does not correspond to grade level. Therefore, it is difficult to know how each class will respond to a specific lesson. To mitigate this problem, I will design this week’s lesson plan with multiple levels of difficulty so that I will be prepared to engage with each class.
I also ended each class with a magic trick, through which I told a story that utilized the new vocabulary and conversation techniques discussed during class. For example, the theme for class this past week was food and drink, so we discussed how to order food in English. I told a story about going out to eat at a restaurant with my siblings and asking the waiter to bring us “tofu” (marshmallows) and “tomatoes” (red sponge balls). I plan to incorporate magic into my future lessons as I think it provides a fun and interactive way for students to engage with the topic for the week. :)
Extracurricular Classes…
Many of the Duke students were stressed last week as we learned more about our final performance, which will occur on Sunday, July 7. On Tuesday, we went to tour the venue our final performance, which was a beautiful and HUGE stage located in the local TV station. Our trip to the venue excited me as I looked forward to seeing the culmination of the Duke and No. 9 students’ hard work in LESS THAN A MONTH. However, Hsiaomei informed us on Wednesday that we only had availability for 4-6 unique acts during the final performance. We host seven (three more if you count magic, sports, and journalism) unique extracurricular classes each day that are suitable for a spot in the final performance: K-Pop dance, jazz dance, hip hop dance, Chinese dance, acting, singing, and film. The Duke students leading a dance class were worried that they would have to combine their dances with other dance groups, which meant they would have to scrap some of the choreography that they had been practicing and design new choreography appropriate for the themes of multiple dance groups. As an instructor for the film and magic extracurricular classes (magic only meets once a week, so we are not a candidate to be hosted during the final performance), I did not feel concerned by this news as Elizabeth and I would not have to change our timeline / plans for the class. However, I wish that more than one or two videos (the class is producing nine videos) could be shown during the final performance, but we are limited by time and the amount of additional performances that No. 9 middle school will contribute to the final show!
Overall, film class was great this week! The students have developed detailed plots for their film, and some groups have already begun the filming and editing process! One group came to class Monday almost FINISHED with their film: they had written the letters that they want to use in the film (their topic was about the letters that Duke and No. 9 siblings exchange at the end of the program that talk about what this experience and their time together has taught each other) and filmed the majority of the background scenes. I am excited to see how the groups progress this week.
Magic class was also a blast this week! We learned the basic mechanics of card magic and a simple, yet sneaky “mind reading” trick. Many of the kids have approached me outside of class to ask to see a magic trick or to show me a trick of their own. I love seeing looks of accomplishments after a well performed trick. I look forward to teaching more card magic this next week. I will also inquire about the possibility of performing close-up magic tricks in the audience at the final performance as people file into their seats. I hope that the students will have an opportunity to practice what they have learned!
Family…
“Wo yi ai ni men” (“I love y’all too”). I love my family. The parents are some of the warmest, most caring, loving, and supportive people that I have met. They have done everything possible to make me feel comfortable in their home. My siblings are loving, silly, playful, and happy people. Last weekend, we casually threw around “I love you’s” as we walked through a beautiful garden after a nice family lunch. If my relationship with the family continues down the same path over the next few weeks, the “I love you’s” will no longer be casual, but heartfelt and authentic.
It was various small “moments” that strengthened my relationship with my family this week. It was the moment when my family enthusiastically taught me how to make zongzi (粽子) on Friday, which is a traditional dish made of glutinous rice and meat / vegetables wrapped in special leaves (prepared to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival); it made them so happy that I was able to experience this tradition with them.
It was the moment when we shared our first HUGS (yes, we have officially moved on to HUGGING to say “goodnight); I am a huge fan of hugging and was thrilled that I could demonstrate my appreciation to my family in this way.
It was the moment when we engaged in friendly competition at the bow and arrow shooting range; it was the first time that me and my siblings participated in archery, so we struggled, improved, and laughed together.
It was the moment when I was showing my sister a picture and she put her head on my shoulder to view it; I was happy that she shared the same feeling of comfort and acceptance for me that I had for her.
It was the moments when I saw my father’s excitement when he explained an artifact at a museum, traditional Chinese architecture, or Chinse history to me through the translator; he wants me to experience all aspects of the Chinese culture and is so excited to contribute to my knowledge.
It was the moments when I loudly and proudly sang popular American music with my kids on the way to the movie theater; they said Chinese people don’t usually do that on the streets, but we all had no shame to sing loudly and proudly.
It was the moment when we played badminton in the living room when the badminton equipment that my mother ordered arrived in the mail one night; my parents were not home at the time and still do not know about this activity as it was probably not an approved one. Luckily, nothing was damaged!
It was the moment when my mother was worried for my ankle (which I slightly injured this week) and accompanied me to Alexander’s home to receive a traditional Chinese medicine treatment (acupuncture and cupping to relieve swelling and pain) from his host mother (who is trained in traditional Chinese medicine); I feel like my mother would literally do anything for me. She loves me like I am her own child.
It was the moments when I ate lunch with my siblings and they patiently and thoroughly translated the menu to me and discussed vegetarian options with the waiter; they are always willing to help me and make sure that I am happy.
It was the moment when my family quietly took in the beautiful view of the surrounding mountains and environment after a long walk to a mountaintop lychee farm; we all observed the scene in silence, but we were all connected by the power of the beautiful moment.
It was the moments when my family laughed when I say “what a pity” in Chinese after every small mishap or when I say “thank you” for every little thing; I know very little Chinese, but I take every possible opportunity to practice what I do know. I would say that they are tired of hearing my broken Chinese, but their laughter in support says otherwise.
It was the moment when my brother, his close family friend, and I splashed water on each other from the sink in the public mall bathroom like 6 years old; spending time around middle schoolers has reminded me what it is like to be a kid again, a feeling which my two years in college have diminished.
I look forward to all the “moments” next week that will continue to bring me closer with my family! :)
Hsiaomei’s advice…
Hsiaomei has been everyone’s rock during the past three and a half weeks in China! Thank you, Hsiaomei! Also, a huge shout out to Yanan for helping Hsiaomei organize, manage, and improve our DukeEngage experience. Thank you to both of you for all that you do! :)
Hsiaomei’s first piece of advice to me was to take a taxi by myself (a next to impossible task for a non-speaker LOL) to somewhere in Zhuhai just to explore. Well, I did not take a taxi, but yesterday (Saturday, June 8), I decided to explore unknown parts of Zhuhai within walking distance of my home. I took a familiar path at first near the school, past the movie theater that I have been to twice, and towards the hotel that we stayed at during our first week in Zhuhai. Near the hotel, I decided to wander down an unknown street full of furniture and appliance shops. I was about to turn around and head back to a familiar part of the city when I noticed a narrow alleyway crowded with people and local vendors. So, I decided to venture down this alley, not knowing I would spend the next 20 minutes meandering through an urban village hidden within a modern city. The lifestyle of the people was much different here… I lifestyle in Zhuhai to which I was previously ignorant. I took in all the sights, sounds, and smells of the local vendors butchering entire chickens, selling local crops, or engaging in lighthearted conversations with people passing by. I hope to explore more hidden parts of Zhuhai in the next few weeks.
Hsiaomei’s second piece of advice was a peice of constructive criticism. I appreciate her willingness to provide feedback to me to help me be a more reliable person. For example, Hsiaomei asked me to update the cover photo on our blog website. I said that I would do it, but I was waiting until the weekend to change the photo when I uploaded my new blog. After a day or two passed and I had not changed the cover photo, Hsiaomei encouraged me to change the photo before the weekend. In general, Hsiaomei encouraged me to complete a task ASAP when others seek my assistance. This advice will help me be more dependable during the rest of the DukeEngage program as well as in my future as a student and in my professional career. Hsiaomei deeply cares about each Duke student in the program, and I hope that I can continue to learn from her and improve myself with her advice.
More small moments of happiness…
In addition to everything else that I have discussed, this week was full of even more small moments of happiness. Last night (Saturday, July 8), the Duke students got together for KTV (KARAOKE)! It was such a great time! However, the microphone amplified how bad I was at singing (I mean that I’m REALLY bad) … but that’s okay because the night consisted of shouting our favorite throwback songs rather than beautiful singing. Also, I found a hidden gem in the mall the other day… A MASSAGE CHAIR. I am a sucker for massage chairs and would spend $5 for 5 minutes back in America. Here, a 5-minute massage only cost 5 yuan… LESS THAN ONE DOLLAR! I need to find a massage chair closer to my home, because I will honestly go there every single day!
The Duke students had fun engaging with No. 9 English teachers this week in games of Simon says, catchphrase, and a drawing game (different than Pictionary; it was fun). I hope to meet more of the No. 9 English teachers throughout the next few weeks. :)
Lastly, some former No. 9 students who are now in Grade 11 at Domen No. 1 and Zhuhai No. 1 High School came to visit on Thursday. I learned about the students’ high school experience and career aspirations through engaging in a small group conversation with them during lunch. Two of the students, John and Lilly, attended my last English class of the day. At the end of the class, they spoke with the No. 9 students about their high school experience and bestowed their wisdom upon the students. I enjoyed having them as guests in class!
I am so excited to see what this next week has to offer! Until next time! Wo ai Zhuhai. Wo ai Jiu Zhong. (I love Zhuhai. I love No. 9 Middle School). <3
