English Department Dinner

I just came home from the most amazing dinner. The English department from the Teachers College had their annual dinner tonight at a very fancy hotel. We (the other BYU teacher & I) were seated at the table where the University President, the VP, the Dean, the Communist Party Leader for the University and others were seated. The President stood and praised us and made a toast to us. He said that the students like our teaching methods and said that his teachers need to learn from us. There was every food imaginable. My favorites were a salmon lasagna and a devils food cake. I must have sampled 30 foods. As we were leaving the Dean gave each of us one of these gingerbread cottages. Of course my cast did a good job of getting sympathy from everyone there. Well planned, I must say!

OUCH!!

I fractured the bone at the top of my left pinkie. I fell getting off a bus and caught myself on a metal bar exactly on that spot. It was fractured so the doctor had to reset it (ouch) and then the cast was put on. It took 4 of them to do it. Note the extra little fluff on the end and the scotch like tape momentarily holding it together. I first paid for the record, next the Dr., then an x-ray, then the cast, then another x-ray, then meds. When I left the hospital and was waiting for a cab my Dr. and two friends came out and he asked me where I was going. When I told him he had me get into the cab with them and they brought me home. He is Korean and said that he is here as a service. I was impressed with him. I believe he will be leaving soon because he said something about going to Australia. He speaks only a few words of English but had a high school girl helping interpret. I go back on Jan. 12th.

Christmas in China

Christmas in the Ellington apartment. I brought the Twelve Days tree pattern with us. It is made of contact paper and boy was it fun to put on the fabric. Thank goodness Mike was so helpful. The tree and Santa were in a box in the cupboard (although the tree had no stand so we filled a can with beans, poured to little glue bottles on them to hold them together and now there is a stand.) The candles on the mirror are the gifts from Tom's family last night. The wreath was in the box and the tree on the mirror was from our loving famiy along with a box of treats that have been a great joy.

A Wonderful Experience

Tonight we had a wonderful experience. I have had a boy coming to my class who isn't a student at QU but he is going to America to school next semester so is getting in on English classes. He is the one who called and told me that I had taught him to be a man, a light man.

He asked on Tuesday if Mike and I could come to his home for dinner tonight. What an experience it was. They picked us up in a beautiful new Buick that had TV's for each seat, etc. and drove to their apartment building where they lived on the top floor. Where most families in Qingdao have only two bedrooms and the kitchen, bath and living room this one had a nice office and dining room with the bedroom, etc. on the main floor and then there was a 2nd floor where Tom had his bedroom/bathroom and there was a door to a patio area outside. Everything was well decorated and tastefully done.

They had bananas, oranges, and apples out for us to eat before dinner and offered us wine. The parents were in the kitchen for quite a while when we got there and then we were invited to the dining room were 12 dishes were out on the table. There was a fish, huge shrimp, beef, a lamb dish, some type of pickled egg, chicken, some vegetable, a pork dish, a peanut dish and then they brought out dumplings that were outstanding. They just kept putting more food on our plates and filling our glasses (sorry--with orange juice, not wine). After dinner we went into the living room and then they brought out a peanut filled rice dumpling for dessert.

It was really fun to visit with them. They seemed to understand what we were saying even though they don't seem to speak any English.

Tom said that we were the first foreigners that they had ever had in their home and that they had spent the whole week getting ready, cleaning windows and doing other things to be ready for us. What an experience.

While his parents were out of the room Tom told us that his father had a question about the Bible. I cannot tell you how much I wanted to be able to ask what it was. Instead we had to say, "We are sorry but we promised your government that we would not discuss religion while we were here." He said, "But we are just friends here in our home," and we had to say "We know that and we would love to but we aren't going to break our promise. When you come to America you can come to our home and we'll try to answer your questions." We hope that day will come.

It was a delightful experience. They seemed so honored and excited to have us there and we certainly felt like honored guests. As we left they gave us an nice Christmas gift box that contained a square mirror with three red and white striped candles. What a memorable night.

Pearl Shop

These pictures of just one tiny pearl shop about the size of most people's bathrooms. There are probably 30 or more pearl shops in the place. Look at all of the colors. This first one is a clever way that she has done irregular pearls with a ribbon and chain.

Please Read On!!

Dear Reader,
It took me forever to get around to posting Mike & Marlene's Beijing trip, and I back-dated it to the actual days (Thanksgiving weekend). There are about 25 new posts... so please scroll down and read on!!!

Sorry for the delay,
Laurel

More Teaching Experiences

The student who told me that her father told her that he was proud of her asked if I would be willing to teach her 11-year-old nephew and some friends on the weekends. I really hesitated because Saturday is really our only free day and they wanted 2 hours. I finally agreed that if they would come here from 7:30-9:00 AM we would do it. (Jane tutors a girl until 9:00 so I didn't think we would be leaving before that, anyway.) I told her that we would be gone many Saturdays but they still really wanted me to do it.

Today I got an e-mail from her and I'll include part of the message. I spend a little time each day in class reading a story, talking about a quote or discussing something that I hope will help them to be receptive if and when the opportunity comes. I don't call it anything with them but my lesson plan is labeled "character building" at that spot.

"...we just wanted to let the children can talk with you longer,developing their oral English and learning how to become a good boy. I like your classes not only because of the useful knowledge but also the things which can make me reflect upon what I had done in my past, understand my current situation and problems and then know how to arrange my life wisely.I told it to my aunt and she told the other parents.they thought you're a very good teacher and as parents they also wanted their son to learn with you.You know,many oral English teacher just talk something to the children, few can tell them to be grateful and so on."

I'm hoping that the ripples will keep flowing.

Teaching Experiences

You may be truly "blogged out" with me but since this is also my journal I want to write about some of my teaching experiences. The week before Thanksgiving I wrote a letter to the parents of all of my students telling them about Thanksgiving and my thankfulness for being able to teach their child. I left the bottom half blank and asked the students to write a thank you note to their parents.

I gave them to the first class on Friday the 20th because it was the last time that I would see them before Thanksgiving. That Sunday, on the way home from Church I got onto the bus and heard, "Mrs. Ellington". It was one of my students. She offered me her seat and then talked with me. She was going shopping with her mother who was up front in the bus. I asked her if she had given the letter to her mother and she very excitedly told me that she had and that her mother had liked it so much. I said that I would like to meet her mother and so she called to her and had her come back. As she interpreted we met. Her mother thanked me so much for the letter.

Another student told me that she thought her parents would want to hang it on the wall even though they wouldn't know what it said.

Yesterday after class a student came up to me and said, "I need to tell you something personal." (Sometimes I forget that they are very private people and don't like to share to the whole group.) She said, "I gave the letter to may parents and my mother was so grateful and told me thank you and told me to tell you thank you. My father told me that he was proud of me. He is a very shy man and that is the first time that he has ever told me that.

I'm hoping to hear more stories as they have a chance to get home and give their letters to their parents.

I also have been reading some very interesting papers. I have had some frustration with my poetry class of juniors. Many of them really just don't seem to care. There are some who are very interested and attentive but there are a group of others who just stay home or come and do work for other classes or read the paper. Because we are in a huge auditorium I have just chosen to teach those who want to learn. I don't know enough about policy to deal and really don't want to at this point of the semester.

A week ago I gave a different assignment and asked for them to read, "Myself" by Edgar A Guest and write me a two page paper. I gave a few guidelines but left it pretty open. In some ways it has been a pretty traditional set of papers. Huge type, starting half-way down the page, rambling about nothing, but in other papers I have learned things about China and the Chinese culture that have given me a different vision and have made me appreciate the world that my family and friends are able to enjoy. The following paragraph is from one of the boys who seldom comes to class.

"There must be some culture differences here. Maybe in America, you have and you can be yourself. At least you have God, you have someone to say the truth. But in China, there is little relief, that means that for most Chinese people, they do not have to face themselves. Every morning they see themselves in the mirror, they just see their appearance, not the inner corn in their hearts."

Of course I wrote back to him about being honorable, honest, etc. but he has painted the picture from a lens that I haven't looked through before. There is no hope there. Why attend class, why not cheat, why not do whatever if there isn't some punishment involved? What is in the "doing the right thing" for me? Many students are passed even if the international teachers fail them. They know that. They were assigned to their majors. Many of them don't want to be English teachers but they want to attend University so they can get better jobs and have this period of "freedom" in their lives.

I always ask a question at the beginning of my Oral English classes and yesterday's was, "What do you enjoy about University life?" The answers came in different packages but the message was always "freedom", Freedom to sleep in (most of them lived in dorms in high school and started school at 6 or 7 AM and studied until 10 at night). Freedom to choose what to do, how to spend their money, who to do things with. Their lives have been in the total control of teachers and parents and this is the first time that they have been independent and responsible for themselves.

Last night we got our first Ensign although we transferred it before we left. It came from the Hong Kong Distribution Center in brown wrapping. It was like a gift from heaven.

I see the world in a different light. I am so grateful for hope, freedom, the gospel and YOU.


Dear Mr. and Mrs. ,
I am in China teaching English for this year from America. It is my opportunity to teach your child. I feel that it is a great privilege to get to know more about China and the wonderful people here.
In America we celebrate a holiday called Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. It will be on November 26th this year. Thanksgiving is a special day to give thanks for our blessings. It is a day when families gather and enjoy a meal and visiting with each other.
Although I will not be with my family this year I will be giving thanks for many things. One thing that I am thankful for is the opportunity to teach your child.
I have invited him/her to use the rest of this page to give thanks to you.

Sincerely,

Merlene B. Ellington, Teacher
BYU China Teachers Program

Myself
by Edgar Guest
I have to live with myself, and so,
I want to be fit for myself to know;
I want to be able as days go by,
Always to look myself straight in the eye;
I don't want to stand with the setting sun
And hate myself for the things I've done.
I don't want to keep on a closet shelf
A lot of secrets about myself,
And fool myself as I come and go
Into thinking that nobody else will know
The kind of man I really am;
I don't want to dress myself up in sham.
I want to deserve all men's respect;
But here in this struggle for fame and pelf,
I want to be able to like myself.
I don't want to think as I come and go
That I'm for bluster and bluff and empty show.
I never can hide myself from me,
I see what others may never see,
I know what others may never know,
I never can fool myself -- and so,
Whatever happens, I want to be
Self-respecting and conscience free.

Phoenix & dragon- Probably more than people want to know

Chinese Phoenix (Feng Huang)
In Chinese mythology, the phoenix is the symbol of high virtue and grace, of power and prosperity. It represents the union of yin and yang. It was thought to be a gentle creature, alighting so gently that it crushed nothing, and eating only dewdrops.

It symbolized the Empress usually in a pairing with a dragon (the dragon representing the Emperor), and only Empress could wear the phoenix symbol. The phoenix represented power sent from the heavens to the Empress.

If a phoenix was used to decorate a house it symbolized that loyalty and honesty was in the people that lived there. Jewelry with the phoenix design showed that the wearer was a person of high moral values, and so the phoenix could only be worn by people of great importance. The Chinese phoenix was thought to have the beak of a cock, the face of a swallow, the neck of a snake, the breast of a goose, the back of a tortoise, hindquarters of a stag and the tail of a fish.

A common depiction of the Feng Huang was of it attacking snakes with its talons and its wings spread. In fact images of the phoenix have appeared throughout China for well over 7000 years. Often in jade and originally on good-luck totems. Although during the Han period (2200 years ago) the phoenix was used as a symbol depicting the direction south shown as a male and female phoenix facing each other. It carried two scrolls in its bill, and its song included the five whole notes of the Chinese scale (I don't exactly know how it could sing with its mouth full). Its feathers were of the five fundamental colors: black, white, red, green, and yellow and was said to represent the Confucian virtues of loyalty, honesty, decorum and justice. Depictions of the phoenix were placed on tomes and graves.

The First dragon appeared to the mythical emperor Fu-Shi, and filled the hole in the sky made by the monster Kung Kung. Its waking, sleeping and breathing determined day and night. Season and weather.

There are many differences between the classical dragon and the Chinese dragon, these include the ability to fly even without wings, shape-shifting abilities, and of course the general benevolent behavior to the populace.

The Chinese dragon is made up of nine entities. The head of camel, the eyes of a demon, the ears of a cow, the horns of a stag, the neck of a snake, it's belly a clam's, it's claws that of an eagle, while the soles of his feet are that of a tiger, and the 117 scales that cover it's body are that of a carp.

The Chinese dragon has four claws as standard, but the Imperial dragon has five, this is to identify it above the lesser classes. Anyone other than the emperor using the 5 claw motif was put to death.