As a sampling of the English teaching work I do here, I thought I'd show you several videos. The first two are listening dialogs that were given out during tests. The third video is based on environmental issues I assigned as homework for students to post on youtube.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Holiday Pics
Here are some pictures I took while celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
For Thanksgiving I actually celebrated by eating "three" meals. The first thanksgiving meal was on Nov 22nd and is pictured below. Then I ate on the 26th at a restaurant called Mark Lau's. It was a new western restaurant opened by Mark who used to work for Wolfgang Pucks on Hollywood & Highland in CA. He gave everyone who reserved a completely free meal! My third meal (all you can eat) was at another new western restaurant called Gina's Place. Unfortunately only Mark Lau's had turkey and my table mates took it all before I could have any. But I did have great chicken.
Here's our English Service hall turned into a banquet hall. We got some praise going on.
Some table decorations
A pot luck with much food.
A sample of our desserts
For Christmas I celebrated three times. On X-Mas Eve I took a break from grading and went with a student to eat X-mas food at Gina's Place. Afterward, right before midnight me and some other teachers began watching "It's a Wonderful Life." Then on X-Mas day I had brunch and then in the evening I went to a X-Mas potluck where we had a white elephant gift exchange and played some games. I only bring drinks to all these potlucks. Sadly, I had to work in between these gatherings on Christmas day. Though I didn't really mind much at all.
Here's one of the performers playing at Gina's Place on Christmas Eve. I think he's pretty good.
Here's me and some fellow teachers in the midst of the gift exchange.
My O team leader Mike and some gifts no one wanted to steal from him. I got a box of powdered drink packets.
Mike's wife Lili and their two sons Johnny and David. Johnny on the left picked out the gifts.
On New Years Eve I had dinner downtown with some friends. I ate fajitas at Gina's Place. After eating we bought some fireworks. When we got back we had a quiet evening of movie watching and board games before midnight.
This is what one of the fireworks stands looks like. It's huge and there will be tons of these stands around during Chinese New Year (Jan 26-Feb 1).
Here's me holding a fireworks launcher and some sparklers. You definitely can't buy these in California.
Here are the cool fireworks coming out of the casing I was holding. These things shoot up about 3 stories high and then burst. Really cool.
Here it is with all the fireworks gone. You can buys things like this that are 3-4 times taller and 3-4 times wider. I hope to pick one up in February if they're still selling them.
After shooting off the fireworks and holding the sparklers out in the freezing cold with members from the German department, I hung out with the Russian speaking students. I sampled some of their Uzbekistan food and watched part of "The Return of the King" dubbed in Korean.
For Thanksgiving I actually celebrated by eating "three" meals. The first thanksgiving meal was on Nov 22nd and is pictured below. Then I ate on the 26th at a restaurant called Mark Lau's. It was a new western restaurant opened by Mark who used to work for Wolfgang Pucks on Hollywood & Highland in CA. He gave everyone who reserved a completely free meal! My third meal (all you can eat) was at another new western restaurant called Gina's Place. Unfortunately only Mark Lau's had turkey and my table mates took it all before I could have any. But I did have great chicken.
Here's our English Service hall turned into a banquet hall. We got some praise going on.
Some table decorations
A pot luck with much food.
A sample of our desserts
For Christmas I celebrated three times. On X-Mas Eve I took a break from grading and went with a student to eat X-mas food at Gina's Place. Afterward, right before midnight me and some other teachers began watching "It's a Wonderful Life." Then on X-Mas day I had brunch and then in the evening I went to a X-Mas potluck where we had a white elephant gift exchange and played some games. I only bring drinks to all these potlucks. Sadly, I had to work in between these gatherings on Christmas day. Though I didn't really mind much at all.
Here's one of the performers playing at Gina's Place on Christmas Eve. I think he's pretty good.
Here's me and some fellow teachers in the midst of the gift exchange.
My O team leader Mike and some gifts no one wanted to steal from him. I got a box of powdered drink packets.
Mike's wife Lili and their two sons Johnny and David. Johnny on the left picked out the gifts.
On New Years Eve I had dinner downtown with some friends. I ate fajitas at Gina's Place. After eating we bought some fireworks. When we got back we had a quiet evening of movie watching and board games before midnight.
This is what one of the fireworks stands looks like. It's huge and there will be tons of these stands around during Chinese New Year (Jan 26-Feb 1).
Here's me holding a fireworks launcher and some sparklers. You definitely can't buy these in California.
Here are the cool fireworks coming out of the casing I was holding. These things shoot up about 3 stories high and then burst. Really cool.
Here it is with all the fireworks gone. You can buys things like this that are 3-4 times taller and 3-4 times wider. I hope to pick one up in February if they're still selling them.
After shooting off the fireworks and holding the sparklers out in the freezing cold with members from the German department, I hung out with the Russian speaking students. I sampled some of their Uzbekistan food and watched part of "The Return of the King" dubbed in Korean.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Message to interested readers
Just letting you know you can subscribe and/or become a follower to this blog with the tools on the right column. Comments would be much appreciated as well.
Monday, January 5, 2009
The End of the Race...for 2008
Well I'm at the end of my originally planned term of service here. It all seems like a blur. I finally made it to the end. The last final we gave out was on Dec 22nd and I finished submitting all my grades on the 26th. I was the last one to get everything done (much to the chagrin of my team leaders since I was late) but I'm totally satisfied that I got every graded to my satisfaction. I also gave all my lower level students a good shot to pass and most of them did.
Here are some hi/low-lights since mid october:
Caught Cheating
After the midterm we found that two of my students had cheated on the midterm exam. A student taking the test at 3pm gave the multiple choice vocabulary answers to a friend taking the test at 4pm. (Students try to memorize the answers or write them on small slips of paper and pass the info to friends.) Little did they know that we switch the answers around between the two test times so it's pretty obvious when someone at 4pm has copied, since their answers match the 3pm test answers. We called the 4pm student in and said we would give their friend from 3pm a chance to confess and turn themselves in. (It could have been anyone of hundreds of students but I did a little detective work so we already knew who the 3pm student was before asking) Thankfully the 3pm student turned (them)self in with their friend. They wanted to drop the class and were ashamed but we told them we'd give them a chance to continue with the class and that there was still a possibility of passing. They were reluctant but accepted the offer. We gave them a zero for the written portion of the exam, but I convinced the other teachers to let them keep the speaking test portion of the exam. Thankfully neither quit coming to class and one of them actually did pass the class. The other could have passed had they not been absent a couple times nor missed some homework assignments. I hope if anything we taught them the meaning of grace in our actions and that they will discover the meaning of Integrity. (Our schools motto is C.I.M. Campus Integrity Movement)
Class Load
I remember writing that I wished I had only two classes to teach, meaning I wouldn't have had my 10am Elementary level class. I don't regret having the three classes to teach. My 10am class seemed to teach itself sometimes. They got the highest midterm and final scores of all the classes. For the most part they were very vocal in answering questions (very helpful compared to my very quiet 3pm class) and seemed to have a lot of fun being in class together. During mock wedding presentations one group that was demonstrating a western style wedding made me stand up and catch the flower bouquet! They even wished for me to have a happy marriage in the future. My 4pm Intermediate level class got the lowest scores of any class but they liked to laugh a lot which made things nice. I'm happy to say all but one passed that class. (The student we caught cheating passed!)
Mens Group
About mid-term I remember my "coach" in Atlanta mentioning I should get connected to an accountability group or at least be accountable to someone. Last semester I only went to our men's study once since I felt so busy. With those words ringing in my mind and seeing how even busy new teachers were attending monday night men's group, I started go about mid-semester. Before coming to Yanji, I developed a bad attitude of not wanting to lead/help a men's group in any way, but I was fine with just attending and blending in. I was like, "I don't want to help babysit a bunch of grown men who should know better." Right away I was asked to teach something the following week. My attitude was like "I don't have time for this" and "I don't have anything to teach." I chose to briefly cover a study I covered with a small group back home. I chose to cover the 5 Love Languages and it went alright, the standard fare. The next week was very different. The following week another new person lead and through that I witnessed a couple of individuals go through a deep level of repentance to begin their road to healing. It was amazing. I saw the bond being developed right there in our group. I'm thankful I became a regular. I had become numb to the needs of others because I was only concerned about myself. A great paradigm shift for me.
SK B Study
The SK study this semester didn't have the regular attendees like last semester. Maybe it had to do with many factors such as the new time, less new exchange students or lack of prayer on my part. I don't know. If anything we were able to encourage the one SK student from last semester in his walk and yarp for eachother. I'm realizing I'm not much of a b-study leader. Particularly in terms of knowledge and understanding. I'm at a loss about what to teach. I'm thankful that in my 1st semester our team leader, who is stateside now, had material for me to teach and went through each verse carefully with me. I had to write everything down and still I'd forget what I wrote. If anything it says I need to spend much more time in the word in terms of just practical understanding and flat out meditation. I see others here who seem to teach with such ease, understanding and comfort. Granted they may be P's or future one's but I definitely appreciate the gifting after being away from teaching the b on a regular basis for so long. (I gave props to teachers in a previous entry now I give props to all you B teachers out there.) Looking back I am grateful to have stumbled teaching through this material. I find myself realizing how John is different from the other 3 books and if not for that 1st semester I wouldn't have had material to teach in the summer.
Counseling
Concerning the Russian speaking students, I was able to meet all of them once to have a meal and yarp for them. They had some pretty major scuffles in the group involving even haymakers being thrown. This group is known as being x-ian so they have an added burden when others see their actions. I had a special yarper session with the president of the group who decided to step down because he felt he could handle it anymore. I'm not positive but I think I'm in a special position where they can share certain things with me because of my age and my relationship to the group. Not exactly an everyday friend but not a distant leader either. A counselor I would say.
Forgiveness
Well I remember asking for yarper in my blog and emails about dealing with people who had said less than positive things to me. Well I yarped that if it was in our dad's will I would be able to have one on one time with certain people about issues. Not easy since everyone is so busy. Thankfully I did have these times of discussion with these people and it ended up being great. It's really hard for me to muster up an uncomfortable topic but it was definitely a blessed time. I learned to be as graceful and encouraging as one can be even in the midst of heartache. Not surprisingly I found others who had issues with other people and were unnecessarily burdening themselves by either holding it in or trying to deal with it indirectly. But in the end we need to give grace and yarp for eachother continually. I saw people as being on a high pedestal and any bad thing would bring them down in my opinion/feelings of them. Well, what I should have seen is that we are all fallen together and I need to lift others up to a higher level. Perhaps even carry them on my back if I need to.
Extracurricular Conversation
I wasn't able to find a new student to do a one on one study with but I did have one of my female intermediate students approach me for practicing conversational English. I would meet up with her during lunch or dinner twice a week and she would practice speaking. It looked like she had an adviser who was already sharing with her so that was good. I was happy and surprised she approached me since it seemed like most of my students in that class were disinterested in learning. Appearances are sometimes deceiving, I guess. She even made me this nice wreath I have hanging on my door.
Extra Duties
I've done a few little things here and there that have colored my experience here. I was asked by my team leader to preside for English service one sunday. I don't know exactly why I was chosen other than we're low on manpower sometimes. Anyways it was the first time I got to break out the suit I brought, which I initially thought I would be using to watch graduation ceremonies. I missed graduation last semester because I was busy finishing up grades. Here's a picture of me doing so. I was fortunate to find volunteers to do the hard parts like come up and yarp. Everyone I asked to help during service was from my mens group. I was pretty nervous that morning but it didn't show. Best thing about presiding is that it forces me to come early to service.
Another thing I did for the first 3/4 of the semester is help the architecture majors with their pronunciation. They tend to not do so well in English since they are so absorbed with all their projects. Every other monday night I would go to the architecture building and help a teacher who really wanted his students to improve their English. During the hour I spent there, students would individually approach me with some sentences they had translated into English. I would read their sentences aloud while they saved it onto their digital recorders. (Us teachers are backwards and are still using tape.) They would then go away for a while listening to and practicing the words I spoke. Next, they'd come back and practice their new phrases with me. I was happy to see them improve. The strangest sentence I had to record was something like "If you could be born again would you come back a man or a woman?" I only wonder how long they'll be saving my voice in their little devices in the years to come.
Future Goals/Conclusions
I want to stay here another semester (Spring 2009) since it feels like I'm just getting the hang of things here. I also want to continue on with the work I've been doing here. As is the case every semester there's always a shortage of workers. I want to continue working with the Russian speaking students, fine tune my English & b-study teaching, and help the O body I'm working under with their ministries. Two of my co-laborers who came the same time as me just left but we are getting one experienced female worker who is returning for one semester. Our group would be a little understaffed without me here. (Understaffed in regards to males who can counsel the Russian speaking males and someone to lead the SK study) As far as I know reinforcements will be coming the Fall semester of 2009. I've also been granted the gift of having just two classes next semester and this will free up much more of my time so that I will be more balanced in my life here. (Hopefully less nights working well past midnight!) I can spend more quality time with students and will have more language study time. I may even start exercising. As far as one of my main goals is concerned, I believe the two orgs I'm working with can establish a healthy relationship together for future endeavors.
Please yarp as you consider to continue your support for me in "gifts" and yarper.
In Him,
Eugene
Here are some hi/low-lights since mid october:
Caught Cheating
After the midterm we found that two of my students had cheated on the midterm exam. A student taking the test at 3pm gave the multiple choice vocabulary answers to a friend taking the test at 4pm. (Students try to memorize the answers or write them on small slips of paper and pass the info to friends.) Little did they know that we switch the answers around between the two test times so it's pretty obvious when someone at 4pm has copied, since their answers match the 3pm test answers. We called the 4pm student in and said we would give their friend from 3pm a chance to confess and turn themselves in. (It could have been anyone of hundreds of students but I did a little detective work so we already knew who the 3pm student was before asking) Thankfully the 3pm student turned (them)self in with their friend. They wanted to drop the class and were ashamed but we told them we'd give them a chance to continue with the class and that there was still a possibility of passing. They were reluctant but accepted the offer. We gave them a zero for the written portion of the exam, but I convinced the other teachers to let them keep the speaking test portion of the exam. Thankfully neither quit coming to class and one of them actually did pass the class. The other could have passed had they not been absent a couple times nor missed some homework assignments. I hope if anything we taught them the meaning of grace in our actions and that they will discover the meaning of Integrity. (Our schools motto is C.I.M. Campus Integrity Movement)
Class Load
I remember writing that I wished I had only two classes to teach, meaning I wouldn't have had my 10am Elementary level class. I don't regret having the three classes to teach. My 10am class seemed to teach itself sometimes. They got the highest midterm and final scores of all the classes. For the most part they were very vocal in answering questions (very helpful compared to my very quiet 3pm class) and seemed to have a lot of fun being in class together. During mock wedding presentations one group that was demonstrating a western style wedding made me stand up and catch the flower bouquet! They even wished for me to have a happy marriage in the future. My 4pm Intermediate level class got the lowest scores of any class but they liked to laugh a lot which made things nice. I'm happy to say all but one passed that class. (The student we caught cheating passed!)
Mens Group
About mid-term I remember my "coach" in Atlanta mentioning I should get connected to an accountability group or at least be accountable to someone. Last semester I only went to our men's study once since I felt so busy. With those words ringing in my mind and seeing how even busy new teachers were attending monday night men's group, I started go about mid-semester. Before coming to Yanji, I developed a bad attitude of not wanting to lead/help a men's group in any way, but I was fine with just attending and blending in. I was like, "I don't want to help babysit a bunch of grown men who should know better." Right away I was asked to teach something the following week. My attitude was like "I don't have time for this" and "I don't have anything to teach." I chose to briefly cover a study I covered with a small group back home. I chose to cover the 5 Love Languages and it went alright, the standard fare. The next week was very different. The following week another new person lead and through that I witnessed a couple of individuals go through a deep level of repentance to begin their road to healing. It was amazing. I saw the bond being developed right there in our group. I'm thankful I became a regular. I had become numb to the needs of others because I was only concerned about myself. A great paradigm shift for me.
SK B Study
The SK study this semester didn't have the regular attendees like last semester. Maybe it had to do with many factors such as the new time, less new exchange students or lack of prayer on my part. I don't know. If anything we were able to encourage the one SK student from last semester in his walk and yarp for eachother. I'm realizing I'm not much of a b-study leader. Particularly in terms of knowledge and understanding. I'm at a loss about what to teach. I'm thankful that in my 1st semester our team leader, who is stateside now, had material for me to teach and went through each verse carefully with me. I had to write everything down and still I'd forget what I wrote. If anything it says I need to spend much more time in the word in terms of just practical understanding and flat out meditation. I see others here who seem to teach with such ease, understanding and comfort. Granted they may be P's or future one's but I definitely appreciate the gifting after being away from teaching the b on a regular basis for so long. (I gave props to teachers in a previous entry now I give props to all you B teachers out there.) Looking back I am grateful to have stumbled teaching through this material. I find myself realizing how John is different from the other 3 books and if not for that 1st semester I wouldn't have had material to teach in the summer.
Counseling
Concerning the Russian speaking students, I was able to meet all of them once to have a meal and yarp for them. They had some pretty major scuffles in the group involving even haymakers being thrown. This group is known as being x-ian so they have an added burden when others see their actions. I had a special yarper session with the president of the group who decided to step down because he felt he could handle it anymore. I'm not positive but I think I'm in a special position where they can share certain things with me because of my age and my relationship to the group. Not exactly an everyday friend but not a distant leader either. A counselor I would say.
Forgiveness
Well I remember asking for yarper in my blog and emails about dealing with people who had said less than positive things to me. Well I yarped that if it was in our dad's will I would be able to have one on one time with certain people about issues. Not easy since everyone is so busy. Thankfully I did have these times of discussion with these people and it ended up being great. It's really hard for me to muster up an uncomfortable topic but it was definitely a blessed time. I learned to be as graceful and encouraging as one can be even in the midst of heartache. Not surprisingly I found others who had issues with other people and were unnecessarily burdening themselves by either holding it in or trying to deal with it indirectly. But in the end we need to give grace and yarp for eachother continually. I saw people as being on a high pedestal and any bad thing would bring them down in my opinion/feelings of them. Well, what I should have seen is that we are all fallen together and I need to lift others up to a higher level. Perhaps even carry them on my back if I need to.
Extracurricular Conversation
I wasn't able to find a new student to do a one on one study with but I did have one of my female intermediate students approach me for practicing conversational English. I would meet up with her during lunch or dinner twice a week and she would practice speaking. It looked like she had an adviser who was already sharing with her so that was good. I was happy and surprised she approached me since it seemed like most of my students in that class were disinterested in learning. Appearances are sometimes deceiving, I guess. She even made me this nice wreath I have hanging on my door.
Extra Duties
I've done a few little things here and there that have colored my experience here. I was asked by my team leader to preside for English service one sunday. I don't know exactly why I was chosen other than we're low on manpower sometimes. Anyways it was the first time I got to break out the suit I brought, which I initially thought I would be using to watch graduation ceremonies. I missed graduation last semester because I was busy finishing up grades. Here's a picture of me doing so. I was fortunate to find volunteers to do the hard parts like come up and yarp. Everyone I asked to help during service was from my mens group. I was pretty nervous that morning but it didn't show. Best thing about presiding is that it forces me to come early to service.
Another thing I did for the first 3/4 of the semester is help the architecture majors with their pronunciation. They tend to not do so well in English since they are so absorbed with all their projects. Every other monday night I would go to the architecture building and help a teacher who really wanted his students to improve their English. During the hour I spent there, students would individually approach me with some sentences they had translated into English. I would read their sentences aloud while they saved it onto their digital recorders. (Us teachers are backwards and are still using tape.) They would then go away for a while listening to and practicing the words I spoke. Next, they'd come back and practice their new phrases with me. I was happy to see them improve. The strangest sentence I had to record was something like "If you could be born again would you come back a man or a woman?" I only wonder how long they'll be saving my voice in their little devices in the years to come.
Future Goals/Conclusions
I want to stay here another semester (Spring 2009) since it feels like I'm just getting the hang of things here. I also want to continue on with the work I've been doing here. As is the case every semester there's always a shortage of workers. I want to continue working with the Russian speaking students, fine tune my English & b-study teaching, and help the O body I'm working under with their ministries. Two of my co-laborers who came the same time as me just left but we are getting one experienced female worker who is returning for one semester. Our group would be a little understaffed without me here. (Understaffed in regards to males who can counsel the Russian speaking males and someone to lead the SK study) As far as I know reinforcements will be coming the Fall semester of 2009. I've also been granted the gift of having just two classes next semester and this will free up much more of my time so that I will be more balanced in my life here. (Hopefully less nights working well past midnight!) I can spend more quality time with students and will have more language study time. I may even start exercising. As far as one of my main goals is concerned, I believe the two orgs I'm working with can establish a healthy relationship together for future endeavors.
Please yarp as you consider to continue your support for me in "gifts" and yarper.
In Him,
Eugene
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