Tuesday Morning Image

“You’re not Steve,” was the first thing the students told me as I walked to the front of the classroom. It’s true, Steve’s their teacher, but so am I. The semester was off just like every other one in China with questions about the teaching schedule and textbooks. All the questions have been answered (btw, the textbook was correct too) and the semester has begun here at Harbin Engineering University. This year I’m tag-team teaching Senior students American Literature with Steve and Robin. We are examining famous works of American Literature through the lens of modernization with the hope of truly determining if becoming modern is all it’s cracked up to be. Please remember the students as they begin their final year of studies here; ask for open hearts and minds as we challenge old ideas and share good news.

Botanical Gardens

As stated before in the previous post, we took one last team outing to the Botanical Gardens in Harbin. It seems funny that the Ice City would have Botanical Gardens, but everywhere we have been in China, there are some great gardens and parks. We paid our admissions fee and entered the forest/garden area armed with our KFC buckets, biscuits, and honey (for the biscuits not the chicken) and settled down for the last picnic.Check out more of the photos upload at Picasa.

A Morning in the Park

Parks are the best place to go and check out what China is really like. Here is an example of some of the morning exercises done early each morning. Enjoy the sights and sounds.

Unexpected Conversation

I was wearing this shirt last night to English corner and it happened to prompt an unexpected conversation.

Student: "Is that your university?"

Me: "Yes. It's Texas Tech University."

Student: "Is that shirt a uniform?"

Volume 3, Issue 5

As the semester draws to a close, our thoughts are toward the future including summer plans and returning to China next year. Currently we are piecing together our summer schedule trying to arrange ways to see as many of you as possible. You have provided tremendous support and encouragement to our family and the students here in China. Please know that we appreciate each of you deeply and hope to express our appreciation to you personally this summer.

If you are not already, please prayerfully consider partnering together with the Father’s plans for this nation and joining the support team.

Inside Advanced Oral English

“So, you are an English teacher in China. What does that mean? What do you teach and how do you do it?”

I realized that many may not know what happens as an English teacher in China so I thought it would be cool to give you a peek into the classroom, from preparation to students. Advanced Oral English is a class that I could do anything with as long as the students are improving their spoken English and our organization provides a “Resource DVD” filled with curriculums from previous teachers. This semester, since my students’ English level is remarkable, I decided to challenge the students with weekly debates. Each week, the students are given a homework assignment to research information for the next week’s debate. The semester’s topics include the rising tuition costs, unemployment, gun control, examination based assessment, and internet censorship.

The class begins with a simple warm-up activity in which pairs of students talk together each giving their opinion on the topic (ex. Foreign educated Chinese have an obligation to return to their homeland upon graduation for the betterment of China) and the other student plays “Devil’s Advocate.” This activity really challenges the students to think outside the box and examine opinions contrary to their own. The class continues as we learn about the different aspects of the debate including resolutions and syllogisms (ex. Wars cause death and destruction; death and destruction are immoral; therefore, wars are immoral.) before we conclude the class with a formal debate pitting two pairs of students against each other.

We have found that by teaching the students to think critically inside the classroom, they are more likely to begin to think critically outside the classroom. The hope is that this deep thinking will eventually lead the students to question their worldview and examine/consider “the other side of the coin” including eternal matters.

72% of freshmen students responded ‘I am…none’ when asked what they believed; additionally 16% responded ‘I am atheist.’ ”
Freshmen Oral English class survey 2009

Lost in Translation

We went to Pizza Hut to fill one of M'Lynn's cravings. We tried to order a personal pan pizza for her because I was not eating and only wanted coffee. When the waiter came to our table we pointed to the personal pizza for 25 RMB and said, "We would like one of those."

"What about this one, it is bigger?" he responds as he point to the medium on the next page.

"No, we want the small one with no black olives."

"Are you sure, it is so small. The medium is much better!" he continues to press.

(While we are not sure what exactly was said, this is how the body language conversation as going at this point.)

"No, we want the small pizza. He is not eating, he is full." we manage to respond to the waiter using every last bit of language we have learned.

When the pizza arrives, it looks much larger then a personal pan pizza, but we say nothing. Then curiosity gets hold of us and we check out the receipt left at the table for the price of the pizza...66 RMB!! We had been had! Somewhere in the conversation we must have agreed to order the medium pizza or the waiter had been so convinced that we were both hungry he thought it best of order the medium.

We don't have enough language to be able to explain the whole mix up. (And our lack of language was what led to the whole confusion in the first place.) Being the true American we are, we ate the entire pizza!

Tuesday Morning Image

Almost anywhere you travel around Harbin we find vendors selling food to those passing by. The food could be meat, veggies, toufu, or any number of things but most likely it is sold fried and on a stick. We refer to this food as "street food" or sometimes "hepatitis on a stick." While we have never been sickened by any of these foods, safety and health should be lifted up. Please remember all those who are eating this food that they will remain healthy and nourished. Also remember those making their living by selling these foods.

May Holiday

With the weather being so nice and it being a holiday weekend, we hit the taxis and went down to Walking Street (Zhong Yang Da Jie), the largest shopping district in Harbin. We were not alone, we had some friends with us, and the crowds of other Chinese out enjoying the weather and holiday.

Leisurely strolling down the street was no problem. We had Kanyon leashed up with his monkey backpack and he enjoyed walking. We did have to be careful not to stop for too long or we would draw a rather large crowd. We did experience the crowds at their fullest until we stopped for a snack at a bench. For about 15 minutes we comfortably ate our banana bread muffins and drank some cold water. Then the crowds appeared with the camera phones out and ready to get the perfect picture of how they spent their holiday weekend!



Back to our feet and off we went walking again, but this time looking for some food. We could have stopped here (see below) to enjoy any number of things on a kabob but we trekked on.



Next stop was Pizza Hut where there was a 40 minute wait. So off to find another Pizza Hut we thought was near. Only one problem, there wasn't another Pizza Hut anywhere on the length of the street so we settled into "Oriental King of Dumplings" for lunch.

We could not have asked for a better time out and about enjoying the holiday weekend and the weather. We hope your weekend is just as great.

Be sure to check out more of the "Featured Photos" on the right or click the link below to see all the pics.

Spring Time Cleaning

Spring is the time for cleaning. In China, this means cleaning up all the flower beds and raking the leaves. While I have always thought to clean up the leaves during the fall, the workers here wait until the warm weather of the spring. They carefully rake all the leaves, including those in the bushes, under the shrubs, and pile them into large piles.

Then the pile is lit on fire, a slow smoldering fire that takes care of the leaves in about a day. One weekend we were left with the choice of opening our windows for a breeze and inviting the smoke into our apartment, or leaving the window closed and smoldering ourselves in the heat inside.

I do say the flower beds and gardens look much better now without all the leaves, but I could have done without all the smoke. It's spring here and there's no room for any complaining. Get outside and enjoy the day!

Tuesday Morning Image

Retirees in China often move back to live with their children. They take care of the grandchildren while the parents are out working. Early each morning, many retirees come to the park to exercise. These exercises include the fan dancing pictured here or others including basketball, rollerblades, dancing (a waltz not two-step), or playing the music for those dancing. Please remember these retirees as the exercise in the parks and often care for their grandchildren during the day.

Jiaozi Birthday Party

While I'm on the video uploading kick, I may as well share the video from my birthday party earlier this month. We had several students over to make jiaozi. (You can read more about that here.)

Ever wonder how to make jiaozi, or much less what is jiaozi? Check out the video to find out.

Tuesday Morning Image

Since spring has arrived, many people are now lining the streets selling their goods like this lady and her eggs. These vendors moved indoors during the winter. It's such a great time to walk down the market streets and see the vendors out selling again. Please remember these workers as they sell to make their living.

Man Movie Weekend

Well, Kanyon and I had the apartment all to ourselves this weekend as the mama is out to a girls' retreat in Changchun (a short train ride from here 2-3 hours depending on the train/cost). So we had ourselves a "Man Weekend" here!

I had the first pick on Friday night and choose to finish James Bond's Quantum of Solace. This movie is nothing but action just like all Bond movies, car chases, explosions, fighting, action-action-action!

Saturday night was Kanyon's choice. After flipping through the DVD case several times, he finally ended up at his choose: Kung Fu Panda. What a great movie for a little man to watch. So we parked ourselves on the sofa, grabbed to toy cars, and watch the movie. It is his favorite movie of all time (at least his favorite of his lifetime up to now).

Chinese Hypermarkets

Before coming to Harbin, I had never heard of these stores. But now each is a standard name in our vocabulary and a fixture in our weekly schedule. They are each like Wal-Mart in the sense that it has a bit of everything from clothes, food, electronics, appliances, and dry goods. Since Carrefour is the closest store to our apartment, we often head out for the weekly trip to get the necessities (peanut butter, butter, toilet paper, trash bags, diapers, and any other items on the list).

Carrefour is not the only place we shop. We have a standard list of items that are found only at certain stores. Diaper liners and wipes (Wal-Mart), Bacon (Wal-Mart), Soy Milk (The Grand), Maxwell House Coffee and Coffee Syrup (Metro), Cheese (check each store for different varieties).

And in the case we are really hungry from some good Western groceries, we jump on the 203 bus 6 stops to the super Carrefour. Now this Carrefour has the import isle from heaven stocked with coffee, Old El Paso refried beans and taco sauce, torillas, Doritos, spaghetti sauce, BBQ sauce, and many other items we love. And if we are really desperate, Metro is only a 35 RMB taxi ride from our place for even more goods.

Volume 3, Issue 4

Team HEU playing Settlers of Catan

Money to Burn

Today (April 5) is Qing Ming Jie, or Grave Sweeping Festival in China. The holiday is akin to Memorial Day in the states as a day to remember and honor your ancestors. But Qing Ming Jie is about so much more. Qing Ming Jie has religious overtones and turning honoring your ancestors into ancestor worship. In China many believe there ancestors' spirits enter a spirit world that still influences the living world. As a way to remain on the "good side" of these spirits, people burn items the spirits may need in the afterlife; the foremost item is money. Of course no one would burn real money, so vendors throughout town sell paper "hell money". The dead spirits may need other things as well including paper cars, houses, cell phones, bank books, or other paper items. The items are burned at intersections so the dead spirit can travel from any direction and receive the burned offering.

As we walked home observing all the fires burning to spirits my student explained what she thought about Qing Ming Jie. While she does not believe in the tradition, she said seeing all the fires made her afraid. She's afraid of ghosts and afraid a spirit might show up during the festival and scare her. I began to question if this fear actually meant that she did believe in the festival. If she really didn't believe, then she would have no reason to think a spirit might show up. So on one level, as with many Chinese, she does believe.

Upon hearing my birthday is on April 5th, many in China immediately respond with comments like “Oh, what a bad day to be born” or “That’s very unlucky.” I have come to like embrace the date of my birth because I couldn’t choose the date and it leads to an easy transition into a deeper topic. Qing Ming Jie traditions always prompt great conversations with Chinese. So thank you mom and dad for my birthday, because now I can always find a way to bring up the festival anytime of the year because it's always on/near my birthday!

Jiaozi Party


Students over to make jiaozi

We did get to celebrate my birthday with students. As an update on this semester’s goal of doing nothing alone, we have come a long ways. We currently have students over at least once a week and have another group over every week as well.

So for my birthday, a group of freshmen girls came over to cook a birthday meal. They arrived at 9:00 AM and immediately took M’Lynn out to buy the needed vegetables. Once they returned, the cooking began. They were making jiaozi (a traditional Chinese family food akin to boiled dumplings) and also dishes. Jiaozi making is an all day event. First they make the dough while another student chopped the ground pork and cabbage to a fine pulp. Next the dough is rolled out into little circles about the diameter of a small biscuit. Then the pork/cabbage filling is inserted into the circle and the dough is presses to make a dumpling. Finally the dumplings are boiled and served with a soy sauce/vinegar mix.

The students were great! It was amazing to hear one comment that it feels like they are at home in our apartment. We have been meeting with the students all semester and are beginning to see the trust level deepen. We are hopeful for the relationship to continue as the semester rolls on. They will be back here for Easter eggs…

Kanyon Corner


Reading Chinese by hand

Finally, but not least is a little update on the little man. He continues to climb most things including the couch and chairs and loves to read books. The newest addition to his toy box includes a basketball that was a gift to his papa that he just loves. His newest trick is climbing stairs. Up and down all day nonstop. If he notices some stairs while we are out for a walk, he immediately pulls us in that direction.

He doesn’t speak much yet, but can make some word sounds that we could swear sound like he is really speaking. The other day we were singing “Ol McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O” When we got to the next line we stopped to let him fill in the blank, “And on that farm, he had a ___.” And little Kanyon said something remarkably similar to “cow.” So it definitely won’t be long before he is talking up a storm.

Tuesday Morning Image

While walking around out neighborhood I noticed this old house. Many people in China live in places I would never imagine were inhabitable. Please remember everyone living in these unimaginable conditions.

Hell Money

Today (April 5) is Qing Ming Jie, or Grave Sweeping Festival in China. The holiday is akin to Memorial Day in the states as a day to remember and honor your ancestors. But Qing Ming Jie is about so much more. Qing Ming Jie has religious overtones and turning honoring your ancestors into ancestor worship. In China many believe there ancestors' spirits enter a spirit world that still influences the living world. As a way to remain on the "good side" of these spirits, people burn items the spirits may need in the afterlife; the foremost item is money. Of course no one would burn real money, so vendors throughout town sell paper "hell money". The dead spirits may need other things as well including paper cars, houses, cell phones, bank books, or other paper items. The items are burned at intersections so the dead spirit can travel from any direction and receive the burned offering.

As we walked home observing all the fires burning to spirits my student explained what she thought about Qing Ming Jie. While she does not believe in the tradition, she said seeing all the fires made her afraid. She's afraid of ghosts and afraid a spirit might show up during the festival and scare her. I began to question if this fear actually meant that she did believe in the festival. If she really didn't believe, then she would have no reason to think a spirit might show up. So on one level, as with many Chinese, she does believe.

Qing Ming Jie traditions prompt great conversations with Chinese. I can always find a way to bring up the festival anytime of the year because it's always on/near my birthday!

Tuesday Morning Image

Continuing our tour inside Wal-Mart, we find the laundry detergent section. While we find this normal, it is packaged in a smaller bag (not a box) and it has a handle. Remember that we don't have a car, so everything we buy we have to carry home (as is the case with almost every other Chinese.) Please remember all the shoppers as the travel to and from the stores with all their goods that each shopper will have great attitudes as they walk, or crowd onto the buses (us included).

Lack of posting explained

Posting in March has been sporadic at best. I noticed today that I have half as many posts this month as I did in February (March=6, Feb=12) and there is only one day left. Most of this is because March is the first month back teaching. Let me give you a quick rundown of the schedule for the past week.

Monday: Teach lessons all morning, come home for lunch before heading back outside to make some copies and go shopping with M'Lynn.

Tuesday: Teach classes all morning, have a teacher's lunch, return home for a date with M'Lynn before having a team thinking time in the evening.

Wednesday: Have the morning free from classes, but use the time to do the next week's lessons and man the English Library we have in our teaching office; go to the restaurant to order food to bring back for lunch; attend a guy's time weekly afternoon meeting to discuss man issues; host some young professionals for a small group discussion in the evening.

Thursday: Teach classes all morning; come home for lunch; attend a team meeting all afternoon for business discussions, personal discussions, and reflection; have dinner with students in a large banquet room until 9 pm.

Friday: Teach classes all morning; buy lunch on the way home; and rest in the afternoon and evening.

Saturday: a day of rest before the week begins again (but don't forget to work on your IRS e-file taxes).

Sunday: Morning fellowship and dinner together as a team; quickly out to make copies in the afternoon before the students come over at 3; host students and make some great little lemon bars; crash Andy's party to interact with the students he is hosting.

Monday: begin again...

I wouldn't change a thing about the schedule. We really have seen the student interaction pick up this term and are thankful for all your thoughts on this. We look forward to sharing more of the stories when we see you guys this summer.

Tuesday Morning Image

Many of you ask about the Wal-Marts in China. This is a picture of one that we often walk to for some of our shopping. Most times we don't head to Wal-Mart unless we know specifically that this is the only place to find the item. For example, we head to Wal-Mart if we need to buy baby wipes (Parent's Choice is by far the best, and cheapest) found only at Wal-Mart. Please remember all those walking to go shopping as the roads and sidewalks are covered with ice daily.