Two weeks ago, I had my class design and illustrate postcards for my students in Mansfield. They loved sharing their national pride and details about life in Quito. Today we received letters back from the Mansfield students. I can’t wait to show the class tomorrow.
A couple of observations after being in country for almost three weeks.
Drinking Water: None of the family members has fallen ill. We have been careful about drinking boiled or bottled water. However, in many restaurants and private homes, and most importantly, on campus, the water is filtered and safe to drink. While at school, I am drinking water out of a water fountain and I am eating salads that have been washed in the kitchen using filtered water.
Used Toilet Paper: I have been to many countries and have not previously encountered the custom of putting used toilet paper in a trash can next to the sink. This custom stems from a time when toilet paper did not dissolve but it has endured. This is one element of my ZPD that is being ignored. Keep on flushing!
Weekend Trips: Make sure you visit the world renowned natural area of Mindo and the historic street markets of Atavalo. Both are a two to three hour cab ride north of Cumbaya ($65 each way in a private mini-van).
I live in Jockey Club (think BSU student apartments) and each flat has a terrace. Here is my view 🙂
The whole international group of students at yesterday’s International Informational Event!
Hello everyone! Hong Kong is awesome! I’ve been here for a little over a week now and it’s been such a great experience. The weather here is warm, often sunny and typically just like our summer back at home. The campus is pretty big but it’s the view that really is the best part about it. The Hong Kong Institute of Education is located on the side of a mountain in the middle of a valley. The mountains surround the entire campus and you can see the ocean from certain areas on campus. It’s really quite beautiful. Some fun cultural differences I’ve discovered during my time here:
1. Forks and knives don’t exist. I’ve picked up eating with chopsticks quite quickly but it’s definitely been taking practice!
2. Everyone here speaks Cantonese. If you’re from mainland China then you speak Mandarin. And if you’re well educated, you speak English. All students are required to study and be fluent in all three! That’s easier said than done and a much more recent push for fluency has been occurring in this generation of students. My third graders speak better English than half of the teachers here. As you can imagine, this makes communicating outside of school very challenging. I’ve gotten pretty good at body language and acting stuff out 😉
3. Public transportation is the way to travel! It’s easy to use but the bus drivers could audition for Fast and the Furious. It’s like a nascar race every day!
4. The food here is AMAZING! The vegetables and fruits are so fresh and very cheap. The best places to buy them are at the local markets where workers have the produce piled high and it’s so crowded with locals and tourists alike. So far, that’s my favorite place to be. I almost feel like a local there.
5. The exchange rate is awesome here! For every American dollar, the Hong Kong dollar is worth 7.5! Shopping is dangerous because you feel like you’re a millionaire, but then I remember I’m a college kid….very dangerous indeed.
6. Westerners (that’s pretty much anyone from the states and Europe) are treated almost as celebrities. People ask (and many don’t ask!) to take your picture with them. It’s a little strange but I’m adjusting. There’s not much I can do about it to be honest haha But it’s been a very humbling experience feeling like a minority.
Teaching here has been eye opening! Because there isn’t much land in Hong Kong, the cities build up rather than out. So the Jockey Club Primary School has 7 floors! Not to mention some incredible resources like a dance room, three gymnasiums, and the students have full access to all of HKIed’s enmities like our two swimming pools, gyms, sports courts/fields, and libraries. The students are ridiculously adorable too! As a custom, people bow to each other as a form of greeting and respect. So each day when I walk into class, the entire class stands and bows to me while saying good morning. I feel very respected as an educator here. Maybe this is something America could work on 😉 In all serious, Asian culture relies heavily upon education to change their quality of life. The only way to succeed is to do well in school. Students work harder than I’ve ever seen before. Although they giggle, talk, and act out like American students, the level of focus and commitment to school is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. These students want to learn. And as an educator, working in this type of environment is pretty special. Teaching English here is also unlike anything I’ve done before. We’ve been learning about ELL teaching strategies but nothing has prepared me for this level of ELL! I’ve been learning so many tips and tricks to teaching students who are learning English. Well, I’m off! I’ll be back with more fun facts and experiences 🙂
Have a great day and eat a bowl of Mac and cheese (with a fork!) for me 😉
Dramatic play center for new unit created by both myself and Lore!
This experience has been wonderful so far! I have really settled in with my family and enjoy coming home to have dinner with them and practicing my Spanish! It’s funny being in the school because as I teach the kindergartners English, they teach me Spanish. The philosophy that students are teachers too couldn’t ring anymore true here! My students work so hard and I am especially proud of those little ones who make a conscious effort to speak English all the time in the class. It is so impressive to watch them learn another language. My teachers make me feel extremely helpful in terms of the English language as well. When they are unsure of a pronounciation, they look to me for clarification. From day one, all the teachers of Colegio Menor were welcoming and helpful. My teacher specifically has made me a partner in teaching from the moment I walked in the class. I have only been at the school for five days and I have co-taught or individually taught a lesson everyday!
Ruth and I at Family Day talking outside the rotunda!
Classroom rug seating for whole group lessons!
Front of the classroom!
After school, I usually walk around Cumbaya taking in all the sites in Cumbaya park and surrounding streets. Little shops and cafes can be found everywhere! Cumbaya also has a walking path that is so beautiful with all it’s flowers and different trees.
This weekend the Walkers and I went to Mindo and had the best three day weekend. We went to a butterfly garden and held butterflies, did the Tarabita sky gondola, hiked to the waterfall Nambillo, tried new foods, did a night tour and saw all sorts of cool night animals. I also went ziplining over the cloud forest canopy. It was so amazing!
