Today (Monday) was our first day teaching. We met for breakfast at the usual time and had the same food as the previous days. I could really go for a real cup of coffee. Green tea is not my thing nor is the coffee that they have. Both are very good, but I would prefer a Starbucks. I had a light breakfast. I have been on a diet for the past month and lost ten pounds. I am afraid with all of the food that they are feeding us I may gain it all back. I seem to be surviving with chop sticks, but barely. Please don't ask me for a lesson on how to use them, because I do not have a clue. I am just managing the best that I can. I have been offered a fork twice now and I am sure it won't be the last time, but I am sticking with my vow.
After breakfast we had an opening ceremony for the start of the institute. Those in my class are mid-level government officials from this province. After the opening ceremony we went to the classroom, which is a small room and might be typical of a US high school classroom 40 years ago. It did have a small standup a/c unit in the back of the room, which was very nice since it is so hot and muggy here. After the introductions I left and went back to my room. Kristy is teaching the morning session and I am teaching in the afternoon from 2:30 to 5:30. After I prepared some more for my class, an institute official offered for me to use his computer in his office, which was very kind of him to do. Thus, I was able to provide the first blog update in a few days. This afternoon they loaned me a computer which is right in my room. They have been very kind and considerate. I met Kristy and the others for lunch. They provided 15 various dishes. Rice, greens, squid, donkey, fish, cabbage soup, pork soup, dumplings with pork, beef, chicken w/ bones, duck with bones and watermelon. I forgot what the other ones were. Unfortunately, I had donkey before I knew what it was. It actually tasted good until I found out. I was not going to try the squid, but our host insisted. It was not bad either. I did manage to consume something very spicey that caused my lips to burn the rest of the afternoon. I am glad that I had some chapstick, which did provide some relief.
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| This is the donkey dish. Hee Haw! |
To start class, I provided some information about myself and my family. I showed a picture of my family With the one child rule in China they were all amazed that my wife and I have ten children. I told them a few years ago that when the children were small I was buying 40 pairs of shoes a year. I thought some of them were going to fall out of their chairs. After my comments I went around the room and allowed each of them to introduce themselves to me and share where they worked, about their family and what they liked to do. At least two said they liked basketball. My slides today were centered on Federal government, state government and local government and how they each relate to one another. With interpretation I do not have to worry about having enough slides. There is no way that I will cover all of my material.
I mentioned city-county relations and one in the class asked a question about an example of how the two might have conflicts. I mentioned the jail issue between the City of Brunswick and Glynn County. They found that quite interesting which led to 30 minutes of questions. If I wrote what type of questions that they asked it might open up the entire issue again, which I know better not to do. I will say that they are a very perceptive group. They also asked me personal questions about how much I earned in money, how much I spent on food, housing, etc. and how much I saved. I think they save quite a bit of their income in China. They also asked my if I paid my wife a salary to be a stay at home mom. It would be great if I could afford to do that :) They also wanted to know if I was a happy man. I told them I was very happy, I had a beautiful family and a job that I enjoyed going to each day. I expect that before the week is up I will be asked much more about my family. I found a stopping point in my presentation and we broke for the day. During the first part of my presentation I showed them a video of the Golden Isles in Chinese that they loved. I appreciate the Golden Isles CVB providing the video. I brought a copy of the video, as well as my presentation on a thumb drive for each one in class, which total 22.
This evening we had dinner with the President of the Institute in his private dining room. The Lazy Susan on this table was motorized and a staff member stood to the side and stopped the turning when you took an item for your plate. She had a small remote control. The most interesting item on the menu tonight was a complete goose that had been cooked and then cut up bone and all. Head, feet, wings, etc were all right there. Fairly tasty, but processing meat and bones in my mouth is a very new experience. I also forgot that at lunch we had chicken feet. One ended up on my plate, but there it stayed. It was a very nice dinner and no one went away hungry. I will sign off now. As you begin your day it is time for me to go to sleep to be well rested for my second day of class.
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