It’s been quite a busy month! Since arriving here at the end of August, We’ve experienced:
- 2 birthdays (Scott was August 27 and I was September 5)
- 2 English Nights
- 4 Conversation Corners
- Many episodes of Seinfeld and Impractical Jokers
- 4.5 weeks of class
- 1 taco night
- 2 visitors (Jim and then Frank)
- Countless fun encounters with students and friends
I can keep going, but I’m kinda done with listing things.
My new approach to these blog updates is to write something the 1st of every month. I was on the fence if I should put something out in September (looking back, I probably should have) but I ultimately decided to wait until now for my first big update!
First, let’s recap the last month!
The past
This month was a blur! I’m sure anyone can relate to that. With all the changes the beginning of autumn brings, (starting school and so on) the phrase “time flies…” is never more true!
I’ll begin with my classes. I teach 5 classes this semester. I’ll write them out clearly for you, because who doesn’t love bullet lists?
- One freshman class in Gu’an (the west campus) – Wednesday
- This campus is a 45 minute bus ride away from the school
- Two Non-English major classes – Monday
- These are sophomores from other majors. They are generally at the same level as some of our Freshmen. They are Oral English classes.
- Two freshmen classes on the main campus – Monday and Friday
- These classes are co-taught with Chinese teachers. The following are my co-teachers:
- Yan – Pronounced “YEN”. She also teaches with Scott.
- Jessica – She also teaches with Jaime.
- These classes are co-taught with Chinese teachers. The following are my co-teachers:
The co-teaching thing is a new development for us this year. It’s definitely been an interesting learning experience, but it’s been growing on us all!
As of today, we had our 4th Conversation Corner. These have been going very well this year! I’ve been pleased to see many of my former students show up for this. I love that group, they’re so much fun!
This semester we will have at least 8 English Nights, which is definitely up from our allotted 4 from last fall! Already we’ve had 2 and I think we can all agree that it’s been a huge success!
I gave the talk at the first two English Nights. This semester we’re talking about positive character traits. The first talk was a general introduction on good character. My second talk was on Integrity. After unpacking the meaning of this word I left them with the question “If there is nothing that you can gain from having integrity, why would anyone want to have it?”
Some of the guys I’ve been hanging out with lately are the triad Eric, Owen, and Buck, nicknamed “The Three Musketeers”. These guys are always together. They are so much fun! We’ve played volleyball, had them over to eat lunch and watch Planet Earth, eaten in the dining hall… I can’t get enough of these guys!
The present
Currently the National Holiday is in effect for all of China! This means no school for a week! It’s a nice little fall break just before the weather gets cold and we begin to really buckle down with classes.
The weather has been pretty good lately, staying around the 70s during the day and 50s at night. Reminds me of home! The pollution isn’t so bad quite yet… but this year we’re prepared more than ever for it! Our boss’ boss made sure that all 20 individuals received an air purifier for our apartments! It’s really a great gift! I’ve been leaving mine pugged in and running all day so I can come home to a roomful of fresh air!
The future
On Thursday I will fly out to the beautiful city of Chengdu. Nikki Pruitt (who teaches in Baoding now) will join as we visit our very special friend, Caroline! Some of you have heard me mention this name this past summer, I think you’ll be hearing more of her in the near future…
I’ll return from Chengdu on the 11th and classes will resume October 13. A nice, long break! Once classes start up again, we’ll go nonstop until the end of the semester.
Let’s be lifting up this momentum that we’ve been having for Engish Night, Conversation Corner, and relationships in general. We don’t want this long break to kill the momentum.
Keep an eye out for some pictures that I’ll likely post soon from this Chengdu trip.
Love you all!
-Josh
China 