Classroom Weddings... Video!

I'm excited to share this with you!  I put together a short video with some highlights from our classroom weddings a couple weeks ago.



Most of the clips are from the first wedding, where the "bride" and "groom" really are dating.  They got to know each other this fall when they were assigned to the same cleaning group during sophomore labor week... how romantic.

Some highlights from that wedding:

• The minister's sweatshirt says "Change One's Mind."
• I didn't give very clear instructions to the flower girl and ring bearer, so they pop in at unexpected times.
• Allen tried to get down on one knee during the ring exchange.
• Shelley made her own veil by cutting up her mosquito net.
• You'll see the students chanting for a kiss at the end, but I assure you, no kiss occurred!

You'll also see photos from the second two weddings.  In the second class, we have 39 girls and one boy, so the only male role played by a boy was the best man.  Dora's toilet paper dress also fell apart before the wedding even started.  Alas.  Make sure you take a close look at the cake so you can see how it's 75% frosting.

Enjoy the video!

China China China China China China

Haha:

Fun Free Talk: Date Night

I'm always looking for fun ways for students to practice English and learn about Western culture.  Recently I tried a new idea for free talks: Date Night.  The students signed up in pairs (no boys in the class, so we assigned four of the girls to be boys).  I had the "guys" come to my apartment first so I could give them some instructions on how to treat a lady right.  They also got a few daisies to give to their dates when they picked them up.

Then, armed with their flowers and their knowledge about opening doors and paying for dinner and such, the "guys" set off to pick up their dates, who were patiently waiting in their dorm rooms.  Then, since Qufu is lacking quiet, clean restaurants where couples could while away an evening, they all came back to my place.

Once everyone arrived, I gave them some time to brainstorm a new identity.  These girls know each other really well, but I wanted them to have the first date experience of getting to know someone new.  We ended up with a math professor, an exchange student in Paris, and more.  The daters:

I gave them some time just to talk to their date, and I was amused at how quickly they burned through new topics.  By the end of twenty minutes, many of them had already planned international vacations together, and at least one of the couples had discussed children.  I caught a minute of the dinnertime conversation in the video below.  The best part is the end, where Lily (unprompted by me) decides to get her date's phone number.

Bali Dreams

Before winter holiday, the group I traveled to Bali with was doing a little planning by e-mail.  I wanted to get an idea of what people wanted to do there, so I sent out an e-mail with the subject line, "What are your Bali dreams?"

Which apparently sounds like an X-rated site, because a couple of my friends told me they almost didn't even open it.

In any case, we made a video to capture all our Bali dreams coming true, and you can watch it here:

China-Bound

I go back to China in 2 days.  I leave Wednesday, arrive Thursday night, and have my first sessions in Beijing on Friday morning.  It will be great to re-connect with friends in Beijing.  I will also meet my new teammates and we will travel together to Qufu after the weekend.

A teacher with my organization made the following video of some of his students in China.  They are not my students, but they remind me of my students.  The cute English pronunciations, giggling girls, excitement about English... Here's a glimpse of what I'm heading back to:


Diagram of a Chinese Student from Jonathan Smyth on Vimeo.

I'll write again when I'm back in China!

China's Graduate Dilemma

An interesting mini-documentary here on the bleak job prospects facing new college grads in China.  Many of my students are planning to delay this problem by trying to test into grad school.


Young & Restless: China's Graduate Dilemma from SOOKSTV on Vimeo.

Dancin' on the Train

First, watch this:



The video was made by a couple teachers from my organization who live up in the Northeast, which everyone seems to love even though it's colder than cold.  Awesome video.  Now I will ruin (or enhance?) it by giving you some Chinese culture notes:

1)  You usually ride in front with the cab driver -- I think I just told you that a few posts back.

2)  Chinese trains have 4 classes: Soft sleeper, hard sleeper, soft seat, and hard seat.  If they are all sold out, never fear!  You can buy a hard seat ticket even if there are no seats, and stand for the duration of the ride.  Some students do this even for 10 or 15 hour train rides.

"The seats are sold out so we'll have to get a soft sleeper. / Let's get a standing ticket; it will be a lot cheaper."

The train featured in the video has none of these classes, because it's not a long distance train.  I think it's a city rail or something.

3)  Did you catch the correct pronunciation of "Beijing" and "Shanghai"?

4)  I love the waiting room!  It's really like that:

"Could take a seat if there were any more free, but everybody's lying down and so they're taking up three."

5)  Description of a Chinese crowd (watch out for elbows!):

"Everyone hurries just to get to the door so they can stand in line and count the time and wait some more...  pushing and shoving..."

6)  Their students are so cute.  They did a great job!

Now watch it again.  And again.  Enjoy!