Hello from Dangtu. As I write this there are horns sounding in the street. They use their horns to warn drivers of as a vehicle approaches from behind, so horns sound most of the time. Also as background noise this weekend, fireworks seemed to be going off most of the time. We have been told that it is customary to set off fireworks to celebrate…. celebrate anything, like a store opening, a wedding, a funeral etc. We found this morning as we taught that it is hard to speak over the fire works.
Our hosts have been very attentive and helpful. They eat meals with us and our interpreter is with us all of the time. The food here is wonderful. We have enjoyed many different fish and vegetable dishes. They use a lot of different kinds of hot peppers, so the food makes your mouth hum. We have rice every meal and a lot of watermelon. The portions are generous and we are filled to the brim each meal!
In this area there have been few foreigners, so we cause a stir wherever we go. People stop to look at us, and many have impressed us as they have come up to us to practice their English. One little boy looked up and us and said something that made everybody laugh. Our interpreter told us he said we were very tall!
The classes are large. We have found today that it will be a challenge to provide opportunities for everyone to speak in English every day, but that is our goal! After 3 hours in the morning we break for lunch and time out of the heat. We reconvene for two more classes before the end of the day. This afternoon we will begin with sessions to share our country and theirs. I will be talking about the beaver as a symbol of the country. Later this week we will talk about maple leaves and I will share the maple syrup I brought.
Although we all have lingering coughs, the colds have come and gone and we are in good health and eager to teach well. It has rained here almost since we got here, so the heat is not a big issue for us yet.
Jan Hazlett July 13, 2010
Jan, I think I’ll be living vicariously through your blog posts. We are enjoying the different Calgary Culture this week with Stampede going on all around us. I was awakened last Thursday morning before 7am with music coming from two blocks away on MacLeod Trail. A pancake breakfast was underway and the whole neighbourhood knew it! With the world cup soccer over – and vuvuzwellas put away, your firecrackers will be the ‘new noise’ of the summer.
Yesterday (Monday) we had a huge storm here. Hail the size of golfballs near the Uniteversity, and tornado warnings east of the city. Here in the SE we just got lots of rain.
Hope the cough dissapears. Heat, pollution, humidity all contribute, I bet. Drink lots of tea, and eat citrus. Or just give in to the hot peppers. My father in law swears they will kill all germs!
blessings on you!