After amount of sleepless nights, I got up at 7:00am on June 2nd, had some simple breakfast which prepared by my dear daddy and drove to the Xiaoshan Airport accompanying by my mum and dad. We arrived the airport around 10:00, but was told the transfer flight to Beijing was postponed at the moment I stood in front of the counter of Air China. I realized I should take some action, otherwise I could miss the flight. I rushed to the Air China service desk to confirm the update flight info, the answer still kept the same. Unexpectedly, they didn’t know what time the flight would take off, because the plane was still in Beijing at that time. The earliest flight which can connect to the international flight to SF is 10:40am, which means if I can not make this flight in 15 mins, I will miss the next flight, I will lose time and money, I will not arrive at the same day in S.F. at U.S. time, thus, I might miss my best friend’s wedding party which will be held on June 4th in another city. During this 12 weeks adventure, the first 13 days will be with my friend Yang and her daughter. I did not hesitate to call Yang to check where she was. She was on her way running to the airport.

I made a quick decision that we should change our flight from Air China to China Eastern Airline. There was a picture of missing our international flight in front of my eyes. I was a little bit nervous and tried to clam down. The lady working for Air China showed no worries about the situation, helped a staff who jumped the queue. I was annoyed and said to her if she could not transfer my flight to China Eastern Airline right now, she should find someone else to do it for me. Then I turned to another working lady sitting aside and asked her favor.  When she  made several calls to check the available seats, I called Yang again. Yang and her daughter finally arrived the airport. We were lucky to get 3 seats. Yang was peaceful and communicated the counter staff to check in. My dad took pictures of us, I had no mood to do so. What I thought was no other than being hurry for the passing security check. It was a pity only few words saying goodbye to mum and dad at the airport.

Yang lift two bags, I held her daughter’s hand, we were the only three persons who run to the gate in the big terminal.  People was standing in a long queue waiting for the check in, When we reached the gate 24, the same gate I got on the flight to Beijing in this year’s Spring Festival. Lucky guys, aren’t we? The seats were arranged at first class area. The first time to have a chance to sit at first class owing to the delayed flight.

Another one hour was waited for the flight to take off because of air travel restrictions. Oh, my gosh! Time was not wasted, we three tried different functions of the first class chair, it’s a funny experience. Each button on the right hand of the seat was pressed. W aha!  To kill the time, I started to ask Yang what about her feeling on this trip to U.S. Her answer was exactly the same as mine. Not being that excited when we sat on the plane. I explained to myself that it takes time to put ourselves from dream back to reality. We are truly on our way to United States of America, the country on my world travel list. Wowhoo!

Lunch time was just after the taking off.  Not a bad meal!

Mum called me when I was at Beijing Airport. I promised her to call her back a few minutes later, since luggage had to be transferred from China Eastern Airline to Air China. We were safe and on time made the transfer flight. I were happy we were on the international flight, even though the type of this airplane is Boeing 747 disappointed me. 6 years ago, when I flew to Europe, the same type plane attracted me a lot, but not today. 6500 yuan for a round trip is reasonable, I can’t complain.

Having talks and watching movies are the best killing time options. I have watched any movie other than The Princess and the Frog by Disney Pictures. A nice movie, keeping the Disney Pictures tradition with life learning through classical fairy tales. :8 To be honest, to be earnest and down-to-earth echo as the theme from the beginning of the movie to the end. Tiana remains single minded in opening “Tiana’s Place,” working two jobs to save enough money to secure the ideal building for her restaurant. Ray, a Cajun firefly, is honest and brave, he loses his life to save Tiana and Naveen and gets to know his lover Evangeline is a only star far in the sky just before his death. Lawrence, a kind-hearted crocodile, is thinking he can make his dream as a music band player come true. Tiana’s kiss breaks the spell. Finally, the happy couple Tiana and Naveen purchases Tiana’s desired building and opens their restaurant. As the film ends, Tiana and Naveen host a gala opening for “Tiana’s Palace” and dance underneath the Evening Stars. Beautiful end. Welcome to San Francisco appears at the right windows. People cheer. Time shows to 11:20am west coast time of U.S.

Rob is one of my senior students. He is a special student to me, not because of his big title and his job, but his common touch personality. And his maners and words have totally changed my mind on European cockiness.

The bad memory is still in my mind.

The French senior supervisor of a France company who was my student for one lesson.  Just one lesson, then we finished our teaching contract. Before being his mandarin teacher, he was my interviewer, and I were his interviewee. He seemed more  like a boss,  I were like the one who searching a job from him. We had an interview at the lobby of Radisson. He checked my resume strictly, then he asked me a few questions to test me  if I were qualified to be his mandarin tutor, finally with his nod as an end. It sounded unbelievable that I could pass an extremely strict senior supervisor’s face to face interview. I swear I will not do any of these any more.  The second was the first lesson with him. At first, it was a good start, but then he was not a so nice person, he didn’t care about the culture which he thought he knew all of them or he felt not important to his life here.  So boring of him, wasn’t he?  How could you not care what happen around you? On another aspect, I were not a full-experienced teacher at that time. It was my fault!

Thanks to all my experiences, without each oppotunity, I can’t be as confident as today.

 The each talk with Rob was so interesting and meaningful.

I would like to write one by one.

One of the latest talks was about Chinese characters.

My view on teaching Chinese is totally different from most of the mandarin teachers. Survival first! Characters except some survival ones are not recommended to learn until the students have enough energy or knowledge to start, otherwise I will teach them the first thing first.

I taught Rob the rough idea about Chinese characters at the beginning. The pictographic characters, picto-phonetic characters, indicative characters and associative characters are the four main categories of Chinese characters.  I wrote     

1.

2.

3.

 4.                                             

1. 日，(rì) sun

2. 月，(yuè) moon

3. 山，(shān) mountain

4. 水，(shuǐ) water    

for him to let him know why we called pictographic characters. And then I wrote

1.

2.

3.

1. 上，（shang) up, above

2. 下,      (xia)   down, under

3. 四,       (sì)    four

to explain what are the indicative characters to him. I combined this part with the description on time which was created by myself. I am always so confident when I explain my Time Zone to all my students to make them clear about the different culture background from the understanding of “shang” and “xia” using in time between China and west. Then I say in a way ilustrated with river flowing from up to down in the river bed which has the same concept like time river flowing from “shang” (the past) to “xia”(the future), that’s why we have the words “shangge xingqi”, “shangge yue” for the last week and last month, ”xiage xingqi”, ”xiage yue” for the next week and next month. Not bad ha!

I like the imaginative way I used to teach or entertain to my fellow students. Have fun together and learn the language and culture at the same time. It’s not easy job! And I to face some problem during my teaching.

Sunday, 12 July 2009

Since the Train K351 should be to Hangzhou in 20h12, but it is arrived at Hangzhou East Station at 20h55, so it spend me waited for more than one hour. Since Wei had caught a bad cold, so the group is led by Carole ZHU.

Then we took a minibus and a taxi to Jian She Hotel, No. 222 Bao Shu Road. Then we went out for a meal. and I went back home at 23h20, it took only 11 minutes by taxi.

Monday, 13 July 2009

I got up earlier and I took a taxi before 8h00, but when I arrived at Hotel, it 30 minutes later

So, after that, I have no right to criticise their time in cafe and so on. they want cafe so much, and when we arrived about the campus zijingang, it cant find cafe, so I had to let the bus to go more northern to find a c.strait cafe in Sandun.

So, when we got to Zhejiang University ( www.zju.edu.cn ), it’s about 10h20, after a girl student made a brief introduction about the history of Zhejiang University in  Historical archive museum, when we arrived at  library it’s already 11h20, only 9 munities left. for in summer vacation, the library closed at 11h30. Thanks for our Alumni Association, so we had the chance to have a visit.

As said in 10h30 or 11h00 begin the Meeting with students from Zhejiang University, Yuquan Campus. Actually, when we arrived there, it is already 12h20, for a student from shanghai is waiting in the school gate, he don’t know how to get it. so it take all of us more 20 minutes used.

Since that, I have already ask Wenjing who in charge the conference in Yuquan Campus to change the place from Zheda Wangshi to Dinner room.

Fortunately, all the Chinese students organized by SinoFrance and Hangzhou Alumni Association, and guest are so happy to meet each other, discus many things, share the opinions and have a great lunch.

In 15h00, we are visiting  Lingyin Temple ( www.lingyinsi.org ), thanks for Master Jieqing and Dangcang, we had the chance to go into the temple directly without paid ( I just asked my friends in tourist agency, even TA, there’s no discount for the tickets, let along free entrance and dinner in temple).

By my suggestion, Wei had asked students to prepare 35 questions about Buddhism, then have dinner with master in temple.

after that, I suggest them to have a look at West Lake, it is in the day but not so hot as in the afternoon, but they insist to go back to Hotel, so when the back again, it was 19h40. By experience, I had already prepared the tickets. Or, it‘s a great pity.

From 19:50 to 21:00, Evening Lake Show – West Lake Impression ( www.hzyxxh.com ), and I back home.

The second day.

Tuesday, 14 July 2009

9:00       departure the hotel, and the want to Starbuck, so when we arrived in Tea Museum (  www.teamuseum.cn ) , it’s already later than 10h30,  the chef of museum have a conference with his leader, so we haven’t the chance to see him, also the director of communication department. but they have appointed an English Commentator. after that, we have a tea show watched and so on.

11h00 the bus is en panne. so we change the plan and to have a lunch beside the museum.

They changed the bus, and I asked discount 200rmb to express their apologized.

13:00 Visit to House 365, an Internet-based Real Estate Company ( http://hz.house365.com/ ) Meeting with GM, apple, my alumni.

14h50, 10:30       Visit to Loftpower Innovative Industry Park ( www.loftpower.com   )

Meeting with senior management.

16:20   Visit to a Chinese Stock Exchange Company, Changjiang Securities Sales department.  discussion on the stock market in China with an alumni of ZJU, the GM.

17:30     McDonald

about 18:00  Return to Shanghai by Bus

After they went to Shanghai, I went to buy some silk gift for them. Because they gave the fee for 4 meals in Hangzhou. Exclude transportation fee e.g. taxi, and prepare some gifts for those friends who did a lot of things for us. I found it is a little bit plus.

the gift is.

for students, every boy will get a Traditional Chinese garments tang suit, they are made by Artificial genie silk, flax. And every girl will get a pajamas and a scarf made by artificial genie silk. if you, as a tourist to buy silk articles, it cost at least 200rmb per article.

I can’t buy nature genie silk, because it is very expensive, at least 2000rmb per article. if you want buy something made by nature silk, if you can afford it, you can contact me

for Wei, Pierre, Joy and Carole, I prepared limited edition imaginote that made by my friends Dandes and TV. Yang.  and I will EMS them to Wei, when Wei tell me his address.

Manuscripts of Contemporary International Students

Volume of China

With curiosity and expectation, you came to China.

Your experience and feelings in China are what we are eager to know. NOT ONLY STUDENTS. ANYONE WHO WORKS OR LIVES HERE IS WELCOME. Very possibly, you may also want to share with us your thoughts. Then please, write down your true stories.

You are expected to share your stories in this special series Manuscripts of Contemporary International Students.  From 2003, we have been working on this series of books that aims to record the study and life of international students. The Volume of France and the Volume of Germany have been published, while the other three volumes, the Volume of Russia, Malaysia and Britain are under final refinement. Now the Volume of China is on our schedule. It is in this volume that you may express freely and directly to our readers home and abroad and find a cozy place to store your precious memories.

We have heard countless stories from Chinese students in other countries. And now, can we hear your stories?

We are anxiously expecting your supports, and hope to see your article in this Manuscripts of Contemporary International Students, Volume of China.

Simply true stories!

You can send your stories to don@sinofrance.org (Chinese, Français, and English). Please kindly attach a brief introduction of your own.

YOU WILL HAVE AT LEAST ONE PUBLISHED BOOK IF YOUR STORY IS ADOPTED.

Board of Editors

GU Dongdong, Chief Editor, +86 13305810421

HONG Ying, Co-operator, roannahong@yahoo.com.cn

Manuscripts of Contemporary International Students, Volume of China

Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing,

Paris, London, Washington, Saint Petersburg

If you have any questions or comments, please send them to

www.lixq.cn/forum/forum-23-1.html  (Chinese)

www.lixq.cn/forum/thread-3828-1-1.html   (English)

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			作者	回复/查看	最后发表
		Call for Papers "International Students Oversea"	Don 2005-3-23	0/1458	Don 2005-3-23 17:57
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		中国文化版块版务管理	Don 2009-1-21	2/226	Don 2009-2-18 02:08
		成功注册 chinesebridge.info	Don 2009-1-1	3/326	Don 2009-2-5 04:59
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		Free Clip Art Collection for Foreign Language Inst	Don 2005-10-11	0/1513	Don 2005-10-11 22:12
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		外国人：你的柔情我不懂	Don 2005-7-27	0/1368	Don 2005-7-27 03:40
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		神奇的汉语，愚笨的英语	Don 2005-5-23	1/1239	Don 2005-5-23 02:44
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		Harbin Ice and Snow Festival	goddy 2004-5-22	0/1413	goddy 2004-5-22 09:04
		Jingdezhen Int'l Ceramics Festival	goddy 2004-5-22	0/1159	goddy 2004-5-22 09:04
		Chang'an Calligraphic Conference	goddy 2004-5-22	0/1010	goddy 2004-5-22 09:03
		Mt. Huangshan Festival	goddy 2004-5-22	0/955	goddy 2004-5-22 09:03
		Qufu Int'l Confucian Festival	goddy 2004-5-22	0/913	goddy 2004-5-22 09:02
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		Shaolin Int'l Martial Arts Festival	goddy 2004-5-22	0/962	goddy 2004-5-22 09:00
		Xinjiang Grape Festival	goddy 2004-5-22	0/989	goddy 2004-5-22 08:59

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