Got up and got ready for class… I started the day with a milky breakfast drink – with bits of peach in it.. It was not bad.
I took a cab and got dropped off right where I needed to be.. Yeah!! Got a little lost in the school compound but figured it out!!
Got to see more of the school – visited Elaine's Office, Each high school teacher travels to the classroom for the students (instead of in the US where each class came to the teachers.) So each department has a great office shared by about 3 teachers with a meeting table etc.. I was able to see the Tech room and computer labs. All of them have big bars on the doors and windows. It looks like what you see in a bank when you are going to safety deposit boxes in the safe. Very much over kill and kind of imposing.
I drank the green tea box that everyone wanted me to try. Its supposed to be bitter tea but it was terribly sweet.. There are lots of snack foods to try for sure.
Class is starting a little late – consistently – really driving me a little nuts – but having problems with the great firewall. Many of videos don't load or the page loads and I can't have access.
We talked about The World is Open, and it was really a poor discussion, later in the day over dinner.. it was much better.
We talked about collaborative story assignments too and I showed them one of the blogs of I read: http://b.rox.com/2009/12/03/collaborative-story-assignment/
Micah talked about how they are always using flickr too.
Then the Frontline video would not load so we read about Meghan Meier and Sexting.. interesting for the students – they have similar problems here.
We had noodle soups for lunch – I had noodles and shredded chicken and sesame paste – and a had a radish salad – that was my favorite and I ended up wearing about ½ of the noodles on my shirt.. There is no polite way to eat Chinese noodles – much longer than at home and much harder to roll. I am doing okay with chopsticks though!!!
Afternoon we worked on video. I let Chris show everyone moviemaker and I showed audacity and garage band (which I never use – Yeah me!!) He knew it well and did a great job.. I had to remind myself I am modeling good tech use, and letting students model tech is good too!!!
People had fun with it.. Michael H. was the best – he got to post videos of his wife and she posted videos of their baby – which was cool. (from another town in China) … the baby was so cute it was totally wrapped up in clothing so it looked like Robby in a Christmas story – who could not put his arms down because he was so wrapped up.
Dinner
Angelia and Mary Beth, roommates, invited me to dinner. It was such a fine evening. First, after class I got to see Angelia's 5 room apartment – WOW… which she owns and its just around the corner from the school and then we went to a fantastic dinner at Super Brand Mall.
Super Brand mall is one of the biggest malls I have ever seen. It is 10 stories tall with the 10th story being a beautiful restaurant (Black Beauty) with great views of the Bund - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bund These are some of the oldest buildings in the city. I am kind of surprised that there are not more ancient buildings but they tear everything down in Shanghai.. I am hoping I might see some more ancient buildings at some point.
Other things about the Mall. There was an ice rink on the 9th floor. The stores were very pretty with bright displays – very much what I expect – modern Asian looking style. Lots of beautiful things.
We ate at Black Beauty http://www.southbeautygroup.com/en/detail.aspx?cid=-10&cii=0&id=317 It is on the top floor of the Super Brand Mall. It is a super swanky restaurant . When you first walk in you walk over a water walkway that has water running through the walls. You are seated in large red leather arm chairs with views overlooking the bund. For each table there are 3 young girls who are dressed in very formal suits – kind of like chanel suits with skirts, jackets and little heels. Each one wears one white glove and they constant serve your table.
Angelia ordered for us. Food arrives very quickly here (however, the students don't always think so – but to a US sensibility – meals are very fast) What a meal.. everyone orders food and food – all different things.. Here are some of the things that we ordered: Tofu with noodles, little green plums, nuts, cabbage with sauce, green beans, shrimp with chilli, pigeon, pig leg, lamb chops, mushrooms, desert was a rice soup very sweet but subtle and red bean candies (chewy (covered with coconut – reminded me of Turkish delight.
I liked everything but my favorites were the brown tofu cubes with noodles, the shrimp with chili's, the lamb chops cooked with peppers and capers (very spicy), the mushrooms, and the pigeon was good, but I let Angelia eat the head.
The food arrives and its all so pretty.. As we eat, we run out of room on the lazy susan as more items arrives. So the girls in the suits come and take the larger plates off the table and puts them on smaller and smaller plates and brings them back.
We each had a small plate (dessert size) on a charger (normal dinner size) throughout the meal the girls would come and give us clean plates. They also were constantly watching and refilling our Tea.
Angelia was definitely in charge of the table – she sent back the shrimp 2 times and the beans once – She even called the manager. At first, I thought she was being really picky – and was wondering if I should eat the food when it returned (because in the US who knows what they would do to sent back food).. but when the shrimp came back – it was amazing – probably the best breaded shrimp I have ever had..
Dinner conversation was great. We talked about being single and religion –but the conversation was very friendly and enjoyable. Both Mary Ann and Angelia are very active in a Christian Church group and seem to really enjoy that part of living in China. They are planning a trip to Israel after Jiening's class.. and its their dream trip.
We walked on this side of the river. It gave us a great view of the Bund lit up at night. I was so happy they took me because I may not be able to see it because I am teaching at night for the next few days. There were many people walking around but it was about to rain.
We saw someone launching a prayer balloon. They are little hot air balloons that you can make a wish and launch it into the air. Angelia said they prey on tourists and she was nto sure how traditional it was, but she said it was certainly not green. Honestly though, I thought it was kind of romantic.. (and I probably would have done it had Angelia had not commented how un-green it was.. J )
We wanted a picture and I heard Americans nearby and I asked if they would help us take a picture… Turns out they were from Las Vegas and were in the casket business. It was kind of funny… very gregarious.. I got nervous at first, uh oh will these be embarrassing Americans but they seemed fun.. and took our picture.. and flirted with us a little.
We then went and looked at the pearl tower. Which was pretty. We could not fully see it but there was a twinkly building behind super mall – that looked really cool.
We cut through the Super Mall and went to the Shangrila hotel . Which has one of the best bathrooms in town according to Angelia. We got back in a cab and headed home as it started to pour .. a great day..
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