here again on Thursday

Just finished lunch on campus. A big bowl of rice with beef and vegetables, two bottles of water, an ice cream and I am out almost 5 Yuan, about $.85. Last night, though, I spent much more that I had suggested I'd spend. We took a 15 minute taxi ride with another couple from our hotel to the 5-star Ramada Inn. The ride cost about $1.20 each way. The Ramada Inn was truly 5-star. A beautiful building in a very busy area with magnificent eating facilities. We asked to eat Western food as they had several restaurants in the hotel. We must have been there early because we were the only ones in a top-of-the-line large dining room. There were people there when we left at 9:15. We had a pizza for appetizer, two drinks (alcohol) each, Shelley had a wonderful cheeseburger with fries, I had a prime sirloin with fries and veggies, bread butter and water and the other couple had about the same. Total cost to me was about $50.00 so it wasn't like the cost at the school. But it was a wonderful treat after three weeks of Chinese (albeit good) food. We will probably go out at least once a week to relieve ourselves of the tedium of having to choose from a Chinese food buffet table of 40 items each meal.

Mitch, you wanted to learn a few Chinese words. Well, this morning I would have said Ni Hao (knee how) (hello) to everybody and then asked Ni Hao Ma (Knee how ma{with a rising tone or the second tone} meaning How are ou?) I'll explain the four tones some other time.

Today's class was very interesting. After only three days I have learned that the students are much more advanced than I had been led to believe they would be. And I have the most elementary of the group. I have discovered that they all can read very well, write very well and do research very well. It is their speaking and pronunciation that is below their desired level. In their self-evaluation forms, they all said that they wanted to learn how to speak english better so that they could converse with all foreigners and learn about the American culture. So today, I made a new rule. They no longer could do their homework research and read their reports to me or the class. If I let them, I will get total google printouts about the subject that they read. If I flash words on the screen from the computer output, they pronounce them well after I give them the correct pronunciation but they can read them. So now they must listen to me, hear the word and pronounce it back. it makes a big difference.

We played Simon Says! as a short diversion and after another language exercise, sang This Old Man. We broke into groups to do some small group work that was outlined in their textbooks. Most of the other teachers say that they don't like the book but use some of it so that the student can feel justified in making the expense for it. However, I did like the book exercise and will continue to choose more. It gets the students talking and that is what it is all about.

Some of the students would be very happy and excited if they could start an e-mail correspondence with an American. I have told them about Ben, Deb and Sam and will give out their e-mail IDs but I cannot promise that they will be used. But if they do, I will ask them to put Hello from Wuhan in the subject so that you will know that you can look at it. If anyone else wants to invite a Chinese student (finished with the first year) to begin communications, let me know. I have about 30 male students and 20 females.

The secnd class of the same material starts shortly, so Goodbye for now. Love to all.