July 10, 2006: Today we took a field trip to the Forbidden City. For a very long time, China prohibited foreigners from entering the country during the Qing Dynasty. The Forbidden City was the ruling palace of the emperor during the Qing and Han dynasty.  The palace itself is many different buildings and covers almost 1.5 square miles. In several different locations there are historical displays of musical instruments, books, weapons, armor and more.  To be honest it is completely overwhelming.  It would take someone I think at least a week to fully see all the different parts of the Forbidden City.

 While we were there we met a student from an art school who wanted to show us her display of artwork.  The reality was that she wanted us to buy some artwork. The way art schools here work is that the students have to sell their own artwork and their teachers to support both their school and to pay for their tuition. This was an art school that taught traditional Chinese artwork. I ended up buying several pieces of artwork for my brother and mother.

 Prior to entering the Forbidden City, we walked around in Tianamen Square.  It was unbelievable.  There is so much history there. We were going to see the Tomb of Mao but it was closed on the day we were there. There was one slightly negative thing however in that there were people who were, lets say, not bashful, asking us to buy things.  They would often come up and grab your arm and ask you to buy postcards or Rolexes or even Mao watches.

 After all of this, we returned home on the bus and had dinner.  It was a long day so I fell asleep early.  Tomorrow is a big day.

July 11, 2006: Today we have to travel to Tianjin, China.  I started the day with breakfast and a shower. After that, we packed up and boarded a bus to Tianjin. Tianjin is about an hour away from Beijing and the trip took us past farms and rural areas until we entered the area of Tianjin. We then proceeded to the school and settled in for the remainder of our travels. Later in the day we met our helpers of individuals who live here in China whose English is good enough that they will translate for us. We went to a local store to pick up a few things we needed for the day and then spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying the scenery here at the university.  The reality is that the university is much bigger than a US university. Tianjin is actually kind of a college town. There are two well-known universities the one we are at Tianjin University and another college that is directly behind us.  Well tomorrow are the opening ceremonies for the school, so I had better get some rest.

July 12, 2006: Today the school has arranged an opening ceremony to welcome us to the university.  We started with a short introduction and business card exchange.  We then proceeded to a room with a conference table where we were spoken to by several higher ups from the university. They thanked us for the last year and commented on how much the students learned last year.  They then told us how much they look forward to becoming our friends and developing relationships with us that would last far into the future.  It was a very proper meeting.  We then had a fine dinner and interesting conversations where they asked me things like if I was married or if I cooked.  What a great day! After this meeting, we relaxed for the day and prepared for the first day of class.

July 13, 2006: Today we met for breakfest and had a bible study. After that we talked about the days activities. Today we are going to meet our students and divide them into different classes according to ability.  I am in charge of occupying the class while they take the students out in the hall room in small groups to test their English ability. I will sing some songs with them and play some games like Simon says and others.  I started first with the song Old MacDonald.  The kids liked it.  I am not sure if they liked the song or me making the various animal sounds. After that we sang Row Your Boat and then we sang it as a canon in three voices.  The kids had fun and I hope learned something.  The kids were very respectful.  They were a lot of fun and I am really excited to teach my smaller group.  They all had smiles and excited faces. We finished the day with dinner and a trip to Care Four which is a French version of Walmart.  We picked up some groceries and went home for a well-deserved rest.

July 14, 2006: Well today we had our second day of Tai Chi and Chinese language class. We have learned the first four moves in Tai Chi and how to ask someone how they are and what time it is in Chinese.  After morning classes we had lunch and then had a few moments to prepare for class starting at 2:00 pm.  During our first four days we are going to teach the children about Cinderella and the Chinese equivalent Yeh-Shen. This will offer us a chance to talk about the positive aspects of both characters and also to compare the two fairy-tales and see the cultural differences between them.

 The day started well. I had the kids introduce themselves by giving us information such as their names, family size and names, hobbies and favorite sports. The kids struggled a bit with the English to properly identify themselves to each other but that is the purpose of the school; to help the students practice their English in front of native English speakers. After that we moved to the story of Cinderella and the day seemed to evaporate away. My students names are; Dante, Mary, Ryan, Julia, Lucy, Bonnie, Oscar, Jack and Sam. They vary in ages and ability which is going to make this experieince all the more difficult. Jack is very inexperienced and Bonnie is 18 and knows quite a bit of English.

 After class, I had dinner with the group and that night we practiced for our cultural presentation on Monday.  On Monday, we will be teaching the students how to square dance, waltz and to do the hokey pokey. The practice was only a short period of time and soon I was in bed to prepare for the next days events.

July 15, 2006: Today we are going to a traditional Chinese craft and artisan market. At this market you can buy all those wonderful trinkets like fans, chopsticks and jade jewelry to name a few. I have in my mind to buy some presents today for all of my supporters here.  Along the way we stopped and took some pictures of one of the more famous rivers that flow through the city of Tianjin.

 The day was long. I am not the best shopper in the world and we have several women in our group who are master shoppers. I think they could have gone on forever. At the market I bought a handcarved pipe, a fan and a set of chopsticks. Before I leave I think that I will return to this market to finish my gift shopping for all of my friends and family.

 We returned to the hotel ate dinner and watched a movie together. After that I went to bed because tomorrow is Sunday and we have to go to church.

July 16, 2006:  Today we went to Church at the Tianjin International Church.  It is again a church service that is in English and most of the participants are students at the University. You need your passport to get in.  The service was different than I am used to but the message was alright. It was a pleasure to talk to indivicuals from everywhere about the joy we mutually found in Jesus Christ.

 After the service there was an extra treat. There was a vendor selling Western confections; bread, cookies and brownies. I bought a brownie and man oh man was it good. After that I returned home and spent the afternoon preparing for class on Monday and working on other things I need to finish while I am here. I flew halfway around the world and amazingly could not evade paperwork.

Note:  I know I promised to send pictures but sending pictures has proved difficult to do.  Upon my return, I will post all the pictures of my trip.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

Pax,
Ryan A. Drevlow

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