Adventures in Guangzhou!

I took a page out of Hessler's teaching (from "River Town") and started off class by having my students discuss the merits and disadvantages of the United States space program. Specifically I asked, "Should the U.S. continue to spend billions of dollars on NASA?" While I could probably have gotten away with having them debate China's space program, I wanted them to make the connection and evaluate China on their own.

I got some very interesting (and somewhat disturbing) responses from my leading question. More than a few students responded yes, that America should continue its space program in order to assert itself as a world power. Others said that it was the best way for the military to control the world. Only a minority of the yeses cited technological innovation or scientific exploration as a reason for going up into space. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised with how many students noted immediately that it was incredibly expensive to send a ship up and that the money could potentially be used in other, more beneficial ways.

After this opening debate I introduced the concept of the talk show and split every class up into groups of five or six students with the task of creating their own 5-10 minute talk show to be performed next week. I gave them several suggestions for topics but offered complete freedom to choose whatever they wanted, as long as I gave my approval. The range of topics has been both wide and hugely entertaining. I have one group debating whether Hermione should get together with Ron or Harry Potter. Another is discussing the efficacy and necessity of their school uniforms. There is one group talking about the benefits and drawbacks of the Cultural Revolution.

One of the funniest moments of my teaching career came when one group proposed to me the idea of having a debate about who was more attractive- Steven or me. Naturally I was hesitant to give the okay on a subject like this so I pressed them for more information--how could they present logical arguments and reasons defending each side? After attempting to explain, one of the guys in the class offered the following bit of erudition:
The boys don't really care but the girls talk about it all the time. You see women are born to judge men, don't you agree?
I almost fell over laughing so hard.

Beyond teaching, we had another soccer match yesterday. I have a bit of a cold but of course I wouldn't miss the game. It was a hard-fought contest but we lost 3-2 to a group of future-teachers from the neighboring university. I hate losing. A lot. I was extremely disappointed, especially since I just missed a diving header that would have tied the game. A few weeks ago I was under the impression that our season was done but apparently I was wrong. I get the feeling that we will continue to have games all year since the weather never really gets too cold for some football. Basketball, on the other hand, seems to be tailing off and we have only been playing pick-up games now twice a week.

This weekend is Halloween and I find myself wondering, where has the time gone? If it's the end of October it means I've been here for over two months already. Wow. In some ways I still feel like I just got here and still have SO much to learn, do, and see. Another part of me feels like it's been years since I was in Boston and that I have managed to learn quite a bit since my arrival. My language study has gotten increasingly difficult lately as I have been trying to cram far too much information into my head. Not only do I still have to think about correct pinyin pronunciation, but I also have to remember the tone, the definition, and now the stroke order for the character. It's quite a task. Still, it's coming along and that is promising.

Steven and I watched "Dances with Wolves" the other day and I saw some amusing parallels to my experience here. The Sioux saw Costener as looking, acting, and speaking in a bizarre way. He was the one white guy in a land that was largely devoid of any others. Yet he gradually began to learn the language, dress the part, and even act as they did. The transition is slow but noticeable nonetheless. I think if someone were filming a documentary of my life they could also see a lot of the same advances and pitfalls. I find myself wondering, will people from home see a noticeable difference in me when we meet again?