Happy Thanksgiving

Okay, my last computer day until you are all enjoying your turkey dinner. Another Canadian has invited everyone to her place on the 10th for turkey dinner so I guess I'll still score 2 turkey dinners. Enjoy!
Another thing I have been noticing about the kids here. They are kids. There are no miniature teenagers wondering around on the ECE campus. I'll have to check with the year one teachers what it is like over at the primary campus. Although the word campus is common. I think I have been enjoying the fact that children are children without even realizing it.
Just so you know, even though I have done a fair bit of shopping and had a huge electric bill, I didn't even spend half of my salary last month and today is payday.
The next few nights there will be firework displays for the National Chinese Holiday. Apparently we will have an excellent view from our apartment complex. I think Moira is going to have us to her place so we will be on the 19th floor so I'm sure the view will be great. I think that might inspire more excitement for the holiday also. I am more excited about Thanksgiving than the Chinese holiday, I think because I have no experience or background in the holiday so for me it really just means I have a week off work. It will be interesting to see if I have more interest in their holidays as I am here longer. I do know that on Oct. 1, 1949 the Chinese won their freedom (from what I don't know) and Chairman Mao proclaimed this day a holiday. Over the years it has expanded to a week. I understand Chairman Mao helped to win this freedom. This is what my chinese co-teacher tells me. If it is wrong blame her.
Oct. 6 is the mid-autumn festival to celebrate the harvest. Families share moon cakes (yue bing) with each other to celebrate. This week at work these cakes were shared with all the children and the teachers. Some of these cakes are sweet and some are savoury. Actually, Sandra, the savoury ones reminded me of tourtieres. I'm sure Richard and Colette would really enjoy them.
Bye for now, have a great week.

Happy Thanksgiving

Okay, my last computer day until you are all enjoying your turkey dinner. Another Canadian has invited everyone to her place on the 10th for turkey dinner so I guess I'll still score 2 turkey dinners. Enjoy!
Another thing I have been noticing about the kids here. They are kids. There are no miniature teenagers wondering around on the ECE campus. I'll have to check with the year one teachers what it is like over at the primary campus. Although the word campus is common. I think I have been enjoying the fact that children are children without even realizing it.
Just so you know, even though I have done a fair bit of shopping and had a huge electric bill, I didn't even spend half of my salary last month and today is payday.
The next few nights there will be firework displays for the National Chinese Holiday. Apparently we will have an excellent view from our apartment complex. I think Moira is going to have us to her place so we will be on the 19th floor so I'm sure the view will be great. I think that might inspire more excitement for the holiday also. I am more excited about Thanksgiving than the Chinese holiday, I think because I have no experience or background in the holiday so for me it really just means I have a week off work. It will be interesting to see if I have more interest in their holidays as I am here longer. I do know that on Oct. 1, 1949 the Chinese won their freedom (from what I don't know) and Chairman Mao proclaimed this day a holiday. Over the years it has expanded to a week. I understand Chairman Mao helped to win this freedom. This is what my chinese co-teacher tells me. If it is wrong blame her.
Oct. 6 is the mid-autumn festival to celebrate the harvest. Families share moon cakes (yue bing) with each other to celebrate. This week at work these cakes were shared with all the children and the teachers. Some of these cakes are sweet and some are savoury. Actually, Sandra, the savoury ones reminded me of tourtieres. I'm sure Richard and Colette would really enjoy them.
Bye for now, have a great week.

Parent Information Night

Last night we had a parent information night. Parents came to their child's classroom for a presentation by the teachers about their curriculum and the learning areas. We actually had 9 out of 17 families show up. Most classes said they had about half but a few only had 2 show up. I thought not a bad turnout. The parents did have questions about children learning the 3 R's (this is 3 year olds) but I was able to quite nicely talk about the beginning skills children need to acquire to be prepared for later learning. Overall our parents are happy with us and said so. Today the bosses have ordered pizza from Pizza John's for our lunch.
We just had our first biting incident. The one who turned 4 last week just took a big bite of another girl because that girl said she didn't want to play with the one who did the biting. Never mind that it's not play time but Chinese Language Activities time. These kids are picking up Chinese faster than me.
Swimming is going well. There has hardly been anyone in the pool the last few times I've gone. I wonder if there is a surge in Sep and after a few weeks people lose interest. Well, makes it easier for me. I can walk 15 min. on the treadmill. I was quite surprised how much easier it is to walk on a treadmill than on the sidewalk.
My niece is getting married on Sat. so I have been thinking about home a lot for the last week or so especially since I have a week's holiday. If I had enough money I could have flown home for the week. I imagine I would have been pretty exhausted when I came back to work though and I would give up time seeing China. Work really is an obstacle to having the time to see everything I want to see.
I found out this week that the banks will be closed all of next week too. Pay day is Friday but the banks close at 11 a.m. that day. I hope I can buy groceries because I doubt if I will be able to do that until Sat. Hmm! Maybe I better check that out.
I'll try to write again on Fri. and then I won't have computer access until Oct. 9th when you will all be enjoying your turkey. Just in case HAPPY THANKSGIVING

4 more days to go

I'm not bragging or anything but in 4 more days I have a whole week off. Mary Catherine who is from Ottawa and I bought a very expensive turkey the other day. We are going to cook Thanksgiving Dinner for all of our new friends who are excited to learn about a Canadian Thanksgiving. We won't be having it until the 15th, however.
Yesterday, I saw the live performance of The Lion King. It was quite spectacular. The actors playing young Simba and Nala were very good as were the others but it is just different watching young children doing such a great job.
I was asked for more pictures to be posted but I haven't actually taken any. Next week I will take some at Yu Garden and the Pearl Tower as well as wherever we go on a day trip. So when I return to work I can post those. I'll try to write again this week since I won't be able to at all next week. I'll be glad to get a computer at home. Speaking of which I'll take more pictures at home so you can see the furniture and plants I've added.
Okay after saying I have no pictures I found these in My pictures so posted them for you. These are around Yu Garden. The top 2 are actually on the premises where there are hundreds of little tourists shops that bring you to the entrance of the Garden. The bottom one is just outside the premises that seems to be a park. I'll take a couple of pics of the shops and inside the actual gardens next week.

Hi All, My day is over, I'm waiting for the school bus to take me home. I have nothing exciting to report but I thought I should drop you a line. One more week of work and I have a whole week off for the Chinese National Holiday. Guess what we finally got at school today - it's absolutely marvellous. They are these wonderful little things that you call paper towels. Imagine, I can finally dry my hands after I wash them. The children each have their own little washcloths to dry their hands but all this time I've had to use a Kleenex or serviette or shake my hands and wait for them to dry. I've asked a few times but was basically told, "No, we no have." Yesterday paper towel holders were installed and today I dried my hands. They are actually half the size of the ones there but they are thicker.
And guess what else I received at school today. My parcel that I mailed from there on July 21st and apparently arrived at one of our schools here in Shanghai on Sep. 4th. Just yesterday Doug and Mike launched an investigation with Canada Post to find it and this morning it was here. I don't know where it has been for the past 2 1/2 weeks but I'm happy to have it.
I think I'm getting sick again - a cold and sore throat. That is the third since I've been here. It could just be all the new germs my body is encountering but I do wonder about the pollution. I don't know if I mentioned to you about the black dust that accumulates on my balcony. I actually sweep, dry mop and wet mop it regularly to try to keep it clean. I now have a patio table and chairs on my balcony and do enjoy eating my breakfast there each day. But I do have to dust the table and chairs before I use it.
Well that's my exciting news for this week. My Chinese lessons are going very slowly. Zhychian! Goodbye

week of sep 18 - 22

Okay, my principles are back. Get rid of the uniforms. I'm finding I dislike the sameness in the kids. Their character comes out in their clothes. Also some children don't have uniforms (not that they seem to notice) because not enough were ordered. They wet themselves, children get water spilled on them when they are watercolouring, smocks don't always keep you try at the water table. You know how it goes. Spare clothes are not uniforms so let's just get rid of them. I want to see individuals.
My Italian dinner was a big hit. The food turned out great, (Emma offered to buy sauce from me every week - I said, "I'm not making sauce every week") the company was fun and I didn't have to wash the dishes. Although I did have to tell Ray she was rude because she wouldn't wash the pots and pans ( she doesn't do pots and pans she said.) Soo Hui stepped in and finished the job. Ray is from Namibia, a country in south west Africa. There is going to be a documentary about it on TV here (on the english channel). I had never heard of it before meeting Ray and now they are on TV.
It's going to be a busy week at work. Next Tuesday, we have a Parent Teacher Night. This morning I had an e-mail about what we should have ready for it and it needs to be ready on Wed. (This is Mon.) for the co-ordinator to read before we make copies. There's no way all of this can be done in 2 days so I'm not sure how it will go.
I went to the fabric market again this past Sat. to have more clothes made. The novelty of this has worn off also. It's much simpler to walk into a store and buy something off the rack. They just don't have my size here. Quite a few people have that problem - the clothes in the stores are very small. I am having navy silk pants made with a navy silk brocade chinese style top to match. I hope I like it when I actually try it on. That's another problem when you are having clothes made. You can't try it on first. I am also getting a beautiful yellow tablecloth made. I'm sure I will love that.

The Incredible Chinese Acrobats

Last night we went to the theatre and saw these acrobats and they really are incredible. I've never particularly cared for acrobatic shows that you see on TV but like any live performance it is spectacular in real life. It's a wonder some of these people don't break their necks with the actions they do. Some of it is like watching a skating routine ( one set was actually done on roller skates) and some are dance routines done romantically. Others were comedic and fast paced. Five guys on motorcycles were driving around inside a big globe. They could easily have killed themselves with a missed cue. The girls on roller skates had one set where one girl held onto another girls neck with her foot or rollerskate actually and the girl with her feet on the floor spun the two of them around. These people must have tremendous muscles.
Next Sunday we are going to see a live performance of The Lion King. Imagine, I have to come all the way to China to see a broadway show. I have yet to see anything in Toronto.
Well we have lice in our classroom - 2 cases. But at least we have ayi to do all the laundry.
This Sunday, I'm having a group of friends over for an Italian supper. I'm making spaghetti and meatballs, salad, garlic bread and appetizers - cheese, salami and olives. I hope it doesn't burn or anything. And, oh yes, we are having australian wine. That's what the supermarket had.

Ni Hao

That's chinese for hello or literally - you see. There should be some tonal marks on ni hao but I don't know how to type them. Last night I started chinese lessons. The vocabulary was easy enough most of the words I have already heard and even used. We did however spend a lot of time on pronounciation of letters and the tones and that's the hard part. Mon. and Thurs. nights I'll be working away along with Emma who is from Australia and arrived when I did. Melissa who is also from Australia but been here for a year will be joining us.
When I'm typing this I can never remember what I have already told you so sorry if I repeat myself. I joined the gym in my apartment complex and so far have gone swimming every day after work. I have also started using the treadmill. You'd think I'd be losing weight here between the sweating, walking everywhere, going up and down steps all day and swimming but no not an ounce.
My brother John tried to comment to me on the blog but was not able to even though he registered or tried to. Has anyone else had problems? If so e-mail me at cathybarrie@yahoo.ca
Work is going well. We are starting portfolios on the children and tomorrow we will have an in-service about them since it is a new concept to most of the teachers. I think the aforementioned Melissa and I are the only real ECE's. Everyone else has a teaching degree and some of them I wonder if they are just here because they couldn't get a job back home. I know one woman from England who has actually been here for a number of years teaching in a variety of international schools has had problems in her previous jobs and this is the first time she has taught younger than grade one. I believe last year she taught grade 6. She does not get emergent curriculum. Speaking of work it's time for me to get started. Zhijian. Goodbye

Another Difference

Just today, I realized I haven't been hearing people swearing much. The little I have heard is from the Western teachers who have just arrived. I ask Diana if people on the street especially young people, swear. She said no. People do not swear much and if her 12 year old comes home with a swear word he'll get a smack. It has actually been quite nice now that I realize.
The weather is cooler now. On TV they actually said it has become fall because of the temperatures. And yes, I am not sweating to death anymore but it is still summer weather as far as I am concerned - mid to high 20's.
I joined the gym where I live. I am tired of waiting for them to draw names for those 6 memberships here at work. They said they would do it this week but it is not done. I also realized that all of our parents are members there. That could be a problem. Also, my only real choice would be to go swimming now as soon as work is done, which would be fine but then I have to take a cab home. So I would pay anyways. I started swimming again 2 days ago and it felt great. I'm not sure if I mentioned they bus us back and forth to work.
Tomorrow I'm going shopping with a friend of my brother, Paul. She's taking me for cheap shopping and we are going for a massage. It should be a fun day being with someone different than work friends. She has lived with her husband and children in Shanghai for quite a few years and is from Australia.
Well, I don't seem to have anything else to say. It has been an ordinary week.

work in china

It's Thurs. already. The work week is going very fast. I have been talking about the similarities at work. Children are the same everywhere. I have children from France, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, US, Singapore, China, South Africa but when they are playing it is no different than all the children I have ever worked with in Canada or the little bit of play I have seen in Italy. The majority of these children speak English and/or Chinese. Only 1 boy only speaks French but he stills play along with the others. There are teachers from Scotland, Indonesia, Australia and Canada that I know of that are familiar with Jolly Phonics.
Differences: The ratios: although we are using a ration of 1 - 10 for 3 & 4 yr olds the foundation actually has a policy of 1 - 11 for 3's and 1 - 12 for 4's. It doesn't matter how much space you have officially but here at Season's Villas (the name of the campus I am working on) because we have less space we don't maximize the ratios. Academics have always been the driving force but fortunately for me that has changed this year. An ECE philosophy has come into play. But it is very difficult for other teachers most of whom have a teaching degree and no ECE background and don't know what to do. There is also a big concern about complaints that will come from parents that we are not "teaching" anything. I have no such concerns or complaints so far. However, I am doing daily documentation about what we learn from our play and what play is happening each day. My parents concerns are how their child is fitting in, are they getting along especially from the ones whose children cry in the morning.
Most of the mothers are at home all day. They are sending their children to school not day care. Day Care or child care or early learning care are just not terms that are used at all. The children are in school from 8 a.m. until 3:20 p.m. Something I'm not use to everyone coming and leaving at the same time. It is very confusing for about 10 minutes because of course some children start to cry when they see their mothers, everyone crowds into a small space, kids want to talk to their moms, moms want to talk to the teachers and I want people to look around the room and see the work and documentation.

Oh yes, one other difference each playroom (and their are 8 on this campus) has an ayi (pronounced ie). This wonderful woman does all the cleaning - paint brushes, containers, playdough mess, laundry, sweep, wash floors, clean bathrooms. Toys don't seem to get disinfected although they do use dettol as they clean. Toys might get disinfected in the 1 & 2 yr old rooms. However ayi who only speaks Chinese is not happy with everything being played with in the afternoon and I am insisting that yes we will paint and we will use playdough in the afternoon.

Pics from Xitang

I forgot to mention that Xitang is where parts of Mission Impossible 3 was filmed. That's Mary Catherine "with Tom". She's from Ottawa.

Xitang, water town, Venice of the East

Apparently a number of these water towns are called the Venice of the East. There is a canal through the town with boats travelling along them. We went in the boat to a temple that honours a man who gave the locals grain so they wouldn't starve to death. The emperor of the area put him to death for that. So the people honour him every year on his birthday still today. It was very interesting being in this little town. We felt like we were finally in China and eating real chinese food which was quite good. There were little shops filled with all kinds of interesting merchandise. I bought 2 pictures that are created when the artist carves the scene in a block of wood and then prints on to paper. The artist was there, an old man, and he signs the back of the frame for you when you buy something. These were only $3. each. I bought an embroidered picture of yellow and blue flowers. The matting on this picture is also yellow. It looks quite lovely on my wall. I also bought a table cloth - brown and white for everyday use. We also went into some museums and gardens here. The Drunk Garden and the West Garden, the button museum and the root carving museum were the highlights. They were all very small and interesting although we were all anxious to just shop. This town is not very touristy as apparently some of the other water towns are so it is quite cheap to shop in still. I forgot my camera but 2 of the others were taking pictures. I just tried to post them but they wouldn't upload. Not sure why. On the way home from Xitang we stopped at a silk factory which is really only a model of a factory where they show you how the silk is produced from the larvae and threads are combined. It really is just another place to shop and shop I did. I bought a silk quilt (that is the inside which is layers and layers of silk) a cover and pillow cases. It cost about $270. altogether. We saw a fashion show and then were showed into the area where you can buy the clothes all silk of course. None of us bought anything there. It was a great day and we all felt like we have finally seen the real China.