The Culture and Language of China
Chinese Language & Cultural Immersion Experience

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Reflections on traveling to China
China is the nineth country I have visited, and I do count Canada having been to the French speaking province of Québec. I have to begin by encouraging everyone to travel to the countries of the world if they ever get the opportunity, and to try to learn the languages of those countries. Seeing how other people live, and learning about their history, and their culture is one of the most inspiring experiences you can have, as well a great education in itself. This is the first time I have traveled in a country without knowing much of the language, yet trying to learn some Chinese so that I could communicate with the people was a welcome challenge on my part. I felt a little disapointed to enter the airport to return home, and suddenly have everyone address me in English.
Traveling to foreign countries is really all about people. I was amazed at how much contact we actually made with Chinese people without speaking their language well. People would come up to us and want pictures with us. A girl in the hotel said hello, and when we dicovered we couldn't have much of a conversation, we gave each other language lessons. Some women in the park at the Temple of Heaven invited Mary and I to dance and sing with them. One of the most awe-inspiring experiences we had was visiting a school and dicussing ideas, and comparing educational systems, with the help of the English speaking teachers on the staff. Not to mention how moving the presentation the children gave us was.
During one incredible week, I discovered a nation that is so rapidly developing that a Chinese man on the plane who now lives in Canada described as being frightening. It is also a nation with an incredibly rich culture, and history, and full of people that like you and me, love their family, cherish their friends, go to work, and school during the day, and find opportunities to enjoy the good things in life.
Here is one final thought. What an amazing world we now live in. In less than a day, I was on the opposite side of the world, seeing a country I never thought that in my lifetime I would visit. While there, I called and e-mailed home, and many of you watched the trip via this web-site. What an example of the global world in which we now exist.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Thank you for such a unique opportunity.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate in the Chinese language and cultural immersion program. I am honored to be able to work with such a wonderful team of professionals and to have had the opportunity to experience the culture first hand. It was a privilege to walk the streets of Beijing and Shanghai as well as to visit China’s historic places of astonishing scenic beauty. I cannot put into words the feeling of being able to stand before the Forbidden City, one of the largest and best-preserved ancient architectural complexes in the world. It was grand to climb the steps of the Great Wall and to perceive its greatness and its peaceful but powerful beauty. I have to say that of all the places that we visited, my favorite place is the Temple of Heaven, it is a magical place in regards to its structure and its architecture, but it also has a breathtaking atmosphere. In the Temple of Heaven I felt as if time was endless and free of worries. I enjoyed listening to the locals sing and play traditional instruments, seeing the people having a good time dancing, singing, playing board games, put me in tranquil frame of mind. I enjoyed learning about their traditions, in particular the art involved in serving tea. I feel I have acquired some vocabulary and somehow become more at ease when dealing with the language.

Thank you for such a unique opportunity.

Brenda López Guízar

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

What can I say - Thank You
It has been 27 years since I last traveled outside of the United States. No you can't count Canada. As a child I lived in a lot of different countries and experienced cultures that shaped who I am and what I believe. It is difficult for those of us who grew up in the United States to appreciate what we have, the opportunities that are given to us and the freedoms that we don’t always hold dear. When you have the opportunity to visit a country that is not as wealthy as the US, a country in which it is a privilege to go to school and have a job, not a right, a country in which the family must work together and live together in order to survive, you then begin to see and appreciate what you have.

China has a lot of history that shapes its culture and beliefs. At many of the historic sites that we visited we encountered Chinese tourist. Learning about their history allowed me to understand that China is a country of many different people and cultures that have been grouped together as on nation. China contains 11 Ethnolinguistic groups and has 5 major dialects of the Chinese language. The accepted / most widely spoken of the languages is Mandarin. Our guide Vivian stated that many of the city people have a difficult time understanding travelers from remote providences because the word usage and or inflection of the language are so different to Mandarin.

As I visited these sites I tried to imagine what life would have been like during the period of time the Great Wall was constructed, what beliefs were in place that prompted human sacrifice at the Temple of Heaven, how much was taken from the people to build and to isolate the Emperor at the Forbidden City, and what prompted the different dynasties to build such grand structures. It must have taken years and tens of thousands of people to build the manmade lake at the Summer Palace and the thousands of man hours needed to paint the Long Corridor a structure that is ¾ of a mile in length.

I will always treasure this experience, what I learned about the culture and the friendships that I made with teachers and administrators that traveled with me. I thank the Chinese government for the opportunity to visit the June 1 School. The teachers there are dedicated and excited to share their knowledge with us and learn from us as we shared teaching ideas. I would like to thank all of the teachers that joined us on this trip for your professionalism, your enthusiasm, your friendship and your pictures.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Home
I wanted to express my sincere gratitude for the amazing opportunity that I received with the Chinese language and cultural immersion program. This has been a fantastic enriching experience. I was overwhelmed in the beginning with the amount of information, not to mention the amount of information that I was interested in investigating further. As I look back on my experience, still a little jet-lagged, I know that this has changed me for the better. I never expected to acquire the language skills that I did in the short amount of time abroad. I must say that it helped taking advantage of not being able to sleep on the plane and sitting next to people that were willing to answer my hundreds of questions! I would have to say that while it was fascinating visiting the historical sites and viewing the breathtaking architecture, the most remarkable part of the experience was meeting the people and visiting the schools. We were presented with tangible gifts of flowers, calligraphy and masks, but what I will remember far longer will be the intangible items; the feelings of respect, curiosity, and their eagerness to share. Not only were we able to observe the teachers, but they valued our criticism and suggestions.There is so much that we can learn from them and they from us. We have the common ground of our love for teaching and our students and we have the benefit of our different cultural view points. Being the youngest in the group had its advantages. Everyone around me was a mentor and was so willing to share their ideas on anything that I wanted to discuss. I have made lifelong connections and I hope to be able to use all that I have learned in further research. I am absolutely in love with the language and culture. I may have otherwise never have had the opportunity to appreciate if it were not for this experience. This has been one of the most valuable things I have ever done, both personally and professionally. THANK YOU.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Gracias Mil !!!
Yes, I know wrong language. I wanted to tell everyone that I also had the experience of a lifetime. I spent most of my class time yesterday sharing with my students and they were really interested in stories and pictures. I feel priviledged to have had the chance to participate in this adventure.

Thank you to all who participated. I look forward to our next step in sharing with the students who have been selected to participate as well.

Maria Sramek

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Xiexie
Thank you Summit County for what was the experience of a lifetime! My students are thoroughly enjoying hearing about all of my adventures and seeing some of the more than 700 pictures that I took. My Chinese-American students also tell me that my language skills are coming along nicely although I still have a long way to go; I think maybe I need to go back for some more practice! When is the next trip? :)

Sincerely,

Brian Carbaugh

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

We're back from Shanghai
We traveled to and from Shanghai by overnight train. I like seeing a country from the train, because you see how the rest of the country is different from the city. From the window I saw fams, small towns, and many highrise appartments. There is alot more poverty in the country than in the cities. Everywhere there is construction. China is a growing nation, and there is much talk about the one baby policy, as the population continues to grow, because older people now have a longer life expectency. A couple is fined for having a second child, and the second child will have no right to services provided by the state such as an education.
Shanghai is a modern and beautiful city. I most enjoyed our boatride on the lake at night with the city lit up. The Yu Yuan gardens were also incredibly beautiful.
One day for lunch, we had Mongolian Hot Pot. A large pot was placed in the middle of the table, and in it they boiled all kinds of things from dumplings, to meat, to fish balls, to vegetables. I have also visited a couple of grocery stores while I have been here. There are so many foods in there that I can not recognize! Our last stop yesterday was the Buddist temple. There were people bowing down in prayer, and lighting sticks and standing and bowing believing that the somke from the lighted sticks would drift to heaven and bring happiness. We also saw Buddist Monks participating in a religious ceremony. Today is our last day in Beijing. We head home tomorrow, and we will soon be back with many stories to tell.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Back in Beijing
Hello everyone!
I am sure you read about the "high stakes" card game we were playing last night, but we are back in Beijing. We are left to explore on our own today. Many of us have decided to re-visit the Temple of Heaven park. It was just pure beauty and so culturaly rich, unlike any park I have ever visited I want to see it again. I had wanted to study the "Childrens Palace" today but it is only open on the week ends. It is amazing how just one moment can change so many following events and this has happend so often on this trip. I am so fortunate to be able to communicate to so many people, I have met many people that I feel will be useful contacts to have in the future, including a very interesting woman from the Ivory Coast in Shang Hai for the African Convention. I overheard her speaking French and I was able to find out about her and her country in just the brief time we were able to spend together. I was surprised how many French speakers I met here in China. I even had the pleasure of using German several times! My Chinese is coming along and I have already made plans to continue my study of the language. The Chinese history is so rich, there are so many avenues that I am interested in exploring, I will remain very busy for quite some time. I am so inspired. I continue to see how far we have come in the US and some areas where we still have ways to go. We are the same and yet different. Thank You to all of you who have helped me get this far and I appreciate all of you that have helped me make this possible. This is fantastic!

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Enjoying the Culture
We spent a lot of time along the river walk, the Pudong market, and Peoples Park. What I enjoyed is watching the local people. In the morning we spent some time along the river walk looking at old Shanghai and accfross the river new Shanghai. We went to Yu Garden for lunch and spent about 30 minutes looking at the shops. Prices were set for the tourist market, expensive. Bill and I decided to spend time with the locals. We left the shopping are to explore Peoples Park. A lot of the locals spend time sitting under the trees and Bamboo resting, playing cards, and chinese checkers. As we sat enjoying the shade many of the locals looked our way as we were the oddity in the park but they just went on with their activities.
I noticed that a yonger group of kids were trying to take our picture without being seen. They finally came over to ask if they could take our picture, bill and I posed with the two young ladies while their boyfrined took the picture. We had a very nice time in the park.
As we went back to the Yu Garden area we found an alley that we wanted to explore. I am glad that we did. We saw the true living conditions and Culture of the people. Laundry hanging, people playing dominos and vendors selling to the locals.
When we got back into the Yu Garden shopping area we were approched by severval young people wanting to practice there english. Many of them spoke english very well. After joining our group we drove to the river walk to take a night tour boat ride of the river. The whole city was magnaficient. All of the lights on the buildings, and light displays on the river were great to see.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Loved the Architecture
Shanghai has to be one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Speaking with the tour guide we found out the over 17 million people live in Shanghai. When we arrived a new estimate of over 22 million people live in the city. Ohio has an estimated population of 12 million. WOW. I was really amazed with the amount of construction that is going on around the city. Every where we look we see a consturction project going on.
On Tuesday we went to new Shanghai and visited the Pearl TV Tower. What a fantastic site, the tower is 432 meters tall, about 1300 feet. Our guide told us that 15 years ago the land that new Shanghai is on was all farm land. We went up to the observation pearl 342 Meters up. We could see the entire city. From that heigth I was able to see all of the new construction sites, I counted over 15 high rise projects in progress an anoter 7 smaller building projects. From the tower I was also able to see the construction project of what will be the largest building in the world.
The city is so crowded that there highways have multiple layers. Old Shanghai is connected with new Shanghai by a tunnel. There are so many cars that even I would be afraid to drive here. I think that it is even worse that Italy. It is amazing to see the drivers, bikes, and pedestrains get around. Traffic lights and laws are widely ignored. I would love to see this city again in 5 years.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

The End of the Journey - My Final Entry
Hello all...Well, this is my final post. What an incredible time it has been! Yesterday, our visit to the Pudong area (new) of Shanghai was unreal...Went up to the observation area of the Oriental Pearl Tower (tallest building in Asia and second tallest in the world) and took in the view. We also toured the Shanghai Museum which is located at the base level of the tower...A phenomenal museum. After lunch (at a Mongolian Hot Pot Restaurant...Chinese "fondue), we went back into the Bund (older Shanghai) and walked the streets just taking in all the activity.

Our final stop was at a Buddhist Temple...Very interesting! Observed a large number of Buddhist monks praying and chanting, strong incense throughout...Also saw other folks praying, offering incense to various "deities."

Our train ride back to Beijing last night was just as wonderful as the previous one. Dave Jones, Linda, Veronica (Revere), and I played cards, while Dan (Linda's husband) entertained us. We all laughed until we cried!

Hopefully, our flight home will be uneventful (unlike Missi and Cathy's, huh?).

All my best,
Bill

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Back from Shanghai
Hello all: We had a great experience in Shanghai. Some highlights were the Yu Yuan garden of one of the emperors - acres of beautiful tea houses, rock garden, ponds and goldfish. Very serene and lovely spaces to sit and talk. Surrounding it was one of the more active shopping districts - we couldn't take any more! The Buddhist temple was in full pray mode as we arrived (just in the nick of time). Chanting, drumming, bells, marching, burning insense, and lots of Buddhist art were in full play. A really lovely place, though of course since we were there, the tourists were allowed in to watch and photograph - felt a little weird. The full bore Mongolian boil fest dinner was awesome. A sad goodbye to the incomperable Sean Cai and his son Dylan (Sean is an Akron tennis champ - who knew??)

See you all soon.
Madame

Monday, May 14, 2007

Greetings from Shanghai
Hello everyone, we are still in Shanghai for one more day before we take the train back to Beijing. The city is so modern and growing so fast that you almost feel you are back home. The construction going on is incredible. So much to see and share with all of you.

Take care and see you soon.

Sra. Sramek

Monday, May 14, 2007

Shanghai
Saludos desde Shangai:

Hello everyone! Just a quick message to let you know that we are doing well and learning a lot here in Shanghai. What a city! According to the govt., there are 18 million people here but the bus driver said it is really more like 22 million. That has got to make it one of, if not the biggest, city in the world in terms of population. Everywhere you look there are construction cranes putting up new buildings to compensate for the exploding population and upcoming Olympic games next summer. Although most of the games are going to be in Beijing, some will also be in Shanghai and I guess they are anticipating record visitation numbers here next year. And I thought that it was already crowded.... I can't even imagine it in 12 months!

Today we are off to a Buddhist temple to learn about their lifelong commitment to self-education, silent meditation and internal peace. Hopefully, I'll be able to take what I learn and implement it on my classes (jk, chiquillos :)). Ok, I have to run but I look forward to seeing you all.

Chao,

Sr. Carbaugh

PD-Tonight we return to Beijing on what I have been calling the Midnight Express. It's very fast, modern and clean but I can't help but think of Murder on the Orient Express when I'm on it....

Monday, May 14, 2007

All about Shanghai
Spent yesterday checking out Shanghai...Fascinating place! "Old Shanghai" and the new part of the city are separated by the Huangpu river. The old portion features a lot of Western-influenced architecture and the new is obviously state of the art. We strolled along the river promenade on the Bund (old) side and took in the incredible landscapes! We also ventured into the Yu Garden area of the Bund. This area was just jammed packed with shops, vendors, restaurants (including Starbucks, Dairy Queen, McDonald's, etc.). Every few minutes, someone would try to sell you something! We ate lunch in a this area as well...No - Not at any of the above named establishments! Evening featured the night cruise on the Huangpu river...I have never seen anything like it (especially on the new side of the river)! It is hard to imagine that just 15 years a go, where the new spectacular city now stands was farm fields!

Today we visit the Pearl Tower in the new part of the city, as well as a Buddhist temple...Tonight it is back on the train for the return trek to Beijing...And the day after, we head for home!

Hope you are enjoying our posts...

Bill

Monday, May 14, 2007

Shang Hai
Last night we took the all night train from Beijing to Shang Hai. It was a lot better than I expected, especially considering the last train experience from Paris to Barcelona! The energy in this city is explosive! There is so much western influence here, and the "art . . . " There must be many "English speaking artists eager to show their work". I spent most of the day soaking in the daily culture. I was so exhausted from the high pressure shopping . . . Lady, you buy? I learned a lot and I was able to relax in the bamboo garden. The night cruise was also very relaxing.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Shanghai
Hello everyone! Great train ride to Shanghai last night. Took off at 7:30 and arrived at 7:00 this morning. It felt like we were on the Orient Express! For me, it was my best night of sleep...10:30 to 5:00 without stirring...Dan Fuline said he thought I was dead! Our hotel here is very nice, and the shower this morning felt wonderful. Today we see the city (population of over 18 million)...Touring the Pearl TV Tower today. It is the tallest building in Asia. Tonight, we take a cruise...Shanghai by night should be incredible!

Hope all is well back home...Needless to say, we are having the time of our lives!

Bill

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Leaving Beijing
Hello everyone, we are leaving Beijing tonight on the train to Shanghai. It will be another exciting experience that will take us to another part of China.

Hope everyone is doing well. I miss you and can't wait to share wonderful stories.

Take care.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Happy Mothers' Day
Happy Mothers' Day from China!!! We are having an incredible cultural experience! We have had the opportunity to meet many interesting people and to enjoy the historical sites. The most personally rewarding time was our visit to the June 1 Middle School. We were treated like dignitaries. The children were so very respectful and shared their many talents with us. We visited classrooms and also had an opportunity to share educational ideas with their teaching and administrative staff. It was truly a humbling and rewarding experience!

Amy, I hope you are having a Happy Mothers's Day! Mine will be spent traveling on a train to Shanghi!. Marissa, Rylie, Gia and Anthony: We miss you and wish you were here.

Talk with you all again soon!

Linda

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Peking Duck!!
Well, after having met some wonderful school children in both high school and kindergarten, we were ready for an evening eating Peking duck and shopping at a "Silk Mall" in the city. To those of you who love Chinese food (my husband at the top of the bunch) you cannot imagine how good the Peiking duck specialty is here. Even the sceptics were totally won over. The name of the restaurant is in chinese characters, but we have it on film for future reference. One of our guides, Sean Cai, said it's the best in Beijing if not in China. Oh my gosh!!! Shopping is quite the experience as you have already learned. The problem is you can't just look. The sales people grab you by the arm and won't let you leave!! We were emotionally exhausted after negotiating a few insignificant sales. Wow. What a place.
We might post about Shanghai in 2 days.

Madame

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Sunday Morning
Hello everyone. Sunday morning has arrived and is it very warm already. Our visit to the Temple of Heaven yesterday was wonderful. The temple is part of a large beautiful park...The people here, especially the older retirees, gather and just have fun playng music, games, etc. The Temple itself is a magnificant structure! Among other things, I was taken with a building which served as the "waiting room" during dynastic history. On display were black and white photos of famous Chinese leaders and visitors at the time China was pretty much closed to the West...Mao and his party leaders...Ho Chi Minh (sp?) of North Viet Nam, President Nixon, etc.

We had a Peking duck banquet last night at a very nice restaurant. We needed it after warding off aggressive salespersons in a large five floor "mall." This place had everything from sports stuff to jewelry to clothing, etc. The pressure to buy was constant. They would grab your arm and/or follow you half way down the isle...What an experience!

The Kung-Fu show last night was wonderful...drama, martial arts, beautiful music, etc.

We depart by train for Shanghai tonight (at 7:30)...That should be an adventure!...Nine hours on the train. I have a feeling that actually sleeping could present a challenge! We will spend the next night ina hotel there and then the following day board the train again for the return trip to Beijing.

I hope everyone reading this blog is doing well and missing us as much as we miss you.

Bill

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Saturday May 12
Saturday we visited the Temple of Heaven Park. The park was originaly the location for sacrafices. The park in now a location for the local people to come a relax, practice their music, Ti Chi, play Chinese checkers and other cultural activities. After lunch we spent some time in the Silk market. This was an experiance, 5 floors of independent vendors selling their good. The problem was that every vendor is fighting for you purchase. Just walking the isles you are proded, asked to purchase and guaranteed that only they can give you the lowest price. I purchased a kamono while I was in the market. The price was 1100 Y to begin with ($145), after much barganing I pruchased it for 300 Y ($39). Yes Makenzie I found you a silk embrordered kamono, it's red. After shopping we had dinner and say a Kung Fu show.
For dinner we had a Peking Duck banquet, see our pictures, and it was great. they made a show of carving the duck and showed haw to prepair the duck for eating. The Kung Fu show is not what you would expect. It was a play that was based on a warrior's life. from childhood to adult hood. Yes it did have fighting to show battles but it also had dancing, as the art of Kung Fu is a flowing motion. We had a great time.
Today, Sunday we will take a 9 hour train ride from Beijing to Shanghai, where we will visit Peoples park, the Pearl TV Tower and take a night dinner cruse along the river.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Hola Brunswick,
This days in China have been amazing. We have visited magical places. I will tell you all about it as soon as I get back. I have learned a great deal about the culture and their traditions. My limited vocabulary has been helpful in trying to communicate with the locals. Upon my return, I will share with you my experiences and some useful vocabulary that may come handy for those of you participating in the summer program.

I would like to tell you more, but unfortunately, I am running out of time.

Miss you all.

Lopez Guizar

Friday, May 11, 2007

China experience continues
Traveling here as is all my experiences abroad, one of the best things I have ever done. The food ressembles the Chinese food at home, but is some what different. We are served numerous courses on a lazy Susan in the middle of the table. There is always rice and soup. The soup is usually a rice or egg drop soup. Brekfast is about the same food we eat any other time of the day.
Yesterday we went to a Chinese school. The kids did a performance for us, and I saw an English class, then had lunch there and had a discussion with the staff. They gave us all school yearbooks which I will show you sometime. In the afernoon we took a rick shaw ride to a kindergarden. The children live there all week and the parents pick them up and take them home on the weekends.
Beijing is quite a large and modern city. You see well off people and some very poor in some sections. People go everywhere on bicycles.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Finally!
WOW! I can't believe that I am actually writing! (We have had so many technical problems). Hello to everyone! Yes, we made it safely. There aren't even words to describe this experience! It has been a very emotional learning experience. I think that as awesome as it was to make it all the way to the 8th tower on the Great Wall, yesterday was the most fullfilling day so far. I have to add how greatful I am, with my limited Chinese, that I speak other languages! Who would have thought I would be able to communicate with a Chinese man in German, or people traveling from Reunion in French and even others in Spanish! When we walked in to the school and the welcome that we received from the students and teachers was heartwarming. We were able to share ideas about education with the Chinese faculty with the help of a translator. It was very interesting comparing our two systems. I really enjoyed meeting the students. I had tears in my eyes almost all evening in the Hutong area and especially at the kindergarten. The students there, ages 3-5, live at the school the entire week and only go home on the weekends. I know it is a different way of life, but I thought of how hard it must be to leave their children and It made me miss my family. Also, to compare the living conditions . . . really emphasizes how well we have it in the US. I have soooooo much more to say, Thank goodness I am keeping a journal, (who knows when I will be able to write again), This has definitely been a once in a lifetime experience. I will come home enriched, inspired, and so thankful. I have enough stories to keep you very busy and we have had many opportunities to take photos. The technology we have is impressive, but not being able to share it has been hard. Take care! More soon!

Friday, May 11, 2007

Hello to all
Hi everyone, I hope you are enjoying the pictures. As you can see the adventures just gets better each day. We are so excited to have had this opportunity to get close to the chinese culture. Our time at the schools has been an extraordinary learning experience. The teachers were anxious to hear all about our teaching methods and our schools. And the students were very friendly and eager to show us their singing, painting, and music skills through a presentation they had for us.

What can I say? Yani, this has been the experience of a lifetime!

Friday, May 11, 2007

Ni hao!!
Hello all. Having a great time eating Chinese food and shopping. But our trip to the June Middle school was totally lovely. I hope they'll show photos of the darling kids. Got flowers, a banner and other goodies to bring home and watched the English teacher do her class - very nice!

You'll be glad to know I was able to climb to the "4th" tower on the Great wall - straight up huge steps. Couldn't get farther but am very proud anyway.

Hope classes are going fun. Study and be good!!

Friday, May 11, 2007

Saturday, May 12
Greetings everyone. Today should be another great day! Sunny and windy here...The weather has been warm throughout our stay. Today, we visit a silk factory and the Temple of Heaven, where we will have dinner. Tonight, it is the Kung-Fu show. We will take a train through the night Sunday to Shanghai...Will stay for a day and then it is back to Beijing. We are fortunate to have this little internet cafe down the road from our hotel because our connections at the hotel are spotty at best...And forget the phones...In some ways, I feel like we are back in the 50's when the Bamboo Curtain hid China from the rest of the world.

I miss my family and friends; however, this experience is one of the most awesome of my life. I am blessed to have such an opportunity.

Bill

Friday, May 11, 2007

Guau!
Queridos aficionados nuestros:

Guau! What an experience this has been thus far. Each day seems to top the previous as we travel from the Forbidden Palace to the Great Wall to several local schools where we got a chance to practice both our Chinese and English with some very eager Chinese students. Can't wait to tell you all about it in person.

Un abrazo desde la distancia,

Sr. Carbaugh y Sra. Sramek

Friday, May 11, 2007

China Reflections
It has been an exciting three days. Beijing is a combination of the very old and the very new. Traffic is outrageous – worse than New York City – Much Worse. Bumper to Bumper throughout the city. There is a lot of pollution and we see a lot of people smoking. All in all the people are very nice.

First Day reflections; visited the summer palace, built by the Qing Dynasty.Present layout completed in the 17 hundreds, used most by Empress Dowager Cixi. Also visited a pearl factory on the way to the Forbidden City, (an absolutely incredible structure of mammoth proportions), Completed in the fourteen hundreds. Also visited Tian’anmen Square, site of the 1989 student demonstrations. The presence Mao everywhere.

Day two reflections; visited jade factory and watched jade being polished. Went to the Great Wall it was a unbelievable site to visit. Our party of eleven started the trek four made it to the top, (one hour total trek five thousand steps), the Great Wall was built around 221 to 210 BC. Also Visited the Ming Tomb, it was built in the 1300 and resembled a mini Forbidden City.

Day three reflections; A very inspiring and emotional day. Visited June One Middle School and it was very impressive. The students welcomed us with a standing ovation, performed for us, waved American and Chinese flags and presented us with gifts. We had time to meet and talk with the principal and other staff members. We were served a delicious lunch. Also visited Coal Hill Park from which we had a spectacular view of the Forbidden City. We had the joy of visiting a public kindergarten of 300 students. These students were so cute they hugged us shook hands and shared their knowledge of English which consists of one word – HELLO. Lastly we visited the old section of Beijing, called the Hutong we were served dinner in a residence home

We have had delicious breakfast, lunches, and dinners at various restaurants. Looking forward to tomorrow when we will visit the Temple of Heaven, have lunch in the temple and visit a silk factory. In the evening we will be eating a Peking Duck banquet and seeing a Kung Fu performance. Enjoy the newly posted pictures.

When you see a little boy in some of our pictures, his name is Dylan, the son of Sean Cai from the University of Akron

Bill

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Day 2
Another incredible day! The Great Wall was an unforgettable experience. It was a very exhausting walk if one tried to get to the top, and four in out group did so. Dave is posting more great pics!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Our first two days in China
Beijing is a very modern City. We have seen lots of people traveling by bike as well as other forms of public transportation. Yesterday we saw the Summer Palace where the emperors vacationed. It was beautiful! China is a very culturallly rich country. Today I climbed the Great Wall!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Hola!
Hola chicos, como estan?
Espero les gusten estas fotos.
Hasta el momento no he sido atacada por gitanos Chinos.

Nos vemos!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Hello Explorers
Hi everyone, just wanted to say hello to all of you and tell you this has been an amazing experience. Mr. Carbaugh and I are looking forward to our return to school to share with all of you. Hope things are going well.
Hasta Pronto! Sra. Sramek

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

An Amazing First Day!
Today, our first full day, was incredible...Very busy and quite amazing! We visited the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City, two of Beijing's most storied historical sites. As a former world history teacher, I recall studying Chinese history. It truly came alive today!...The history, architecture, and magnitude of what we saw today was incredible. The sheer size of the Forbidden City was mind-boggling! Make sure to enjoy the pics Dave Jones Jones posted today.

Tomorrow, it is on to the Great Wall..

Bill

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

What an Adventure
Our trip took us from Cleveland to Detroit, a trip of about 30 Minutes, then from Detroit to Tokyo Japan, a 12 ½ hour flight, and then from Tokyo to Beijing China a trip of 3 ½ hours. With the delays and the International Date Line we arrived on Tuesday May 8th at 10:30 pm. After an hour on a bus to the Hotel we were able to get into our room ad steeled by 12:00 am. Boy was I tried. I don’t think that I have been up that long in my life with out sleep.

We have had a few internet problems but have worked them out. Look for post from our teachers tomorrow. Until then enjoy some of the pictures that we took on the first day.

On Wednesday May 9th we were up and ready to go sightseeing. At 9:00 we visited the Summer Palace and were able to see where the Emperors spent their summers. Look for the pictures. After lunch we took the bus back into Beijing to visits the Forbidden City. This was a place that I would have like to spend more time in. We could have easily spent the entire day exploring the different buildings and grounds.

We have an early start tomorrow as we are going to visit a portion of the Great Wall and Visit one of the Tombs around the area.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Getting Excited
Wow it is hard to believe that we are leaving on Monday. It has been 5 months since we wrote the grant and began to plan this cultural and language experience for the teachers and students. The next 2 weeks will be an adventure of a lifetime. I will be taking photographs and video of our experience and will posting the images and video to the web for you to see. Our goal is to create a resource for teacher and students to use as they learn about china. I will be transferring all of the images, the video and any audio files that we capture to an Apple Ipod. The Ipods will be used during a two week immersion course on Chinese Culture and Language. The University of Akron will be hosting this course and 30 students from Summit and Medina Counties will be participating.

We encourage you to post your comments about the Blog topics, pictures and videos.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

The Journey Begins
Our journey will begin on May 7th as we board a flight out of Cleveland Ohio to Japan and then a hop to Beijing China. We will spend May 8th - 12th in Beijing visiting a high school, a kindergarten, the Great Wall, Ming Dynasty Tomb, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Wong Fu-Jing, and different cultural shows in the evening. On May 13th we will board a train to Shanghai. In Shanghai we will visit a middle grade school, the Oriental Television Tower and Peoples Square. May 15 the train will take us back to Beijing. May 16th we will have a day to explore on our own before our flight home on May 17.

Visit this blog daily to read about our adventure and to view our pictures and video clips.

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Photo Album

Video Clips

• Collection of pictures from China
  
  
• Xi'an and Emperor Qin's Terra-cotta Army
  
  
• Chinese Immersion course, our Students in Action
  
  
• Chinese Singer
  
  
• Chinese Performance of Minority Dance