Nothing will hold Sam's pants up!
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Trying to hire a second full-time teacher
The boys no longer want to go to school, and we had been having a hard time with our current teacher thinking that she could come to work when she wanted to so we went on the hunt for a new teacher. I interviewed about 20 women. Most were qualified to do the job, but it was so hard to hire any of them. I do not know the full extent of the issues, but I was told my a Chinese friend who tried to hire a teacher herself that any work done inside of a home is perceived as nanny work - which is considered one of the lowest/degrading professions in China. So people do not want to work.
Chinese people are so worried about their image/reputation that they won't even take it as a Summer job. It is just really bizzare to me that child care is so degrading.
Playing Turtle
Gavin is growing up, and he is big for his age. It is so cute to still watch him play using so much of his imagination - even though physically he looks like he should have outgrown it!
Front View
Back View
Sleeping View
Two Months Left and Counting Down
We have been here almost 10 months, and we have 2 months left. Time has really flown by. What is that they say about the longest days make the shortest years??? Yet 2 months seems so long to me right now. Maybe it is because so many people leave around Summer time either to visit or move back to the United States permanently. I am regretting not leaving earlier. At the time we bought the plane tickets and extended our visas we thought we would have to be in school through the end of August.
I am starting to think about the differences between our lifestyle here and in the United States. This is probably not a good activity! Here is my list...
Hello granite countertops and oven, good bye coackroaches.
Hello clean air, good bye pollution.
Hello husband.....good bye nanny/cook/cleaning lady and full time teacher.
Good bye bike.....hello mini van.
Good bye tasty vegetables....hello variety.
Good bye mosquitos hello bugless, scentless world.
Good bye native speakers....hello scrambling to keep Mandarin up and paying high prices for tutors.
Good bye exotic animals.....hello no pets.
Good bye toxic chemicals everywhere.....hello genetically modified foods (70% what Americans eat have at least traces of GM organisms.....most countries around the world - including China outlaw/requiring labeling because they feel they are so bad for their health).
Good bye small butt...hello big butt (American diet is fattening, and I won't be walking/riding a bike everywhere)
Good bye Chinese public schools....hopefully an enthusiastic hello for American public school (hope we got a good teacher!)
Good bye to the struggles with language/culture....hello being able to read, write and communicate with everyone!
Hello modern life....good bye camping.
Good bye cheap books ($1-$2)...hello expensive books!
I am starting to think about the differences between our lifestyle here and in the United States. This is probably not a good activity! Here is my list...
Hello granite countertops and oven, good bye coackroaches.
Hello clean air, good bye pollution.
Hello husband.....good bye nanny/cook/cleaning lady and full time teacher.
Good bye bike.....hello mini van.
Good bye tasty vegetables....hello variety.
Good bye mosquitos hello bugless, scentless world.
Good bye native speakers....hello scrambling to keep Mandarin up and paying high prices for tutors.
Good bye exotic animals.....hello no pets.
Good bye toxic chemicals everywhere.....hello genetically modified foods (70% what Americans eat have at least traces of GM organisms.....most countries around the world - including China outlaw/requiring labeling because they feel they are so bad for their health).
Good bye small butt...hello big butt (American diet is fattening, and I won't be walking/riding a bike everywhere)
Good bye Chinese public schools....hopefully an enthusiastic hello for American public school (hope we got a good teacher!)
Good bye to the struggles with language/culture....hello being able to read, write and communicate with everyone!
Hello modern life....good bye camping.
Good bye cheap books ($1-$2)...hello expensive books!
Gavin Reading Chinese
If the world ended today - would I regret having brought the boys to China??? Probably not, but I would regret spending so much time and energy helping Gavin read Chinese! My feeling is that if Gavin can read - language retention will be much, much easier.
Gavin has been a Rock Star at learning to read Chinese. Right now he recognizes 450 characters (seen in the shape of a dinosaur behind him)....we are hoping to get to 800 before we get home. Chinese children are required to know 870 characters by the end of the first grade, 1500 by the end of second grade (that represents 90% of what is written), 2000 by the end of 3rd grade, and 2500 for their lifetime.
Learning the Chinese characters has been a lot of work for Gavin too. The other day on the way home I was asking Gavin what things in his life make him the happiest. One of the first things he said was learning to read Chinese makes him happy....this beyond shocked me. So I asked him why, and he told me that it makes him a little bit sad, but them it makes him really happy.
Chinese People/Glasses
Chinese people wear glasses. I do not know one person over 10 that does not wear glasses. Her Gavin and Sam are trying on someone's glasses....hopefully they won't need these at 10!
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