Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Last Week of Teaching!

I had an 8 hour teaching day yesterday;  I was gone from the house from 6:30am to 7:30pm, so Sue also had a long day with the kids. She took the tram with the boys around West Lake and had a good time enjoying the beautiful weather - 60 degrees and sunny!

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The fog rolled in today however, and Sue took a picture of the traffic parked outside our apartment.  Since the local cross street (Xueyuan Lu) is all dug up, when the children get out of school, the parents park wherever they can.  For about 2 hours, it's quite a mess!
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This is Xueyuan Lu, a major street that has had most of its concrete removed in preparation for widening.  They took out a whole direction of traffic so it has had to be re-routed to other streets.  We wait at this little light to go to Sophie's kindergarten, (which no one obeys).  We don't wait necessarily for the light to change, but rather for a break in traffic, and then dash across - and live to play chicken another day.  Apparently since it is a temporary light, people don't take it very seriously!


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Here's a shot at the boys' school, the cook is delivering lunch.  And there it sits, (right), on the ground, ready for consumption in the classroom.  The boys are usually totally grossed out by whatever is served - the food is not the best quality.  Sometimes the hair of whatever unlucky beast is served up that day is still on the meat!  The boys call me a goat, because they say I'll eat anything, but I think this food is even below goat standards.
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The nice ping-pong room at the kids school.
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Sue also has commandeered the 2nd apartment we have for her own personal art studio.  She hired a local artist, called Jin, who has now become her friend, and here is some of the work Sue has done as a result of her lessons...

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Jack and Sophie are enjoying their "art studio" as well.
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Peter prefers not to do any art.  I wonder where he gets that from? :)

I finished all of my classes today, and only have the final left to give on Friday and then grading to do.  It will be nice to have a break but I will miss all of my wonderful students!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Way to go Sue, Jack and Sophie! When you get home you can teach Grandma Kapi! Have a great vacation! 8 weeks WOW!!!! Love to you all! Grandma Kapi

Anonymous said...

Sue, you are such the artist in so many mediums! Your current project looks really nice! Can't wait to see it in person when we come visit! :)
Love, Cara

Bob & Amy said...

Hi there - love the art studio. Now if only you could rig up a torch! Have you found any beaders in China? You could start teaching beads!
Love,
The Mahers
p.s. Julia's teacher said she is still on cloud 9 with the big Lucy news...