A Time of Reflection
Well I've been in Hong Kong for almost 6 months now and I guess I should reflect on that time. Mainly I've gotten my sleeping schedule out of whack and I'm up with nothing to do on my week off for Chinese New Year.
Anyway, here is a list of some reflections and then I'll try to finish off with a note about Chinese New Year.
- I miss my friends the most. I didn't realize how important they were to me until I moved halfway around the world and had no body. God is slowly providing friends here but they still are not like my friends from the States (there are many of you but to each of you Thank you for your friendship).
-America really is a place of convenience. We have drive-thrus and almost everyone has a car. You can park within a reasonable distance of your destination. We have meals ready to be made with just adding a few ingredients and cooking it for a while. We have Walmart with everything under one roof. I miss a lot of that convenience.
- Hong Kong is a much bigger place than I realized. I still don’t know half of it. I know mainly Fo Tan, Shatin and Tai Wai and that’s only 3 stops on the KCR not to mention there is the whole MTR. I know a little bit about Central but nothing really to account for much. I can find a few places in TST and I know how to get to the Peak and Stanley but honestly I really know very little about Hong Kong. Hopefully this will change over the next few months.
- I’m very glad that I’m not in a smaller country or less westernized place. I enjoy being able to get a lot of American type food and find other things that are familiar from home. I’m not sure how I would handle culture shock in a place that was not as westernized or such a huge city.
- I don’t think of myself being halfway around the world most of the time. I’m becoming comfortable in Hong Kong. I talk to my family almost everyday and I know that its 13 hours different but its becoming normal now. I miss being able to drive home and see them on the weekends or even during the day but I do enjoy Hong Kong.
- The pollution in Hong Kong is terrible and I don’t see myself living in a city in the States. I know its odd but overseas I would like to live in a city because there are things that are familiar to me but in the States I want the country – a small town much like Blairsville was when I was younger and still is to some extent. Also in the States you have to drive most places and I still do not like driving, especially in a city.
- Teaching is a lot of work. I knew it was but then again it’s a lot more at times than I expected. There is always work to be done and I’m learning that at times you’ve just got to take a break. I’m starting to get a routine and I can see how next year will be better when I actually know what I’m teaching. I still enjoy it and at times could not imagine teaching in the States. I’ve got a class full of ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) students but I don’t have to do tons of paper work to go along with that. (Basically all of my students speak English as their second or third language and not their first). I document a lot but not as much as most teachers in the States have to.
- I have a great group of kids and fourth grade is a great age.
- I really do work at an International School which is very much like a private school. We get a lot of freedom with our teaching and are allowed to try new things. We also have a lot of say with the curriculum. I like working at the school. We also have a lot of parents that come in to help. Although my parents are in and out I still have parents that come to help out. If I need something they will find a way to help me with it. There are ALWAYS parents at the school working somewhere. It’s truly amazing.
- The parents of my students are involved in their education. If they are struggling and I call the parents the parents will definitely work with me to help the student improve. Most of the time is the parents calling me and not me calling them. The parents usually ask the students about their work daily and check their homework as well. Even the fathers are involved. Out of the 24 conferences I had at the beginning of the year I had 14 students that had both parents show up. Out of the other 10, 6 of them were just the fathers that came.
- Chinese people have a different sense of space than Americans do. I think even different than most Europeans have. When waiting on something we will crowd towards the area but we don’t stand on top of the person in front of us. We usually allow a little bit of room but Chinese people don’t. It is something that isn’t wrong but different. I’m reminding myself of that a lot of times.
- Chinese people or at least Hong Kong people seem to be in a rush all the time. As soon as they get on the elevator they are usually pressing the button to close the doors even if there are people still getting on. They like to push the button a lot when waiting on something (I guess in thinking that will make its change or come faster). They are always rushing onto the train as well. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people squeeze on as the doors were closing around them.
- At the same time, older people here often sit around and enjoy themselves. I like walking to Mei Lam because there are always older men playing cards or just sitting and talking. It is nice to see people taking time and enjoying life.
- I miss having a dryer. It usually takes 3 days for my clothes to dry and it’s annoying. I also have them hanging up in my room all the time and that is also annoying. We also have a small washer and it would be nice to have a bigger washer again. A full load is about the amount of clothes that will fit in a plastic bag like one you would get from Wal-Mart.
- I love learning about another culture and also learning a new language. However, I don’t seem to be making as much progress on that I would have hoped, especially the language. I like celebrating their holidays (Chinese New Year has been fun even though I have barely celebrated it like Chinese people do).
- I love being in a time in my life when I can explore and experience the things in my life that I have been most fortunate to do over this past year. God has truly blessed me. I feel fortunate to have these opportunities.
- It is wonderful to be able to freely speak of the Good News of Christ in my classroom. It is comforting to know that I can teach through my experiences instead of dodging around it.
- I am truly happy in Hong Kong. I know that this is where God has led me. I have a lot to learn still but I am excited to see what will happen in the future. If someone would have told me in high school that I would have lived in Hong Kong I wouldn’t have believed them. However, looking back I can see how God was preparing me even in.
- The timetable of international schools is very different and in 11 months I will have to decide if I am going to resign for another year or two here or move back to the States. That’s hard to believe to me. It will be here in no time because the last 6 months has really flown by. Not to mention by Aug. I have to decide what I’m going to do about housing next year. Both of my roommates are leaving after this year and I have to decide what to do. I know that I want to stay at Granville but I’m not sure what to do either. There is a lot to think about and decide about between now and Aug. I cannot do anything until then when I can get out of my lease. It’s probably my biggest concern because I’ve had such a tough year with one of my roommates and I really don’t want to have to go through that again.
- A few more lighter reflections: I like dried mango.
- I have tried a lot of new foods and I’m still a picky eater.
- I don’t like have to go grocery shopping like every other day.
- I wish you could buy basically everything at one store instead of half a dozen.
- I really enjoy crocheting (I actually learned this while at home for Christmas). I’m working on an afghan that I’m really excited about. I never thought that I would enjoy it but I’ve gotten hooked on it.
- I’ve realized how many incredible people God has placed in my life while I’ve been over here. Living in another country really points out to you the blessings in your life.
- My kids know such much more about the world than I did at their age and they know more about some things than I do currently (especially about this part of the world).
- Many of my kids know most of 3 languages or maybe even 4. I think that most countries support the learning of more than one language outside of the United States. I have one student who is Korean and speaks Korean at home (I think he also reads and writes in Korean). He also knows Cantonese and English (he goes to an English-speaking school) and he is learning Mandarin at school. I have another student that speaks Cantonese at home, English at school, is learning Mandarin at school, and French as an after-school activity. This is not uncommon at all. When I have kids I would like for them to learn a second language when they are young.
Well it’s getting late and my mind isn’t working very well at the moment so that is most of my reflections for the time being. I’ll try to do more later.
A short note about Chinese New Year though: I know that the celebrations actually started before this weekend but the New Year’s Day according to the lunar calendar was January 29th this year. 2006 is the Year of the Dog. There is one day during the celebrations that you don’t go visit family and friends but most days you do. The last few days have been those days. There are cars everywhere. On the road that I live on there are cars all down the road (it reminds me of Athens, GA on game day when there are cars lining all of the streets).
On New Years I went to a wedding for Shawn Bensey, one of the third grade teachers. He had it at the school in the multi-purpose room (a very well named room). It was nice. Afterwards I went to Wan Chai with David, Jon, and Megan to see a parade. We ate at Subway!!! That is currently the only open Subway in Hong Kong. When we finally got to the parade we were very close to a good place to watch from but we got turned around by the police and ended up on the other side of median with a hedge on it. The parade was nice but we could only see from the shoulders up of the people walking and the floats were like 10 minutes apart. We watched about an hour but by then we had put up with all of the pushing of people behind us and then standing right on top of us that we left. At one point there was a lady that was basically hugging me. As I said they have a different sense of space. I videoed it but its terrible video but I’m hoping to get some good pictures from it. I really did try. It was worth the experience but I don’t think I would do it again.
We took the ferry back. While waiting we were around a lot of white people and we all had about a foot or more of space between us. Megan and I just laughed because it was so different from where we had just been. We tried to place the accent but couldn’t. So we asked David because he was in Scotland and had lived in England. We looked back and he just barely shook his head but his eyes told us everything. He didn’t have a clue. Megan and I burst out laughing. Finally on the ferry we asked them. They were from Sweden and were here studying at a college for the semester. David’s response was definitely the funniest thing I had seen in a while. It was good to laugh and to be out experiencing Hong Kong. That was probably my highlight. For the rest of the week I’m just exploring Hong Kong some and resting a lot. I’m going to one of the outlying islands with Patti and David. Then on Wednesday Megan and I are going to Wan Chai to get our China visas so that hopefully we can go to Shen Zhen (not sure on that spelling) on Saturday. Thursday and Friday plans are still up in the air but one day I’ll be biking to school to learn the route (that is once I clean my bike up) and one day I might be going to Discovery Bay (another part of Hong Kong).
Well I really need to go to bed. I hope you enjoy this post. It’s very random but at times I like to be random. Have a great day!
Anyway, here is a list of some reflections and then I'll try to finish off with a note about Chinese New Year.
- I miss my friends the most. I didn't realize how important they were to me until I moved halfway around the world and had no body. God is slowly providing friends here but they still are not like my friends from the States (there are many of you but to each of you Thank you for your friendship).
-America really is a place of convenience. We have drive-thrus and almost everyone has a car. You can park within a reasonable distance of your destination. We have meals ready to be made with just adding a few ingredients and cooking it for a while. We have Walmart with everything under one roof. I miss a lot of that convenience.
- Hong Kong is a much bigger place than I realized. I still don’t know half of it. I know mainly Fo Tan, Shatin and Tai Wai and that’s only 3 stops on the KCR not to mention there is the whole MTR. I know a little bit about Central but nothing really to account for much. I can find a few places in TST and I know how to get to the Peak and Stanley but honestly I really know very little about Hong Kong. Hopefully this will change over the next few months.
- I’m very glad that I’m not in a smaller country or less westernized place. I enjoy being able to get a lot of American type food and find other things that are familiar from home. I’m not sure how I would handle culture shock in a place that was not as westernized or such a huge city.
- I don’t think of myself being halfway around the world most of the time. I’m becoming comfortable in Hong Kong. I talk to my family almost everyday and I know that its 13 hours different but its becoming normal now. I miss being able to drive home and see them on the weekends or even during the day but I do enjoy Hong Kong.
- The pollution in Hong Kong is terrible and I don’t see myself living in a city in the States. I know its odd but overseas I would like to live in a city because there are things that are familiar to me but in the States I want the country – a small town much like Blairsville was when I was younger and still is to some extent. Also in the States you have to drive most places and I still do not like driving, especially in a city.
- Teaching is a lot of work. I knew it was but then again it’s a lot more at times than I expected. There is always work to be done and I’m learning that at times you’ve just got to take a break. I’m starting to get a routine and I can see how next year will be better when I actually know what I’m teaching. I still enjoy it and at times could not imagine teaching in the States. I’ve got a class full of ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) students but I don’t have to do tons of paper work to go along with that. (Basically all of my students speak English as their second or third language and not their first). I document a lot but not as much as most teachers in the States have to.
- I have a great group of kids and fourth grade is a great age.
- I really do work at an International School which is very much like a private school. We get a lot of freedom with our teaching and are allowed to try new things. We also have a lot of say with the curriculum. I like working at the school. We also have a lot of parents that come in to help. Although my parents are in and out I still have parents that come to help out. If I need something they will find a way to help me with it. There are ALWAYS parents at the school working somewhere. It’s truly amazing.
- The parents of my students are involved in their education. If they are struggling and I call the parents the parents will definitely work with me to help the student improve. Most of the time is the parents calling me and not me calling them. The parents usually ask the students about their work daily and check their homework as well. Even the fathers are involved. Out of the 24 conferences I had at the beginning of the year I had 14 students that had both parents show up. Out of the other 10, 6 of them were just the fathers that came.
- Chinese people have a different sense of space than Americans do. I think even different than most Europeans have. When waiting on something we will crowd towards the area but we don’t stand on top of the person in front of us. We usually allow a little bit of room but Chinese people don’t. It is something that isn’t wrong but different. I’m reminding myself of that a lot of times.
- Chinese people or at least Hong Kong people seem to be in a rush all the time. As soon as they get on the elevator they are usually pressing the button to close the doors even if there are people still getting on. They like to push the button a lot when waiting on something (I guess in thinking that will make its change or come faster). They are always rushing onto the train as well. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people squeeze on as the doors were closing around them.
- At the same time, older people here often sit around and enjoy themselves. I like walking to Mei Lam because there are always older men playing cards or just sitting and talking. It is nice to see people taking time and enjoying life.
- I miss having a dryer. It usually takes 3 days for my clothes to dry and it’s annoying. I also have them hanging up in my room all the time and that is also annoying. We also have a small washer and it would be nice to have a bigger washer again. A full load is about the amount of clothes that will fit in a plastic bag like one you would get from Wal-Mart.
- I love learning about another culture and also learning a new language. However, I don’t seem to be making as much progress on that I would have hoped, especially the language. I like celebrating their holidays (Chinese New Year has been fun even though I have barely celebrated it like Chinese people do).
- I love being in a time in my life when I can explore and experience the things in my life that I have been most fortunate to do over this past year. God has truly blessed me. I feel fortunate to have these opportunities.
- It is wonderful to be able to freely speak of the Good News of Christ in my classroom. It is comforting to know that I can teach through my experiences instead of dodging around it.
- I am truly happy in Hong Kong. I know that this is where God has led me. I have a lot to learn still but I am excited to see what will happen in the future. If someone would have told me in high school that I would have lived in Hong Kong I wouldn’t have believed them. However, looking back I can see how God was preparing me even in.
- The timetable of international schools is very different and in 11 months I will have to decide if I am going to resign for another year or two here or move back to the States. That’s hard to believe to me. It will be here in no time because the last 6 months has really flown by. Not to mention by Aug. I have to decide what I’m going to do about housing next year. Both of my roommates are leaving after this year and I have to decide what to do. I know that I want to stay at Granville but I’m not sure what to do either. There is a lot to think about and decide about between now and Aug. I cannot do anything until then when I can get out of my lease. It’s probably my biggest concern because I’ve had such a tough year with one of my roommates and I really don’t want to have to go through that again.
- A few more lighter reflections: I like dried mango.
- I have tried a lot of new foods and I’m still a picky eater.
- I don’t like have to go grocery shopping like every other day.
- I wish you could buy basically everything at one store instead of half a dozen.
- I really enjoy crocheting (I actually learned this while at home for Christmas). I’m working on an afghan that I’m really excited about. I never thought that I would enjoy it but I’ve gotten hooked on it.
- I’ve realized how many incredible people God has placed in my life while I’ve been over here. Living in another country really points out to you the blessings in your life.
- My kids know such much more about the world than I did at their age and they know more about some things than I do currently (especially about this part of the world).
- Many of my kids know most of 3 languages or maybe even 4. I think that most countries support the learning of more than one language outside of the United States. I have one student who is Korean and speaks Korean at home (I think he also reads and writes in Korean). He also knows Cantonese and English (he goes to an English-speaking school) and he is learning Mandarin at school. I have another student that speaks Cantonese at home, English at school, is learning Mandarin at school, and French as an after-school activity. This is not uncommon at all. When I have kids I would like for them to learn a second language when they are young.
Well it’s getting late and my mind isn’t working very well at the moment so that is most of my reflections for the time being. I’ll try to do more later.
A short note about Chinese New Year though: I know that the celebrations actually started before this weekend but the New Year’s Day according to the lunar calendar was January 29th this year. 2006 is the Year of the Dog. There is one day during the celebrations that you don’t go visit family and friends but most days you do. The last few days have been those days. There are cars everywhere. On the road that I live on there are cars all down the road (it reminds me of Athens, GA on game day when there are cars lining all of the streets).
On New Years I went to a wedding for Shawn Bensey, one of the third grade teachers. He had it at the school in the multi-purpose room (a very well named room). It was nice. Afterwards I went to Wan Chai with David, Jon, and Megan to see a parade. We ate at Subway!!! That is currently the only open Subway in Hong Kong. When we finally got to the parade we were very close to a good place to watch from but we got turned around by the police and ended up on the other side of median with a hedge on it. The parade was nice but we could only see from the shoulders up of the people walking and the floats were like 10 minutes apart. We watched about an hour but by then we had put up with all of the pushing of people behind us and then standing right on top of us that we left. At one point there was a lady that was basically hugging me. As I said they have a different sense of space. I videoed it but its terrible video but I’m hoping to get some good pictures from it. I really did try. It was worth the experience but I don’t think I would do it again.
We took the ferry back. While waiting we were around a lot of white people and we all had about a foot or more of space between us. Megan and I just laughed because it was so different from where we had just been. We tried to place the accent but couldn’t. So we asked David because he was in Scotland and had lived in England. We looked back and he just barely shook his head but his eyes told us everything. He didn’t have a clue. Megan and I burst out laughing. Finally on the ferry we asked them. They were from Sweden and were here studying at a college for the semester. David’s response was definitely the funniest thing I had seen in a while. It was good to laugh and to be out experiencing Hong Kong. That was probably my highlight. For the rest of the week I’m just exploring Hong Kong some and resting a lot. I’m going to one of the outlying islands with Patti and David. Then on Wednesday Megan and I are going to Wan Chai to get our China visas so that hopefully we can go to Shen Zhen (not sure on that spelling) on Saturday. Thursday and Friday plans are still up in the air but one day I’ll be biking to school to learn the route (that is once I clean my bike up) and one day I might be going to Discovery Bay (another part of Hong Kong).
Well I really need to go to bed. I hope you enjoy this post. It’s very random but at times I like to be random. Have a great day!
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10:37 PM
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