How time flies! Two weeks have already passed since our last blog entry. Last week was busy for us. We had our second session of parent-teacher conferences on Thursday and Friday. Everyone was telling us how the second set of meetings would be much easier than the first. How true this statement was. It seems that at the beginning of the year the parents are very concerned with meeting the teacher that will be working with their child for the upcoming year. If things go well at this meeting it really sets the stage for a good relationship with the parent. Later, if things are going smoothly for the teacher and student in the classroom then parents either decide to come for a quick check in or not come again at all. Adan did have one parent he needed to meet with about a troubling student but the meeting was very productive.Dongguan-Shekou School Dance
Parent teacher conferences officially ended Friday at noon. However, Adan and Pazi kept working as the secondary students had a school dance and sports games in Shekou that same night and the following morning. Adan and Pazi accompanied one of the school's directors, another teacher, and sixteen students. We took two school buses down to partner with our "sister" school and have a social.
When we arrived in Shekou we had a little bit of free time so we took the kids to a local mall so that they could hang out for about an hour and a half. We decide to get a small snack to hold us off until dinner. Pazi saw a mouth-watering mango crepe-layered cake. This thing was very appetizing. It was cream filled and with several crepes stacked inches high. Best of all the cake only cost around three dollars at fancy eatery in a upscale shopping complex.
Next, we met back up and went to the school for meet and greets. Shekou has the largest student population in the world network of QSI schools. It now has over 800 students, 150 of which are secondary students! For this reason, they recently opened the first of three wings to their new secondary school. This is where we were to have all the evening's activities. When we arrived at the school it seemed unreal for China. The facility looked very similar in style (and size) to the Caldwell Y Adan used to work at. This school was done right. Great location on visible street corner with moderate traffic flow. It was very spacious and with bright colors and quality bricks and mortar.We were greeted at the school by the director. He took us on a quick tour of the state of the art library, weight training room, and main floor offices. It was impressive to say the least. Then we gave the boys and girls half an hour to get dressed for the events. Since the leadership students of Shekou were in charge of everything with almost little teacher assistance, the organization was a little off. Our students wanted and were under the impression that this was to be a formal (or at least semi-formal) event. However, the Shekou students seemed to leave it up to the discretion of the individual. This became very apparent when all of our kids looked sharp in button up shirts with slacks and girls in dress or skirts. The Shekou students arrived some in shorts, others in jeans, and a decent amount of ladies in dresses.
To get to know each other, the Shekou students divided the students up into small groups for ice breaker activities. Pazi and Adan sat in on different groups but the consensus was that the students did a decent job of making sure everyone was participating and having fun. These games went on for about an hour. Then the students had a pizza party. This was a huge let down for our kids because we were hoping for a sit down meal to go with formal attire. Unfortunately, the Shekou group decided to keep things simple and informal. The kids at and mingled for the next thirty to forty-five minutes until they all went to the schools rooftop for the dance.
Shekou school has three rooftop areas that have both seating and meeting space. The set up of these location was quite nice and made events such as the dance a piece of cake when it comes to space. It appeared that things were off to a great start until about fifteen minutes into the dance the deejay blew a speaker. It was thirty minutes until a student ran in with his guitar amp as a replacement. No matter, the kids used it and the dance was back on. Pazi and Adan made several observations when it was obvious the Dongguan students seemed intimidated by the Shekou kids. Shekou students played all hip-hip and rap music. The dance had a real "western" feel to it. Seeing how truly "international" their school is made it clear to us how sheltered our kids our. Almost all of the Dongguan students had no concept of dancing to this kind of music and probably half of them did not know the majority of the music played. No matter, our kids eventually found a groove and made the most of their evening.The next day we ended up playing volleyball, basketball, and some soccer. Pazi was awesome. Adan was so happy to see her get out and play. She did very well too. She has a great shot! All the kids enjoyed seeing all the teachers and directors engaged in all the activities with the students. It made for a great morning of fun. Since we had only scheduled for two and a half hours of sports it seemed like no time before the event came to a close. All the kids said how much fun they had and said their goodbyes to new friends they made. What an experience.
Hong Kong Weekend
Since Shekou is so close to Hong Kong, and our school obligations ended Saturday at noon, we decided to hang out at Lantau Island for a day and a half. This island is one of the larger islands that make up Hong Kong, yet it has a lot less people than Central or Kowloon. We wanted to get a different view of HK than the typical massive skyscrapers and crowds so we chose to hang out here. It didn't hurt that Pazi really wanted to go back to Hong Kong Disneyland and it just so happens to be located on this same island. We crossed the border in Shenzhen and caught a bus to Central. It was a smooth commute and it only cost us about $30 US dollars. Once we got into Hong Kong we decided to have lunch at this really nice shopping mall called "Elements." The food was okay, nothing really to brag about. From here we jumped on the subway and took it all the way out to Disneyland. The metro system in Hong Kong is incredible. It has to be one of the best designed systems in the world. The routes are fast and convenient, the terminals are super clean and easy to navigate, the whole process is a breeze.
Once we reached Disneyland, the next five hours was Disney magic. Pazi and Adan arrived just in time to see the Main Street parade with all the stars of the Disney hit movies. Later, we spent about two to three hours going on rides and experiencing the theme shows. There was even some time to do shopping. Pazi found some great bargains and made sure to buy some goodies. Marissa will sure enjoy the clothes we bought her when we arrive later this summer.The night ended with a decent firework show presented by the theme park. Adan and Pazi found a nice open area away from the crowds and enjoyed the show with background music from the movies Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. It was a perfect way to close out another great experience at Hong Kong Disneyland for us.
Trip to Big Buddha
The next morning we woke up early and got ready for another jam-packed day. After breakfast we left the hotel around 8 a.m. so that we could get a head start on other tourists. Our destination was the Ngong Ping 360. This cable car system is designed to transport tourists on a twenty-five minute, 5.7 kilometer long journey up Nei Lak Shan Mountain. Once at the top, visitors have access to the Po Lin Monastery and the highlight of the attraction--Tian Tan Buddha. The experience overall was a good one. The village was very well designed with shops, restaurants, and cultural centers. The monastery was interesting even though parts of it were under renovation. The downer for us was climbing 268 steps to the Buddha temple then learning that fog rolled in and made it impossible to see the Big Buddha's face. This was especially disappointing after we learned that this 34 meter (110 foot) tall statue is the world's largest outdoor bronze seated Buddha. Oh well, guess that means we will just have to make another trip over.
After walking the village park, we decided to take the cable car back down the mountain. Once we reached Tung Chung Station we did some shopping and had a bite to eat. Then we decided to head back home and get ready for the upcoming school week. This was only our third time to Hong Kong but after having so a great time we have decided to visit more often. Stay tuned for more weekend getaways.
