Hello, All,
It is nearly impossible to get internet in my dorm and getting it in coffee shops and fast food restaurants is very difficult due to curfew. Regardless, I have some very exciting news. Yesterday I was fortunate enough to meet...Hu Jintao! The one and only Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China (according to Wikipedia.) He came into our class, shook all of our hands, and sat next to me for all of ten minutes. Later that night, we were the first event to be broadcast on the nightly seven O'clock news. I was also interviewed by a local newspaper this morning about the experience.
Our class had no idea "Hu" was coming until that very morning, when our teacher, after three days of acting strange and rushing us through a new lesson, 四合院 (Old-fashioned Chinese homes), came in and told us that when the mystery person came in we were to say "胡爷爷好!" That basically means "Hello Grandfather Hu" in English. At that moment the boy who was sitting on my right said, "You know the only person in the Chinese government ministry with the surname Hu is Hu Jintao." Then we all kind of looked at each other and laughed until the teacher solemnly nodded and told us not to be nervous...yeah right.
Thankfully all the rehearsal helped and the class went smoothly. If the video works, you will be able to see our beautiful classroom that fully transformed three days prior to his visit. Our desks changed, our chairs changed, the classroom activity board changed, and they even put up brick wallpaper so that our classroom would resemble a 四合院. Besides shaking the President of China's hand, appearing on the nightly news, and being featured in a local paper, that is pretty much all the news I have... as well as (probably) the most exciting news I will have all year.
Best Wishes to All,
Sage
P.S. Here are two different links to the news reel. You have to wait until it is about midway through to see our class. I hope one of the two works.
Link One: (click me)
Link Two: (click me)
It is nearly impossible to get internet in my dorm and getting it in coffee shops and fast food restaurants is very difficult due to curfew. Regardless, I have some very exciting news. Yesterday I was fortunate enough to meet...Hu Jintao! The one and only Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China (according to Wikipedia.) He came into our class, shook all of our hands, and sat next to me for all of ten minutes. Later that night, we were the first event to be broadcast on the nightly seven O'clock news. I was also interviewed by a local newspaper this morning about the experience.
Our class had no idea "Hu" was coming until that very morning, when our teacher, after three days of acting strange and rushing us through a new lesson, 四合院 (Old-fashioned Chinese homes), came in and told us that when the mystery person came in we were to say "胡爷爷好!" That basically means "Hello Grandfather Hu" in English. At that moment the boy who was sitting on my right said, "You know the only person in the Chinese government ministry with the surname Hu is Hu Jintao." Then we all kind of looked at each other and laughed until the teacher solemnly nodded and told us not to be nervous...yeah right.
Thankfully all the rehearsal helped and the class went smoothly. If the video works, you will be able to see our beautiful classroom that fully transformed three days prior to his visit. Our desks changed, our chairs changed, the classroom activity board changed, and they even put up brick wallpaper so that our classroom would resemble a 四合院. Besides shaking the President of China's hand, appearing on the nightly news, and being featured in a local paper, that is pretty much all the news I have... as well as (probably) the most exciting news I will have all year.
Best Wishes to All,
Sage
P.S. Here are two different links to the news reel. You have to wait until it is about midway through to see our class. I hope one of the two works.
Link One: (click me)
Link Two: (click me)
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