Day 23

03.05.18

WeRun Update: 8934 steps

Mobike Minutes: 25

TESOL hours completed: 8

Numero Uno
The school that I teach at has weekly public classes where a teacher will talk about a new topic. It's open for all students at the school. Today was my turn to take the class and was also my very first proper class in China. It was late afternoon, and there were only two students. Both were aunties with their notebooks ready. They addressed me as teacher, which I still need to get used to. Since it was my first time, they wanted to get to know me, where I come from and vice versa. They both wanted to learn English because they had both retired (60+ years old) and wanted to travel around the world. They both also had kids studying overseas (Canada and Germany). The thing that surprised me the most was that they were not shy at all - they would speak at every opportunity and whenever I corrected their mistakes, they would write it down in their notebooks. I really enjoyed teaching them because they were determined to improve their English and having motivated students makes teaching more satisfying. Although it wasn't what I expected to be my first teaching experience (I expected annoying little kids), I found it to be fun. I'm glad the aunties were impressed with me and I could hear them praising me to reception. They like me because I can explain things in Chinese and they feel more comfortable learning from me. After the class finished, one of them even offered to walk me to the train station (since I was new to the city?... although I walk through it almost every day... but I accepted anyway out of respect)

Just someone from a small city, wanting to make it in a big city.
I realised that there were more things I could do to immerse myself in Chinese culture. What better way than to watch a Chinese drama! I started watching: 北京女子图鉴 which is about a girl from Chengdu, a slow-paced city, who wants to make it in Beijing but encounters the hardships of moving and adjusting to the big city. Fitting, right?