Week 2 - Class, Church and Chinese Siesta?

This was a big week for us – our first week of class. Our first real week of doing what we had come here to do.

So many thoughts were swimming around our heads:

·         How much class would we have?

·         Would the classes be in Mandarin or English?

·         What would the lecturers be like?

Our thoughts were eased slightly when we discovered that we have Mondays and Tuesdays off until we start teaching practice in six weeks – good start!

In total, we will be taking up the study of six main subjects while we are here. These are:

1.      Language Teaching Theories and Practices.

2.      Psychology in Education.

3.      Chinese Culture and History.

4.      Mandarin.

5.      Second Language Acquisition.

6.      Teaching Practice.

So far, we have experienced the first 3 subjects on this list, with Mandarin and Second Language Acquisition starting next week and teaching practice starting in six weeks.

We are very fortunate in that we have great lecturers who are all very patient and pretty much fluent in English! Most of our classes are in English, apart from Mandarin (obviously), as such, there are no Chinese students in our class other than a lovely girl called ‘Normy’, who is essentially observing. The course has been made for us, which is fantastic but reduces our contact with local Chinese students, hopefully other opportunities to interact will arise!

Quality seating.

 I found that the first two classes were very similar to some of the classes we have back at Stran, focusing on Educational theories and how they can be applied. Chinese Culture and History on the other hand gave an insight into Confucianism and also got us learning some Chinese characters and phrases. I really feel that this is a great class to have during our time here as we saw some temples of Confucius when we were in Beijing but really couldn’t grasp the meaning and history behind it. I am very excited to see what we gain from these classes!

Taoist temple in Beijing 

Academics aside, this week has been full of other great experiences. As Lloyd and I tried to develop our badminton skills, we discovered a strange phenomenon; I have taken to calling it ‘Chinese siesta’. Essentially, every day between 12:30 and 14:30, most offices across Guangzhou close and everyone goes for a nap or just to chill out. It tends to be a bit of a hindrance though, if you are trying to get anything done. Having said that, I can appreciate a country that appreciates a mid-day sleep!

Our week rounded up on Sunday with Lloyd, Jayne and I returning to Guangzhou International Christian Fellowship (GICF). GICF is a church that we discovered when we first came to Guangzhou, much to our surprise. It was our understanding that religion is not exactly permitted over here, apparently they have become more accepting over recent years, however, you do need a passport to get in, that is to say – no Chinese allowed. The service was good and  it was amazing to see how people from so many different backgrounds came together to worship. We also heard that there is a seminary with a special licence that allows local Chinese to attend and that transport leaves from the front of GICF every week. Having a bit of homely worship is great but next week we hope to go the service for the locals and immerse ourselves a bit more in the culture and see what it is like for Chinese Christians.

International service

All in all, it has been a real week of learning for me in terms of academics and culture; I feel like we are finally starting to see the real side of China.

I also did my own washing - big day.

Thanks for reading guys!