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JISHOU, HUNAN — It’s 00:27 here on January 1, 2011 (1/1/11). Sorry, I missed posting at 00:11 — too busy responding to text and QQ greetings from students and friends. On a more serious note, one of my freshmen, Laura (Liu YaYou 刘亚尤), is worried about her dad. He has been ill for some time, and will have a serious operation very soon. She’s already lost her mom. Please hold her and her family in the light. Thanks. Possibly related posts:
JISHOU, HUNAN — I’ve been busy these last few days getting ready to close up shop for the Winter Holiday. My last exam — for the Western Civ classes — is next Friday, and I’ll have a week to read those exams and hand in grades before I jet to the USA for a three-week stay. My free time, which is not that ample to begin with, has been taken up by giving oral examinations to more than 120 freshmen and sophomores, two at a time for 15 minutes each. This year, I’m using a combination of the Cambridge IELTS and BEC speaking tests: IELTS prompts for two student partners. That way, the students can do the talking while I carefully listen and evaluate pronunciation, intonation, grammar, vocabulary, rhythm and speed. After two years, I’m finally getting a handle on this oral English stuff. I’m calculating those students’ final grades this weekend (I only have a few left to examine), so the remaining Big Tasks are (1) reading the Western Civ students’ last unit test and (2) reading their final exams. I included a short essay on the final, and I gave them the three possible essay questions earlier this month, so I expect to do a lot of reading after Jan. 7. Possibly related posts:
 Happy Christmas from China! It’s Christmas Eve here. I just got back from a big faculty luncheon. Tonight was the annual Christmas show by our college students, and tomorrow I’m busy with other holiday gatherings. And we may have snow tonight. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, Kwanzaa, Festivus, Solstice or just a quiet time at home with someone you love, or like, or can at least put up with for a few hours. God Jul! Possibly related posts:
[Updated November 7.] Get the picture?  Liu XiaoBo That the Nobel committee selected Liu for the Peace Prize has China’s party leaders very pissed off, since it calls attention to his status as a political prisoner. Despite calls from international leaders to release him, Beijing continues to keep him in prison, and his family members in China. It means that prize itself will not be handed out to anyone. From the BBC:
Last month, China sent diplomatic communications to many European nations, advising them there would be “consequences” if they attended the ceremony on Friday. Again, according to the BBC, only six nations so far have indicated they will boycott the ceremony: China, Russia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Cuba and Morocco. Possibly related posts:
JISHOU, HUNAN — We finished the unit on the ancient Romans with a test Friday. I made four versions, to minimize copying from neighbors (more about that some other time). Here’s one for you to test your knowledge of Western Culture. WESTERN CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION IDENTIFICATIONS. Use a few words or a sentence to identify the following people, places or things. Be specific to get full credit! (1 point each) DISCUSSION. Answer the following with at least two or three sentences. Some questions may require more explanation. (3 points each) (Use the other side of the paper if needed.) 12. What was the basic structure of the government of the Roman Republic? How was governmental power shared by those in control of the Republic? 13. The Romans “copied” some aspects of Greek culture. Name three Greek creations that the Romans basically imitated (and preserved). 14. The Romans were also innovators – they created new things for later civilizations in Europe to copy. Name three innovations of the Romans. 15. The Romans’ longest lasting and most far reaching contribution to the world was their language, Latin. How has Latin affected society since the end of the Roman Empire? Possibly related posts:
JISHOU, HUNAN — Considering my unimpressive salary (at least in US dollars), it’s really easy for me to live comfortably here. No joke. To put things in context, here are few sample prices for common food items.
I recently bought a nice black double-breasted fall-weather coat at a local men’s store, where the prices are admittedly on the expensive side. It cost me ¥600, or about $88. In the USA, I’d reckon it would cost at least twice that. The sport shoes I bought a year ago were about $44, and are still in great shape. This week, I bought a friend a pair of knee-length leather boots for $38 as a birthday present. Both items in the USA would be at least double that. (And probably also made in China.) My digital cable box with a year’s service was around $37. Of course, all I get is Chinese TV, so it’s not really comparable to cable in the US, but still way cheaper. Possibly related posts:
JISHOU, HUNAN — Imagine the Beijing Olympics … on a much smaller scale. This is our college’s opening performance. Look for me among the faculty, behind the teachers in the long magenta (fuschia?) dresses. Possibly related posts:
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