Performers at the Banquet at the Great Hall of the People.
The Great Hall of the People.
Sunrise in Hong Kong on Sunday morning.
Technology is just incredible! I am sitting in the lobby of the hotel in Beijing, China. I turned on my Mac, and it immediately connected wirelessly with the hotel's network. I was just able to read my 145 plus emails, and I am posting this blog. As some homeroom teachers will shortly see, I will even email them to let them know when the wrapping paper will be delivered to their homerooms. A parent just emailed me and asked me to do that!
I finally arrived in China on Sunday, November 12, after more than 22 hours on planes. We arrived at the hotel around 1:45 p.m. (11:45 pm Saturday in Memphis). We were allowed to freshen up (an overhaul was actually what I needed) and then we were to meet at 5:30 for logistics and introductions within our delegation followed by dinner. I was finally able to get to bed around 9:30 (7:30 am Sunday morning Memphis time). The last time I had seen a bed was Thursday night.
I won't bore you with personal details. Those will have to wait until I get back. It's enough to say that I didn't even make it out of the Memphis airport on Friday before I lost my cell phone. As I left on the first leg of my trip to Dallas, I looked for my cell phone to make sure it was off. I couldn't find it. I took the contents of my purse in and out at least 5 times while we were waiting to take off. I know the woman next to me thought I was insane. When I reached San Francisco, I purchased a phone card and called home to learn that someone had found my cell phone in the airport and called the last number on it (my mother). Anyway, enough of that unpleasantness.
Today we rose early to go to the conference hotel to learn about the Chinese culture and the etiquette we should follow while in China. We had 4 keynote addresses in the afternoon - 2 from the US and 2 from China. The Chinese Minister of Education spoke to us about the new curricula in China. What I found most amazing is that many of their problems and issues are also ours.
We were then taken to the Great Hall of the People for a reception and a dinner banquet. This was the official beginning to the US - China Education Conference. Many of our Chinese counterparts attended and were seated at our tables. We enjoyed interesting and informative conversations as we also enjoyed Chinese dish after dish. During dinner we were entertained by musicians, dancers, and actors from the Beijing Opera.
It is a huge honor to be invited to the Great Hall of the People. It is the equivalent to our Capitol Hill and Congress. It is almost 11:00 pm here, and we are beginning early again tomorrow with an all-day visit to a middle school. We will then be taken to dinner and a show. We won't return to the hotel until 9:30 tomorrow night, but I will try to get in a quick posting. I have already learned so much about the Chinese people and their education system, and I've already met many US teachers who will be great to network with.
Keep looking for more postings. I've got to email the homeroom teachers and then I'm calling it a night!
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