Two Days Off

Today we are back in school after having Monday and Tuesday at home. I think the students enjoyed not having classes all day but having days off when everyone else is working, and the host brother and sisters are studying for final exams wasn't thrilling. Nevertheless it was a nice break. Sam went to the public library (something I have never done in all my visits here) while Aida and Katie had lots of time with nothing special to do other than studying, reading Three Kingdoms (the book we are reading as a group and on which they will take an exam) or watching TV.

I was luckier because many of my Chinese teacher friends taught seniors this year and were on a 10-day vacation before returning to school today. So I was able to do some shopping in a large complex with hundreds of small stalls selling literally everything from clothes, to furniture to building supplies to jewelry to anything in between. It was an amazing place!

Yesterday I visited the Great Mosque in central Xi'an. It was built during the 8th century when Islam was introduced into China and modernized in later eras. It is the only mosque open to visitors in China; however, visitors are not allowed in the prayer hall (with room for 1000 people) and a ritual washing area. The style of the buildings appears to be Chinese but with many Islamic details and decoration. The mosque is located in the "Hue" or Muslim part of the city. The area is popular with locals for the good food and many shops, in addition to the many tourists who flock to the "Hueminjie" to bargain for all kinds of gifts. I also had a chance to visit my first "American" restaurant in Xi'an where we ate a "steak dinner" that was good, but after dessert we were also given either a bowl of rice or noodles - as is customary in restaurants in China. 

In our Chinese class the students are learning vocabulary dealing with clothing and bargaining for purchases. This will all prove beneficial on Saturday when we will visit central Xi'an. On that day everyone will have the chance to try out their skills.

The weather here has been very hot with temperatures in the upper 90's and only a few degrees cooler at night. We are hoping for a cooler trend by the weekend because our visit to the city walls will all be in full sun. On the other hand the dust in the air seems to filter out some sunlight because in spite of time in the sun I have not had any sunburn - which is common at home. In fact my legs and arms are as pale as when I left…

Every morning I continue to coach a group of 9 GaoXin juniors who are applying for a scholarship program in Singapore. These students have already passed the written test, but now must pass an interview. Only half of the 30 students from Xi'an who passed the written part will be chosen, so they work hard to improve their oral skills. Those selected will earn a free senior year in Singapore followed by 4 years of a university (all covered by the scholarship) and then will work in Singapore for 6 years (with pay of course). They are a great group of young people (2 girls and 7 boys). I really enjoy spending time with them. They work as a team and take pride in the success of each.