(Sandy)Getting up and walking to school every morning has morphed from a new adventure into my usual routine...a very pleasant one. This morning I "taught" two classes, normally a one-hour time limit. Today the second one lasted over two hours! The kids did not want me to leave and their politics teacher was fine with the extended time...so I continued to answer questions. Obama, Google, the Dali Lama, Ivy League schools, SATs, family, teenagers vs. parents, music, movies, Sports teams, starting up your own small business, the differences and similarities between Hangao and DS and their students, uniforms and not being able to curl or color your hair at Hangao were just some of the topics. There's never a dull moment in class!
In the afternoon I had the pleasure of being escorted around West Lake by Naichuan (Ms. Viz's counterpart at Hangao) and William (the young teacher who came to DS two years ago) . We went for a boat ride to one of the islands and strolled around the beautifully manicured park. Cherry and plum blossoms were beginning to appear and lots of petunias were adding an abundance of color to the very green spring grass. Even though it was the middle of a work day, there were plenty of people enjoying the pleasant weather and the serenity of the park. After returning from the island, Naichuan and William took me for tea at what they told me is Ms. Viz's favorite spot. We climbed the stairs to reach the top floor of the 200+ year-old teahouse that overlooks West Lake. It's name is something like, "Mansion Overlooking the Lake". The structure is made of dark wood which is carved, scrolled, latticed, and highly designed. Beautiful and highly decorated Chinese lanterns drop from what looks like a suspended 5"X8" pieced tile ceiling. It was a lovely afternoon sipping Hangzhou green tea and nibbling on dried berries, mango and cashews.
Best to all, Sandy
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