Sunday, November 8, 2009

Thought of the day: “Procrastination is the thief of time.” Red Skelton, Favorite son.

The first full day in Kunming for the entire Global Volunteers 178 Team opened at 7:15 a.m. with breakfast in our private dining room. Our orientation session began at 8 am in the hotel conference room. Project manager Wang Bao Li explained the origin of Global Volunteers’ teams in China, beginning in Xi’an in 1996, continuing with programs in An Shang in 2002, Kunming in 2005, and Hainan in 2007. She stressed the dedication and the hard work of all those involved and the positive results.

We discussed the Global Volunteers philosophy, characteristics of a team, and rules to be followed. Eleanor, Louisa, and Bill volunteered to be in charge of the daily journal, Brenda and Danielle for Health and Safety, Aleatha for free time activities, and Louisa, Ted, and Sally for the final celebration on November 20.

The next subject concerned our host the Kunming University Teachers Training Department. These representatives are Mr. Wu Yanming, Chief of Teachers Training Division, Bureau of Education; Mr. Yao Zhongquing, President of the College; Mr. Xiong Shaohong, Director of the Training Center; Mr. Li Chunfu (Tom), office staff; Mr. Ha Jinhua, Director of Foreign Affairs Office of the College; and Ms. Kora Lin (summer), staff of Foreign Affairs Office.

Bao Li announced we would be working with 62 teachers of English from Yunnan Province, two groups from middle schools, two groups from elementary schools, and four or five teachers from kindergarten. We will leave for the school at 8 am and begin classes at 8:30, Monday through Friday. Two days a week, we will also teach in the afternoon.

We then adjourned. Many headed for 711, the storage area for teaching materials.

We met as a group again at 5:30 pm and proceed to a restaurant hidden in a quiet corner near Green Lake, where we met for an evening of good food with our local hosts. Mr. Ding, Vice Director of the Teacher Training Center; Mr. Li (Chris); Mr. Liu, Vice Principal of the University; Mr. Ha; Mr. Xiang; Mr. Qian; and Mr. Na and Mr. Guan, our drivers for the next two weeks.

by Sally