Sunday June 20, 2010

Thought for the Day:
Start where you are
Use what you have
Do what you can.
It will be enough.


Global Volunteers Team # 184, the 18th team to serve in Kunming began to get acquainted at the opening dinner on Saturday night. So it was quickly down to business at Sunday’s orientation meeting, with formulation of six team goals and eleven characteristics for success. Team Leader and Country Manager Wang Baoli gave an informative presentation on the mission of Global Volunteers and the history and current activities of the program in China. Wang Baoli also informed us that our team will be working with English teachers from the City of Pu’er in southern Yunnan Province, the first time that the program here has reached out beyond the City of Kumming.

Team Goals:
1. To create positive interaction with local people
2. To help Chinese teachers
3. To learn about Yunnan
4. To learn/improve our Chinese
5. To enjoy the challenges
6. To enjoy teaching

The evening brought a festive and delicious banquet at the Opening Ceremony. We were warmly welcomed by our hosts: Teachers Training Center of Kunming University, the Kunming Municipal Education Bureau and the City of Pu’er Education Bureau, and then enjoyed a bountiful array of varied and delicious dishes.

All of the nine members of this team have previously served as Global Volunteers and many are multi-time veterans in China. With much enthusiasm for teaching, commitment to helping the teachers in this program and a desire to learn about and interact with the people of Yunnan, Team 184 is off to a great start.

-Betty