Sunday September 5, 2010

Thought for the Day: "Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous." CONFUCIUS

The team, consisting of Claudia, Maggie, Marcella, Tony and Wally met at 8AM for a breakfast meeting with Baoli in the hotel dining room. At 8:40 we had out first planning meeting in the Global Volunteers office. We continued personal introductions, defined team goals and explored the characteristics of an effective team.

Baoli thoroughly covered the Global Volunteer policies and discussed how the team could best fulfill our goals. We adjourned at 12:30 and met in the hotel dining room for lunch. The discussions continued in lively fashion.

We met again with at 3PM with several teachers and students from the Xi’an Biomedical Technical College. The students and teachers each introduced themselves with a brief description of their names and where they were from. Several spoke about their desire to learn English and made us feel extremely welcome to Xi’an.

The team members then introduced themselves and spoke briefly about why they came to China and how they hoped to help the teachers and the students. Then the teachers provided additional details of their background and experience. This was followed by a request to have the team members speak in more detail about their “previous lives”, occupations and experiences. This led to continued conversation and questions which was enjoyed by all.

The meeting adjourned at 4:30PM and Baoli, the team and the teachers and students walked back to the hotel. Additional, wide ranging discussion continued.

The team members spent another hour discussing and planning for Monday’s first day of teaching members of the English Club at the University.

We met for dinner at 6PM and continued to voice our potential difficulties to be faced on Monday morning, our “baptism of fire.”

The day was an exciting and informative experience. The team members are all here for the right reasons, communicate and cooperate. There is no doubt that the next three weeks will be exciting and productive. And if we continue to eat all of the fantastic meals ordered by Baoli we will all have to purchase new clothes to return home.

- Wally