Thought for the day: It
is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do
not dare that things are difficult. --
Seneca
This saying may be
appropriate for some people, but not for our Kunming Global Volunteers, who
have dared to bring their culture and life experience to a group of people who
are daring in their own way to gain knowledge of a foreign people who insist on
saying "ih" instead of "ee" and provide fly swatters to
whack on whiteboards.
Thursday began and ended
with a gentle rain. We climbed the three, four, or five flights of stairs at
the school to reach our classrooms, as usual. The teachers of elementary
students that Kitty and I are encouraging to speak -- and to listen -- became talkative
for the first time. We passed out menus and fake money and introduced the
Restaurant Scenario to four groups of two or three "diners" and a
"server" for each group; the pretend dining experience was a great
success.
Jim and Mary's class
enjoyed a game of Around the World, with a wide range of questions for the
person who attempted to answer before each of her opponents could speak up.
The afternoon brought more
questions, this time for Esther, whose talk on parenting programs sparked a lot
of interest. Jim spoke about a different area of education, presenting a look
at the demographics in American schools.
Leon, Dixie, and Nancy
scouted out a route to the Bird and Flower Market, observing that more old
buildings have been demolished since last year in the busy area that is
becoming filled with new shops, including American chains whose names are all
too familiar. But the birds and bunnies and bangles still abound in a warren of
tiny stalls.
Thursday's meals brought
sensory delights, as they have every day. Our bodies were well-fed with no
difficulty at all, as we dared to try the continuing variety of unfamiliar
foods at the porridge restaurant's buffet and the delicious dishes ordered by
our steadfast Wang Baoli.
-Nancy
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