Day 291 – Saying Some Good-Byes

David had finals interviews with his class.  He was going so long in talking with his students that he had to leave his classroom and find another place to interview the last four people. 

I was able to record two of the videos for Primary music today.  I’m trying to get several done so they will have some them for when we all leave.

We met Eva at the teacher restaurant for lunch.  David and I got there first and while we were waiting for her to come, another teacher who spoke English quite well, came over and asked if we needed help or had any questions.  We told her that we were waiting for my co-teacher and that we had the menu translated.  We talked over a few of the dishes that we didn’t have translated and asked her if the translation on some of the others were correct.  When Eva arrived, the teacher who was trying to help us, looked up and she saw her, and had a look of surprise on her face.  She and Eva are co-teachers on the Hongjialou campus.  They knew each other and so Eva was able to tell her how we were connected. 

After we ordered the food, Eva and I went to try and reserve a room for the BYU teachers next Saturday, but the rooms were all filled up because of a special meeting they were having that day.  I reserved a room for the next Saturday just in case the others wanted to do that and ordered the dishes.

We had to be back at the apartment by 1:15 because David had a student coming for a final interview.  She couldn’t make the times set up for her class because she has to do something for another class.  After the interview, we had about 45 minutes before we had to leave again. 

At 2:20, we needed to meet the mother of Anna (one of the girls I tutored) so that she could show us to the Elementary School that is attached to the Shandong Normal School.  She also had a student with her that speaks English, Alice, to help translate for her.  We got a taxi and drove to the school where they took us to a nice room with a big table, soft chairs and air conditioning (that was important for the hot day that it was here!)

 

Showing the charts and talking with the teachers.  Anna's mother and Alice are to my left.

Six teachers that teach English at the school met with us.  We wanted to have an exchange of ideas for teaching better English in the elementary school.  We also told them about the phonics program that we had been trained in and if there was any way that it could help them teach English better.  It was a good meeting.  I don’t know how much we helped them, but we did give them a PPT that I had made with all the information on it.  I also gave them some ideas for games and activities they could do in their classrooms. 

At 5 p.m., Ashley and Adam, two of David’s students from last semester that have kept in contact with us, came over.  They wanted to give David a gift to remember them by.  It was a book of stamps of China from 2013.  There are some beautiful stamps in there.  Ashley wanted pictures and even shed some tears because we are leaving.  We did, too.  They are such kind people and we have enjoyed getting to know them.

 

Adam and Ashley.  She is so cute and Adam goes along with her.  They plan to marry as soon as they both graduate in a year or two.  I think Ashley would brighten any room she enters!

Gilbert and Megan (formerly known as Zinnia), came to pick us up for dinner at seven.  We had a great visit and talked for a long time.  Megan has the opportunity to go to school in Scotland, so she will be leaving to go there next week, so we had dinner with her today.  It was a fun visit and we had pictures taken.  I am becoming known as a “name giver.”  The Chinese usually take an “English” name when they travel abroad.  It is just easier than trying to have people pronounce their Chinese names.  Megan had asked me to help her choose a new name that either had meaning for her or was closer to her Chinese name.  Megan came very close to the last two syllables in her name and she liked it, so that is why I say “formerly known as Zinnia.”  Her friend that is going to Scotland with her had the name of “Claire,” but she didn’t really like that name, so I was asked to give her a new name.  I suggested four different names that might work, so she was going to take them to her and see what she liked.  The first name that came to my mind was “Yvonne” and Megan liked it the best, so we will see what Yi Yinghui chooses.   

This is NOT a good picture of Gilbert!  It is of Megan though.  

We are saying "good-bye" to Megan and wishing her well in her travels to Scotland and hope that she gets to travel to more places and see the world.  Someday, we hope that she can make it to the US and visit us.