Hangzhou Mingzhu School

One of the highlights of our conference in Hangzhou was a school visit. As always, it’s always great to visit a school and have a chance to interact with kids. Somehow I should make sure to schedule this into my calendar more often as it helps to ground you and remind you why we spend the hours that we do in the gray office cubicles.

The school we visited, Hangzhou Mingzhu Education Group school specializes in supporting the migrant population. We had a brief introduction to the school from the Principal and one of their English language teachers. Then we were given some time to visit some classes. Mike and I both chose to sit in on the Paper Cutting class. The kids were hard at work practicing traditional Chinese paper cutting. They were all cutting out their own versions of butterflies. We learned that the class is a year-long class, and something kids simply have in the schedule, and not a special elective or art class that we might have in the US.

We were offered a chance to do our own paper cutting, so we both got to work cutting out our own butterflies. It took some time, but once I got my basic shape cut out, I watched one of the girls in the class as she took her own added color by pasting paper onto the back of the butterfly so the color filled in the holes she had cut out in the design. I followed her lead, and she gave me a hand finishing my handicraft. Mike was busy doing the same thing with another student.

As class was winding down, the kids excitedly began to give Mike their butterflies as gifts. He had a healthy collection of butterflies. We joked about the fact that I was not being offered any, but eventually two boys did offer me their creations. I suspect that while they probably realized I did not speak Chinese, some of them may have assumed I was semi-local and Mike was really the guest in the room. Throughout my visit this year and last year, I find that at times, I have a way of blending into the background

We started taking a couple of photos with the kids which quickly turned into a free-for-all and all the kids jumped up and crowded around us for a group shot. After class, we made our way to a computer class.

The kids were seated at workstations and were using a table in Word to create a picture of an animal or some other basic shape. It was a rather odd lesson, and as best as we could surmise through a translator, the lesson’s goal was to give the kids an opportunity to learn to use tables in Word. I looked at the computers, and according to the case, they were very modern PCs with Intel Core 2 Duo chips. My gut sense was that the computer class was what you might see in many US schools as a basic “business” skills class covering the how-to’s of Microsoft Office quite applications.

Each classroom did have a PC station for the teacher complete with a ceiling mounted projector. PowerPoint was in use everywhere. With the exception of the computer class, kids were not using the computer as their was only the teacher workstation.

At the end of our visit, a group of kids presented to all of the visitors a framed paper cutting. I added my butterfly and the other two that I was given, and I came home with a small collection of student art work which is now decorating my gray office cubicle. A little color goes a long way!

Tags: Hangzhou, paper cutting, school visit

Leaving Hangzhou

Arrived at Hangzhou airport too early. They check by flights at the desk, not by airline so I can’t check in yet. So, I’m going to eat a little. Just had a confused exchange with the waitress. The menu said dumplings and 15 in one column and 58 in the other. I asked for dumplings and she asked how many. I assumed maybe it was 1 for 15 and so many for 58. I tried to find out how many for 58 and she kept saying 1. Then I asked about 15 and she said 1. It was a bit like who’s in first. I think we finally agreed that it was 1 order of 15 dumplings for 58 rmb. I guess I’ll know soon when it arrives! I also ordered coffee. Typical me, there is no such thing as just coffee. I settled on milk coffee on the menu. I’m hoping that means coffee with cream, but it might also be a latte. Or perhaps a coffee flat white as they say down under.

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Argh…I was writing this on my phone using the new WordPress 2.0 app for iPhone. It doesn’t seem to work as well, imho, as the last one. It lost the end of my post and two photos I took of breakfast…fortunately, I took some back ups on the phone using the regular camera app.

By now, I’ve made it to Seoul, and have taken advantage of the nicest waiting lounge space I’ve seen in any airport anywhere. Air Korea maintains a lounge which wasn’t overwhelmed with people, for reasons unknown, that included places to get food, an Internet cafe, tv/movie space with cushy chairs, large lounge chairs built to take naps on, free showers, and a place to get a massage. I availed myself of the napping area and the massage…who can resist?

Now I’m “stealing” power from a telecom provider that has a posh setup with a bunch of MacBooks on nice tables to use for free. One of their stations is without a MacBook, buy the MagSafe connector is still here bolted to the table. I forgot and I packed into my check bag the converter for Korea, so I’m unable to plug in otherwise. Good thing I found this place. I’m surprised they use Macs as people told me that Korea is almost entirely PC-based…at least in schools that was the case.

Anyway, I am getting weird looks from the women who work here…I think they are not happy with me squatting in their space with my laptop. I think I’ll post this and move on…I can’t get enough power to be truly useful anyway since this flight will be 15 hours long, and I won’t have a power plug on board. Hopefully I won’t be sitting between two huge men like last time! Next stop New York City!

Tags: food, Hangzhou, Seoul

Shanghai railway station

I’m in a taxi headed to the Shanghai Railway Station. I hope I’m heading to the right place. I thought I was supposed to go to the new Shanghai South Railway Station but the guys at the hotel who helped me with the taxi said I needed this one, not South.

If they were wrong I can probably just get a different ticket but there’s not enough time now to get to the other one!

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OK…I made it on the train and all appears OK. The station was a typical Chinese mass of humanity, but once I figured out what was going on, with a little help from sone other passengers, I found my way to the #1 train seat 38. I’m actually sitting in 37 as an older gentleman who might be just as lost as me has settled into my assigned seat. No matter, this gives me the window so I’ll be able to see and take photos if anything interesting appears.

Train #1 is definitely the first class car. Not opulent but like a plane it has only 4 seats across and a couple attendents looking after us. When I first got on the train I just followed the crowd into the “4th” class cars. More crowded seating and no one around to direct me. I bet that section is not assigned seats and just general boarding.

The train just pulled out of the station. Very smooth so far. I know this isn’t a MagLev but the D trains (I’m on D5673) are supposed to be the new faster trains. I think that means that they make no stops along the way and perhaps actually move faster too. The Internet has some posts about a new MagLev that is in construction between Hangzhou and Shanghai intended to be ready by the World Expo.

Like every where I’ve been in China there is a ton of building going on. The station was under construction, and I read that the South station is brand new.

I just noticed the display over the doorway. It lists speed among other details, so I’ll have to take note how fast we get going once we get outside the city.

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Update: Looks like our cruising speed is 160km/HR or about 100mph. Very smooth going. Really a pleasant way to travel.
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Made it to Hangzhou, and was met at the station by a volunteer helping out at the conference. Things are a bit confused both at the hotel desk and the conference registration desk, but I’m sure they’ll get things ironed out. Must be tough to organize a conference where the local staff mostly do not speak English, and there are attendees from all over the planet, so lots of languages. I overheard one conversation about the need for a separate dining room for some of the participants who require a strict muslim diet. I’m guessing that includes no pork which I’m sure would be problematic in any regular Chinese banquet buffet.

Tags: Hangzhou, Shanghai, trains