There's this unique phenomena at BNDS called "Project Week." When I arrived here fresh off the tarmac last August, and saw the Fall Semester Calendar for the first time, I thought, "Oh Lord, I have to come up with an additional week long project in my syllabus?"
These "Project Weeks" pop up in the calendar multiple times throughout the year. I quickly learned that it means we have to go to school, but we are not teaching in the classroom as we are lucky if half of the students are in attendance. Sometimes "Project Weeks" are planned academic related activities that are organized by the Deans and Academic Advisors (like a week of researching colleges, writing college essays, securing letters of recommendation, etc). In October and May "Project Weeks" are code for "The SAT is on Saturday and we have cramming to do, and we have to travel to far away places to take the SAT." That's right, if you are registered for the SAT on Saturday, you get the whole week before excused from school.
You see, our kids must fly to Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, and parts unknown to take the SAT. Rumor has it that there was such a huge problem with cheating and test security here in China that the College Board pulled out of offering the SAT in all of China a few years back. At any rate, SAT to the kids means "Shopping Abroad Trip" as most of these kids fly first class to other countries to stay in five star hotels with mom and dad's credit card in hand. I guess parents here spare no expense for their one overindulged child. Oooooh, I much watch my sassy self, you can tell this teacher is nearing the end of the school year! Well, actually, if I were still in the States and teaching at the college, my summer vacation would have begun the first week in May, and it's what.....freaking July?! All of these "Project Weeks" is one of the reasons we are here until the middle of freaking July.....but that is another blog entirely....and if I continue with this train of thought I'm going to need a glass of wine....or the whole dern bottle. All to myself.
Well, a few weeks ago, the A level kids had Project Week. This followed a previous Project Week in which the juniors left to take the SAT. I must say, of other Project Week themes and activities, this one seemed pretty worthwhile. It was similar to the Career Days and Job Shadow Days we did back when I was a Guidance Counselor in Indiana. In this case, students were grouped according to their interests, and went on an extended three day field trip here in Beijing. The science/nursing/pre med kids spent three days at a local hospital, rotating through all the various departments. A group of art students went to the 798 District here in Beijing to meet with local artists in residence, attend workshops, visit with an art dealer, museum curator and such. I wanted to be with THAT group! I was assigned to chaperone the business kids who spent three days at the bank.
Banking nearly bores me to tears.
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| To make matters worse, it was all in Mandarin, of course, so I understood not one. single. word. Hours and hours of PPTs in a language I do not speak. Just shoot me now. Put me out of my misery. |
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| The first morning we had to meet at the school's West Gate at 6:00AM to take the hour train ride to the east side so that the kids could be put through morning training exercises with the bank staff. This includes using the proper words, tone of voice, and hand motions to speak with bank customers. |
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| They had to bow at just the proper angle when they said "Xie xie" which means "Thank you." It was like military training for bank tellers. Gotta love Communism. You see 'training exercises' often on the streets for restaurant workers, hotel personnel, subway attendants, even the trash pickers. Crazy. |
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| While the kids were put through the paces, I watched them fill the ATMs before the bank opened for business. My excitement was seeing a woman yelling at the security guard because she wanted to use the ATM. He wouldn't let her until they were done filling the machines. She kept screaming and smacking the glass door which said, "24 Hour Banking Machine." Gutsy woman screaming at a uniformed security guard carrying a side firearm! |
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| In my two days at the bank, I learned how to count money speedy quick, according to their training and regulations. This guy demonstrated that he was lightening fast. He must have won the "Teller of the Month" award. |
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| The kids really enjoyed taking a crack at how fast they could count a stack of play money. All the cell phones came out for selfies and videos. |
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| Though it was all still in Mandarin, I enjoyed this guy. He gave them a lesson on the stock market. He traced the profits and losses of four different companies starting in 2002. He asked students to each choose which company they would invest in. Each slide was of the following year, and kids could track the performance of the company 'they invested in.' They were real excited at the pile of money they were earning as they chose to 'go big'. I stuck with the safer, moderate growth. When the crash of 2008 occurred, I held on with minimal loss, where the kids all lost their a$$. The economics teacher was the other chaperone, and he was disgusted with them. "Haven't I taught you anything?" he cried. I smugly smiled. Guess my investments with Fidelity over the years has taught me a thing or too, wink! wink! |
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| Other than that, the highlight of my week was getting to have lunch with some of my favorite students :) |
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| Like enjoying a delicious cup of coffee with sweet Gabby girl :) I <3 her. |
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| ...and french braiding Lisa's hair. They were all impressed with my braiding abilities. I explained that I helped raise four daughters, lol. |
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| Another highlight was this most delicious margherita pizza for lunch :) Good pizza is SUPER HARD to find in the 'Jing. |
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| A highlight of the first day was seeing this cat with one very green eye and one very blue eye. Both creepy, and cool, at the same time. |
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| But seriously, the very best part of the day was the huge thunderstorm that came rolling through the second afternoon. It has been so hot, and dry, and dirty, and polluted, that the rain was a most welcome sight. Hopefully it will lower the temperatures, clean the air up, and wash all the streets, park benches and sidewalks down. Dirty air makes everything dirty. |
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| The storm brought everyone out of the bank to watch it rain. They took pics. I took pics of them taking pics. |
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| Rain never looked, or smelled, so good. If I wasn't in my professional clothes, I would have been playing in it. I was chaperoning, so I had to be on my best behavior :( |
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| True to China form, as the rain poured down, there was a woman desperately squeegee-ing the bank steps off as quickly as it puddled back up. Everybody has a job in the China ;) |
G'nite, y'all!
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