Hello and welcome to my journey!  As a writer, I cannot resist the opportunity to write about my experiences as I prepare for and travel in China with 24 other teachers as a part of the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute "From Chang'an to Xi'an:Ancient Capital to Modern Metropolis."  Kevin Lawrence suggested I use this site as a way to share my experience with my students and colleagues, I think it is a great idea.

My classes with my seniors are wrapping up, and I wanted to give them the opportunity to stay in touch and hear about my trip, as they begin their own journeys to colleges near and far.  I will miss them, just when they started to "tighten up." My sophomores still have a few weeks to go, it feels like torture for them.  I know this will be a busy summer for me, but I am excited about sharing what I learn. 

Just last week, Freedom High School celebrated International Night, students presented dances, music, and a fashion show representing their native cultures and homelands.  This is one of our most popular events and reflects the diversity of our school.  Several of my students reminded me that next year I will need to take part to show what I have learned in China.  That was a little daunting, but I am excited to try.  Miss Lim has already given me some help with language studies- it's easy she says!

The past week has already been busy with shots and trying to sort out all of the things I need to accomplish before I leave.  Checklists.  Did I mention that I am moving?  No stress, really. Passport-check.  Visa- hmm, need a photo.  shots- check.  catsitter- check. bank- check. address change- check.  Storage- check. Packing- not so much.  You get the idea.   I think that finally getting on the plane will be a relief.

I am thrilled to have been chosen for this trip and hope you can "come along" on my journey!  Nathalia Hardy

Hi-I'm not part of your trip but am with the Teach China Confucious trip. I have been posting from my AOL a countdown and adding new vocab words every day…are you interested in being added to the list? I might miss a day here and there due to school and life obligations but it's at least 4x a week. We are at day 51 (but who's counting?) If you don't get too much of a chance to sketch the soldiers they are coming to Washington DC this winter. You can already buy your tkts online from the Smithsonian. Thanks for the tip of the other book. I finished 3 books by Anchee Min, 2 were about Empress Cixi and one was about Madame Mao. Our library had them. -Pearl Lau, art educator, Brooklyn, NY

Last night was my last National Board Certification Cohort session before we break for the summer.  I returned home to find a delivery notice for my "box."  This process has already added another lens to my preparations for our trip.  Through the National Board Certification process you are asked to constantly evaluate, perhaps in a more formal way than what we do on a daily basis, what you do in and out of the classroom, and how those practices impact student learning and the involvement of communities and families.  I can't imagine I'll have too much time to go through any more of the materials before I leave, I'm already panicking about the lack of time to read the materials we have been provided.  I know that things will start to get better next week, but the crunch time at the end of the year is killing me.  At least I will have a few weeks after we return before I have to start school- that, I suppose, is the good news about getting out of school so late.

Fortunately, I have amazing support from my family for this trip!  I think my colleagues, friends and family are as excited as I am.  I keep getting e-mails from friends near and far.  My Mum is busily gathering things for me to pack and organizing everything I don't even have time to think about.  Who knew laundry soap comes in little dry postage stamp sized sheets that fit into a small pouch! 

Today, perhaps the most exciting event will be the arrival of the camera- the Nikon P90!  It's quite a little powerhouse.  I'll be ordering a spare battery and a Wolverine flashpac.  I know we will get lots of use out of these.  Looks like the camera will be headed to Spain next!

I have had a small amount of time to work with the language CD's.  I'm certain this will be easier once we are on site.  Miss Lim has been great about tips with the language, I just wish we had more time! 

After the packing list arrived from Kevin, I have been thinking about gifts.  A trip to D.C. may be in order for some National Capitol flavor!  Maybe the outlet in Leesburg, I haven't really spent much time there so I don't know what they have.  I love gifts though, so this will be fun to prepare for.

I spent a little time last night looking through my yarn- I think a pair of socks is a perfect project to bring to Xi'an.  Knitting really relaxes me at night, and might be easier packing than a book.  I guess I need to check the airline regulations for knitting needles these days, something tells me those need to go into the packed luggage!  Wonder if there are yarn shops in Xi'an?  I guess I'll be happy if I can find sketching supplies.   The whole 44 lbs limit is really making me think carefully about what I take.   Probably a good thing, I know we were horribly overpacked when we went to France! 

Ah well, more later.     

pearllau said:

Hi Thalia-please send me your e-mail so I can add you to our little language post. I am on Day 48 (48 days to China) and may skip one or two depending on how busy I am that day.   By the way, from what I understand the 44 lbs is only when you fly within China, not to China. But check. You can also save money by not buying things like laundry soap here. I just use the soap I get in the room there, unless you are in a dorm with no provided soap. Just remember, they do have soap in China! My e-mail is pearllau@aol.com Dzai Jen! Pearl

Hello Pearl,  e-mail is thalia.hardy@gmail.com or nathalia.hardy@loudoun.k12.va.us   Thanks for the hints- I will be staying in the dorms, but am planning on buying toiletries when I get there- Pearl, do you have a sense of what kinds of small gifts would be appreciated?  I was thinking maybe small notecards with scenes of Washington, D.C.  xiexie!  Thalia 

Hi Thalia-I think most people like photo postcards, DC with cherry blossoms, the white house etc. I was planning on bringing photo postcards of the Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State bldg. Those bldgs are icons of America. Keychains that say "I love  (heart) NY". I remember years ago people lived getting Bic  lighters, but everyone is so anti smoking now that it's probably not politically correct. I have to admit I still love getting pens that have something that slides by. I have a pen from Monet's gardens with water lily pads that slide by. I have a pen from the insane asylum where Van Gogh stayed and he slides by. Can you get a pen where Obama slides by the White House? Good luck! Pearl

June 30- Our deadline is fast approachin- gifts have been purchased, my house packed, moved and- well, not so unpacked, but I'm getting there. Elijah, the little cat clocking in at 21 pounds, has found hidey hole in the closet wall- wonderful really.  I guess he'll settle down soon, and then I will leave him for five weeks. 

I am seriously sleep depirved, but very excited for the trip. I may sleep the whole way to Beijing!  I'm lookng for just the righ sock pattern to kinit on the trip- two circuars, have the yarn already- hand dyed, Lorna's Laces- YUMMY.  Need to run to Hunt Country Yarns and figure that out.  I am finishing a pair of socks, but am not crazy about the way the sock is turning out-bummer.  Jaywaler- it is a bit tight in places- I was warned- ah well- Next post may well be from China!!!!        

Ni Hao! Greetings from Beijing!  Getting here was half the fun.  The anxiety was high due to the reports of quarantine due to the H1N1 virus, I was certainly anxious.  The plane noise was awful and this was the longest flight I had been on.  I suppose the sinus difficulties I had had did not help, needless to say, it did not go well.  I was not able to sleep then I experienced terrible airsickness, terrify those arround me.  I had a change of clothes and was able to clean up and rest before the flight landed, although I did not feel great.  Kevin Lawrence, our group leader was simply fabulous and a great help, truly above and beyond his duties to be sure.  The flight attendants come around and pass out a form asking about your health with boxes for all sorts of ailments, including vomiting, so with great trepidation I checked the box.  Then after landing the health officials come on board to take your temperature, the official tried three times to take my temperature then, hitting the machine left.  I was very concerned at this point.  He returned, but did not come back to me.  Whew.  We then waited to leave the plane, and waited.  The official took my form and handed me a mask, suddenly I was whisked away, Kevin began speaking Chinese very quickly, the official was walking too quickly, Kevin was being diverted into another line and I was very frightened.  I was put into a room where three other women with masks were waiting.  A doctor sat at a desk, she soon released the other women, they looked more confused than relieved.  She asked me to sit in front of the desk, looked at my form and placed a new form in front of me- "fill this out" she instructed in a very annoyed tone "this is only for flu and colds." Honestly, I was perplexed, I had signed my name that I was responding honestly, and had written "airsickness" in the space below "vomiting" now I was being chastised.  It got comical when I got to the parts of the form Kevin had filled out in Chinese and I had to explain to her that I could not read Chinese and that someone else had filled this out for me, she grabbed the form and finshed it, asking me to sign.  Five minutes of quarantine and I was done!  My clothes were lost, Kevin declared it a sacrifice to the quarantine gods, I guess I can live with that, sad though- cute outfit! 

Needless to say, I have been tired the past few days… Beijing has been amazing.  Yesterday, we went to the Wall and were blessed with beautiful weather.  Our day started at 3:30 with a trip to the Tian'ammen Square to see the flag raised.  I am getting amazing pictures!  Thanks Lis and Mum for the camera.  Today we go to the Forbidden City then on to Xi'an.  Spectacular food, wonderful companians.  I can't say enough good things about Kevin! Stipend was deposited without problem- all is well.  More from Xi'an.  Love, Thalia.   

We are now getting settled in Xi'an!  It is hot here, very, very hot.  My room is very large and comfortable.  We met our Chinese hosts, University students who have just finished their first year examinations.  Li Jing and Hel in, who also goes by Lydia, have been helping me around, showing me how to use the bus system and helping me to purchase things that I need ( we went to a kind of Chinese Costco! I purchased a pillow!)

Yesterday, we went to the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower, the views were very impressive.  Xi'an is definately in transition, much of the city is being torn up for the installation of a subway system.  The girls are very helpful in knowing which bus to take and how to cross the street!  We walked through the Muslim quarter and had lunch at the Delicious Dumpling resturant, many locals as well as tourists were there.  The dumplings were truly delicious. 

Today, we began our classes in Chinese and had our first lecture by Professor Annette Juliano concerning the development of pottery through cultures in this area and through different parts of China.  We then went to the Banpo Village resoration site and saw examples of pottery, fossils and burial sites in the area.  It was very interesting and impressive the work that had been done on the restoration.

Tomorrow, we will have our first time to get together as a group and start our curriculum development, I know many people have great ideas already. 

It is nice to get settled, I am excited to get underway with the language classes, Li Jing is coming this evening to help me study after we go to dinner.  The food here is delicious- for lunch we had wide noodles with mutton and vegetables.  I am not sure what we will have for dinner.  I am loving Bok Choy and fish!  More later!! 

senigro said:

Hi Nathalia : ) Glad you have recovered from your initial entry woes into China. Sounds like you are enjoying the experience now that you're settled in Xian. It's really hot here, as well, and even though I've stayed indoors due to the heat, I've done nothing on NB. After printing out over 170 pages of portfolio instructions, I kind of went into shock….I'll recover soon, though. Update: Phil has formally turned in his resignation and taken a position with Fairfax–thought you'd want to know.

Fun to read your posts! Keep 'em coming.

Susan 

Hi,  Nathalia has sent 2 emails and asked that they be copied to China 360, apparently it was down when she went to blog this morning.  So here goes —-Tried to write this once and it died, so will try again and save frequently.  The internet cafes are a big subject of debate with the parents because the children spend time here largely playing games involving guns, not. studying.  They are dark, smoky place where the students come to play violent games.  Kinda icky.  Very hot, you never really know what will be working, what will be accessible, I wrote my first China 360 blog and it shutdown, needless to say the second one was much shorter!

Our days are long, T'ai Chi at 7, Chinese Language at 9, lecture from 10 to 12, lunch from 12 – 1:30, usually tour to museum or site visit from l:30 to anywhere from 6 – 8 or whenever we are done, some days we finish earlier.  Sundays we have free.  My Chinese host is a lovely young woman who attends Shaanxi Normal University, named Li Jing, she is 19.  Her best friend Lydia often accompanies us.  Today we went to the Muslim Quarter and did some shopping.  We visited a Chinese Tailor and all the women on the trip had Chinese dresses made, as well I had a beautiful Chinese jacket made in the style from the Tang Dynest.

Things in China are interesting.  The people are fabulous, it is beautiful, it is true that the nation bird is the crane — there is construction everywhere.  We are seeing amazing and varied historical sites, I am exhausted and my foot is still bothering me.  Trying to pace myself.  Tonight I am taking Le Jing and Lydia to dinner with a graduate student named Dan.  Tomorrow will be a long day.  I wish I had my computer here as we do have internet in our room and the internet cafe is about 6 blocks away. 

I enjoyed the Bronze museum very much and am sad we will not go to Hua Shu, a buddhist monestary, but the roads are very bad.  New weekend we will be out of town all weekend to Yan An.

There are many possibilities for cool synthesis essays!!!  Hopefully China 360 will come back up and I will get a breather later this week.  Time to go get a shower before dinner – I stink!!!   Nathalia