Homework

The major change in my role in China vs. the last time we were here in 1995 is what I do with my free time. Last time, it was just Char and I, and I did a lot of teaching of English to monks. I also cooked and cleaned and shopped and circumabulated the monastery. This time, I am the homework king. (Or perhaps tyrant if you are a kid of mine.) Before we left, I was able to copy the homework sheets that the girls are missing in Portland. So each day around 8:30 or 9 a.m., I grab the next homework sheets, look up the Chinese characters and get the girls started. I then get Noah to look up characters in a Chinese book he is reading or ask him to do some of his math homework (also copied from his teacher.)


Four days a week, we go to a local Chinese/English library where the girls get a one-on-one storytime in Chinese with a bi-lingual staff member. We both encourage them to ask questions and speak in Chinese. They are coming along well.




I am also studying Chinese and the characters along with the girls. Besides their words, I also study words that an adult might need to know (not just "play ball" and "public park".)



There are still dishes to wash and shopping to be done (three different small stores in our complex make this very easy.) And the clothes washing is accomplished much easier this time by our small little clothes washer[In the picture, the keys are for scale.] In the picture on top, you can see the clothes hanging to dry in our enclosed porch/balcony. Last time, all the clothes were washed by hand and hung out on an open air balcony.


That's all for this post, I guess. We will be leaving for Qinghai on Friday as Char finally has all of her paperwork in order. We will miss this apartment and it's amenities. Other than the next post, I may not be able to get online for a while as we get resettled in Rebgong.
Love to all and Happy Thanksgiving!
Cain and family