Thursday, October 28, 2010

The life of a Chinese student at No. 7 Middle School

Wake up in the school dorms at 5:45 AM to the sound of Chinese music blaring over the big speakers. Each room that the students live in has 4 bunk beds and sometimes a single as well, meaning there can be up to 9 middle schoolers living in one room. (Ah!) Of course, they are gender separated. Breakfast is from 6:30AM-7AM and cleaning the school is from 7AM-right before class starts at 7:30AM. Classes are 45 minutes long, and include Chinese, English, math, calligraphy, art,  music, physical education and more that I don't know of. (I just realized a few days ago that students practice their big horned instruments in their dorms. Up until then, I always thought the students were constantly rearranging their rooms and the loud noises were from the beds screeching against the floor. But as usual, my ignorance makes for a good laugh.) I have noticed teachers out on the field running around the track with their students during PE. This is much different than home because usually that is the time that teachers have their planning time. But then again, I really don't know when these teachers plan their lessons because their days are so long.

Flag raising is around 7:10AM when I am walking to get my bike to ride to No. 11 Middle School. Everyone stops in their tracks and watches as the flag is raised outside on the field. It's always a beautiful way to start my day.

Lunch time is at 12PM and the Chinese song signals when class is over. On the way to lunch, which the whole school has at the same time, Kenny G is played over loud speakers.  It's interesting and a little odd choice of music to me but I guess it does relax me when I hear it, and that may be their point.

For lunch, the students are allowed to choose between cup noodles and eating what the cafeteria ladies have prepared. I think about 85% of the students eat cafeteria food (which is pretty good btw) and the others eat cup noodles. Also, many of them eat Chinese hot dogs (not the same as American ones) and fried chicken. I'm not sure if that is all they eat for lunch, but I see many many kids eat them everyday. Also, when possible, most people choose to use a big soup spoon rather than chopsticks during meals. I have noticed this and have done the same. I am proud to say that I am now not the slowest eater. :) After lunch they have until 1:30PM (I think) until they must go back for classes.

Afternoon classes run until 5:30PM, when they break for dinner. I'm not quite sure when night classes begin but I think they are around 6:30PM-7PM and last until 9PM. When I go back to the dorms before school gets out I find myself forgetting that the students are still in school and I think they are just asleep. But every night at around 9:03PM I hear roars of laughter and kids screaming in the pitch dark because they haven't installed lighting yet outside. This is especially scary when the kids are still in class and you walk back to the dorms in the pitch dark and silence. Thankfully my mom gave me a flashlight, just in case. :)

3 comments:

  1. I love your descriptions of lunch, it really reminds me of when I first came to China and studied abroad. Then when I came back to work for a summer, I had to live in a dorm as back then foreigners had to live in 'approved housing' that was meant for foreigners. So I lived in the foreign dormitory of a university and ate on campus. I remember feeling totally enamored with the options and process... No one used a spoon though, that seems new!

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  2. That spoon story also tells you why I never insist on eating with chopsticks and a bowl. We used big spoons and forks too, or chopsticks with big spoons and plates for lunches at school. Never had bowls.

    Also don't understand why school lasts such a long span of time. Don't the students go home after 5PM? Why have more classes after dinner? That's unheard of.

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  3. so many dimensions of your comments speak to the group focus rather than the individual....cleaning the school, etc. I really liked your assumption that students were constantly rearranging their rooms!

    check out the late night activities.....are they doing standard academic subjects then or what?

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