China update...

Greetings from Nanchang,­

The winter coats have been carefully stowed away and the umbrellas have been brought out in anticipation of the rainy season here in southern China . I'll spend a few moments in my dry apartment to send you a sampling of the experiences I've had this past month.

Excuse me Mr. Cottrell, can we talk for a moment?

We're now in our sixth week of our spring semester and I've been having a wonderful time with our new group of students. Having been an adult learner I've become more in tune in assisting our students as I understand from personal experience what it means to be an older student.

Our students and the Chinese people I interact with don't have a lot of opportunities to practice speaking English with native speaker's people. Depending on the topics or my free time I'm able to be a conversation partner for my students or Chinese friends who ask to speak with me on a one on one basis or even in a group setting. As you could probably imagine saying no is a difficult response when I want to help as many people as I can. In this scenario our students have priority over who requests to practice English with me.

Lesson Planning:

This aspect of teaching has provided me with both challenging and stretching experiences. "It's easier said than done" being in teacher role instead of sitting comfortably in the student role. I had a rough time with lesson planning during our Pasadena summer training as we had practice teaching two to three times a week along with an assortment of other sessions. To alleviate the stress of planning I'm taking more time preparing lessons while keeping the individual students needs in mine.

Joey and I teach beginning and advanced level students so I have to be mindful in how much time I fill a class period up with. This term I started with the beginner level class for a total of sixteen hours and the advanced level class for a total of four hours each week. At the mid-point mark of our semester Joey and I will switch classes and I'll take the advanced class for the same amount of time I had the beginner class during the opening weeks.

Student - Centered Approach:

In our organization we try to create an interactive environment for our students to be able to learn and practice English. What we try to do in our class each day is make sure our students have a safe and comfortable environment so they can try their best to make a progress in learning English.

We not only create a comfortable environment but make learning fun by planning out of class activities where our students can practice English during a meal, shopping excursions, or taking walks around a Nanchang lake.

In addition to having a student centered classroom I invite our students to contact me by phone and/or email so they aware that I'm available to assist with their English questions or other subjects.

Student Led Activities: Practicum 101

Having spent this year with University teachers Joey and I have had the unique privilege of watching our student's present English lessons in our classrooms in the course called Student Led activities. This weekly class entails our students pairing up with a classmate and teaching an English activity to their classmates.

This is by far my favorite course to facilitate as I get to exchange teaching ideas with students. I also have the privilege to witness from a distance and close-up the preparation and delivery of a finished product from our teaching teams. What's been an added highlight for me is I'm able to share about my previous team teaching experiences and about my role as co-teacher with Joey.

Common Question: Is there a McDonald's in your city?

There are two McDonald's in Nanchang and both are located near the pedestrian-only shopping street. There are also several McDonald's stores that serve only ice cream cones and beverages. There are also number of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and two Pizza Hut restaurants.

Sadly there are no Starbucks's in Nanchang but my Joey, my team mate, can probably pinpoint within a few meters the exact locations of the stores in Hong Kong . To emphasize this fact I'm willing to place a friendly bet that he can find the stores while being blindfolded.

Cultural highlight: weighing in

Life in China has created memorable experiences wherever I happen to be. One aspect of living in China is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables that are sold at sidewalk stores or in the supermarket. In America before we purchase our fruits and/or vegetables we must use the store provided weight scale to determine how much the food will cost at the checkout stand.

In China there is a different procedure that must be followed. For example, if I want a pound of tangerines I fill up my plastic bag with what can be considered a pound and then I take the filled bag to a weight counter where a store employee weighs the items for me and attaches a tag giving the weight and cost of the items. This procedure works well but I've caught myself several times forgetting to visit the weight counter. Luckily for me the store employees have assisted and led me to the weight scales.

This concludes my monthly China update. Thanks for taking time to stop to read this and my other updates. I'll look forward to sharing more with you about our students and experiences next month.

Until then, have a safe week.

Brian

one month of little sleep.

August 2nd 1990 was the day Iraq invaded the country of Kuwait. I remember this date like it was yesterday. Let me share with you my personal background to this date.

I was stationed aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) a nuclear powered aircraft carrier home ported in Norfolk, VA. My job was that of an Aviation Storekeeper which entailed keeping track of the aircraft parts for our
embarked air wing. I was in the Navy for nine years and the Eisenhower was my first assignment. I had a positive experience onboard the Eisenhower and consider it one of the many memorable times in my life.

Our Battle Group of 8-10 ships had been conducting operations in the Mediterranean Sea during the spring and summer of 1990. We had left Norfolk in March and traveled to a variety of ports in Spain, Israel, France, and Italy. In a Battle group there of ships of different sizes and purposes. I recall fond memories of the port visits and participating in group tours or exploring the cities in a small group of friends. By far my favorite port visit was to Haifa, Israel as I was able to take a bus up to Jerusalem to tour the historical sites.

Naples, Italy was our last port visit of the deployment as we would begin to look ahead to the time of transiting the Mediterranean and Atlantic toward Norfolk. But something had occurred in the Middle East that prompted our schedule to be quickly adjusted from a westward transit to a south-eastern transit.

Iraq had invaded Kuwait.

Our commanding officer announced over the addressing system that higher authorities in Washington D.C. ordered us to change our course and head toward the Red Sea. This was no drill because now our ship was going to a combat zone. Our battle group was to provide a advance U.S. Naval and airpower presence. I was beyond words during this period of time as I was now apart of something really big that would affect not only our country, Kuwait but the world in terms of its relations with Iraq.

Yes, this was the beginning of the First Gulf War but in my mind this was the continuation of the events that have surrounded the mystique of the Middle East. This wasn't the first (or last) time America was going to be in the region and not the first time the region was shaken up by one country.

We transited the Suez Canal and remained in the Red Sea operating area for a total of one month. During this time personal and military resources were being staged in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for the orders to enter Iraq. Our air wing flew a variety of reconnaissance flights while battle group companions conducted standard search, board, and seizures of suspected boats in the Red Sea.

My global outlook before the Navy and particularly this event was mainly focused on Asia, Europe, South America, and North America. I had read plenty of the history found in the Middle East but didn't realize I would someday be apart of a major event as the one I participated in during the summer of 1990. Today my global outlook or perspective includes more of what occurs in the Middle East and the other regions I mentioned.

I returned to the Middle East a total of two more times while I was in the Navy. The Eisenhower made a return deployment to the region as we transited the Suez Canal, Red Sea, and operated in the Persian Gulf. I was also stationed aboard the USS Independence (CV-62) and deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1994.

One memory that I¡¯ll have of those deployments was witnessing the handling of missiles and bombs that were being transferred from our ships armory to our assigned aircraft. These weren't the practice bombs that were utilized in range practice but the real deal.

In closing, to this day I'm not sure what prompted Iraq to invade Kuwait. I've heard from many sources that oil was the cause of the invasion. Whatever was the reason for the invasion or why we have to project our presence in the Middle East is something we'll have to contend with for many years.

By the way, when I say we this means everyone in our circles of influence.

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China update...

Winter is still hanging on so Joey and I are keeping warm both in and out the classroom. The Nanchang spring will arrive in time so I thought this would be a good time to have a cup of coffee and send you a monthly update.

Spring semester:

This last month our theme has been transitions as we shifted our focus from the customs and traditions of the Chinese New Year to the needs of our new students. March 13^th was our first day of the spring semester. This semester Joey and I will share 32 students who work as Professors on the campus of Nanchang University .

March 8^th and 9^th were set aside as days of testing and interviewing our prospective students. From these two events we assembled an advanced and beginning level class. I will be teaching the beginning level class which has become a good fit for my learning style and previous experiences. During our interviews we hand out a sheet to ask for our students contact information. This information is important as it helps us in developing our lessons to reach our students and to maintain contact with them throughout the semester.

Our students are younger than our fall semester group so we'll need to use a different approach with each of them in the classroom. Our students are already planning several activities so I'm looking forward to spending time with them in and out of the classroom this semester.

China Events:

March 27th marks the 500-day countdown until the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics. China will also host the 2008 Para-Olympic Games in addition to the Summer Games.

The 2007 FIFA Women's World Soccer Cup will be held in the following cities: Chengdu , Hangzhou , Shanghai , Tianjin , and Wuhan .

Shanghai will host and welcome guests to the 2010 World's Expo. My parents and I attended the 1986 World's Expo in Vancouver , Canada and I have fond memories of touring the Korean, Japan , and China pavilions.

Common Question: How much is a Haircut?

A Men's haircut in Nanchang includes a shampoo, rinse, cut, and style for the price of one American dollar. I go to the same Barber Shop each time so the stylists know who I am and what I need. I speak a few Chinese words with the people in the shop but mostly keep quiet and allow them to do their job.

Cultural highlight:

bai nian: New Year's visiting

During the Chinese New Year week of February 17^th - 24^th I had the unique opportunity to participate in the tradition of making social visits with my Chinese friends and students. My visits were mostly situated around Nanchang but a number of our students traveled long distances to pay the traditional visits to their friends and relatives.

Family news: April 6, 2007

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my Parents Keith and Florence a blessed 39^th wedding anniversary. If you ever have had the opportunity to meet my Parents ask them to share their story of meeting each other in Oregon . I have access to one version but I can't seem to acquire any others. My version includes both sets of Grandparents knowing and working together in farming long before my Parents had met each other.

Thank you for taking a little bit of your time to read my China experiences. I trust you¡¯re learning a little about China as I do each day with our students. I¡¯ll look forward to sharing more about our transitions with you in future updates.

Until then, have a safe week.

8-2-90

August 2nd 1990 was the day Iraq invaded the country of Kuwait. I remember this date like it was yesterday. Let me share with you my personal background to this date.

I was stationed aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN-69 a nuclear powered aircraft carrier home ported in Norfolk, VA. My job was that of an Aviation Storekeeper which entailed keeping track of the aircraft parts for our embarked air wing. I was in the Navy for nine years and the Eisenhower was my first assignment. I had a positive experience onboard the Eisenhower and consider it one of the many memorable times in my life.

Our Battle Group of 8-10 ships had been conducting operations in the Mediterranean Sea during the spring and summer of 1990. We had left Norfolk in March and traveled to a variety of ports in Spain, Israel, France, and Italy. In a Battle group there of ships of different sizes and purposes. I recall fond memories of the port visits and participating in group tours or exploring the cities in a small group of friends. By far my favorite port visit was to Haifa, Israel as I was able to take a bus up to Jerusalem to tour the historical sites.

Naples, Italy was our last port visit of the deployment as we would begin to look ahead to the time of transiting the Mediterranean and Atlantic toward Norfolk. But something had occurred in the Middle East that prompted our schedule to be quickly adjusted from a westward transit to a south-eastern transit.

Iraq had invaded Kuwait.

Our commanding officer announced over the addressing system that higher authorities in Washington D.C. ordered us to change our course and head toward the Red Sea. This was no drill because now our ship was going to a combat zone. Our battle group was to provide a advance U.S. Naval and airpower presence. I was beyond words during this period of time as I was now apart of something really big that would affect not only our country, Kuwait but the world in terms of its relations with Iraq.

Yes, this was the beginning of the First Gulf War but in my mind this was the continuation of the events that have surrounded the mystique of the Middle East. This wasn't the first time America was going to be in the region and not the first time the region was shaken up by one country.

We transited the Suez Canal and remained in the Red Sea operating area for a total of one month. During this time personal and military resources were being staged in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for the orders to enter Iraq. Our air wing flew a variety of reconnaissance flights while battle group companions conducted standard search, board, and seizures of suspected boats in the Red Sea.

My global outlook before the Navy and particularly this event was mainly focused on Asia, Europe, South America, and North America. I had read plenty of the history found in the Middle East but didn't realize I would someday be apart of a major event as the one I participated in during the summer of 1990. Today my global outlook or perspective includes more of what occurs in the Middle East and the other regions I mentioned.

I returned to the Middle East a total of two more times while I was in the Navy. The Eisenhower made a return deployment to the region as we transited the Suez Canal, Red Sea, and operated in the Persian Gulf. I was also stationed aboard the USS Independence (CV-62) and deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1994.

One memory that I'll have of those deployments was witnessing the handling of missiles and bombs that were being transferred from our ships armory to our assigned aircraft. These weren't the practice bombs that were utilized in range practice but the real deal.

In closing, to this day I'm not sure what prompted Iraq to invade Kuwait. I've heard from many sources that oil was the cause of the invasion. Whatever was the reason for the invasion or why we have to project our presence in the Middle East is something we'll have to contend with for many years.

January

Greetings from Nanchang ,

This update is sponsored by the words cold and weather as it’s a bit nippy here in southern China . I thought about wearing gloves to type this but this would look rather strange. Even with the cold weather this last month has been a mix of blessings for us and our students.

Christmas:

Four parties in four days made for a busy holiday. We hosted a party for our students that included a fun filled gift exchange. Joey and I (and the other foreign teachers) were invited to a special dinner that was hosted by our school administration. Joey and I also had dinner with one of our classes which included a few rounds of badminton. To round off the weekend I spent an evening at a dinner hosted by students I had met at another university in Nanchang . I received holiday wishes from Chinese friends and students I had met or taught during my previous China trips.

End of Fall Semester: January 12^th.

We ended our semester with a graduation ceremony to recognize the achievements of our students. The highlight of the ceremony was the English speeches by the two student leaders. We took oodles of pictures and exchanged classroom memories. It was truly a special day for me as I witnessed the outcome of the efforts our students. We ended the day with a wonderful lunch with our students.

A second highlight of our day was a plentiful dinner that was hosted by the President of Nanchang University . I was so nervous that I dropped my food twice but luckily none of it ended on or near the President.

Thoughts on Fall Semester:

I would like to use the Chinese word nai xing which translates into patience. Teaching in China is definitely a challenging job but as I share with my student’s patience is needed in language learning and life. As teachers themselves our students have been helpful in sharing with me insights about how they reach their own students. For my Middle East friends the Arabic word for patience is sabr.

I was nervous when I arrived in Nanchang but after a few weeks I felt fine and was able to integrate myself into a routine. I've enjoyed planning a variety of outdoor activities and taking my classes to the supermarket to share the English translation of food items. I've shared a numbers of examples from American history and culture. ( U.S. Presidency, Immigration, and U.S. Government)

Chinese New Year:

With the Fall Semester complete Joey and I will now enjoy an extended holiday break until we prepare to welcome a new set of students in the spring. I'm planning to remain in Nanchang and spend time with our students, neighbors, and friends. I'll have the privilege of celebrate my first Chinese New Year in Nanchang .

Family News:

I would like to take this opportunity to share that my Grandmother Ina Cottrell will celebrate her 96^th Birthday on the 25^th of January. Ina resides in a care center in Boise , Idaho . The nursing staff enjoys her sense of humor and stories about our family. My parents visit with Ina on a regular basis and share updates like this one with her.

Lesson of the Month: Ellis Island/ Angel Island Experience

I organized an in-class simulation exercise to give our students an idea of what occurred at the Immigration stations at Ellis Island , N.Y. and Angel Island in San Francisco . Each student filled out an Immigration form and had an oral interview with the official which was me. I rejected and accepted an equal amount of the forms which allowed the students an opportunity to learn what immigrants experienced. I gave a brief overview of immigration history and how it related to people from Asia . Most of the information I shared about was from a Ventura Community College class ( Calif ) I took called Introduction to Asian American Studies.

december.

Friends,

Happy Holiday from China !!! I trust this update finds you preparing to celebrate with your family, friends, or students as it is with our China teaching team. The next four weeks will be fill of new experiences as I will be in Nanchang for my first Christmas and New Year.

Teaching Philosophy: I thought I would take a moment to explain how I'm approaching teaching. I've been here in China for four months and seen my strengths and weakness come out during my time in and outside of the classroom. I think the most important thing I can do with our students is be there for them as they progress through our course. I have vivid memories of my professors being there for me while I was an adult learner progressing through language courses, Theology, Math, English, and History.

It’s my turn to be that presence with our students as we go through the many lessons and activities. I have to remind myself that even though our students come from a different country we're finding that time spent in formal and informal discussions we find that we have similar interests and hobbies.

Invitations: I have a good example that I shared this week of how I accepted and declined an recent invitation. My Chinese friend called me last Wednesday with a meal invitation for the 9th. On Thurs I received a wedding invitation from a foreign teacher neighbor for the same afternoon of the meal. Because I’ve known the neighbor the longest I attended the wedding and had a wonderful time. The night before the wedding I called and gave my student friend a valid reason for not going to a meal with him. I shared this situation with our students and allowed them to discuss it without telling them I was the person that had this predicament. After a few moments of discussion I listened to a variety of reasons of declining and accepting invitations.

The question for you: What would you do in the above situation?

Holiday in China : The first hint that I saw of the holidays occurred when I was shopping in Wal-Wart and saw an aisle of decorations and gifts. The music section has an assortment of holiday music so I might have to return and browse the selections. The big holiday period however is the Chinese New Year which is called "spring festival." Just this morning I received a knock on my classroom door and Joey and his class were wanting to practice a holiday song for my class. I invited Joey and the students in and my class was treated to a mini concert. Weekly highlights like this make living in China full of memories and experiences.

Campus Evaluation: Last month our students experienced an all campus visit by the Chinese Board of Education. It’s similar to the accreditation process used in American Universities. Since our students are Professors they were busy before and during the week the visit occurred. We didn’t have classes during the evaluation period so our students can fully participate in the process. From the reports we’ve received the visit went smoothly so we can continue with our language classes. The expressions of relief on our students face when they came back from the week long absence was priceless for me to witness.

Fall Semester: Our Fall semester will be finished on January 12. A graduation ceremony will be held for our first set of students and present them with a certificate of completion. There will be speeches by two students, host officials, Joey and I. After the ceremony we will have an extended holiday break. Joey and I will begin the spring semester in late February soon after we have celebrated the Chinese New Year.

Thanks again for taking time to read my update. In next months update I'll share about the New Year preparations and our graduation ceremony. Thanks also to those of you who have donated to my support account this year. It means a lot to me to enjoy this privilege of teaching our students with the support of friends and family in the U.S. and overseas.

Have a safe and joyous holiday with your family and friends.

Brian

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november

Friends,

This month has been filled with traveling, teaching, and learning.
Teaching continues to be challenging and rewarding as were slowly
progressing through our textbooks. Ive also had numerous
opportunities to absorb the Chinese culture while exploring Nanchang
and traveling to a retreat in Xian, China.

Xian retreat: Each year the TeachOverseas.org China team gathers in
a city to hold a retreat. This year we met in Xian which is the
former Chinese capitol and the site of the Terracotta Soldiers and
the City Wall. Our retreat site was a mountain resort located a hour
outside of Xian. I enjoyed the retreat as I had an opportunity to
interact with fellow teachers and share teaching experiences with
them in a relaxed setting. Our speaker this year was from Barnabas
International which sends out speakers to provide timely ministry
encouragement. I didnt visit the Terracotta Soldiers site but spent
a majority of my free time relaxing and talking with teachers who I
attended training with.

Health: Ive been feeling good this month as Im getting used to the
spicy foods and the weather in Nanchang. I get tired more often so I
take a short nap when I arrive home from class to get energized for
the evening activities or to plan lessons. Joey is also feeling well
and remains a positive encouragement to me. There are a number of
medical facilities in Nanchang if Joey and I require medical
attention or references for medicines.

Chopsticks: Not to brag but I often get first or second hand
comments from my students and Chinese friends about how my chopstick
handling skills. Ive had a few years of experience with using
chopsticks after my Parents and I have hosted Japanese exchange
students, traveling to China twice before, and living in Japan for
two years. I remember being in China the first time during the Fall
of 2003 that I used a fork and knife a total of six times in four
months.

Olympics: The topic of the Beijing Olympics is often discussed in
our class or seen on the Television. My Parents and I attended the
1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and I enjoy the history and
excitement of the Games. Im not sure if I'll attend the Beijing
Games but it would be truly a privilege to cheer along with my
fellow Americans. The only problem is who I do cheer for if I attend
an American- Chinese competition with my Chinese friends.

Thanksgiving: Im planning to remain in Nanchang for the Thanksgiving
holiday. Our host officials allow my teammate and I to take one
vacation day off to spend with our friends and students.

Listed below are two activities I've shared with our students:

Complete the Story: This activity involves giving the students a
piece of paper with a beginning of a story. The students are asked
to work in pairs or threes to discuss and write a section of a
story. I allow the student a time frame of five minutes to write
while I visit with each group to check on their participation and
progress. At the end of five minutes I have the students rotate to a
different story and continue writing the already established story.
At the conclusion of four rounds of writing I then invite 5 students
to read aloud the stories to their classmates. Each of our classes
had a variety of humorous and interesting stories that they had been
written.

Trust Walk: We learned this activity while we were in Pasadena for
training. This activity involves pairing up the students with a
classmate as pairs. The pairs are to walk to a destination while the
guide is giving directions to the ¡°blind¡± person. This activity
provided me with an opportunity to teach about trust among
classmates and gave me a moment to share how I feel being a trusting
people as a foreigner in China.

Thanks again for taking time to read my update. Ill try to share
with you next month of my plans to celebrate the Christmas holiday
here in Nanchang. Most likely, my holiday plans will revolve around
planning an activity with our students or my Chinese friends.

Have a safe week.

Brian

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