The last couple of weeks we have been doing home visits to our students homes to meet their parents and talk with them about their kids improvement, behaviors, strengths, weaknesses, etc, and I think it's been one of the best parts of all this thus far. It gives us an opportunity to 1) see our students and spend time with them outside of class 2) meet and interact with their parents, and 3) learn and experience more of the Chinese culture behind closed doors.
Our first visit was to Alita/Anita's house. [Her first english name was Lisa, and that's who she was in Winter camp so that's what I know her as, but the Chinese teachers changed it to Anita/Alita. I say that because one day it's Anita, the next it's Alita. Poor thing.] Her mother is gorgeous, which is completely irrelevant, I'm just sayin'. We drove up in the bus and I was expecting an apartment because NO ONE lives in houses. They just don't, and we never hear about it. People just live in apartment complexes, but we pulled up to this GORGEOUS house in a GORGEOUS neighborhood not far from us. The car stopped in front of the house and the gate to the house lit up and opened on it's own. A beautiful very elegant gate. The house was beautiful. Everything was so beautiful. Every wall piece, rug, picture, ceiling fixture! There were chandeliers in every hallway and room. Bright lighting, mirrored walls, a grand piano, beautiful tiled floors. It was all very elegant and very charming. I've never seen anything like it. Anita [2 yrs old mind you] had a bigger room than my entire apartment last semester. She had a queen size bed, a wide flat screen TV, a mini pool table, key board, her own bathroom with a lowered sink and mirrors for her height, a vanity, and my personal favorite... a dresser with 80 pairs of shoes in it. PUH! She is certainly one spoiled little girl :) We're told and reminded occassionally how well off the parents of our students are, but spending the evening in that home really engrained it for me.
What a sweet mom though. Her father wasn't home unfortunately, but we got to sit and visit with her mom a little bit. She didn't speak any English so our English speaking Chinese teacher translated for us when we spoke, otherwise we just listened, picking up on random words or phrases every once in a while. It's so fun when you are learning a new language, to sit and listen and actually be able to comprehend parts of what is being said. A fun feeling.
We also visited Rain's house later that same evening. Both his mother and father were home and his father speaks a little English so it was nice to be able to communicate with him. Rain was so fun. He is just all smiles at school now that he has warmed up to us, but he was putting on a show for us that night. He brough us, one by one, every toy car in his toy bin... which is a lot! :) It makes me so happy though when the kids respond and react to us outsideo of class. That is so good.
Maggie's home was a couple nights later and I really enjoyed that home visit. Her family just moved here in the last year from Canada, so her Dad speaks English fluently. I was shocked when he spoke for the first time. He hardly had an accent even. Excellent pronunciation. It is so different to be in the homes and to observe the way the children act with their parents and respond to discipline (if there is any discipline... seems to be lacking with a number of our students :) and just interacts as a whole. Maggie was a little terror during our home visit but she is excellent in class. She is an angel. She speaks well, follows directions, gives hugs (always a great bonus) ... but in her home I wanted to give her a good spanking! Not really appropriate, ha.
Anyway. We have a number of other students we need to visit and I'm looking forward to them. It's a neat opportunity we have.
Rain, Maggie
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