Finally got logged on

I had created a Gmail account because I had been told the Gmail phone service was better than Skype and we had some problems with the video a few times that I had called JoAnne.  After making the Gmail account I had problems logging on  the "My life in Xian."  I think I have that taken care of now and I hope I can remember what I did next time I go to post something.  If I wake up and get going tomorrow morning I will take my notebook of words and see if I can make a new friend at the little welding shop just outside the back gate.  I really do want to see how they do things here. We will see just how well that goes.  I still need to be back for rugby practice at noon and then I have my Chinese class at 2 pm.  For my Chinese class the homework it to talk to people that work in the different trades or occupations here in China.  I had the haircut this week.  I have spoken with the maintenance worker who fixed the tile at the hotel.   He is the first person I actually tried to talk to here in Xian.  They were working on the basketball rims and welding.   I see him at least once a week and we smile and say, "Ni Hao."  Hello is easier to write if you don't have to use the pin yin.  I may have wrote about this before but if you are interested in China and what is going on over here I suggest you check out the English,cctv.com web site and watch some of their English language television shows.  The travel shows are well done.  I like the "Travelogue" series.  The were doing a group of shows on the different minorities in China and a 6 part series on ShangHai.  english.cctv.com  I figure once I get back that we can stop our cable and just watch this on the computer and save so much money that maybe I could retire at 63 instead of 65. 

If I was working here I would get a uniform like this to wear.  I had my students tell me about the topic they are going to teach me about for the finally exam.  Some of the students had the assignment done but most of them did not.  For the final exam I want my students to present a lesson on 5 to 10 Chinese words and be able to communicate for 5 to 10 minutes.  I will allow them to choose any topic they want.  I have one student that is going to introduce words about the family, as in Ye Ye for Grandpa.  I have a student that is going to talk about her home town, Hua Shan, as in the Mountain that I want to climb before I go home.  One of our CLC students is going there Friday.  The problem I have here is actually knowing the date.  The alarm clock has one date on it, the computers are all different due to the time change, the cell phone has a different date on it.  It could be the 6th, the 7th, or maybe the 8th in a few hours.  But I do know that today is Thursday.  Several of my students will still talk about food so i will get a few more recipes before I go home.  I had a student that wanted to talk about her favorite singer.  I said that is OK as long as you can do the assignment and know how to teach me new words.  I also suggested that she play some music so I could hear what her favorite singer sounds like.  Another student plans to talk about flowers and I suggested she show pictures or do something to explain to me what the flowers looked like.  I then asked her if Tulips and Daffodils mean anything to her.  She said no.  That is why you want to show me some pictures.  If I can get some one to talk about Bai Jiu and then bring in several bottles.  But then that probably would not be a good idea.  Hopefully Friday I will be successful in my quest for welding information.