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Health & Fitness

Brewster High School China Trip: May 24, Day 6

A look into the thoughts of Brewster High School students and faculty as they begin to get settled in China.

Talk about an amazing day. Sitting in on a math class in binomial theorem we were struck by the similarities between Chinese and American classes. Students in the Chinese class
were working, but individual personalities of students shone through. We were quickly able to pick out the high achievers, as they were the most engaged with the lesson. Some students were less engaged, giving very quiet answers and trying to not be noticed. The teacher
approachable and pleasant, making the class a good experience for all.
 
After class, we walked across the Jian Ping campus to meet our hosts for the next activity. We were struck by the serene sitting areas and water gardens as we made our way across campus. One can’t help but wonder if having such pleasant areas create a self-fulfilling prophesy for academic and personal success.
 
Walking a short distance from Jian Ping, we were greeted and the local Community Center with open arms. The community center serves the same purpose as it would in the States,
offering a place for people during the day to meet and take classes, while after school the Center has activities for local school children. As we visited, the Center’s director has prepared full demonstration of classes for us to observe.  
 
Led into an open, sun-filled room, we partook in a calligraphy class. All of us were presented with original works of art, some personalized by the teacher. Again, nothing could have prepared us for the generosity of our Community School hosts.

From the calligraphy class we were greeted by a personal performance of the Center’s dancing class. We were told all dancers were at least sixty years old. Dances ranged from
classical to modern and were all performed with smiles and genuine hospitality.

After our personal recital, the dancers led us outside to partake in group stretches and exercises. Students engaged in the exercises with varying degrees of enthusiasm, some becoming very involved.

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Our last session was with a Chinese paper cutter. As the teacher manipulated paper into fantastical shapes, he showed us all how to do the same. Some of us picked up the methods fairly quickly, while others struggled manipulating the scissors and paper.  Just when we thought we had mastered the basics of paper cutting, the teacher began cutting some of our
profiles from paper. His ability to capture our silhouettes was uncanny.

After eating lunch, we were invited to teach a science lesson to a class at Jian Ping while our students were involved in other activities. As we observed in the morning class, there was the
same eclectic mix of student personalities one would find in the States. Chinese students enjoyed our interactive teaching methods, though it appeared teachers were a bit taken aback.
 
For the afternoon, we visited the Bund (pronounced Boundt). The Bund is a walkway along the river giving beautiful views of the Shanghai skyline. Hard to imagine, but fifteen years ago the skyline did not exist. Fifteen years ago the land of Shanghai was farmland, devoid of any modern metropolitan buildings.  
 
At the same time as Shanghai was being built up with modern structures, monuments paying homage to the past were dedicated to the people of China.
 
After returning to the Jian Ping, we elected to walk back to our hotel. This gave us a wonderful experience of local life in Shanghai. We watched as a young boy practiced his English homework, people sold food at open air shops, a man worked from an impromptu bicycle repair shop set up, and a man was made a straw-bamboo broom.

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