Final Week of Winterim

Students are returning to campus from their academic travels abroad, finishing their final days at their internships and completing their projects in their on-campus courses. Click on the links below to read about some of their experiences:
Click here to read Caitlin Casey's blog about interning at the Times-Picayune in New Orleans.
Click here to read Girls Meet World Service Learning blog.
Click here to read the blog by Washington, DC interns are doing.
Click here to read the blog by students serving in Uganda.
Click here to read Rebekah Webster's blog about interning with a plastic surgeon in Nashville.
Click here to read the blog by students in the Harry Potter 101 on-campus course.
Click here to read what students think about certain books in the Teen Reads on-campus course.
Click here to view photos from travels and on-campus courses.

Proud to be an American

From Parker Davis commenting on January 14:
This morning I had a very moving experience when I attended a naturalization ceremony. The United States became 163 citizens stronger today and I was there to witness it all.

I, in my continued theme of the past several entries, had two revelations during the course of the ceremony. First, when all of the countries from which the now citizens had come were announced I realized how truly diverse the population of the United States has become, and will continue to become. (A few of the forty-nine countries represented I had never even heard of.) Second, and most important, I realized how truly, truly for granted I, and I would assume most others who are born free and full American citizens, take the blessings and responsibilities that come with being a member of the citizenship of this great nation.

Seeing the couple from Brazil tearing up while singing the Star Spangled Banner, the Polish woman clapping for each and every name called up to the podium to receive a certificate of citizenship, and the little, old, adorable Jamaican woman smiling proudly in front of a cutout of Lady Liberty while her family took pictures to document the momentous day, truly touched me and made me feel what I was saying, rather than simply reciting words I had been required to memorize to kindergarten, when declaring the words of the Pledge of Allegiance. I’m proud to be an American.

A Day on the Town in NYC

From Saxby Wiles:
Sunday morning, we got up at 8 a.m. to get to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of my most favorite museums. It is huge and beautiful, and houses some of my favorite works of art, such as those by Vermeer and David. I love European Art, and also going to the museum sparked a new interest for me in the field of drawings and etchings. My favorite piece I saw was by a French man named Charles Augrad. The piece at first seemed too simple to me, but as I started to look at it more deeply, it was anything but simple. Made by crayon and canvas in 1892, the drawing depicted a man in a top hat, presumed to be Augrad, himself. It is ironic because he seems high class and bourgeois in the drawing, but in reality he is not. The drawing is dark, and the more you look at it the more it just seems like a blur of black and white. Without the subtle difference of light between the blacks and the white, it would only be a black canvas, with no picture at all.

However the blending between shades of black onto the sections of white created a shadowy drawing of a man, and I found that technique to be genius. It reminded me of an artist, whose name I can’t remember, who painted around the time of Jackson Pollock. He simply painted entire canvasses with shades of black, so subtle you can hardly see the differences, especially when close up – similarly to the Met drawing by Augrad. I was very glad we got to go to the Met, and it was one of the best things we have done in New York so far!

After the museum we went to see the Importance of Being Earnest, which was hilarious, and after that we went to explore Chinatown and Little Italy, and then we ended our night with my friends at a Thai restaurant called, Spice in Greenwich Village near NYU.

Zài Jiàn, China

Snow!  Tuesday morning we sat down to breakfast and saw small white wisps drifting slowly to the ground.  A rare occurrence in Shanghai (they haven’t had snow in the past two years), we were happy because the forecast had called for rain.  We boarded our bus early to hit the China Pavilion at the Shanghai 2010 World’s Fair Expo.

Inundated by neon lights, paintings, artifacts and thousands and thousands of elementary aged children who were as fascinated by us as we were by the crowds, we meandered through the various exhibits and watched a wonderful four-dimensional film on the evolution of one family during the past forty years in China.  We then headed to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower on the east bank of the Huangpu River.  Once the poorest area of the city, this quarter gained special economic status during the 1990’s and has since become home to several financial institutions and hosts many skyscrapers (two of which were featured in Mission Impossible III).  On a clear day, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, a truly unique construct distinguishable by its two bright pink spheres, boasts incredible views of the city.  We, encumbered by snow, could barely see across the river which was immediately below us.  We dined in a bright, art deco-styled restaurant on the Bund (center of colonial Shanghai and on the embankment of the Huangpu River) during our last lunch in the city.  We nibbled on bites of kung pao chicken, potato and beef curry, rice noodles, mayonnaise chicken, tasty vegetables and a spicy egg drop soup.  Delicious! 

In the afternoon, we visited the Shanghai Puguang Middle School, which enrolls students aged 13-17, for an English corner, where twenty of the school’s students returned  from their winter vacation just to converse with our girls.  Our students loved engaging with their Chinese peers.  They learned much about them and gained a greater appreciation for their culture and daily life.  Later we watched the school’s world class fencing team.  We met the coach, a delightful, energetic woman, who has trained many of these fantastic athletes.  We ended our day with a meal in Old Town and a picturesque walk along the Bund.  All of the buildings prolonging the river were adorned with bright lights, providing a splendid backdrop for our last night here. 

This morning the girls are spending their last hours shopping along the streets near our hotel.  We’ll board the plane mid-afternoon, and while we’ve had an unbelievable experience, we’re looking forward to seeing you in the evening!  The girls have been great ambassadors for you, for our school and the United States.  We have received many, many compliments on their comportment and maturity.  We are so appreciative of their cooperation and enthusiasm for each and every adventure. Thank you!

Hands-on Winterim Courses

Stopping by some of the on-campus courses this afternoon. Students were soldering to completed their stained glasses. Across the hall, others were using their math skills to create math quilts. More photos on the 21 Days of Winterim Flickr site.

Jam-packed Day in China

From Jenny Jervis, upper school French teacher
The Jinjiang hotel is really more of a compound. There are at least five different lodgings that are enclosed by a wall, forming a secure unit.  It is clear why many heads of state and even the Queen of England stayed in the Jinjiang during  visits to Shanghai.  While our section appears to be one of the older structures, our rooms are spacious, modern and lovely.  We have huge bathrooms, all four walls of which are floor to ceiling mirrors.  Heated marble floors and granite fixtures add to the elegance.

Monday, we began at the Shanghai Museum, located in People’s Square.  An enormous structure balances a square base, representing the Earth, a round dome, designating heaven.  We began our visit at the fourth floor and circled down to the gift shop.  The Shanghai Museum houses eleven galleries and three exhibition halls, which display ancient bronze, ancient ceramic, paintings, calligraphy, ancient sculpture, ancient jade, Chinese money, Ming and Qing furniture, Chinese seals and minority nationalities.  We were amazed by each of these collections.  After this stop, we took a short ride to the Pearl Market, where we received a brief explanation on how pearls are formed, the difference between salt and fresh water pearls and the aspects that determine a pearl’s value:  luster, size, shape, symmetry and flaws.  We were then left to peruse the merchandise, again succumbing to some purchases. 

We lunched at the Bund Hotel and then traveled to Zhujiajiao, Water Town, about an hour from downtown Shanghai.  Surprised by the quick cloud cover, we bundled as best we could to brace for the lower, wetter temperature.  Daniel, our Shanghai-based tour guide, led us through the narrow passageways, by numerous merchants and across one bridge to our next event, a boat ride along the river.  We were transported comfortably on flat boats, manned by just one rower, soaking in the sights, architecture and people of this quaint town. 

We ended our day at the Shanghai Acrobatic Show.   What a spectacular demonstration of dance, gymnastics, juggling, concentration and timing.  We were wowed with the artists’ flexibility and strength.  We were greeted with a woman, nestled among three others who twisted, turned and manipulated her body into impossible positions, all while balancing on one hand and while her mechanic lift varied in height from a foot off the ground to ten.  We witnessed a man throw, catch, balance and juggle very heavy and large pieces of Chinese pottery. Later a large group of males delighted us with their choreography, gymnastics and precision as they danced, jumped, flipped, slid and catapulted themselves through rings, gaining their speed and height from swings and see-saws.  So wild!  Later we held our breath as a couple dressed in white recounted their love story while suspended from flowing ribbons dropped from the ceiling.  In the finale, we sat, dumbfounded as motorcyclists entered a sphere one by one, culminating with EIGHT drivers coordinated their paths in an incredibly confining space!  We delighted in the threading of the performers’ various talents all accompanied by live music featuring traditional Chinese instruments, a female soloist and stunning backdrops illustrating both the ancient and modern Chinese culture. 

Learning Calligraphy in China

Saturday was our last day at the Linden Center.  We traversed the village of Xizhou beginning with a stop at the Saturday market.  We saw numerous vendors displaying woks and other cookware, locally grown fruits and vegetables, Dali Bread (two different kinds: one sweet stuffed with a sweet kidney bean mixture and one savory topped with sausage and chive - both delicious) and artifacts of the area – some quite valuable, others verisimilitudes of antiques.  We peeked in one tiny antique shop which boasted earthenware from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. 

Continuing on our journey, we visited the village elder, Mr. Dong, who also served as the area historian.  His home ravaged during the Cultural Revolution, Mr. Dong did his best to recover and rebuild his cherished abode.  Newspapers wallpapering the ceilings and walls of his domicile, Mr. Dong proudly toured us through his two-story, two-room relic.  He showed us his writings and artwork, posed graciously for numerous photos and asked us to come back soon. 

Just before returning home for lunch, we stopped by the mosque in the Muslim area of the village for a look at its beautiful courtyard and a quick glance into the worship area.  In the afternoon, we gathered at Linden to learn the art of calligraphy.  Knight, our instructor, carefully demonstrated the Chinese number one, and we slowly and painstakingly tried to mimic his stroke.  Eventually we progressed to numbers two, three, and four but only four of the 14 of our group mastered this skill.  Joy, Lily, Margaret, and Lindsay topped the charts – the rest of us suffered diagnoses from Knight, who quite aptly described our failings and hiccups. 

After our writing lesson, we tramped down to the kitchen to make dumplings with one of the Linden Centre chefs.  Much more forgiving than calligraphy, we all managed to seal and crimp our pastries with relative success.  After this lesson, we snacked on our creations – yum! 

To finish the day, the girls headed off to English Corner, a weekly event that Brian and Jeenee initiated two years ago to help teach the young children of the village English. We taught lessons on the alphabet, animals, body parts, colors, months, and seasons.  Inundated with perhaps twice the number of children who normally attend (they must have know we were coming in force!), the girls handily managed this inquisitive group.  We sang, danced, and chanted vocabulary and received warm hugs for thanks. 

Sunday, we had a long travel day, flying to Shanghai.  Tomorrow we’ll visit the Shanghai Museum, the Pearl Market Tower, Zhujiajiao (Water Town known for its canals and waterways), and in the evening we’ll enjoy a special treat:  Shanghai’s acrobat troop.  It will be a very busy day!