Shandong Province is known for Mutton Soup. It may be surprising to Americans, but mutton soup is a common breakfast item. I was treated to a delicious breakfast of mutton soup and pancakes, a type of bread similar to pita that is grilled on a large skillet.
The ladies in the kitchen at the mutton soup restaurant were delighted to have their photo taken.
Mr. Wood
Confucius has influenced the way the Chinese live for more than 2000 years.
All around the school at Heze are signs that remind students of the proper ways to live.
This sign reminds students to keep their study area clean and organized.
This sign reminds students that:
“If you love your books, they will give you more n return.”
I was constantly aware of the effects Confucius has had on Chinese life.
Mr. Wood
This morning, I awoke at home at 5:15 AM as usual. I showered, exercised, and had breakfast, just like I do everyday. However, something was different…
I went to China in my dreams. I saw incredible sites. I ate unusual foods. I met incredible people and I was treated like an emperor.
Was it a dream? Or did I really go to China?
By the looks of the pile in the living room I must have gone somewhere.
* * * * * *
My life has changed forever. My heart has been touched by a wonderful group of teachers, school leaders, children and parents. I have new friends. I have a new family. I became part of their lives and they are a big part of mine.
I must now move forward building more bonds between Woodbridge and Heze, connecting more lives, fostering more friendships, and creating more links.
The Connecticut China Connection has become a living entity and I look forward to many years of communication, collaboration, and exchange.
Xie xie,
Rick Wood
Our whirl wind tour of China is coming to an end today. This afternoon we will begin the long journey back to the States. One last stop for lunch before the trip begins. Late tonight we should be arriving back in Hartford.
Please stay tuned to the blog. Mr. Crawford and Mr. Wood both have many more posts in progress. Even though we are on the way home, we will be writing about our experiences with the schools, with children, with teachers, and much more. We each plan to share our overall impression of the trip and our visions for future work with our sister schools.
Thanks for joining us on this adventure. Each time you read the blog, we were inspired to continue writing.
Today we will be traveling on the high speed train from Jinan back to Beijing. After arriving back in Beijing we will have an evening to explore more of Beijing.
Today we will be visiting the city of Qufu, where Confucius was born and started a school. Confucius (551-479 BCE) was a thinker, political figure, educator, and founder of a school of Chinese philosophy. He lived from 551 B.C. to 479 B.C. Confucius has many quotations attributed to him. I have listed below some of my favorite quotes.
Zaijian,
Mr. Crawford
Quotes attributed to Confucius
Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.
Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.
Respect yourself and others will respect you.
Study the past if you would define the future.
To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle.
Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.
Today we will be traveling to Qufu to visit the house of Confucius.
We have been snapping photos of children throughout our trip.
Check out the new Gallery under Faces.
Mr. Wood and Mr. Crawford
Here are the answers to yesterday’s question about the longest rivers in the world.
Longest Rivers in the World
1. Nile - 4,135 miles
2. Amazon - 3,980 miles
3. Yangtze (Chang Jiang) 3,917 miles
4. Mississippi – Missouri - 3,902 miles
5. Yenisei - Angara - Selenga - 3,445 miles
6. Yellow (Huang He) - 3,398 miles
Do you remember Mrs. Peters-Durrigan, former Beecher Road School Intermediate Principal?
She is a member of our deligation to China.
Mrs. Peters-Durrigan
At The Great Wall
Mr.Wood
Today I will be traveling to the city of Binzhou to begin my five day visit at our sister school. Binzhou is a city in northern Shandong province. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, Binzhou borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southwest, Dezhou to the west, Zibo to the south, Dongying to the east, and the province of Hebei to the north. Binzhou also has a coastline on the Bohai Sea.
In learning more about cities in China, I found out that they are not cities in the same sense we think of cities in the United States. Binzhou is a prefecture-level city. According to Wikipedia a prefecture-level city contains “both an urban core (a city in the strict sense) and surrounding rural or less-urbanized areas usually many times the size of the central, built-up core.” Prefecture-level cities contain multiple counties, county-level cities, and other divisions. In comparison , we would compare Binzhou to the size of the state of Connecticut. Binzhou would be compared to Hartford and in control of 8 counties in our state. It is difficult to compare a city to a state but because of the size difference, it is the only way to compare Binzhou to something we would recognize in the United States.
Binzhou consists of 1 district and 6 counties; Bincheng District, Zouping County, Boxing County, Huimin County, Yangxin County, Zhanhua County, Wudi County. The total population of Binzhou is 3,661,500.
Binzhou, Shandong, China
(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia)
Zaijian,
Mr. Crawford
Today I will be leaving Mr. Crawford and the rest of our group to travel to Heze for five days. During this time, I will be spending time at the Shandong Heze Experimental Primary School, one of Beecher Road School’s sister schools.
Heze is the political, economic, and cultural center of southwestern Shandong. It is noted for Peonies, a flower that appears in many Chinese paintings.
During my stay in Heze, the International Peony Festival will be in progress.
I hope to see some peonies while I am there. My grandfather grew peonies, his favorite flower, and I still have some his peonies growing at my home.
As you can see from the map below, I will be in the farthest outreaches of Shandong. The other educators visiting from Connecticut will be closer to Jinan, the capital of Shandong.
(Map from Wikimedia)
As I noted in yesterday’s post, Heze, the city, is about the same area as Connecticut, the state. The population of Heze is about 8.1 million. At this time, I don’t know where in the city I will be. Once I get there I may be able to share a map.
Mr. Wood