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
Hutongs are narrow streets or alleys, most commonly associated with Beijing, China. Hutongs were formed by lines of traditional courtyard residences. Many hutongs were formed by joining one courtyard to another and then joining one hutong to another. The word hutong is also used to refer to such combinations of neighborhoods.
The number of hutongs has decreased rapidly recently because of the expansion of new roads and buildings in Beijing. Recently many hutongs have become protected as national landmarks to protect and preserve them.
“‘Real people’ transition in China’s old hutongs,” USA Today, August 14, 2008
Sights and Sounds of Beijing From USA Today - Scroll down the slides to find an interesting feature on Hutongs entitled “Progress threatens traditional Chinese lifestyle.
Zaijian,
Mr. Crawford
Nǐ hǎo!
Wǒ jiào Wood xīansheng. Wǒ shì lǎoshī.
Hello,
My name is Mr. Wood. I am a teacher.
I’m preparing for a trip to China with Mr. Crawford. On our trip we will be sharing our experiences using a mix of text, audio podcasts, photos, video podcasts, and anything else we can think of.
So, join us and send us comments and questions.
Mr. Wood
Nǐ hǎo!
When traveling in another country, a good way to make friends is to know how to speak in their language. In such a short time, I know I cannot learn to speak Chinese, but I can learn to say a few things.
So far, I’ve learned to say things like:
Hello. Goodbye. Please. Thank you.
and
I am a teacher. My name is Mr. Wood. I’m an American.
and of course…
Where’s the bathroom?
Shì is Shì
In English we use many different forms of verbs like:
I am. You are. He is. We are. They are.
In Chinese the verb stays the same…
Wǒ shì. Nǐ shì. Tā shì.. wǒmen shì.. Tāmen shì.
Maybe this is going to be easier than I thought!
If you’d like to learn Chinese with me, here’s a website with some words and phrases:
Word of the Week from the Asia Society.
And here are two books with CDs that I have been using to learn Chinese:
Get Talking Chinese from DK Publishing
Chinese for Dummies from Wiley Publishing, Inc.
That all for now!
zàijiàn,
Mr. Wood