the china segment

my mom told me about this video (and how she was super pissed she didn't get to watch the whole segment!). this video is only 5 minutes long but it is so interesting! my jaw was dropped so many times. i can't believe that there are more people in china who study english than there are people in America! also - that some people only make $300/month. i can't believe this is the country i am living in. i also found it funny that when the ladies in the video start talking chinese, i didn't even think it was weird. its like 2nd nature to me now and when people are talking in chinese, i totally drown it out OR try to hear words i might know. like, today when my ayi in my 3yr old class kept saying "Bu ke yi!" or "don't do that!" (like 100 times in her lecture) i knew what she was saying! i love when i know what is semi going on. :)

but, this video is super interesting and if anyone can find the entirety of it, please let me know.
my mom said that the beginning segment was about "How much do the 2 year olds of China know more than those of the USA?" my roommate and I both yelled "WAY MORE!" i teach 3 year olds and they know about the equivalent (or more) than a US kindergarten, and they don't even speak English! it amazes me! parents in china care way more about their children's education. their children are forced to excel in ALL areas of school. this puts much demand and pressure on the children... ah thats another issue.

[side story: i actually had a parent come up to me last week and ask me to see her son's art work. once i showed her she started to tell me that his art work hadn't always "been THAT good". "When he was 4, his art work was horrible! i couldn't tell what anything was! it was a bunch of blobs and scribbles. So, I enrolled him in Baby Art for a few months. every wednesday night he would go for 2 hours for an art class. one day, i went into the class and there were 3 pictures chosen as the best of the day. my son: he won that day! i took him out of Baby Art. now, i can tell what he draws." ok, he is five now. at the time, he was FOUR! FOUR!!! he isn't supposed to be a Monet! i couldn't believe it]

also, the fires in the video just happened on monday! i heard fire trucks and ambulances all day and had no idea what was going on. the fire killed about 53 people, 16 injured and about 43 missing. shanghai has issued a "media blackout" i have heard, so after yesterday, we will hear no more about the Jing'an fires.

ok enough of my rant.
this is why i am here though.
i show these kids love everyday.
i show this country love. i honestly couldn't be happier.
yes, there are personal issues back home i wish i was doing without. i wake up every morning and think "how am i going to get through this day?" but when i walk into my classes and see my kids and re-recognize my passion. i am okay. because: i see JiaJia and I wake her up from her nap and she wants me to help her put her shoes and coat back on. she nuzzles me close and says "jami laoshi" in the cutest little voice. or i see mark and he says out of nowhere "miss jami, i really like you" and i say "well, mark i really like you too".

i'm in repair. i'm not together, but i'm getting (i'll get) there. - john mayer