Kim: The Beginning of the Journey (We're HERE!)

I consider today to be the third day of this experience. Granted, we got here over a week ago; however, one can hardly expect that week to be representative of our Hong Kong experience.

Week 1: A Tourist in MY New Hometown.

So I arrived safe and sound in Hung Hom (minus a suitcase). I was exhausted from my trip and realizing that the sore throat I had on the plane (and did not declare to the Chinese authorities) was going to be more than just a short and unpleasant experience. In fact, a full-blown cold ensued over the next few days.

My new room!

I settled into my new room, which I have the luck of having to myself. The other two girls are sharing a room (with bunk beds). I offered to do a rotation if they felt the need to have their own space. Settling in didn't require too much effort seeing as the space is rather limited. Juanita and I went out to buy clothes hangers because they had not been made available to us in our dressers. I must say that the view from my room is quite beautiful at night. I can catch a glimpse of the "Lightshow Symphony" from Hong Kong Island.

My roomies are quite lovely! (No, I am not saying that just because they might be reading this.) Juanita has mothered me to an almost-recovery. Her medicine has allowed me to avoid the sinus infection and bronchitis that my mother has developed and apparently attempted to give me as an "au-revoir" token. Amelie has done everything that she possibly could to hook us up with wireless internet. (Side note: the school generously provided us with internet access through ONE USB stick... not too practical, but appreciated none-the-less. We went out and got ourself a D-Link, but even the school "techies" seem to believe the D-link is not working. We will see ...) Last but not least, Nigel provides us with plenty of entertainment.

Octopus Card

Using our octopus cards has been a daily occurrence. The school provided us with 400HKD on the cards (enough to cover our transportation to and from school for the duration of our experience). The cards, however, can be used for things other than public transit. McDonalds, 7Eleven, Wellcome grocery stores, are some of the locations where one can use the card to pay for purchases. I think it's a great system. However, it is important to highlight that the card does not provide us with unlimited access to public transit. When using the MTR (train or subway) you swipe your card to enter and as you exit, which calculates the distance travelled, as well as the fee that will be charged.

The students and staff welcomed us to the school on Thursday afternoon. They hosted a welcoming party in our honour. They even prepared a little "buffet" with rice (with egg, ham, shrimp, etc...), a fruit salad (with kiwi, apple, cucumber, tomato etc...) and, to Nigel's pleasant surprise, spaghetti. The students, of whom most were part of the student union, had plenty of questions for us. The first of which was generally: "Do you have a boyfriend?". It was lovely to have a chance to interact with the students before stepping into our role as (student-)teachers.

Our first weekend out on the town!
(Behind us:Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island)

Over the weekend, we met with the elementary group a few times. On Friday afternoon, Maureen had us over for some BBQ. Her home is in Mok Tse Che New Village. Wow! What a change of scenery: from high-rise buildings and busy streets to the rural areas of Hong Kong. It was lovely to get a chance to see another side of Hong Kong. On Saturday, the elementary crew came to our neck of the woods. We visited a bit of Kowloon and Hong Kong. We saw the big brand names in Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) and ate lunch in the food court. They have a cool system where you order your food at the kiosk (much like at home) and then they give you a bill with your order. Then, you go to a "Pay" kiosk and return to the restaurant with the receipt and order. While we were at it we crossed Victoria Harbour aboard a Star Ferry to make our way to Hong Kong Island (Central). From there we watched the "Lightshow". After a few pictures and laughs, we all made our way home.

Week 2: The Grind

WOW! What a reality check! After a week of smooth-sailing, we had to put our be-hinds into gear and step up our game. The first day was nothing short of overwhelming for me. Indeed, stepping into the school as a teacher and going to observe my Form 2 class was interesting, but it was also scary. The students have been learning reported speech, which is all fine and well. However, the grammatical features involved are the focus of the learning. And let's face it, I have never taught grammar in my career. Surely, teaching grammar is like teaching any other aspect of literacy, but I have yet to figure out how to make it interactive or ... interesting. My CT took the time to see me after that first class. We sat down and zipped through the stack of textbooks that were piled on my desk a few hours before. She was talking so fast that I did not grasp everything she was expecting me to do, nor what she expected the students to have covered. She handed me a "Teaching Scheme", which is an outline of the topics that should be covered over the allotted period of time (one term). She hardly explained this scheme and left shortly after entering the door. Stunned, I sat staring at the materials for a little while. Then, I tried to take in the information I was given and attempted to plan the remainder of my week. I was unable to go ask her questions because she had a medical appointment (so my impression was correct, she was talking her way out of the door when she initially met me).

Day 2 was a bit of a stress-reliever. I was able to get a better idea of where the students are, what they had done and where they are heading. I have never taught from a textbook (or a multitude of them). Surely, structuring my teaching around material that I have to use is going to be a challenge for me. I know that there are means to go around complete adherance to the books, but I will have to tred with care. The parents are required to buy many books and complain to the school when the books are not being used.

These days are tiring me out. I get home (to Hung Hom) and within 20 minutes of eating a little something for supper, my head is hitting the pillow. It is a satisfactory kind of exhaustion though. I am tired because I am adapting to an environment on the other side of the planet (in relation to the place I generally call home) both within the school and outside of it. I know that I will be able to help students develop their English skills (listening, writing, and speaking) and that alone is worth being tired every night.

Until next time!

Kim