The biggest test in a high school student’s life is the gao cao. Like the American SATs and ACTs, the gao cao tests how a student will do in 5 subjects like math, English, science, etc. The gao cao is out of seven hundred and eighty points and unlike the SATs and ACTs where they can be retaken multiple times through the year, an average Chinese student will most likely only take it once during his or her high school career, thus putting even more stress on Chinese students. To make sure the students are adequately learning enough information, some teachers will give students extra classes in certain subjects on the weekends. My host sister, Sheng Nan, normally has physics classes every Saturday from 2 o’clock pm to 5 o’clock, however, the physics teacher still didn’t feel as if the students were learning enough, so last Tuesday, he gave my class two extra physics classes after school. Since my class follows the middle school schedule, where school end at 3 pm, they ended up staying in school until 5 just to have those extra classes. Naturally, if this were to happen at Newton South, I think students would end up attending but I think that it would be more subject to objection.
In China, there are only a small handful of good universities one can attend. The two most celebrated universities are Bei Da (Beijing University) and Tsing Hua Da. There are certainly a few other colleges that are good but besides those few, there aren’t a lot of choices to choose from. After talking to a few people, I learned that if your scores can’t get you into one of those acclaimed schools than it’s like you might as well not go to college. Since there’s only one chance to get a good score on the gao cao, the pressure is on to do well.
There are a few extra ways one can earn extra points on the gao cao. For example, the gao cao awards 5 extra points to minority students. So only if the student was not of Han descent can they get those five extra points added on. My host dad is of Han descent but my host mom is of Meng descent. Originally Sheng Nan followed her fathers’s ethnic background and was of Han descent for a while, but once she began school, she switched over to follow her moms ethnic background now making her of Meng descent. And I know what you’re thinking, but no, you can’t fake your ethnic background because everyone who is a citizen of China has a small identity card and on it lists your ethnic group. There are people who research into your background to ensure that you really are who you say you are, so it makes lying even harder. The other ways to get extra points on the gao cao is by winning a science competition or enter a swimming competition and beat a certain time set. Every little point matters on the gao cao.
It’s very interesting to find how the gao cao impacts the lives of Chinese students. Sheng Nan’s only in middle school but already for these past few years, teachers have been bringing up the gao cao every once in a while to remind them to study hard. As Sheng Nan once told me, “studying is the way to change one’s future.”
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Grade 9 Class 5
After attending class for three months and a half now, I have witnessed many things going on in my grade 9 class 5 classroom. The middle school ranges from grades six through nine while the high school ranges from grades 10 through 12. What sets my class apart from the other middle school classes is that they are currently taking high school courses half a year earlier than the rest of their grade. The students had to take a placement test to see which class they were suitable for and the students in my class scored the highest, placing them in class five.
Typically, at the end of ninth grade, the middle school students have to take and pass the zhong cao to move on to high school, however, by doing well in school and having enough smarts to be in class 5, my classmates are kind of exempt from the zhong cao. They still have to take it though, but only to signify that they have taken it. The score they get on it doesn’t really matter. Although they are part of the middle school, they can also be considered part of the high school since they are learning high school material.
Right now, my class is in an awkward transition between the two schools, middle and high school. They wear high school uniforms but they don’t participate in any of the high school activities like the high school singing competition and middle school activities. During the all school spring outing, my class stayed behind at school and didn’t go because they were not considered part of the middle or high school.
I think the closest Newton South class level equivalent to my 9-5 class is honors. The students in my class are the brightest in their grade and they have a difficult and face paced curriculum. However, if a student fails to consistently do well, then they can be bumped down a class level.
How a student does on a test ranges extremely. Since there are fifty students in my class, it’s hard for a teacher to take the time to pin point each students weakness and help him or her correct it. On a typical test, only a few students will get above an 80% and below a 50%. The majority of the student’s grades will range from 50 to the high 70s. There is a big margin separating the students who do extremely well and the kids who are failing. Typically, in America, grades aren’t that scattered.
As time is winding down and I’ve only got a couple weeks left here in China, I realize how much I will miss my class.
Typically, at the end of ninth grade, the middle school students have to take and pass the zhong cao to move on to high school, however, by doing well in school and having enough smarts to be in class 5, my classmates are kind of exempt from the zhong cao. They still have to take it though, but only to signify that they have taken it. The score they get on it doesn’t really matter. Although they are part of the middle school, they can also be considered part of the high school since they are learning high school material.
Right now, my class is in an awkward transition between the two schools, middle and high school. They wear high school uniforms but they don’t participate in any of the high school activities like the high school singing competition and middle school activities. During the all school spring outing, my class stayed behind at school and didn’t go because they were not considered part of the middle or high school.
I think the closest Newton South class level equivalent to my 9-5 class is honors. The students in my class are the brightest in their grade and they have a difficult and face paced curriculum. However, if a student fails to consistently do well, then they can be bumped down a class level.
How a student does on a test ranges extremely. Since there are fifty students in my class, it’s hard for a teacher to take the time to pin point each students weakness and help him or her correct it. On a typical test, only a few students will get above an 80% and below a 50%. The majority of the student’s grades will range from 50 to the high 70s. There is a big margin separating the students who do extremely well and the kids who are failing. Typically, in America, grades aren’t that scattered.
As time is winding down and I’ve only got a couple weeks left here in China, I realize how much I will miss my class.
Being an ABC in CHN
ABC stands for American Born Chinese, which is what I am. I love being an ABC but it’s a little different being one in China. At least once a week, I get asked “你是中国人吗?” (Are you Chinese?) and I mainly reply “我是美国人.” (I am American). Out of the probably hundred times I’ve been asked that, I’ve gotten a mixed responses ranging from “Oh my god, that’s so cool!” to “No, you look Chinese, so you must be from China . Why is it that your parents never taught you Chinese?” However, most of the time I just get smiles from people but once in a while, I get the occasional frown as if it’s incomprehensible to have a American born Chinese person who can’t speak Mandarin.
People in China mostly think of white people coming from America and some of them fail to realize that not all Americans are white. They haven’t really adjusted to the fact that America is a big melting pot for many different races and cultures, so you can have Asian Americans, African Americans, Canadian Americans, and so on. It’s a little difficult for some people to wrap their minds around the fact that I’m an ABC and that when they ask me what country I’m from, I automatically say America. It would make sense that I would reply with America because after all I was born and raised there. The thing that goes through many Chinese people’s minds is: if she looks Chinese and her parents are Chinese, then why isn’t she from China?
The thing about being an ABC in China is that the people here expect more from you. Non-Asian foreigners can get away with a simple “Ni hao” and end having people clapping and cheering for them, but as for me, it’s expected that I know how to speak fluent Mandarin.
At first when people started asking me about my background, whether or not my parents were Chinese, and why I couldn’t speak mandarin, I thought it was really strange. Normally, in America, people don’t normally ask you personal questions two seconds upon meeting you. In America, I don’t get asked whether or not I’m fluent in Chinese and my relatives, some of whom who do not speak English, don’t get asked why they can’t speak English.
Although those are the cons to being an ABC in China, there are certainly its perks. People don’t jack up prices as much when I’m at a marketplace that people can bargain in and taxi drivers don’t purposely take longer routes or drive around in circles assuming I know my way around China. And it’s not like everyone I meet shows disdain towards my identification as an American, it’s only a few compared to the many more who find it intriguing. The pros always outweigh the cons.
My advice for future ABC’s who aren’t fluent in Mandarin, is for them not to take it personally. Sure, I’ve been a little annoyed at times with the constant questioning and might have complained but not once have I taken their questioning personally or held a grudge. People in China are just curious and it’s alright for them to be. Just remember to always be friendly and smile.
People in China mostly think of white people coming from America and some of them fail to realize that not all Americans are white. They haven’t really adjusted to the fact that America is a big melting pot for many different races and cultures, so you can have Asian Americans, African Americans, Canadian Americans, and so on. It’s a little difficult for some people to wrap their minds around the fact that I’m an ABC and that when they ask me what country I’m from, I automatically say America. It would make sense that I would reply with America because after all I was born and raised there. The thing that goes through many Chinese people’s minds is: if she looks Chinese and her parents are Chinese, then why isn’t she from China?
The thing about being an ABC in China is that the people here expect more from you. Non-Asian foreigners can get away with a simple “Ni hao” and end having people clapping and cheering for them, but as for me, it’s expected that I know how to speak fluent Mandarin.
At first when people started asking me about my background, whether or not my parents were Chinese, and why I couldn’t speak mandarin, I thought it was really strange. Normally, in America, people don’t normally ask you personal questions two seconds upon meeting you. In America, I don’t get asked whether or not I’m fluent in Chinese and my relatives, some of whom who do not speak English, don’t get asked why they can’t speak English.
Although those are the cons to being an ABC in China, there are certainly its perks. People don’t jack up prices as much when I’m at a marketplace that people can bargain in and taxi drivers don’t purposely take longer routes or drive around in circles assuming I know my way around China. And it’s not like everyone I meet shows disdain towards my identification as an American, it’s only a few compared to the many more who find it intriguing. The pros always outweigh the cons.
My advice for future ABC’s who aren’t fluent in Mandarin, is for them not to take it personally. Sure, I’ve been a little annoyed at times with the constant questioning and might have complained but not once have I taken their questioning personally or held a grudge. People in China are just curious and it’s alright for them to be. Just remember to always be friendly and smile.
Monday, April 13, 2009
During Qing Ming festival (Tomb Sweeping Festival), my dad took Carolyn and I to Xi’an! We left early Saturday morning and arrived there an hour and a half later. After our arrival in Xi’an, we took a forty minute from the airport to see the Terracotta Warriors. Once we arrived there, we picked up an English speaking guide and then proceeded into the 3 tombs where they were located.
Insert picture DSCF3493 (this is one of the three tombs)
I thought it was amazing how they were able to reconstruct the Terracotta Warriors because after hundreds of years of being buried underneath tons of dirt, the pieces all got smashed into bits and pieces. Out of the hundreds of Terracotta Warriors built, only one managed to survive intact. By looking at their attire and their weapons, you can learn to distinguish the ranking of each one. There are four different ranks and rolls for the warriors. They can either be a general, a soldier, an acrobat, a musician, and etc.
At first, while we were driving there, I thought Xi’an was going to be dull because the scenery was just dead yellow grass and there wasn’t much to look at, however, it wasn’t until we were driving back towards the city that I began to notice how beautiful Xi’an is.
Another place we visited was this gorgeous park. There were flowers blossoming everywhere and in almost every direction you turned, there would be someone flying huge kites around. In the center of the park was a huge statue of this guy (he apparently helped guard this mythical creature named the Monkey King).
Insert Pic
Xi’an was definitely worth going to. I kind of wished I stayed for a few more days because although I saw quite a few infamous places there, I feel like there were some parts that I missed.
Insert picture DSCF3493 (this is one of the three tombs)
I thought it was amazing how they were able to reconstruct the Terracotta Warriors because after hundreds of years of being buried underneath tons of dirt, the pieces all got smashed into bits and pieces. Out of the hundreds of Terracotta Warriors built, only one managed to survive intact. By looking at their attire and their weapons, you can learn to distinguish the ranking of each one. There are four different ranks and rolls for the warriors. They can either be a general, a soldier, an acrobat, a musician, and etc.
At first, while we were driving there, I thought Xi’an was going to be dull because the scenery was just dead yellow grass and there wasn’t much to look at, however, it wasn’t until we were driving back towards the city that I began to notice how beautiful Xi’an is.
Another place we visited was this gorgeous park. There were flowers blossoming everywhere and in almost every direction you turned, there would be someone flying huge kites around. In the center of the park was a huge statue of this guy (he apparently helped guard this mythical creature named the Monkey King).
Insert Pic
Xi’an was definitely worth going to. I kind of wished I stayed for a few more days because although I saw quite a few infamous places there, I feel like there were some parts that I missed.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Classes at Jing-Shan
The American classes are the silver lining to each new school day at Jing-Shan. Our American classes are scattered throughout the course of the day so that way we don’t have to sit through the Jing-Shan classes not understanding a single word of a lecture. Wednesdays are the worst days because we don’t have our American classes until after lunch. Our American classes consist of martial arts, tai chi, brush painting, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese, English, and knot tying.
Of all our American classes, my favorite is knot tying class. We only have knot tying on Fridays, period 1 and period 2. The knot tying teacher is really sweet and she’s so good at knot tying. Just by taking a glance at your knot, she can quickly tell you whether or not its dui (correct) or bu dui (incorrect).
Of all our American classes, my favorite is knot tying class. We only have knot tying on Fridays, period 1 and period 2. The knot tying teacher is really sweet and she’s so good at knot tying. Just by taking a glance at your knot, she can quickly tell you whether or not its dui (correct) or bu dui (incorrect).
Last Friday, I got the chance to talk to her before class began and I found out that her son’s in my class! She wouldn’t tell me his name because she wanted me to guess who he is. She gave me two hints, only one of which I understood, which is that her son is shy. After hearing this, I was like great… he won’t be difficult to identify out of our class of 50 students and 36 of them being boys. Haha..Chinese calligraphy is sometimes fun but it’s very tedious and slow going so you need a lot of patience for it. It takes a lot of practice just to perfect each character stroke. Usually, during one of our art classes, one person always ends up getting frustrated.
Chinese brush painting is one of the few ancient Chinese arts that I enjoy doing. It’s less tedious than Chinese calligraphy and it looks very pretty too.
(my pitiful attempt at trying to draw a bamboo tree)
Monday, March 9, 2009
北京奥林匹克: 水立方和鸟巢
On Saturday, the American group and I took a field trip to go see and go into the Birds Nest and the Water Cube.We boarded a small mini bus in front of Jing-Shan around 8:40ish and arrived around 9:20. We got off the bus and immediately heard the song Beijing Huan Ying Ni blasting through the loud speakers all around the streets.
Upon arriving, we first went to the Olympic park to walk around. Located down the street from the Birds Nest and the Water Cube, the Olympic Park was pretty peaceful. It was kind of like a forest. There were many trees off into the distant and there were many big rocks surrounding the area. Since some of the others, Hannah, Clara, and Carolyn and I were tired, we decided to sit down while the rest of the group walked around the park.
Afterwards, we headed off to see the inside of the Water Cube. I had wanted to go inside the Water Cube for the longest time after watching Michael Phelps on t.v. winning his eight gold medals.
When I entered the Water Cube, I was so surprised. The inside of it was so peaceful and calm. On the left wall, there was an LCD t.v. screen showing clips from the 2008 Olympic events.It was hard to believe that last year, the whole arena was packed with athletes from all different countries all over the entire world competing to be number 1. The diving boards were my favorite. I took so many pictures of that. From a distance, the diving boards don't look that tall and the decieving height makes diving look kind of easy. But in reality, the diving boards are of course really high up.
This is where Michael Phelps won his 8 gold medals!!!!
The pools and the whole room give off such a peaceful feeling. It feels like you're being transported away to a more serene place.
You couldn't go down to where the pool is since there were people guarding the area.
The ceiling is decorated to look like large bubbles. The outside of the water cube looks better during the night because each bubble can change colors, so one second the whole water cube would be green and the next the water cube would change to red and etc.
The last place we visited to that day was the Birds Nest.The inside of it was huge. There were probably more than a million seats circling around inside the arena.
It was an open ceiling so sun light beamed down from high above and hit the floor of the stadium. The stadium was huge. In the middle, there were huge Fuwa statues that people could chose to pose next to and get their picture taken.
A few minutes into the visit, a scheduled performance began. Six people dressed in Fuwa costumes danced around, doing hand gestures and jumps, while loud playful music played in the background. There were five Olympic mascots: BeiBei, JingJing, HuanHuan, YingYing, and NiNi dancing. The sixth performer was an ox representing this years Zodiac animal. All together the six of the danced for about five to eight minutes. After watching the small performance, I noticed the running track on the floor. It was hard to believe that just a few months ago, Usain Bolts, the fastest man in the world, set and broke multiple new world records.
I would definitely love to go back to see the Birds Nest and the Water Cube. Although I liked the Birds Nest, I loved the Water Cube and wouldn't mind going back there a few hundred times more.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Differences
Sorry I haven’t been updating for a while, my internet connection on my host family’s laptop wasn’t really working.
There has been so much going on at Jing-Shan. Last week, instead of morning exercises, all the students had to running laps around the school. The students would line up single file with their classes, boys in one line and girls in another line, and then run behind their class leader circling around the school and the basketball courts. When I was first told that we had to run outside, I was really excited, until I found out how freezing cold it was. It was so cold that my ‘run’ turned into a slow jog. Our class leader ran very quickly, so by the end of the run, the whole class was beat red and began loudly panting after running as hard as they could to try to keep up with him.
After being at Jing-Shan for two full weeks, I’ve noticed quite a few differences between the schools in America and the schools in China. The teachers in China are usually much respected; however, during class students don’t necessarily give all their undivided attention to them. I’ve noticed that in many of my classes, kids around me do homework for other classes instead of listening to their teacher lecture. The teacher does take notice that students aren’t paying attention and that they are doing homework for other classes, but he//she doesn’t do anything about it. The boy who sits in front of me does his physics homework while in math. Doing this minimizes the hours of homework they would have to do later on when they get back home. My host sister, Shengnan, has virtually no homework when she gets home so all she does is study for the next day’s test or quiz. In America, the teachers do mostly get the students undivided attention and if the students do homework that’s not relevant to their current class, the teachers would get angry and tell them to stop.
Another more noticeable difference I’ve seen here is that, at Jing-Shan, students don’t switch classrooms unless it’s for an elective. Usually, the students stay in one classroom while the teachers move. I think in some ways this is better because the students don’t have to hectically find rush to their next class. I’ve also noticed that the kids in my classroom have a tight bond with each other. Unlike the schools in America, where your classmates in each class can vary, the students at Jing-Shan have the same classmates for every class. I think there are definitely pros and cons to this because in some ways, the students can form tightly-knit bonds with each other and become like one big family however, in other ways, students would end up having a harder time interacting with kids from other classes.
Although schools in China have many differences compared with schools in America, it’s impossible to say which school system is better because each one has its own benefits and its own flaws.
This week so far has been really fun and exciting. My new favorite teacher is the music teacher. He’s very funny. He teachers choir but most of the time he’s the one singing while his students are busy chatting and texting away on their cell phones.
Right now, it’s late Sunday night and I should probably go to bed soon. Tomorrow’s the start of another school week and I can’t wait for it to begin.
There has been so much going on at Jing-Shan. Last week, instead of morning exercises, all the students had to running laps around the school. The students would line up single file with their classes, boys in one line and girls in another line, and then run behind their class leader circling around the school and the basketball courts. When I was first told that we had to run outside, I was really excited, until I found out how freezing cold it was. It was so cold that my ‘run’ turned into a slow jog. Our class leader ran very quickly, so by the end of the run, the whole class was beat red and began loudly panting after running as hard as they could to try to keep up with him.
After being at Jing-Shan for two full weeks, I’ve noticed quite a few differences between the schools in America and the schools in China. The teachers in China are usually much respected; however, during class students don’t necessarily give all their undivided attention to them. I’ve noticed that in many of my classes, kids around me do homework for other classes instead of listening to their teacher lecture. The teacher does take notice that students aren’t paying attention and that they are doing homework for other classes, but he//she doesn’t do anything about it. The boy who sits in front of me does his physics homework while in math. Doing this minimizes the hours of homework they would have to do later on when they get back home. My host sister, Shengnan, has virtually no homework when she gets home so all she does is study for the next day’s test or quiz. In America, the teachers do mostly get the students undivided attention and if the students do homework that’s not relevant to their current class, the teachers would get angry and tell them to stop.
Another more noticeable difference I’ve seen here is that, at Jing-Shan, students don’t switch classrooms unless it’s for an elective. Usually, the students stay in one classroom while the teachers move. I think in some ways this is better because the students don’t have to hectically find rush to their next class. I’ve also noticed that the kids in my classroom have a tight bond with each other. Unlike the schools in America, where your classmates in each class can vary, the students at Jing-Shan have the same classmates for every class. I think there are definitely pros and cons to this because in some ways, the students can form tightly-knit bonds with each other and become like one big family however, in other ways, students would end up having a harder time interacting with kids from other classes.
Although schools in China have many differences compared with schools in America, it’s impossible to say which school system is better because each one has its own benefits and its own flaws.
This week so far has been really fun and exciting. My new favorite teacher is the music teacher. He’s very funny. He teachers choir but most of the time he’s the one singing while his students are busy chatting and texting away on their cell phones.
Right now, it’s late Sunday night and I should probably go to bed soon. Tomorrow’s the start of another school week and I can’t wait for it to begin.
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