Here are the sentences I am learning. They are from 250 Essential Characters. My teacher/student reads them to me, and I read them to him/her. It is great fun and good practice.
Learning Chinese
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Author Archives: Jack
A. Lawrence Jenkens, PhD of UNCG Comes to Guiyang
Professor Jenkens, Department Head & Professor of Art History at The University of North Carolina, Greensboro came to Guiyang in the end of March to recruit Guiyang students of art and design to come to Greensboro for one week of intensive art and design experience. Professor Jenkens is has an AB, from Harvard University and an
MA, and Ph.D, from the Institute of Fine Arts, NY University. See: http://www.uncg.edu/art/faculty/jenkens.html
The summer camp will accept 8th to 12th grade students for college level studio art instruction and exciting interdisiplinary arts experiences at the UNCG campus. Actually three camps are scheduled:
- Visual Art Camp
- Interior Architecture
- Film Making
The $520 tuition fee covers room, board, and college level instruction for six nights and seven days. There are medical check requirements and parent permission paperwork, however, it is possible for students to attend these camps at a very reasonable price.
Here is a copy of the flyer:
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This seems to be a great chance for Guiyang students to get a taste of college life in the USA, and have access to the University’s faculty and guidance councilors. I have often been asked what university requirements are for Chinese students, and I am not qualified to speak on behalf of actual universities in the USA. This is a chance for students to get answers to there questions, as well as college level training in an area of the arts that they are interested in.
The summer camp goes from July 12 to July 18. Questions can be directed to Dr. Jenkens at: aljenken@uncg.edu . If I can be of help, please contact me at johnsporter@gmail.com .
Detailed information and an online application form is at: https://store.nexternal.com/uncg/summer-art–design-camp-2015-c243.aspx .
It is my hope to go to see this camp during the summer, so I may be able to cooperate with local people that want to go.
Jack
Buying a cell phone – Tips for Expats in China
I paid about $17 for a little Samsung phone, a pay as you go, in the USA. I thought it would work in China. Further, knowing the expertise of Chinese technicians, I thought if it was locked, that a Chinese technician could unlock it and allow me to use it. No. Even though it was a prepaid phone, the ATT Corporation locked it as if it belonged to them. I couldn’t get it unlocked in China.
Imporant lesson – If you buy a phone in the USA, make sure that the provider you choose unlocks the phone before you bring it to China.
The Iphone is recognized as about the best phone, but it is pricey. It also doesn’t have an open system. If you want to use your phone like another flash drive, connecting to your computer, or add memory with and extra sim card, you may want to pass on the Iphone. Android phones are probably better. The top end Androids are probably better than the Iphones. The Iphones won’t permit expansion, but the best Androids will accept SIM cards that can expand your memory to 128 Gigs. Iphones don’t accept Micro SD cards.
Most android phones are good around the world. You need to make sure that the frequency of the phone will work. The GSM is a 2G phone and will work everywhere, but internet is limited. The most flexible Android phones are WCDMA. These will usually work in the USA, Europe, and China.
Android phones are not all the same. Many companies change the Android system with proprietary user interfaces. Sometimes this interferes with access to the local system. Accessing Google is a hassle in China. There are VPN programs that allow the cell phone to connect to Google, but these are added after purchase.
When you buy a phone in the USA, it should have 3G and 4G frequencies that will work in China and elsewhere. When you buy a phone in |China, it needs to support WCDMA or CDMA2000 in order to work in the USA.
USA Social Security in China
After a long process of proving the hours working in China, I finally got my benefits. I applied at 63 and took a lower amount, earlier. After applying in my home town, I was turned over to an office in Manila, in the Philippines for processing. Apparently one office specializes in the Asia applications. The law requires that I NOT work more than 48 hours a month overseas to be eligible, and I was able to document that. I received my checks via direct deposit in the USA.
I was sent a form to fill out detailing any changes in my employment status. This was about six months after qualifying. I was in the USA shortly after getting the form, so I went to my home town SS office. They said that they knew nothing about the form, and that there was no record of anything being sent to me. They said not to worry . . . BIG MISTAKE.
My checks stopped about six months later and after digging into it further, I found a rule that said I MUST file the form, or my payments WILL stop. The moral of the story is twofold: 1) File the forms that they ask you to file, and 2) Don’t go to your local SS office for info about Expat benefits. Manila is the office that handles it, and a local office will probably not know anything about it !
PS: As soon as I filed the form, the benefits resumed, and an extra deposit was made for the delayed check.
Back in Guiyang
I am back in Guiyang and teaching again at Guizhou Normal University. The trip from Traverse City was difficult. It took 30 hours. The last leg was from Shanghai to Guiyang and had a delay for equipment trouble. Jet lag is a problem
Golfing in Florida
Spring vacation includes about two weeks of golf in Florida. This is a really good time. The photos are typical of golf courses in Florida.
Vacation
One of the advantages of a university position is that the vacations are long, longer than most private schools and than most government people. I am in Florida and have almost 7 weeks winter vacation (called Spring Festival). Summer vacation is a similar duration.
Working on Christmas Day
I administered a final exam on Christmas Day. I suppose I could have gotten out of it by claiming some kind of religious exemption, but that wasn’t for me. I showed up anyway. I could have been in a bah, humbug mood, but it didn’t turn out that way. The students knew how to handle it.
Christmas Santa Was Cool
I had a chance to play Santa at a couple friends’ schools
This is Christine. She wanted a laptop, so I let her sit on my lap.
Here’s a few more pictures which are representative of venue.
McDonalds is Open
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- At the Donut in the Sky (Big Cross)
McDonalds was opened on Christmas Eve. Prices seem reasonable with a Big Mac, Fries, and a Coke at under 25rmb. Upsized fries is about 27.5rmb. Stu spoke Chinese and ass’t manager translated his Chinese for him, and screwed it up. Then the cash register was jammed and they had to call the Manager over to override it. The wait staff needs to be a little better trained, but altogether it was a good experience at a reasonable price.