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About the schools of Guizhou.

Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canada 贵阳中加新世界国际学校

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   Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canada 贵阳中加新世界国际学校 

uploaded at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98531730@N02/9560587291/sizes/l/in/photostream/

videos about Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canada:

high school graduation of Beijing main school, then scenes of the new Guiyang branch 贵阳中加新世界国际学校学校,v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDQyNTU5MDA4.html

Guiyang televison news announcement about the opeing of Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canada 贵阳新闻联播 中加学校,v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDI4OTkxNjI0.html

邮编：550023
邮箱：441932845@qq.com
电话：0851-2218059
联系地址：贵州省贵阳市金阳新区金阳北路新世界花园
AKD International Educations Inc Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canada| contact us: zsb@ccsc.com.cn
School address: Jinzhu WestRoad, New World Terrace, Guanshan lake District, Guiyang, Guizhou
Office of Admission ：(86-851) 221-8058 221-8059
The whole nation hotline：400-659-8882

School Introduction

(2012-7-19)

Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canada 贵阳中加新世界国际学校 (GCCSC) is the first 12 years of consistent system of international schools, combined with high-quality curriculum and educational resources in China and Canada to create a joint education sector by the governments of the two countries. The school set up a high school, junior high school department and Primary Section. The school is located in Guiyang, Jinyang New District, New World Garden, adjacent to Jinyang Foreign Language Experimental School, and Jinyang Experimental Primary School of Foreign Languages. School China for the Chinese and Canadian governments certification school cooperative education Guiyang Jinyang New District Education Bureau Jinyang Foreign Language Experimental School, and Jinyang Experimental Primary School of Foreign Languages, the Canadian side for the Ministry of Education of the provincial government of New Brunswick, Canada, and Canada Emperor international Education Group. As approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education, the country　s first Sino-foreign cooperative education institution, since 1997, China and Canada education brand has opened in Beijing, BeijingCCSC, Shenzhen (Nanshan) branch school, Shenzhen CCSC, school Hunan, Guizhou and Canada, and GCCSC. The schools aim to absorb the essence of Eastern and Western cultures, melt the essence of Chinese and Western education system, and build mainly Chinese courses, the financial add courses for one of the courses system, promote deeper cooperation on education in China and Canada. School characteristics and educational advantages by virtue of “dual enrollment”, “dual school system, “, ” double degree “export” nearly 10,000 high school graduates for many years to universities at home and abroad. University admission rates have remained at 100%, universities scholarships rate has remained at 83%, has made remarkable school performances and met educational outcomes, the full affirmation of the parents and the community. The school has been hailed by many parents and teachers as students grow in a harmonious paradise, state-of-the-art facilities of international Gakuen. Safe and warm living homes cultivate the cradle of international talent. ”
Schools to implement the president responsibility system under the leadership of the board of directors, the school chairman, vice chairman, school legal representatives, principals, Canadian principal by senior education specialist reputation as the Government selected. (Chinese teachers appointed by Chinese teachers from other school campuses combined in partnership with foreign teachers provide the backbone of an outstanding coalition of teachers.)
School teachers from the two parts of the Chinese teachers and foreign teachers, appointed by Chinese teachers from school campuses and partners the teaching backbone, combined with outstanding teachers nationwide coalition of. The Canadian Principal and foreign teachers strictly selected by the Ministry of Education of the provincial government of New Brunswick, Canada are experienced and fully certified teachers in Canada. The Canadian Principal is responsible for Canadian student enrollment management, curriculum management in Canada issuing Canadian diplomas.

The schools full adoption of state-of-the-art interactive electronic smart board lectures, replace the traditional blackboard uses, to become the first electronically equipped classrooms. The incorporation of new media into the classroom, with the full realization of the computer network teaching, classroom media teaching, enrich the content of the classroom teaching, improve student interest in learning, and promote a better classroom teaching heuristic, interacting changes in teaching styles, self-learning, and to make the classroom more exciting, vivid and efficient.

State-of-the-art teaching facilities, classrooms, laboratories, computer network rooms, multimedia configuration class and other various function rooms, complete the learning environment. Our school provides a student dormitory equipped with an adequate supply of hot water, air conditioning, fan, bathroom and sanitary equipment. The school canteen provides nutritious and safe meals to ensure student nutrition. Teachers co-ordinate the management of daily life of the students and their spare time and recreational activities. A nutritionist makes reasonable arrangements for the meals. Moral education teachers care about the students, the school doctor according to plan prevention, health care, security personnel day and night duty, to create a new school teaching management, life services new model. Day and night security personnel are on site at all times, to create a new type of school teaching management, the new mode of life services.

(from www.giccsc.com/english/show.aspx?n_id=64 )
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Admissions Conditions and Charges
招生条件

学校独立自主面向全市招生，以贵阳市生源为主兼收部分同边地市州学生（含在国内的外籍学生及海外华侨子女，不受户口限制）。凡身心健康、学习态度端正、智力发育正常、思想品德良好、成绩优秀的适龄学生均可报名。2012年秋季计划招收小学一年级2个班、二年级1个班，初中一年级2个班，高中一年级2个班。

报名与录取

小学一年级新生免笔试，接受面试和英语测试，同步进行智力测试与体育测试；初中一年级新生需参加学校英语、数学、语文入学测试，卷面满分200分，考试时间120分钟，其中英语、数学各75分，语文50分，根据测试成绩择优录取；高中一年级新生凭当地中考成绩择优录取，其成绩需达到卷面总分的70%以上，同时需进行学校英语水平测试，测试成绩合格者择优录取。各年级入学水平测试时间由学校另行通知。
1、凡报考贵阳中加新世界国际学校的学生，均须完整填写《中加学校入学申请表》，同时提供原就读学校成绩单、学生评价手册、户口本或身份证复印件、一寸照片2张，报名费及入学审核测试费免收。
2、具有贵阳市金阳新区户籍，以及贵阳新世界花园业主子女，同等条件下优先录取。
3、贵阳中加新世界国际学校为住读式新型国际学校，根据相关规定如果录取后体检不合格、传染病带菌或有不良嗜好行为者，将取消录取或退学。
4、高一年级被录取并全部完成注册手续的新生，学校计划在暑期安排2-3周的高中先修课程辅导班，以适应高中阶段全英文教学并熟悉加方课程体系及要求，学校免收课程辅导及资料费（具体日期及方式由学校另行通知）。

学位定金

申请就读贵阳中加新世界国际学校各年级学位可选择两种方式交纳学位定金：①申请人交纳学位定金10000元，学位可保留至7月15日；②申请人交纳学位定金20000元，学位可保留至8月15日，并可同时获得分数段（10分为一分数段）优先录取。录取后定金冲抵学杂费，未被学校录取者，8月31日后凭定金收据全额退还。正式录取者，学杂费余款需在录取通知书规定日期内交付，逾期交付作自愿放弃入学资格处理。

收费标准

小学：实验班学杂费21000元/年，国际班学杂费26000元/年（走读生，含伙食费、校服费、校车费、体检费、中加两国教材等费用，不含境外学习交流费用），寄宿生需另交住宿费3000元/年。
初中：实验班学杂费23000元/年，国际班学杂费29000元/年（走读生，含伙食费、校服费、校车费、体检费、中加两国教材等费用，不含境外学习交流费用），寄宿生需另交住宿费3000元/年。
高中：学杂费49000元/年（含住宿费、伙食费、校服费、校车费、体检费、中加两国教材、军训等费用，不含境外学习交流及管理费用），学生可自愿申请加拿大高中学历认证，一次性费用为3750美元。
周末双休日期间如需住校的学生，需另交活动管理费5000元/年。注：收费标准如有调整，以物价主管部门的批复为准。

(from www.giccsc.com/english/show.aspx?n_id=22 )
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Canadian Education Delegation visited our school

On July 12th, 2013, Mr. John McLaughlin,NB Vice Minister of Education and his wife Ms. Catharine McLaughlin, Mr. Terry Currie,Supervisor of AEI , Dr. Francis Pang,Chairman of the Board of AKD International Education Inc. ,Mr.Vincent Pang,Executive Consultant of SCCSC,Mr. Andy Truong,Executive Director of BCCSC and ACCSC,and Vice Principal of SCCSC Ms. Du Juan visited our school and Guanshanhu Foreign Language Experimental Middle School.

After visiting our Admission Office, the sample classroom, the ladder classroom and English Department ,Canadian education delegation pointed out that our campus had beautiful environment ,it’s clean and tidy, equipped with excellent hardware facilities.and they thought the school spirit was harmony, especially after watching a theme class meeting of Grade Seven . It fully demonstrated the unity and friendship among the students in our school,. They also gave the full affirmation and high praise to school-running characteristics and quality in education of our school , and hoping that we could make great progress in the future.
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Junior high School

Middle school in the fully opened Chinese courses prescribed by the Canadian national curriculum standards offer English, information science, computer, and other additional Canadian courses and elective courses taught in English by foreign teachers. At the same time the school aims to strengthen the English teaching for non-English subjects, in particular the implementation of the natural sciences courses, English immersion and bilingual teaching. Bilingual teaching begins with a focus on the use of specialized words, to the formulation of the basic concepts and principles, to the classroom exercises using English and bilingual proposition exam. Students gradually develop bilingual learning and thinking habits so that students develop a more prominent international foundation. At the same time, the school also takes advantage of the summer to organize international summer camp activities, to broaden and develop students　 international perspectives.

Bilingual Experimental Middle School opened classes and international courses on the implementation of small class teaching, a meticulous management mode so that each student can get more attention and counseling, and comprehensively improve academic results. In addition to the opening of the school in plus two bilingual, special courses are also offered outside of the regular courses such as piano, calligraphy, chess and other interest group activities. A variety of elective courses, formulated with added features, is conducive to the development of students with international education standards of the education system. Students enroll in the future foreign elite, and international compound talents to provide a strong guarantee for graduates entering in helicopter school high school learning.

The internationalization of education is the basis for the optimal combination of Chinese and Western education in Canadian schools. The development of strategic policy of the school education is also a priority and schools strictly enforce the state compulsory education lesson plans, curriculum based on the comprehensive set up the rules of the national curriculum standards, additional language and literature in Canada, health, science, and computer courses. To implement the dual mother-tongue teaching courses, served as foreign teachers, the Chinese teachers from a number of innovative, energy, enthusiasm, excellent teachers by the Ministry of Education qualification in the Canadian province of teachers, so that students gradually develop good thinking habits in a strong bilingual learning environment, especially in professional English reading, which has been significantly improved to improve their English communication and ability to communicate. Students therefore learn the courses of a more prominent basic and comprehensive international education style. Students who graduate from elementary school can directly enter our middle and high school to continue learning. secondary schools in Guiyang City can also choose to continue to learn.

(from www.giccsc.com/english/show.aspx?n_id=33 )
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Primary School

The primary section opened a bilingual experimental class and an international course with the implementation of small class teaching, a meticulous management mode that allows each student to receive more attention and assistance. In addition to the opening of the school in, plus two bilingual, special elective courses were also opened, including piano, calligraphy, drawing and other areas of interest in order to fully develop the qualities and capabilities of the students. At the same time, the school also takes advantage of the summer to organize international summer camp activities, to broaden and develop students　 international perspectives.

( from www.giccsc.com/english/show.aspx?n_id=27)
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Senior High School

The aim of our high school is to implement dual enrollment, a dual school system, small classes, meticulous management, synchronization creation of bilingual experimental classes and AP courses classes. The students have the same high school enrollment as Canadian high school students. The three-year senior academic structure, credit system, and curriculum execution syllabus is compatible with Canadian high school credit courses. The students’ high school credit course scores qualifies them to obtain a high school diploma and a high school diploma (equivalent to that of Canadian high school graduates) issued by the Ministry of Education of the provincial government of New Brunswick, Canada. Dual degree certificate students in China can apply for university, along with the exemption, free matriculation admission to Canada, the United States and other English-speaking countries. Students who earn good grades can qualify to apply for college scholarships.
Multi-directional and multi-graduation exports is one of the added features of the school. The successful middle school graduates for years have maintained a 100% university admission acceptance rate at home and abroad. Graduates were admitted, up to 85 percent of the students 2-8 university admission, universities, scholarships rate of 83%, which the highest individual scholarships of up to $ 100,000. Graduates have been accepted to more than 100 universities throughout Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong and other countries and regions. A grand graduation ceremony will be held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.. The school has trained a multi-session high school and nearly 10,000 outstanding graduates in famous universities continue their studies or work, and contribute to important positions.

(from www.giccsc.com/english/show.aspx?n_id=36 )
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Witness the New World School of Guiyang Canada was born

Guizhou Metropolis Daily digital newspaper, July 19, 2012

⊙The reporter Lu Yilin
July 12, in the New World International School.

Guiyang officially opened in Jinyang New District. It is reported that the school is Canada the RBC International Education Group run is Canada international education brand in China in 15 years, run by seven international school. Is the province　s first real full-time international schools, 12 years on the significance of the consistent system to fill the province blank school directly participate in the international college entrance. School official handover of the day, Canada New Brunswick Education Minister Jody Carr, of Canada RBC International Education Group Chairman Dr. Peng Jianhua, Municipal Committee of Guiyang Jinyang New District Party committee secretary Ding Xudong, Guiyang City Vice Mayor Mao Bi Jinyang New District Administrative Committee Director Zhang Haibo leaders and guests, educators, many students and parents about more than 500 people witnessed the campus handover ceremony, everyone up in Guizhou Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canada Send expectations. Reputation cooperative education school for 15 years, fully affirmed the achievements, the education sector of Guizhou and Guizhou child brought for the school to give education a new philosophy, a new model, as well as the school for 15 years 100% college acceptance rate to Guizhou, hold to the ardent hope that the development of the school, have also sent sincere blessing. Campus handover ceremony site, the Municipal Committee of Guiyang Jinyang New District Party committee secretary Ding Xudong, Guiyang City Vice Mayor Mao Pitt personally schools awarding thus Guiyang Canada New World International School was officially inaugurated in Jinyang New District, at the same time for the province to recruit students.

Education in Canada to open a new door for students

Canada, New Brunswick Minister of Education, Mr. JodyCarr:
The ceremony marked the Canadian Huang International Education Group 7 plus the establishment of the school in the 15 years of partnership with Niubin Province. Canadian school also runs through the north and south China things to form a solid network of schools and teaching network.
Able to provide students with the opportunity to learn in a multicultural environment is a very useful thing. The students will be graduating from high school in Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canada and obtained a high school diploma in China and Canada. Students can choose to pursue advanced studies at the University of China or Canada continues. In the same time, the school will run the first grade to ninth grade, mainly to China　s basic education curriculum, the fusion part of the Canadian province of New Brunswick advantage English courses and elective courses.
Advantage curricular integration of China and Canada will be available to students a unique education, this education will be passed to the students of different cultural, expand your thinking, to open a new door for their future.

Guiyang children achieve the dream of studying abroad

Canada RBC International Education Group Chairman Dr. Peng Jianhua:
Schools in Canada Canada the RBC International Education Group　s cooperation by the Chinese Government and the Government of Canada established Sino-foreign cooperative educational institutions, and over the years has been the strong support of the Chinese government at all levels. Since its inception in 1997, has been founded in China over the six schools, has been the recognition of local governments, education departments, and praise and recognition by local parents.
With the “mother tongue” and “multi-cultural” school characteristics and advantages, there are more than a dozen sessions nearly 10,000 graduates in the domestic and foreign college or work, and to contribute to important positions in many industries. The RBC After many in-depth study, considered necessary for the introduction of the new school education school system Guiyang.
Allow children to accept the influence of Western culture has a rich cultural heritage of the city to live in this, the double mother tongue the dual education teaching mode to achieve the comprehensive development of the domestic quality of education as well as the dream of studying abroad in the future. The RBC Group will work and Jinyang New District Education Bureau efforts to Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canadaaccomplishing the first-class quality international schools in Guiyang.
The Jinyang education important milestone of the development
Jinyang New District Party Working Committee, the CMC director Zhang Haibo：
Since 2008, the Jinyang New District financial education career accumulated investment funds of nearly 500 million yuan, the cause of education has made considerable progress. Today, we ushered in the official opening of the New World International School, Guiyang, not only to fill the province there is no the school directly participate in the International College Entrance Examination blank, also laid a good start for the province　s college entrance examination with international standards, not only to help promote international exchange, optimize its structure to meet the educational needs of different groups of people, and also help to improve the investment environment and the urban image of the new district. Important milestone for the history of the development of education in the Jinyang New District, Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canada run will be to play an extremely important role to build a modern city benchmark for Jinyang.
“Dual enrollment” mode to meet different people educational needs
Jinyang New District Secretary for Education Hao Tempo:
Canada school　s annual enrollment in Guizhou Province, many parents have also attracted the children sent to Beijing, Canada School of Shenzhen, province candidates obtained excellent HKALE Canada Group established a good Guizhou students　 quality The impression also make our mutual confidence in cooperation. After a comprehensive study and careful consideration and screening, Jinyang New District workers, management committee, following the successful introduction last year, Beijing Normal University, cooperative education, and innovative introduction of the Canadian of Huang International Education Group opened of Guiyang in plus New World in the New World International Garden International School and signing ceremony held last month on the 20th. Far less than one month　s time, has been all over the province including the neighboring provinces of registration for the more than 200 students enrolled.
Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canada is a twelve years consistent system of international schools, students have “dual enrollment” can directly participate in the international college entrance applications including Ivy League institutions, including many European and American countries, colleges and universities. Fill the province blank no school can participate in the international college entrance directly help to promote the diversification of Jinyang New District, education, international development, to meet the educational needs of different groups of people. Cooperation principles for cooperative education, self-management “. New District Education Bureau to provide school places and facilities, to ensure good conditions for running. RBC International Education Group provides educational philosophy, curriculum, teaching methods, teaching methods, experiment and practice, foreign exchange and other international teaching business management resources, and is responsible for providing funds for the school, selected well-known principals, hiring Chinese and foreign outstanding teachers, and schools all teaching and administrative operations.
For students facing the world in advance accelerated
Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canada principals have completed heroic:
The key to the development of a school teacher, Royal International Education Group in this regard we do fully prepared, excellent the Canadian Principal and instructors selected by the Ministry of Education of Canada, New Brunswick, with a wealth of experience in education Beijing Canada, Shenzhen plus vivid send a portion of the outstanding teachers of bilingual teaching experience, Guiyang plus also spared no expense to the nation to recruit a number of disciplines backbone teachers.
It should also let everyone know that the school　s international education, and not just the environment internationalization, the internationalization of the curriculum to increase the number of foreign teachers. It is trying to the full range of culture through such a school education the international literacy of teachers and students, more students, more intuitive understanding of Western culture, knowledge transmission process, the establishment of an international life atmosphere more open mentality more sun, more open-minded, more active thinking, operating practice more opportunities to participate in the stronger sense, more willing to think and express performance, so that our students　 horizons, potentially improve the overall quality of the individual, the formation of good behavior and basic etiquette of behavior for students for the world ahead of acceleration.
Special Note: the “Guiyang plus New World International School Admissions Seminar held in the Jinyang Shijijinyuan Hotel Beijing Room on the second floor of Guiyang Concord College of Sino-Canadaon July 22, 2012 15:00 pm.

private English schols in Guiyang – Aston English 阿斯顿英语贵阳 & English First 英孚贵阳

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 private English schols in Guiyang – Aston English 阿斯顿英语贵阳 & English First 英孚贵阳 ,

uploaded at:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/98531730@N02/9562018300/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Aston English – Guiyang: guiyang.astonschool.com ,

See video with scenes of Guiyang and Aston’s school 阿斯顿英语 Aston English 外教在中国——贵阳, :v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTg3OTkxODAw.html
贵阳阿斯顿英语学校
一部：贵州省贵阳市中山东路42号小十字银座商务大厦13层
电话：0851-5832425 / 5832476
二部：贵州省贵阳市飞山街105号祥源大厦D栋2—4层
电话：0851-5258802 / 5258804

贵阳阿斯顿英语学校是美国阿斯顿国际教育集团在贵州省的唯一一所品牌英语培训学校，学校在贵阳有2个分部，分别座落于繁华、交通便利的小十字和飞山街。学校拥有全空调的现代化教学环境，先进的多媒体互动软、硬件环境，宽敞舒适的家长休息大厅。在这里，您将感受到纯正地道的英语学习环境，领先地位的阿斯顿教学理论与教材，热情专业的外籍教师团队。
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The Aston Educational Group companies are leading training organizations focused on providing premium quality training in English language and career skills to individuals and organizations in Asia.
Aston English

Aston English operates more than 100 English schools in China. In 1996 Aston opened its first English language school in Dalian and is now operating in 22 provinces in more than 88 cities nationwide. Aston’s customized curriculum for the Chinese market ensures students achieve good English communication skills that will serve them well in the future.

The Aston International Academy (AIA), based in Austin Texas, provides Chinese students with the chance to study in the US on a student visa. AIA has a conditional acceptance program with several universities across the United States (CAP) which allows students who complete the last level of AIA’s courses to transfer directly into bachelor degree programs.
Aston A+

Established in 2009, Aston A+ is our new brand of high end learning centers targeting young English learners. Aston A+ provides a top class service to its customers with small class sizes, interactive white board technology and a complete course package based on our cooperation with ETL (English Time Limited). A+ courses focus on developing all four English skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
Oxford AssociatesAston Associates

Oxford Associates, based in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen since 2003, assists leading Fortune 500 companies to improve their performance and efficiency through customized language and soft skills training programs. Services the company offers include business English classes, soft skills seminars, blended language and management programs, language assessments and a number of online courses to improve reading and writing ability.
(from astonrecruiting.com/about.html )
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English First – Guiyang
www.ef.com.cn/englishfirst/schools/guiyang/intro.aspx
中华中路1号鸿祥大厦6楼
电话：0851-5213328,0851-5213398

学英语，到EF英孚贵阳学校

贵阳英语培训中心
贵阳EF英语培训学校于2004年2月落户贵阳，坐落于贵阳市最为繁华的喷水池虹祥大厦，校舍面积800多平方米，是贵阳最大的英语培训学校。现有来自英国、美国、爱尔兰、加拿大、新加坡等英语国家的专职英语教师8名。作为专业的语言教育机构，贵阳EF现已成为贵阳英语爱好者心中的第一品牌。在提供个人英语课程的同时，我们还为企业客户提供度身定做的商务英语课程。
工作时间：
星期一 – 星期五 10:00-21:00
星期六 10:00-21:00
星期天： 10:00-21:00
欢迎您来贵阳EF英孚英语培训学校参观、咨询！

Study English at EF English First Guiyang

GuiyangEnglish training center
EF English First Guiyang was set up on February of 2004. It is located in the Hongxiang Building which is the landmark of the commercial center of Guiyang. The school is around 800 square meters and the biggest English language training school in Guiyang. At present there are 8 foreign teachers who come from different countries around the world, such as, England, America, Australia, South Africa. As a professional language training center, EF English First Guiyang has risen to the top of the English training market in Guiyang. EF English First Guiyang offers not only the personal courses, also special Corporate Language Training and Business English Training.
(from www.ef.com.cn/englishfirst/schools/guiyang/intro.aspx )
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two months in China
Well I read many of these entries before I left and I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the experience (except of course background knowledge of chinas history). The things I expected to be a problem – weren’t (water, housing, bad school)and the things I didn’t expect – were (staring. Spitting, lack of imagination etc). I taught at EF Guiyang, the school was new, the staff were great, my boss couldn’t have been more supportive. We had some minor difficulties with the Chinese staff, who were still adapting to our western way (it was quite impossible to imagine us adapting to their way of doing things, I’m sorry!). I recommend anyone with an open mind and a desire to learn patience and tolerance to teach in China, BUT I must say I admire those in for the long haul because I wouldn’t have wanted to stay longer than the two months I spent there (summer school)it was perfect for a taste! I did feel like I was going a bit mad at times. I have only been back a week and im still getting my head around things but it is an experience I will never forget, I have learn so much. I could write and write and write but I will keep it brief.
If anyone wishes to contact me with any questions….
Jenza65@hotmail.com
(from www.abroadchina.org/html/cache=article265.htm )

 

Guizhou Forerunner College (in Huishui, Guizhou) 贵州盛华职业学院

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Guizhou Forerunner College 贵州盛华职业学院

As the first non-profit funded college in China, Guizhou Forerunner College aims to support the underserved low income, blind, and minority communities in the Guizhou Province of China by providing a world class education through innovative teaching.

from : www.forerunnercollege.com/en/,  uploaded at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98531730@N02/9558268843/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Chinese website: http://www.forerunnercollege.com/menus.aspx?id=34

Guizhou Forerunner College, Huishui, Guizhou, China
TEL：0854—6230002（FAX）

FAQ
Q: When was the School Founded?
A: The school was officially opened on September 15, 2011 and admitted its first class of 200 students from various counties in Guizhou Province to its School of Hotel Management, School of Computer Appplication, Duocai Guizhou School of Tea, and the Bright Angel College for the blind.

Q: Who founded the school?
A: Ms. Cher Wang, co-founder and Chairman of leading smartphone developer, HTC Corp., and Mr. WenChi Chen, President and CEO of VIA Technologies, Inc., a complete platform provider, established VIA Faith-Hope-Love Public Welfare Foundation in 2008 to improve the conditions of the disadvantaged, especially in rural areas, through education, medical care, and science and technology.

Q: What is the motto of the college?
A: Integrity, Love and Nobility.

Q: What are the discplines offered by the college?
A: GFC School of Computer Application, GFC School of Hotel Management, Duocai Guizhou School of Tea, Bright Angel College for the blind, GFC Minority Culture and Heritage Center and GFC School of Education.

Q: Who are the target student groups of GFC?
A: The college aims to admit those students who excel in their field of studies but has financial difficulties in Guizhou province. At least 1/3 of the students will receive financial aid for full tuition; another 1/3 will receive financial aid to cover half of the tuition while those students with extreme difficulties will also receive living allowances.

Q: How long do the students study at the College?
A: The College offer a 3-year program and degrees to the students in various disciplines.

Q: What kind of degrees do they get when they graduate from this college?
A: Only GFC Minority Culture and Heritage Center offers both a 3-year Technical Secondary School Education degree and a 3-year Vocational (College) School degree. All the other disciplines only offer 3-year Vocational (College) degrees.

Q: What happens after the students graduate?
A: The College will attempt to place all the graduates in internship or full time positions in its many business partners. For example, the students of Hotel Management will be referred to Marriott International, an American-based worldwide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities.

Q: Are there clubs on Campus?
A: Yes, everyday students have designated club activity schedules as well as extracurricular clubs outside school hours.

Q: Who are the staff?
A: The school staff includes local teaching and administrative staff, various representatives from business partners, many volunteers from the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other parts of China.

Q: What are the sports facilities on campus?
A: The school has a standard soccer field, indoor basketball courts, tennis courts, table tennis tables, and badminton courts.

Peace Corps 和平队 & VSO in Guizhou

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 Peace Corps Volunteers in China – Stories

from china.drupalgardens.com/content/background  , uploaded at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98531730@N02/9556483068/

Address:
Peace Corps China
C/O Sichuan Unversity
Mailbox 278
No. 29 Wangjiang Road
Chengdu, Sichuan 610064 PRC.
Email:  PcInfoChina@cn.peacecorps.gov ; Phone: Tel:86-28-8608-1871 ; Fax:86-28-8541-7152

The longer I am in China the more I realize I am not some “other” person, now a PCV in China, but very much myself. At home my family is the most important thing to me and in China my greatest challenge is to be away from them. I am lucky, however, that I have been accepted into a wonderful family that I now consider to be very much my own.

My host family and I have dinner together almost twice a week, every week. I have a Didi (little brother) and a Meimei (little sister), two relationships I never had in the U.S. as the baby of my family. When I first arrived I could see they were interested in getting to know me, but were very quiet and reluctant to talk with me. They were both also incredibly insecure. The more I got to know them, however, the more I saw how excellent their English was (or could be) and how wonderful they were at so many things. When I arrived my Meimei was preparing to enter her freshman year of college and my Didi, his last year of middle school. Though they both have families that love them deeply, they were living unhealthy lifestyles that left them constantly exhausted, and were so focused on school that they didn’t have time to enjoy it. My Didi felt the growing pressure of studying for the Zhong Kao (the high school entrance exam) and my Meimei was extraordinarily stressed about her physical image before entering her first year of college.

Before our classes began we climbed the mountain in town several times and practiced our English almost nightly. After Meimei went to school and we lacked her translation abilities my Didi and I grew close while attempting to converse in broken English and Chinese. I helped him with his English homework, talked to him about American culture as we watched American movies, and taught him ‘cool’ English songs to sing at KTV (karaoke). Over the winter months my Meimei returned from school and I could see she was exhausted and not giving her body the nutrients it needed. I encouraged our Mama to teach us how to cook more vegetable dishes so that we could reduce some of the fatty meats and excessive oil. We played badminton and ping pong together and talked about being healthy at school and how much happier we were when we were active. Every night we would have time that was “only English” (per their request) and “only Chinese” to improve both of our language abilities. Every night we also made time for my Meimei and I to study the erhu (Chinese two-stringed fiddle).

Since our time together I know that my Chinese has improved (as well as my erhu) and am sure their English has as well. My Didi is now at an excellent high school in another province, I hope still practicing his oral English, and my Meimei is following me in my English classes as a semester internship from school. They are the closest relationships I have made in China and as we learn from one another I feel very much a part of their family, both adored and loved.

Natalie Thomure, Guizhou, 2011-2013
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My students, colleagues, and host family have all been so kind and welcoming to me. Additionally, through the community-based English-Corner, my site-mate and I have made other friends in the community. One of my closest friends now is my friend Leo, who invited me to join he and his friends on a 5 day camping trip over the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Holiday. These gentlemen, though they hardly knew me, welcomed me to join their epic journey. On it, I was able to experience the warmth of the Chinese countryside.

Everywhere we went, there were people who were eager to help us, simply out of the kindness of their hearts. I was deeply affected by this unassuming generosity, and moved by the journey I was able to experience with the help of my new friends. On the last leg of the trip, we planned to camp at the bottom of a pit in a small village. The route down was steep, and the rainfall was persistent. Our guide informed us that it would not cease, so we turned back. His family was very poor. We gave them all of our food, so they cooked a meal that we shared together. That night, the family put us up in their home and kept us warm in the cool autumn evening. The following day, they slaughtered an old hen and made us a delicious soup from their farm and their livestock. They accepted nothing but our words to express our gratitude, and let us depart with a promise that we would return. I was changed by this experience, as the kindness I experienced my whole life paled in comparison to the way this family treated us.

Amanda LeClere, Guizhou, 2012-present

(both from china.drupalgardens.com/content/pcvs-stories# )
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Background

From its inception in 1993, Peace Corps China, known as the US-China Friendship Volunteers, has concentrated on teaching English. China has set as a major goal, nine years of free primary and middle school education for children in rural areas by 2010, and in the entire country by 2015. To meet economic development goals, China requires primary and middle school students to study English beginning in fourth grade in urban areas, and seventh grade in rural areas. Currently, there is a country-wide shortage of over 500,000 English teachers.

The major challenges that China faces are associated with a large population: education, housing, and medical care. In the field of education, China set goals in the Chinese Education Development and Reform Program. The success of education in China rests on the success in the rural areas where the majority of the population resides. This part of China has made a great deal of progress in institutionalizing 6-year compulsory elementary education. However, it has a long way to go in institutionalizing 9-year compulsory education. This task is chiefly the responsibility of the teachers colleges and universities. According to the China Education Association for International Exchange (Peace Corps’ host agency), these tertiary education programs are seen as efficient in providing the education needed to address the social and economic needs of China. Accordingly, the colleges have been directed to increase their enrollment and improve their programs, with the result that almost every such institution now has, or is building, a new campus to supplement the old one.

With increased school enrollments to meet the nine-year compulsory education goal, comes the problem of shortages of qualified English teachers. In addition, English teachers in rural areas have been very isolated and have had little opportunity to speak English with native speakers. Because they have studied English in school for six years, their reading and translation skills are good, but they may be self-conscious about their speaking skills. Many textbooks are also outdated. While some new texts are being introduced, there is little opportunity for current secondary English teachers in rural schools to be trained in their use. The need for English language listening and speaking skills has only recently been addressed by China.

In response to this need, China asked the Peace Corps to assist in training English teachers and other professionals. Of the approximately 100 to 120 Peace Corps Volunteers, 80% teach conversational English, written English, English literature, and Western Civilization at the Teacher Training College and University level. The remaining 20% teach English in technical schools to help prepare students to work in areas like tourism, medicine, and joint ventures with international companies. Most Volunteers teach 14 to 16 classroom hours per week. As requested by the Chinese government, Peace Corps concentrates its efforts in the provinces that come under the Western China Development Project, which includes Sichuan, Gansu, Guizhou and Chongqing Municipality.

Peace Corps addresses the needs of future and current teachers in rural areas, as well as other professionals by offering them opportunities to improve their oral and written English skills. The Chinese have traditionally followed the grammar-translation approach to English in which students master the grammatical system of the language. Peace Corps Volunteers focus, for the most part, on the communicative skills to help Chinese use English in social, academic, and business settings. Through a summer outreach strategy, this opportunity is extended to middle school teachers in schools where Volunteers are not assigned. With content-based teaching, Peace Corps volunteers have also integrated environmental, HIV/AIDS, gender equality, and diversity awareness, as well as critical thinking and problem solving skills, into their teaching and extra-curricular activities.

NOT ONLY DO I COMMUNICATE WITH FRIENDS IN MANDARIN, BUT I ALSO DEVELOP NEW SKILLS THROUGH UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES.

Former Volunteer in Gansu, China

(from china.drupalgardens.com/content/background )

VSA (Voluntary Service Overseas, UK) & Peace Corps (US) cooperation with Guizhou University 贵州大学

In 1989, Guizhou Agricultural College, then a separate university, began hosting VSO teachers in the Foreign Language Department. The following year, Guizhou University began hosting foreign teachers from the AISH programme in Australia and visiting teacher programmes in both New Zealand and the University of Alabama. Simultaneously, VSO teachers from both the UK and the Netherlands were recruited to work in other Guiyang institutes of higher education including the school of fashion and the catering college, both experiencing booms concurrent with Guiyang’s emergence from relative obscurity. These teachers taught in both the undergraduate and post-graduate programmes at each institution. In 2005, eight years after GuiNong (Guizhou Agricultural College) was merged with GuiDa (Guizhou University), Guizhou University began hosting United States Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV’s). The PCVs teach at both the undergraduate and graduate level in the School of Foreign Languages.

(from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guizhou_University#VSO_and_Peace_Co…

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VSO purpose is to bring people together to share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding and action, and change lives to make the world a fairer place for all.
VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers living and working as equals alongside local partners. VSO has offices in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Kenya, the Philippines, India and China. VSO was founded in 1958 and since then over 50,000 volunteers have worked in over 140 developing countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and Latin America.
(from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntary_Service_Overseas )

VSO website: www.vso.org.uk/about/what-we-do
Email: info@vso.ie

What we do:
Climate change
Education
Participation and governance
Health, HIV and AIDS
Secure livelihoods

VSO’s work revolves around four development areas, linked to the priorities of our partners, international development targets and our areas of expertise. These are health, participation and governance, secure livelihoods and education. We’re committed to gender equality in all our work so that men and women have equal opportunities to realise their potential.

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The Peace Corps is a volunteer program run by the United States government. The stated mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance; helping people outside the United States to understand American culture; and helping Americans to understand the cultures of other countries. The work is generally related to social and economic development. Each program participant, a Peace Corps Volunteer, is an American citizen, typically with a college degree, who works abroad for a period of 24 months after three months of training. Volunteers work with governments, schools, non-profit organizations, non-government organizations, and entrepreneurs in education, hunger, business, information technology, agriculture, and the environment. After 24 months of service, volunteers can request an extension of service.[2]
The program was established by Executive Order 10924, issued by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961, announced by televised broadcast March 2, 1961, and authorized by Congress on September 22, 1961, with passage of the Peace Corps Act (Public Law 87-293). The act declares the program’s purpose as follows:
To promote world peace and friendship through a Peace Corps, which shall make available to interested countries and areas men and women of the United States qualified for service abroad and willing to serve, under conditions of hardship if necessary, to help the peoples of such countries and areas in meeting their needs for trained manpower.
Between 1961 and 2013, over 210,000 Americans joined the Peace Corps and served in 139 countries.[1]
(from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Corps )

More than 830 Peace Corps volunteers have served in China since the program was established in 1993. Currently, 146 volunteers serve in China. Volunteers work in the area of education. Volunteers are trained and work in Mandarin Chinese.
(from www.peacecorps.gov/learn/wherepc/asia/china/ )

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The value of the Peace Corps’ China program

By Peter Hessler
POSTED: 09/17/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT WWW.DENVERPOST.COM/CI_1891223318

Rep. Mike Coffman recently called for the Obama administration to end the Peace Corps program in China, describing it as “an insult to the taxpayers of the United States.”
As a former China volunteer who now lives in Colorado, I have several criticisms of Coffman’s stance. The first is basic: Coffman did not meet with any Peace Corps staff or volunteers during his spring trip to China, despite the fact that he visited Sichuan University, where the program is headquartered. Other American lawmakers have made the effort to learn firsthand about what their constituents do as volunteers. On April 24, no fewer than ten senators, including Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, attended a briefing by Peace Corps staff and volunteers in Chengdu.
Legislators are busy; I appreciate that. But a little time makes a big difference – ask anybody who has spent two years of his or her life teaching in a remote part of China. Like many of the five hundred Americans who have served in Peace Corps China, I arrived in 1996 with no background in Chinese language, history, or culture.
Two years later, I left as a fluent speaker of Mandarin, an achievement that is common in the Peace Corps, where volunteers enjoy remarkably close contact with local communities. Most importantly, I taught English in a college that had no other foreign teachers besides the Peace Corps volunteers. My students came from the countryside, and many were the first members of their families to go beyond middle school. Often their fathers were illiterate; their grandmothers had bound feet. And yet these young people were studying English, part of China’s effort to engage with the outside world after decades of Maoist isolation.
Fifteen years later, I’m still in touch with nearly one hundred former students. Most of them teach English in rural middle schools – teacher-training has always been the main priority of the Peace Corps in China. And one of the primary goals of the Peace Corps worldwide is to promote a better understanding of Americans.
I taught my students about American culture, literature, and politics, and now they pass these lessons on to their own students. They regularly send emails with classroom questions: What’s the Tea Party? How do Americans respond to the economic downturn? How does the electoral college work? (Some questions are easier to answer than others.) And while anti-U.S. propaganda can be a problem in China, I guarantee you that things are different in classrooms that have been touched by the Peace Corps. The Chinese have a deep respect for teachers, and they appreciate what it means for a foreigner to dedicate two years to working far from home.
Another primary goal of the Peace Corps is to help Americans understand the outside world. Since the China program began in 1993, former volunteers have gone on to work for the State Department, and they’ve become foreign service officers in China and other countries.
Many work for American businesses, where their language skills are invaluable in negotiating the Chinese market. Large numbers are teachers who give their American classrooms an unusually accurate picture of China. The impact of the Peace Corps in my field, journalism, has been remarkable.
Former volunteers have become China correspondents for The New York Times, National Public Radio, Newsweek, and the New Yorker. Alumni from the program have already published six books about China, with three more coming soon. (To put this in perspective, during the same period the combined bureaus of The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times produced three books.) The last time a Pulitzer Prize was awarded for China coverage, the recipient was Jake Hooker, a former Peace Corps volunteer whose exposé of counterfeit Chinese drugs resulted in significant changes in the pharmaceutical industry – changes that help protect American consumers.
So where’s the insult to the taxpayer? I’d say it comes from a legislator who wants to cut a remarkably successful program without doing even the most basic research into its value.
Peter Hessler was a Peace Corps China volunteer from 1996 to 1998. He lives in Ridgway.

 

Tongren University: Love Has No Boundaries (about Zimmer Foundation for China, for Tongren, Guizhou), & interview with Sky Lantz-Wagner, Peace Corps teacher,  from Tongren University newspaper “T.R.U.E. – Tongren English News, vol 2, (2012),  issuu.com/tongrennews/docs/truenews2 uploaded at:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/98531730@N02/9509507136/ (Preview)
Peace Corps volunteer Sky Lantz-Wagner, in Tongren, Guizhou province, uploaded at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98531730@N02/9497071423/in/photostream/ (Preview)
photo and text from Sky Lantz-Wagner’s blog: skylantzwagner.blog.com/
Peace Corps China
My Life as a Complex Adaptive System
Welcome to Peace Corps China
The journey NEARS ITS END!
At peace
2012 July 4, Posted by sky
I am sitting in the Peace Corps headquarters in Chengdu feeling a little different than I did a day ago. I find myself at a major crossroads looking back at the unforgettable experiences of the past two years and at the same time looking forward to all the exciting and unknown things that lie ahead.
Although my service has finished, I will consider this my last blog post as a Peace Corps volunteer. So many exciting things have happened the past week that it would require hours to get caught up, so I’ll tell the completion of service (COS) story and wrap up with my travel itinerary and then sign off!
I arrived in Chengdu in the evening of July 2nd and went straight to the hotel where I connected with the other volunteers who were COSing yesterday. Between birthday celebrations and farewell dinners and parties, I hadn’t slept much in the previous 3 nights so we chatted for a bit and were in bed my midnight. The next morning we ate breakfast and went to the office to begin the check out process. We had to bring back all of the Peace Corps property from our sites including the water purifies, smoke detector, unused antibiotics, books, etc. We then had to meet with our program manager, the clerk, and the country director. It was a lot of running around and collecting signatures for various forms, but went by quickly and was very exciting.
The interview with the country director was the highlight of the day. It was one-on-one and very casual, but also very thought provoking. She said that everyone is going to want to know about our experiences when we come hone and asked me to think about a 60-second public service announcement for our time in China. I said I would start my PSA with “It was worth it” and then started to summarize some of the insights into Chinese culture that I gained. She encouraged me to think of some more specific stories about students, colleagues, or community members that could represent my service. It was good advice and I plan to spend lots of my travel time reflecting. The goal will be a unique story for every person who asks 🙂
When all the Peace Corps work was finished I felt elated, not because Peace Corps was heavy, but because I felt satisfied. I hugged everyone I could and made promises to come back to visit when I return to China.
In the evening, the U.S. consulate hosted a 4th of July party that all of the COSing volunteers were invited to. The consulate general made a nice speech and then there was a reception with some of the best food and drinks I remember having in China. I ate asparagus wrapped in bacon, burger sliders, 4 different kinds of salad, lox, roasted potates, and meat pie. Holy lord it was good. With my meal I opted for a nice pinot noir, but after switched to a mild stout beer which went well with the mini pecan and lemon merengue pies which I had for dessert. What a way to spend my last day as a volunteer! We were some of the last few people at the party and met the consulate general and his family. We had a nice chat and strolled, strutted, maybe even floated a little, back to the hotel.
So that’s it. As of midnight last night I am a free man. Tomorrow I leave for Beijing and then Friday I’m off to Prague to start my Eastern European adventure that will include Budapes, Croatia and Slovenia. I’ll finish my vacation in Italy and fly home from Milan around the 25th.
Before leaving I just want to say thank you China. I have learned more about myself and the world than I ever thought I would. I hope that my work here has made a positive impact on you and that you will not forget me. Until we meet again… be at peace.
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KFC
2012 June 17, Posted by sky
Tongren has officially made it. We now have a Kentucky Fried Chicken fast-food restaurant in our town. It opened about a week and each of the 3 or 4 times I have walked past it, it has been packed. Across the street from said KFC is another of China’s large fast-food chicken chains called Dico’s. Dico’s is not serving many customers these days. If I were them, I would have put together a great marketing campaign to draw crowds away from the new joint. I was thinking 2-for-1 sandwiches, free soft drinks, free ice cream for kids. I mentioned this to a friend of mine as we were walking past both stores. She said that Dico’s and KFC are owned by the same parent corporation in China. Oh.
I was craving a fried snack and so I ventured in to Kentucky. It was clean, cool, new ,and very efficient – all things that Chinese people love. I get the feeling that KFC is going to do well in our town. I doubt I’ll make it back there, but it was worth a quick visit, even though we couldn’t find seats and had to take our food to go.
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Pass the torch
2012 May 25, Posted by sky
It has been quite a while since my last post and I suppose it is because I am suffering from the pre-leaving China blues. I’m trying not to think about all the big transitions ahead and live in the now, but it has been raining constantly for 5 days and I have let the soggy weather affect my mood.
On a more positive note, I wrote a song called Pass the Torch which is about keeping the Peace Corps tradition alive in China. A friend of mine who happens to be from Marietta, Georgia where I grew up helped me arrange the song and backed me up with harmonies and a beat box. We recorded the song a few weeks ago and put it online. Check it out when you have a minute 🙂
Pass the Torch video
I have a couple of other stories to tell and I’ll try to spend a little time getting caught up this weekend.
Hugs
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Tongren orphanage update
2012 April 1, Posted by sky
The highlight of my week continues to be the visits to the orphanage. Over a year and a half has passed since my first visit to the old, drafty, run-down building. A lot has changed since then: a new facility, new faces, and growth spurts. The weather in Tongren has been great the past few days, which means that we study English a little less and play outside a little more when we go to visit the kids. It was while playing outside that I noticed how much the kids have grown since I first met them. It was quite a perspective check for me and made me think about all the growth–physical, mental, and emotional–for the kids and me that has gone on between and during visits to the orphanage. I will miss these kids the most when I leave.
This week, we got into some fun stuff at the orphanage including aquatic animal growth capsules, ocarina on the iPhone, and the play area in the infant ward. See photos below.
In other news, the high stakes test that I have been helping my students prepare for is coming up in 3 weeks! We just took a practice test this week to get the feel for the procedure. I have graded a few of the papers and it seems like my original goal of having 25% of the sophomores pass is a little high. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the test will cover things we have already discussed, making it a little easier, but for now we will just keep working until test time.
That’s all for now. Be back soon with more news 🙂
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T.R.U.E. News vol. 2
2012 February 28, Posted by sky
Hi everyone. The latest edition of Tongren University English News (T.R.U.E. News) is online! Follow the link below to read all the excellent work that my students produced. We will get one more edition published this semester and then hopefully the next volunteers will take over where I left off.
Other Peace Corps:
Peace Corps in China: A conversation with Eric Doise & Saara Raappana
Aimee Groom, on 04-November-2011 04:15
travel in China_life in China_china blogs_china travel
Guizhou
Eric and Saara: There’s nothing “mamahuhu” about this pair of Peace Corp workers in Guizhou
Earlier this year, Eric Doise and Saara Raappana embarked on an adventure that would take them deep into the heart of Guizhou, one of China’s poorest provinces. Just a few months into their two year Peace Corp placement in Anshun and they’re already neck deep in cultural curiosity—and adjusting to becoming cultural curiosities themselves. While they are busy disseminating the English language and sharing some American culture, their blog “Horse Horse Tiger Tiger” shares what China is teaching them, with the folks back home. Here, they let us in on a little of what they’ve seen, heard and learned so far.>>>
ChinaTravel.net: First up, tell us a bit about yourselves and what brought you to China?
Eric & Saara: We came to China through the Peace Corps. Saara earned her MFA in Poetry at the University of Florida and had been a university-level teacher in the United States, as was Eric, who earned his PhD in the English Department at the University of Florida. We like traveling, teaching, and learning from and about other cultures, so the Peace Corps seemed like a perfect fit. While we didn’t pick China—where you serve is ultimately the Peace Corps’ decision, we’re excited to be in such a fast-growing, vibrant country as China.
CT.net: What was the inspiration for creating your blog?
Eric & Saara: One of the goals of the Peace Corps is to inform Americans about the culture, customs and people of the country where you serve, and our blog is just one of the ways that we’ll be able to fulfill that goal. The name came from a Chinese phrase that means “not too good, not too bad”: ma ma hoo hoo (mǎmǎhǔhǔ, 马马虎虎), which translates literally as “horse horse tiger tiger.”
CT.net: What were some of your first impressions on arriving in China? Tell us about your best experience so far.
Eric & Saara: Our first impression of China was how crowded it was, which is probably a fairly typical response. However, soon after our arrival, we moved in with a host family in Chengdu that we lived with for two months, and quickly came to appreciate Chinese hospitality. We also were, and continue to be, amazed at how rare foreigners are in most of China. Coming from America, we take for granted that seeing people of different ethnicities and races is common; but in China (especially in the smaller towns and cities), it’s rare to see a non-Chinese face. Stares from unsuspecting, well-meaning Chinese people have become the norm.
Huangguo shu waterfalls, Guizhou
Huangguoshu Falls, Anshun
CT.net: What was your best experience?
Eric & Saara: Our best experience outside of living with our host family was seeing Huangguoshuo Falls, the country’s largest waterfall. They are actually a series of falls, but due to time constraints, we were only able to see the major one. Once we entered the gate for the falls, we walked through a beautifully landscaped garden populated by stones, worn by the enormous pressure of the falls. The water at the bottom of the falls is a pristine blue. Perhaps our favorite feature of the site is that you can walk behind the fall, providing some amazing sights of the falls and lush surrounding areas
CT.net: You’re currently based in Anshun. Any tips for visitors to the city on what to see, where to go or what to eat?
Eric & Saara: Huangguoshu Falls and the Dragon Palace, which we have yet to visit, are nearby. Dog meat is not uncommon. Most restaurants that serve it have pictures of dogs on their storefront, but it’s probably a good idea to learn the Chinese characters or hànzì ( 汉字) for “dog” (gǒu, 狗) if you’re averse. If you’re looking for a nice meal, the Triumphal Hotel near the Beijing Hua Lian Square (Běijīng Huá Lián Guǎngchǎng, 北京华联广场; also home to some large dinosaur statues) has good food (the 11 and 14 buses go here). If you enjoy eating dumplings (jiǎozi, 饺子), try out Běijīng Jiǎozi Guǎn (北京饺子馆; the 11 also goes here, but I believe the sign is in hanzi only, which will make reading it difficult for most foreigners).
Anshun is also a great jumping off place for many minority towns. The surrounding area has Miao, Buyi, and Gelao minority villages that you can visit. Travel to and from Anshun is convenient as you can catch trains to Chongqing, Chengdu, Guiyang, and Kunming, among other large cities.
One note on the buses: unless there are police around, you don’t need to actually be at a bus stop to catch a bus. If you see one approaching that you wish to board, simply flag the bus down with your hand, and they will usually stop for you. However, be prepared to get on quickly as they will take off while you’re still boarding if you’re not fast enough. Taxis are also fairly inexpensive; RMB 5 will get you most places in the city, although you should make sure you’re not getting the foreigner price. If the driver uses the meter, you should get a fair price.
CT.net: What is the one thing you wish you’d known about China before arriving?
Eric & Saara: Just how different the various areas of China are from each other. This might seem obvious, but because it is still a developing country, the discrepancies between the major cities and the smaller cities can make it seem like you’re in two different countries. For instance, without a cell phone that makes international phone calls, it is all but impossible for travelers to call other countries from Anshun. In the major cities, however, international phone cards are fairly easy to come by. In other words, prepare to be flexible if you are planning on traveling across the country.
CT.net: What do you miss most from home?
Eric & Saara: Definitely the food. We like Chinese food, but I’m certain we’d pay way too much for pizza, American French fries, a hamburger, pie, etc. if we could locate it right now. Anshun has no Western food.
CT.net: What would you miss most if you were to leave tomorrow?
Eric & Saara: Our colleagues and students have been wonderful hosts, helping us get settled in and showing us around Anshun, and because we still keep in touch with our original host family in Chengdu, we’d certainly miss them. We’ve also enjoyed learning and speaking Mandarin. The Peace Corps provided us with some wonderful teachers during our training, and one of our colleagues has continued to fill that role admirably.
CT.net: What three words sum up your China experience?
Eric & Saara: Unpredictable, enjoyable, loud.
If you’ve enjoyed meeting Eric and Saara then drop by and say hi over at Horse Horse Tiger Tiger and see what’s going down in Anshun.
(from blog.chinatravel.net/living-working-studying-in-china/pea… )
See Horse Horse Tiger Tiger video about learning Chinese (?), and blog: horsehorsetigertiger.net/about/
from Peace Corps’ Flickr site—check for other good photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/93681231@N08/favorites/with/5426293828/#photo_5426293828</a>

Jax Tea Party – video about living in Guiyang and teaching children English at a private school, Jack Porter, 2011

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See Jack (John S. Portman，johnsporter@gmail.com) tell about his time in China.  Video viewable direct on Youku, title: “BNC_Jax_Tea_Party_121008 ” , v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDYwMjI0NDg4.html

caption: This is a video about living in Guiyang and teaching children English at a private school.  This movie was made a couple years ago when I worked for the Tian Tian English School 田田英语.

Also viewable on this website: www.tourguizhou.net/category/jack/page/3/(embedded at the bottom of the page).