Final preparation

I am getting very excited to go on this trip. I am very organized and have all details completed.  Nine more days till the wheels take off the Tarmac for the 13 hour plane trip.

My itinerary from April,13 to

US-China Administrator Shadowing Project

Itinerary in Shijiazhuang

US: Superintendent ,Dr Albert

   Pennsylvania Tulpehocken Area School District

China：No.44 Middle School  

March 21st, 2013

April 13, Saturday                                       Interpreter:     Driver：Guo Zhaohui        Formal Wear
	Arriving time (not sure) Welcome dinner	All the School administrators

April 14, Sunday                                           Interpreter:     Driver：Guo Zhaohui           Leisure Clothes
6:30 a.m.	Breakfast at home
8:00 a.m.	Tour around Shijiazhuang Suburbs	Lunch  halfway
6:00 p.m	Supper (Feast)	Some school administrators.

April 15， Monday                                           Interpreter:     Driver：Guo Zhaohui        Formal Wear​
6:30 a.m.	Breakfast at home
7:40 a.m.	National Flag-raising Ceremony and the introductionof each other	Li Jianru
8:30 a.m.	Attend the Administrative Meeting	Xia Qiang
9:00 a.m.	Visit the school, observe one of the classes in Grade 7 and exchange ideas.	Zhang Feng
10:00 a.m.	Observe students doing morning exercises	Li Jianru
10:30 a.m.	Visit Chinese Painting classroom and sketch classroom	Zhang Feng and Li Jianru
11:05 a.m.	Visit dance classroom 、model airplane making classroom and chorus classroom	Zhang Feng and Li Jianru
12:00 a.m.	Lunch at the School Dinning Hall	Liu Fenghui
1:20 p.m.	Talk with some of the Student representatives	Li Jianru
2:50 p.m.	Watch Students doing Physical exercise between period of classes	Li Jianru
3:15 p.m.	Attend faculty meeting	Zhang Feng
4:05 p.m.	Talk with some of the teachers	Wang Xiaoqing
6:00 p.m.	Supper at home

April,16 Tuesday                                       Interpreter:     Driver：Guo Zhaohui        Formal Wear​
6:30 a.m.	Breakfast at home
7:40 a.m.	Visit one of our sister schools in Lingshou County（ Not totally determined, because of the road fixing）	Xia Qiang
12:00 a.m.	Lunch at a teacher’s home	Hou Kunxian
2:00 p.m.	Visit to our two partnership schools: No.25 Middle School and Huaibeilu Primary School	Xia Qiang
6:00 p.m.	Feast	No.44 Middle School

April.17 Wednesday                                             Interpreter:     Driver：Guo Zhaohui        Formal Wear
6:30 a.m.	Breakfast at home
8:00 a.m.	Talk  with Some of the Teachers (English teachers and some excellent teachers)	Xia Qiang
9:00 a.m.	Walk around the school, observe the class  in laboratory building	Zhang Feng
10:00 a. m	Observe one of the classes of Grade 8 and exchange ideas with the teachers.	Zhang Feng
12:00 a.m.	Lunch at a teacher’s home	Wang Xiaoqing
2:00 p.m.	Visit to  No.4 and No.4o Middle School	Xia Qiang
3:00 p.m.	Tour around the city and do shopping	Xia Qiang
6:00 p.m.	Feast of Farewell	Xia Qiang

April.18,Thursday                                             Interpreter:     Driver：Guo Zhaohui        Formal Wear
6:30 a.m.	Breakfast at home
	Bid a Farewell

The most frequently asked question?

Will I visit the Great Wall? Yes, see link for more info. I too will send you more.

http://www.full-stop.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Great-wall-of-china.jpeg

Packing for China

I have decided to go lite in packing. Will this be under 50 lbs if it is completely full! Actually I am really trying to add a picture on my blog. Just practicing .

Places I will be seeing

On this morning tour you will see the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, built during the Tang Dynasty and the symbol of Xi'an. It was built to safe keep the 657 volumes of Buddhist scriptures brought back from India by Monk Xuan Zhang. The seven-storied, 59.9-metre-high pagoda is pyramidal and stands on a square base 48.8 metres long, 45.9 metres wide and 4.2 metres high. You will then visit the Bell Tower, which is a huge building in the centre of town that you enter through an underpass on the north side of the tower. The original tower was built in the late 14th century, but was rebuilt at the present location in 1739 during the Qing Dynasty. A large iron bell in the tower is used to mark the time each day, hence the name. After that, we visit the Muslim Quarter and have lunch at a local restaurant.

My china itinerary

US-China School Administrator Shadowing Project
2012-2013

Itinerary in China

Thursday, April 4​Departure from the U.S. US Group: UA0851 Depart Chicago 12:10 PM, arrive Beijing 2:40 PM 4/5

Friday, April 5​Flight to Xi’an: MU 2118 depart Beijing 7:00 pm, arrival in Xian 9:00 pm (Note loss of one day crossing the International Dateline.)
​Check in at hotel: Ramada Bell Tower Hotel
​79 North St., Xi’an, Shaanxi (86-29) 8728-3999

Saturday, April 6​Sightseeing: The City Wall and South Gate Tower with bicycle tour
​Pangliu Village School
​A dumpling banquet and show

Sunday, April 7​The Terra Cotta Warrior Museum, factory/workshop of warrior replicates
​Lunch at the local restaurant in Lintong town
​Return to the city and see the Mosque and Bazaar, along with a traditional house complex.
​Evening: Muslim dinner by the Bell Tower
​Water fountain show

Monday, April 8​Xi’an group: MU 2105 11:00am Depart from Xian, 12:50pm arrive in Beijing
​U.S. group: UA UA0851 Depart Chicago 12:10 PM 4/7, arrive Beijing 2:40 PM 4/8
Check in at Sunworld Hotel, 88 Dengshikou, Dongcheng District, (86-10) 5816 8999

Tuesday, April 9​8:00 am: Leave hotel for Great Wall (at Mutianyu), visit Pearl Market in mid afternoon, Hutong Tour

Wednesday, April 10​8:00 am: Leave hotel for Sightseeing in Beijing: Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square
​1:00 pm: Leave for Shijiazhuang (by bus); Check in at Yanshan Hotel, Shijiazhuang, address: No.40 Yuhuaxilu, Shijiazhuang; Tel.0311-87012233
​6:30 pm: Welcome Dinner at Peking Duck Restaurant

Thursday, April 11​9:00-11:30 am: Zeng Chaomin, Director of Basic Education Division to talk about education in Hebei, reform and challenges
​2:00 pm: A school visit (No.1 Middle School of Shijiazhuang)

Friday, April 12​9:00-11:30 am: 1. Cheng Qixue, Deputy Director of Personnel Division to talk about: recruitment of principals and teachers 2. Shi Xiaoyan, Deputy Director of Hebei Normal University to talk about : training and evaluation of principals and teachers
​2:00 -5:30 pm: A school visit (Shijiazhuang Preschool Teachers College) ​

Saturday, April 13​9:00 am: Leave for host schools (administrators pick up their U.S. principal at Yanshan Hotel)

Monday-Thursday, ​Shadowing in schools/communities
April 14-18

Friday April 19​Leave Shijiazhuang for Shanghai
​Handan Group (MA): MU 5638 depart 10:40am, arrive 12:30pm
​Shijiazhuang Group (PA/NY): FM 9144 depart 11:10 am, arrive 12:55 pm
​Check in at hotel: Jingan Hotel, 370 Huashan Rd, Shanghai, 86021-62480088
​4:00-6:00 pm: Debriefing at a conference room at the hotel

Saturday, April 20​Touring and shopping

Sunday April 21​Leave for the U.S. US Group: UA0836 Depart Shanghai 3:55 PM, Arrive Chicago O’hare 4:35 PM

Pre china trip

This evening I am going to begin to finalize my to do list. I am taking many protein bars in case my tummy and the food do not agree. I wonder if they have diet coke in China. I wonder if can get dark chocolate to take care of my fix for chocolate. The tradition is to take gifts along on the trip. I had a local bank collect ten dollars worth of Pennsylvania quarters. Yes I will be pulling quarters out of students ears in China. Perhaps I could get a gig at night during magic shows. Oh well off to get my last minute items.

China and Tulpy

Getting ready for China is a huge undertaking. I also need to make sure Tulpy is in good shape. I am also very CONFIDENT with Barb Davis taking the lead while I am gone. Barb is intelligent, uses common sense and I have no worries at all. In fact some might say she might be better than me...if so I would have a HUGE smile on my face:)

Hello my friends. I am experimenting with this blog. So please forgive me. I also want to know spelling does not count....nor grammar. What you see is what you get. If you do not like my terms..become an English teacher and have fun with your red pen. The jist here is what I am doing while I am in China.

Well I thought I was getting ready for the trip well in advanced. However as I approach the final 21 days till the wheels lift off from Chicago for China, I am in a panick. I also wonder how everyone will be able to tolerate me on the plane for 13 plus hours.

China trip

I want to thank Barb Davis for getting me started with my blogging. She is awesome and I owe so much to her as a professional.