Shell in China

Monday, May 07, 2007

Questions from MMS

I have been gone on vacation for the last week and there will be a nice long post all about my panda viewing, horse-trekking and hiking soon, as well as pictures, but first something else.

Back in Marsing, Mr. E's 7th grade social studies students have been studying China and have sent me a list of questions about the country and culture. They sent a long list, but I thought I would post a few of them, along with my answers. If you have more, feel free to send them this way!

Also, just a shout out to everyone in Marsing. I miss you all and look forward to coming back there to be a part of the Husky family again in another year!

Enjoy...


  • There are a lot of mountain ranges in China and Asia, which ones have you seen, and which one do you like the best? There are many different mountain ranges in China, the most famous being the Himalayas. This last week Mr. Ross and I traveled to an area in northern Sichuan called Jiuzhaigou which is famous for its mountains. We were happily surprised to find that it looked a lot like the mountains in Idaho. As we hiked through them, it felt just like being at home! J
  • Mrs. Ross we have been learning about China in Social Studies. What are some land features you find unique? Like America, China is a very large country in terms of land-size, which means it has lots of different land features. There is a large river called the Yangtze which is current being dammed for a source of power. When the dam is done, I believe it will be the biggest in the world. (I am really hoping to get to see this before we leave, but it is in the middle of no where, so it is tough for us to get to!) Also, there are many large mountains. In the northwest of China there is a very large desert that is growing. It is encroaching on some of the cities and much of the farmland in the north, which is causing huge problems. Also, because of the desert, sandstorms can be a problem in the north. My fellow PCVs in Lanzhou occasionally get blinding sandstorms! Mr. Ross and I have not yet got to see one of these, but I think it would be interesting!
  • What kind of land forms do you live by and how hot or cold is it there? Mr. Ross and I live in a small valley that is surrounded by terraced hills. In the spring it is beautiful! There is a lot of wheat and lotus grown around us, as well as many fruit trees. It is a dry climate here, much like the valley in which you live. In the winter it got into the 20s, so not super cold, but when you don’t have control of the heat, it is hard to stay warm. (In China, people living north of the Yellow River have radiator heat and those south have no central heat in their homes. We live north of it, thank goodness!) The winter was very dry, with snow only one or two days and nothing that stayed. Spring and fall were both really wet, with lots of rain. In the summer it gets very hot! It will easily get over a hundred many times this summer. Because of the heat, we also get incredible lightening and thunder storms in the summer! Overall, I would say it is similar to southern Idaho, but maybe a little more extreme in the summer.
  • Do they have sports like we do here? Yes! My students are huge basketball fans. They all love the NBA, with the Huston Rockets and Yao Ming being the favorite! Mr. Ross often goes and plays basketball with the students in the afternoon. They are also amazing at ping-pong. When I play with them it is mostly me chasing after the ball, since I can never seem to make contact with it! Haha! Soccer is another popular sport. (They call it football, since they have learned English from books coming out of England!) We also play badminton with the students, and we are just introducing Frisbee to them! Our friend Justin got us a Frisbee, so at night we have been going out and playing with whomever we can round up! Sports are a favorite hobby for many students.
  • What are some of the greeting customs in China? “Ni hao” (pronounced “knee how”) means hello. Chinese people shake hands, but rarely hug one another in public. (If I see a friend that I haven’t seen in a long time, I will hug them when I see them again. Chinese people don’t do this.) It is common to ask if the other person has eaten or where they are going when you meet as well. These questions seem a bit strange or maybe even nosy to us, but they are common greetings in China.
  • Since China has the biggest population in the world is it hard to get to one place to another? Yes! Yes! Yes! Especially during the holiday season! Most people do not own their own car, so traveling is done my crowded bus and train. Very few people fly. During Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) everyone goes home to visit their families, like we would at Christmas. That means that during that time, it is nearly impossible to get train and bus tickets, plus the prices are higher! Grrrr!! Even with the hassles though, Mr. Ross and I try to travel every chance that we get. IT is our thought that we are only here for two years and we want to see as much of this part of the world as we can while it is available to us. That means loading up the backpacks and heading out for the bus station every chance we get!

So there is a sampling of the questions I got from Marsing's students. Thanks for sending them and feel free to ask more!
Michelle, 1:20 AM

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Blog of a Peace Corps China volunteer serving as a TEFL teacher in Cheng Xian, Gansu, China.

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Name: Michelle Ross
Location: Chengxian, Gansu, CN

In America, I teach 8th grade English and reading and really enjoy spending time with middle school students. Some people think I am crazy for it, but Marsing has a great group of kids and I love being a part of their lives as they grow up! Right now I live in China and teach English and teaching methods to students who want to be teachers. I am here through Peace Corps, which I think is a fabulous experience and something that more people should look into doing! The application process can be a bit of a pain, but it is well worth the time and effort. Check out Peace Corps and give something back to the world that has given you so much!! Teaching runs in the family, as just about everyone is involved in education in one way or another. My dad is retired, but he was a teacher, counselor and principal for 30+ years, my mom is an elementary counselor, my sister and husband are both teachers and my brother will finish his teaching degree this next spring! "Those who can, do; those who can do magic, teach!"

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