I'm not quite ready to dive into discussing my feelings toward the holidays yet. So, instead, I'm going to leave you with some hilarious gems that I've collected from my students.
I'm hopefully going to be doing a pen-pal exchange with Colleen and her kiddos in Iowa, but I knew that it wouldn't work to just ask for a pen-pal letter from my kids and expect the first draft to be workable. We did a first draft, which I read, edited, and returned, and I'm working on reading the second draft they gave me right now. What I got during the first round was definitely not what I was expecting. Enjoy..
"Pipi is a boy. He is very dangerous. We want to she is a pig. Pipi can bao all students in classroom. Pipi likes eating chicken and baobi." I'm not sure if they didn't understand the assignment, or if they were trying to use the lesson on personal descriptions we did the week before. Either way.. WHAT?
"I think that China will be the strongest country in the world and America will be second. How do you think of China?" Jumping right into the politics, eh?
"Do you like China? Do you like dumplings? I love read books." China = dumplings.
"I have a good family. I am from China. I'm very tall and a little heavy." Describing yourself or others as 'fat' is acceptable in China.
"How are you? These days I never talk to you on the computer, because I'm really busy. I'm sorry that I can't visit you this week, though I want to go to America." We've never met, but sorry I didn't e-mail you.
"In three months, can you get to China and play with me?" I demand that you travel to China.
"Pipi is one of my classmates. He is very dangerous. He can bao all of my classmates." I think Pipi and I need to have a conversation.
"BaoBao is a boy. He is dangerous. We want eat breakfast, sleep, and daPipi. I love my classmate. I love he. I love she. I love all student." Again with Pipi.
"My name is Mr. W and I will tell you something. First, my father is the first rich man of the world (Not really!!) My mother is a nurse. And my father is very handsome, my mother is very beautiful. My school ID card is 10C1931. You know, I have many friends, for example: Mr. Zhou Libo, Mr. Pig." Yes, my good pal, the pig.
"There are three people in my family, my mother, my father, and me. We live in a big department store." She was very adamant that she didn't mean an apartment building.
"My name is Lilian. I live in Canda." I don't know.
"I like Japanese manga. But I don't like Japan." Good to know where we stand on that one.
"Do you like comedy? Chinese comedy is very exciting. And China has many strong men. They have many muscles." Yes, I immediately associate comedy with strong men as well..
"In the future, I will be a policewoman. I don't like thieves." Future goals.
"My favorite animal is a pig, because pigs are very fat and clever." Mr. Dong explained to us earlier this semester that pigs are associated with cleverness in China, much like owls are called wise in the US. He was shocked when we said that pigs are usually associated with uncleanliness in the US - aka, do you live in a pigsty?
