Because I have the gift of time this summer, I chose to follow the Discovery Student Adventures Travel in China. This post focuses on the teachers on the trip who are posting to the DSA China blog. I realize that sifting through the many posts begs time when most of us are either in school or moving closer to re-entry, so I thought I would try to give you a thumbnail sketch of how some teachers are ending their summer vacation. I have another post about the students forthcoming as well, but more on that later.

Brett Harvey:

• Ready for Adventure: The first of the teacher team to post, Brett followed the Australia and South Africa trips, and is excited about traveling with 4 great students to China.
• Selecting Students: a difficult process but Brett decided to have some fun informing the 4 finalists. Check out his CV China video.
• Beijing, China: moments of joy watching students during Tai-chi.
• Common Language: dragon boat races, badminton, table tennis, frisbee, and basketball–the international language.
• Photos: image upload issues resolved; you can find teachers’ and students’ photos by clicking on the Photos tab in the main blog menu or go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/photos.DSA.
• Kung Fu Fighting: a video posted by the Discovery Student Adventures Travel team.

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• Kung Fu Children: Brett asks if these children are happy and if the beauty of this land and its people will remain a mystery. (insightful must read)

Rita Mortenson:

• An Adventure of a Lifetime: the photo says it all.
• Discovery’s Top Chefs: Chinese market photo, shopping before private lessons with Beijing’s master chef.
• Landing in the Bird’s Nest: 2 Olympic venues, the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube, amazing architectural structures. Rita says these two structures must be seen to be appreciated; the beauty of the structures awe the viewer.
• Discovery Student Adventurers by Day, Bloggers by Night: I must admit that this photo and post by Rita really brought home to me how busy a student’s (and teacher’s) day really is. At the end of a 10K hike, these students return, exhausted, and post photos, posts, and tweets to their blogs. Sometimes they upload videos, but you just have to admire and respect these students for sharing their experiences with us and the world. Xiu xiu.
• Rocks, Scissors, Paper: from hiking the Great Wall to Chengde to learn about the art of paper cutting.
• Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting!: (can’t get the song out of my head) a unique experience and an incredible workout. Private tutoring with the Kung Fu masters at The Small Dragon School of Martial Arts, where students from ages 5-25 study kung fu for 6 hours a day, and then have school (sounds like a 12-hour day to me).
• The Price Is Right: shopping in Luoyang-Dengfeng, where hand gestures in bargaining prove we share much in common in both cultures.
• A Spectacular View from the Pagoda Forest: a breath-taking view of 250 pagodas, near Shaolin Temple.

Heather Sullivan:

• I Dream of China: interesting reflections of Heather’s panic dream.
• Putting Brush to Paper: calligraphy lessons in the house of the teacher.
• “Tour” Is Not a Four-Letter Word in China: a paradigm shift and a question about host cultures’ approach to tourists.
• Journey to the Center of the Earth: a science lesson, a test, and a special prize from China if you answer the three questions.  Random drawing with winner announced in one week.

Adam Controy:

• I’m Going to China: discusses the surprise of being randomly selected and what he had to do in 2 weeks to be good to go.
• Blackberry and Blogging: met the China crew and BB arrived, making the trip official.
• Ping Pong and More: Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, but ping pong was highlight of the day.
• Ping Pong Champion: an image worth unsaid words.
• Mongolian Hot Pots: Chinese fondue?–immerse your food in the hot pot,cook to your liking, and dip in delicious sauces; Adam’s favorite part of the day. Two great photos in this post.
• 798: childhood reflections and connections to the Beijing meaning of 798, not your typical museum.
• The Great Wall: a surreal 10K hike that put fear of heights behind him; an experience to hold forever.
• Dinner: Chinese pop star, conga lines, and dancing bridged the gap between cultures. Three great videos, posted by the Discovery Student Adventures team follow Adam’s post. You want to watch these videos.

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• Friday, August 7, 2009

  

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  Labels: Discovery Student Adventures Travel

• Forbidden City & Olympic Park

  

  Posted by Discovery Student Adventures at 5:03 PM 1 comments

  Labels: Discovery Student Adventures Travel

• Meeting the “Top Monk” and Shao Lin Temple Martial Arts Students: one of two heavily commented upon posts, Adam discusses how impressive these students really are.

Discovery Student Adventures Travel
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