Found in Fishers

A trip of a lifetime!

It is hard for me to believe, pinch me now, but I am going to China this summer! It seems like it took a long time to get there with all paperwork, but the real journey for me will begin on June 17th.

This school year, my corporation decided to take on a new venture by adding a Chinese language acquisition pilot in three schools for first graders. As part of that commitment, we are hosting a teacher from Taiwan to assist in delivering the instruction. At the same time, we hope to expand the program. While I was learning more and more about the Chinese language, I found that it is a rather complicated language. Even the pronunciation of its roman characters called Pinyining. As I worked with our exchange teacher Joey, I really became interested in how children learn the 3000 characters of the Chinese language and its 4 tones. Heck you could accidentally call your mother a horse if you use the wrong tone.

Looking at ways to expand my understanding of the language, I found what I thought would be a great fit for me, a Fulbright Scholarship to study abroad. After navigating through the paperwork, the essays were submitted and the wait began. As of this week, it is official. I am a Fulbright Scholar and going to China this summer.

My journey will begin in San Francisco June 17-20th where I will learn about Chinese history, the culture, and my trip. I will leave the 20th for China. While in China my focus will be on language acquisition. How children in China learn to read in Chinese and acquire other languages such as English. I will meet with teachers and at universities that prepare teachers. I will go to a variety of locations for 4 weeks soaking in the Chinese education system.

Much to my surprise, an anonymous donor has granted my team traveling to China an extension to our trip. We will all be going to Hong Kong before coming home.

I am excited and overwhelmed at the same time. I quickly faxed my acceptance letter, mailed my passport renewal. I will keep you updated on this journey.

待会儿见 (See you later!)

The weather outside is frightning

Today we're found in fishers...frozen solid. The blowing and drifting snow has given way to several hours of freezing rain. Schools are closed. The mall's closed. Flora came home at noon. Snow plows are far and few between. It's miserable outside for everyone except the dogs. Sally eats the snow; Buddy eats the frozen doggie-doo. Only problem today is those nasty little treats are buried under 10 inches of snow. Buddy can't wait for the thaw...

If you can’t dodge ’em...

The kids' high school hosted a charity dodgeball event last night. The goal: Raising funds to help defray the medical bills of a senior who is hospitalized with a life-threatening aneurysm. Liz was on one of the teams: The Wrenches. Don't ask 'cause we don't know. When her team was introduced, we thought they said "The wenches!" Hmm...

Eww...

I remember dodgeball in high school. Shirts and skins; being the skins was no fun at all. The jocks always took aim and put their victims in the bull's eye...trying (without too much effort) to humiliate those whom they judged as weaker. Nearly 30 years later dodgeball hasn't changed one iota. The jocks still pummel the less-than-athletic (aka the nerds, geeks, bookworms, et al) and being on the skins is still a painful lesson designed to remind one of just how non-athletic one is. Think of it this way: If the Colts and Bears would have been playing dodgeball, the Bears would be the skins...pummeled by the much stronger shirts (Colts). Take that, Rex!

UPDATE: Liz's explanation of her team's name The Wrenches: "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball." They didn't dodge balls very well, so apparently they best stay out of the way of flying wrenches, too...