Ground Control to Major Tom: The Bund

The Shanghai city skyline is two faced. On the one hand, it is grandiose and stoic. For a foreigner, reminiscent of the best of park avenue or museum mile NYC...only bigger and older. Elegant and powerful.
On the other hand, a simple glance across the river and you are transported to a land more foreign than China itself. Sparkling, neon lights and oddly shaped buildings...what seems like a projection from the 80's of "What 2020 will look like". or simply the childhood toy "Light Bright" in sky scraper form....also known as the Pearl Tower.

Lights. Camera. ENGLISH DAY!

HAPPY ENGLISH HAPPY LIFE

The auditorium was packed with students, parents, contestants, and reporters. English day was about to begin. A few days before the event, the school asked the foreign teachers to sing a song together. Our performance would conclude the celebration that is English Day. This request was met with skepticism, and most of the other foreigners were hesitant about getting on stage. Some refused. Right before the show, the other foreign teachers and I were in our office, practicing our performance for the first and last time.

After our rehearsal, we made our way to the auditorium. When we walked in, the crowd went wild. The students stood on their feet, noise makers and balloons in hand. They cheered their little hearts out. They sure love rock stars here...(English teachers = rock stars). I quickly located my kids (as they were screaming my name).

With all of the lighting, sound effects, and enthusiasm of a proper game show, English day was full of dances, a play, music, and fun. In between these events several students recited speeches and were judged.

There were rumours about a possible English day event since Christmas. The date kept getting pushed back. Apparently, the leaders of the school were not satisfied. They felt the students needed more practice. For weeks, the students were in and out of our office memorizing speeches, rehearsing plays, and dances. And the co teachers put in countless extra hours to make the administration happy. In the end, as I stood on stage holding a crumpled piece of paper trying to harmonize with 13 others who can't sing either, I felt embarrassed. The amount of time the school put into preparing for this event put our last minute efforts to shame.

However, I don't think it mattered. The winners of the contest were announced, confetti was shot from the ceiling, we sang our song and the students were happy! Happy English Happy Life!

For the show, the third graders put on the English play. Some of my favorite students were in it! This is a picture of them. Scott (a frog) Ethan (a dog) and Cara (a bird)....