Day 6: Taichung

Today we drove to the port city of Taicang about 30 miles north of Shanghai. We met with the president and officials from Chien Shiung Institute of Technology. We received a campus tour. They have approximately 5000 students who study with them full time. They also have dorms so the students stay on campus. They also have approximately 1000 adult students who study with them part time on weekends. Carrie is one of their teachers who teaches English at the college. She accompanied us on the campus tour and provided us with an interpretation. Carrie shared with me that the Education Department of China now has a new system for teachers. They have to respond to students within 48 hours with feedback on their lessons. Their feedback is also evaluated by the students as to the quality and helpfulness of the feedback. This is all done electronically and it is monitored by officials. Teachers are then evaluated on this system. Those in the top ten percent can receive a one month salary bonus. Those that do not do well may forfeit their salary for a year and then be given that year to improve. She said the Education Department takes education very seriously. The Institute is known for their manufacturing training. They partner with a number of Germany companies who hire their students, pay for their training and pay an additional fee to help the Institute buy the equipment. The top students in the class get hired in the Germany companies in China. The institute is also know for its IT training. The Institute has dorms and students live their while they train. That is different than most community colleges in Michigan and Ohio. We passed a high school on our way to the hotel. The high school was letting out for the weekend. It was a boarding high school. I couldn't help but wonder if that has some advantages. If the students live there at the high school then they have fewer distractions than if they went home at night. Perhaps they are able to focus more on their studies and make school a full time commitment. I feel like American students have too many distractions while a middle and high school student. They work, take care of their families, and have friends they hang with at night. If they were in a dorm setting they would still have their friends but they would not have other distractions because the emphasis would be on learning and studying. I just don't think Americans value education as much as they use to. As a result America is going to have a harder time competing in the world economy. Dinner with the official from the Institute and the vice mayor of Taicang was very fun and relaxed. It felt so much more real and genuine than the night before. We have all visited before back in July in America so we felt more connected. We toasted our potential partnership numerous times. I have learning their food customs such as how to eat baby snow crab. This time of the year is their snow crab season and so baby snow crab is a delight. While it is work to eat, the meat is sweet just like king crab legs which I have had a number of times previously. I am still getting use to seeing the fish served with the head and tail still attached. My reaction is similar to the time I had lobster in Boston after picking it out of the lobster tank and seeing it on the plate entirely in tack. I guess there are just some customers that. We become accustomed to that box is into thinking only one way. Certainly the fish has tasted just as good served with the head and tail attached as it is served without. I have noticed that the food I have had is very fresh. There is very little fat. None of the fish is served breaded. The veggies are grilled and lack butter or cheese sauce. The foods have not been processed. I have a better sense now of why my own diet in outraged gaining or keeping weight on. I have certainly learned about a more healthy way to eat. I can see how my schedule and the available choices contribute to weight gain. I also have enjoyed trying to master the use of chop sticks. Certain foods like meat the use of chop sticks is easy. Prior to this trip I could not effectively eat rice with chop sticks. I now can. I can also
Pick up single beans and peanuts with the chop sticks. I find I eat slower using them as well so perhaps that is something I should incorporate into my life at home so as to help me eat slower. I am slowing picking up some Chinese words. I have come to find I want to return to China as there is so much more to see. If I do I want to learn more Chinese so I can carry on a bit of a conversation. We have always had an interpreter with us, but the Chinese people appreciate you trying to speak in Chinese. I know they cheered my denial of a knife and fork at dinner and encouraged me in trying to use the chop
Sticks for foods that were a bit more challenging. It felt good to be a learner and be reminded that it is ok to make mistakes and not be proficient all the time.