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Emilee started Chinese School this past Saturday. How did it go!!!!!!! well....... I guess OK. Emilee was so excited to start. She loves her regular school and was really excited to start another school where she could learn Chinese. The thing is, Chinese school is not like American school. There were no balloons and signs waiting to greet her on her first day and the teachers were not outside welcoming and hugging the children. In fact it could not have been different. We walked into the building at 9am and walked into a large crowd of people who Emilee quickly added ' did not speak English". I tried to explain to her that in a short time she would also speak Chinese but her big smile turned to a stone scared face. Added to that was the fact we were the only mixed family and we quickly became a source of stares and conversation. Nothing bad. in fact most of the families were very curious about it, but Emilee did not appreciate being a show and tell object. Also, older Chinese Woman have a way of ignoring personal space and would touch Emilee. They were not being rude, but it scared Emilee a bit. After about 20 minutes of standing in a cramped, very hot and stuffy entrance way were were told to go into the cafeteria to register. It was like a stampede. Everyone grabbed their kid and ran to get to the table. There was not line just people jumping in line. I waited on the line myself while my Mom and Emilee waited at a table in the back. when it was my turn the director asked what my situation was and wrote all sorts of notes. She studied my paperwork and was confused that i didn't include a father. I tried to explain to her i am a single mom and adopted as a single mom. She looked at the paperwork again and said to me " what happens if her Father comes to pick her up". My answer " Don't give her to him". She couldn't get past the question of No father, but finally after awhile went on. She looked around and asked to meet Emilee. I called Emilee over and the two shook hands and the director asked Emilee a few question in very broken Chinese and Emilee tried very hard to answer. The poor thing didn't know what was going on, only that when she spoke everyone seemed to become very quite to hear what she had to say. It was odd. After we registered we were sent to the auditorium to wait. We are group M0 or Mandarin 0. The teacher great ed us and told us to sit down. i found out from the parents around me that most of the children speak Cantonese at home but are here to learn maderain. i kind of felt a little bedder. None of them knew maderian so they would all learn together. With a little coxing Emilee went off with her group. She had such a sad and scared face on. I felt so bad for her. But I know eventfully when she gets used to it she will like it. When i came back at 12pm to pick her up i was told that she had asked for me and was very sad. But when I saw her march out of her class room she looked OK. She ran right into my arms with all of her new books in hand. She told me that she was not crazy about the school and that she didn't understand anyone. I told her to give it a good try before she gives up on it. She agreed to do just that. Until next Saturday.
29 September 2009
Emilee started Chinese School this past Saturday. How did it go!!!!!!! well....... I guess OK. Emilee was so excited to start. She loves her regular school and was really excited to start another school where she could learn Chinese. The thing is, Chinese school is not like American school. There were no balloons and signs waiting to greet her on her first day and the teachers were not outside welcoming and hugging the children. In fact it could not have been different. We walked into the building at 9am and walked into a large crowd of people who Emilee quickly added ' did not speak English". I tried to explain to her that in a short time she would also speak Chinese but her big smile turned to a stone scared face. Added to that was the fact we were the only mixed family and we quickly became a source of stares and conversation. Nothing bad. in fact most of the families were very curious about it, but Emilee did not appreciate being a show and tell object. Also, older Chinese Woman have a way of ignoring personal space and would touch Emilee. They were not being rude, but it scared Emilee a bit. After about 20 minutes of standing in a cramped, very hot and stuffy entrance way were were told to go into the cafeteria to register. It was like a stampede. Everyone grabbed their kid and ran to get to the table. There was not line just people jumping in line. I waited on the line myself while my Mom and Emilee waited at a table in the back. when it was my turn the director asked what my situation was and wrote all sorts of notes. She studied my paperwork and was confused that i didn't include a father. I tried to explain to her i am a single mom and adopted as a single mom. She looked at the paperwork again and said to me " what happens if her Father comes to pick her up". My answer " Don't give her to him". She couldn't get past the question of No father, but finally after awhile went on. She looked around and asked to meet Emilee. I called Emilee over and the two shook hands and the director asked Emilee a few question in very broken Chinese and Emilee tried very hard to answer. The poor thing didn't know what was going on, only that when she spoke everyone seemed to become very quite to hear what she had to say. It was odd. After we registered we were sent to the auditorium to wait. We are group M0 or Mandarin 0. The teacher great ed us and told us to sit down. i found out from the parents around me that most of the children speak Cantonese at home but are here to learn maderain. i kind of felt a little bedder. None of them knew maderian so they would all learn together. With a little coxing Emilee went off with her group. She had such a sad and scared face on. I felt so bad for her. But I know eventfully when she gets used to it she will like it. When i came back at 12pm to pick her up i was told that she had asked for me and was very sad. But when I saw her march out of her class room she looked OK. She ran right into my arms with all of her new books in hand. She told me that she was not crazy about the school and that she didn't understand anyone. I told her to give it a good try before she gives up on it. She agreed to do just that. Until next Saturday.
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2 comments:
OK.. Pink with zebra print.. I am just in Bow envy now!!! LOL
Enjoyed the new photos and update of Emilee at Chinese school. You'll have to keep me posted on how it goes. That was quick thinking on your part to say "Don't let her go with him" when asked about the Dad picking her up from school. I have to admit it made me laugh. Very clever -- I can never think on my feet like that.
Thanks also for the links. The twins article and the one about children being taken from their families are heartbreaking, and particularly chilling as we adopted our daughters in what must have been the height of the corruption. I'll help Meredith research her birth culture and heritage as much as she wants (maybe more at times), and you've said you plan to do the same for Emilee. That last article about the reunion tour started out with such a cynical tone that I almost didn't want to finish it! Maybe I'm naive, but it seemed that the organizers were doing their best and what they considered appropriate even it it's not what we might do in the U.S. I was glad I read the entire article though as it was very informative and really made me think.
We're still pretty early in the process of questioning. We talk about it, but Meredith just looks at me like I'm crazy and says "Mama, I'm not Chinese, I'm a girl!" We're coming out of a phase where she had been telling me that "noooo, I think I'll be a boy." I've been explaining that she's a girl but she can be whatever kind of girl she wants to be, and have boy friends and like boy things such as football AND have girl friends and like girl things such as dolls and makeup. She seems cool with it now.
I will keep on though, and when she's old enough I do plan to send her to Chinese school near our Decatur house. Most of the attendees there are adopted. You have far more authentic resources! I know Emilee will appreciate it in the long-run. Do they do dance and art too? The school near us does all three, probably to keep the kids interested and attending. It might be Chinese School Lite!
I know Emilee will do well with it, and I look forward to the next time we see her and get to hear her speak a bit! Are you taking too? We have the Rosetta Stone software for learning Mandarin, but I haven't attempted it yet.
Enough nattering on from me! All is well here. Patrick is at a conference in Atlanta, and we're just staying busy w/ school and enough playdates so M. won't miss her Daddy too much. Hope you're doing well. Thanks again for sharing.
K.
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