Back To the Bay

Yesterday, I tagged along as ESL Arts took 60 Chinese exchange students to San Francisco. It was a great (and exhausting) day filled with lots of walking, a cable car ride, and shopping.

First stop: Pier 39, in all its kitschy glory.

We walked from Pier 39 to the cable car terminus near Ghirardelli Square.
The kids were delighted by the view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Waiting, hanging out, taking pictures.

Some of our American buddies have really bonded with the Chinese
students. Here's a group of the odler boys playing some sort of game that
involves smacking at each others' hands (but it's not violent).

My favorite California icon.

Some of the boys--typical teenagers--acted a wee bit "too cool for school"
about riding the cable car.

Leaving Ghirardelli Square

Going up! (Straight behind, you can see Alcatraz.)

I love, love, LOVE San Francisco's many different architectural styles.

Up some more...

Those "too cool for school" boys were LOVING the
downhill bits. They all cheered like mad as we coasted
downhill. Their delight made me laugh out loud.

Later, after a couple hours of shopping in Union Square (one girl bought
an iPad!), the kids gathered as we waited for everyone to get back. I love this
shot, showing how these kids are bonding across cultural and language
differences. It gives me hope for our future.

Kids are kids, no matter where they come from. Cell
phone, iPod, even the clothing.

Blondie giving me the evil eye here was not part of our group.

Pizza for dinner! (I went around the corner and bought myself a sandwich
at Subway.)

It was a great day--a bit stressful at one point, as I was the only teacher on the first trolley load and had to direct about 30 people to Union Square with zero Chinese (well, I know that "nihau" is "hello") and their limited English. But it's pretty easy to yell, "Follow me!" while beckoning with my arm. They all cheerfully followed me, snapping pictures, peering in shop windows and enjoying San Francisco's unique vibe.

I do have to say that, in all the field trips I've done in my career, I've never had students who were so awesome about showing up at the appointed place and appointed time. No one got lost, no one had any problems, and everyone seemed happy to take in the city and shop. I asked them in music class today if they liked San Francisco and received a happy chorus of "Yes!!" in reply.

Another awesome moment--we were absolutely crammed onto the cable car, and I found myself standing on the edge (which is really the only way to ride the cable car, if you ask me). But at the first stop, a couple got off, leaving one of the benches behind some of the boys empty. They immediately turned to me and asked, "Teacher, do you want to sit down?" I told them I was happy to remain standing and let someone else sit and rest. And indeed, I was.

At the end of the day, as we walked back to our buses, waiting for us in Union Square, one of the girls approached me and asked why the buildings have stairs on the outside. After a quick second of surprise at this question, I responded, "Oh, those are fire escapes. It's a way for people to get out of the building if there's a fire, and each one has a ladder that can come down to get them to the street." It amazed me to think that in Chengdu, a fairly large Chinese city, where these kids come from, they don't have such a thing.

As ever, my students seem to teach me more than I could ever possibly teach them.

I love teaching.