The Ferrells: November 2008

Dear Family:
Tonight mother and I attended an on campus movie for those learning English. Robinhood. It was a fun movie and the kids loved it. I drove mother to the movie. When the movie was over, we went out to get on our bike and go home. All the kids were walking out of the movie. They watched with amazement. Mother was in the back seat, (behind me) and I was driving. (or steering) They loved seeing me care for her, helping her into the cart, etc. We drove off. Some of the young men were riding their bicycles. They rode along side of us and wanted to be part of the fun. A song came to my mind as I was driving mother home. It was called, "we will have these moments to remember." I think the song came from an old movie. I sang it to mother on the way home. I thought to myself, China is really getting into my blood. The memories that we are creating here will last a life time. We've only been here for 2 1/2 months and I know I am going to have great sadness when we leave this university and our beautiful China. So many kids wanted to visit with us tonight. Some were our students and some were not. We are starting to realize, they are all our kids. This is their first time to be away from their homes. Most have never traveled any other places, even in China. A whole new experience for them also.
They have so little, yet they have so much. They are so happy to be able to get an education. they had to earn their place here at Nankai University. It wasn't easy for them to get it and they value their very existence here. In America, we take so much for granted. When I ask these kids if they plan to ever come to America, they all give the same answer, "that is my dream". Well, I just wanted to share that with you. The whole experience really got to me.

You should all be about ready to get up for the day. Mother and I are getting ready to go to bed. Good night, and good morning. Take special care of my grand children. I love you all. Dad

Dear Family and Friends:
It is Thursday evening here. Thursday is my favorite day of the week. We finish school for the week on Wednesday at 6:00 P. M. and we have the rest of the week off to prepare for next week, shop, tour, or do what ever we desire. Last evening after class we had twelve of my juniors over to our apartment to teach them how to cook some American food. Again, we made hamburger vegetable soup and mashed potatoes and gravy. The kids loved the food and were very delightful.

last evening, we left the outside door open for a short time to get our apartment to cool down. Little did we realize that so many cold mosquitos would want to join us. When I realized they were coming in, I shut the door, but not before the damage was done. I started killing mosquitos. There were a bunch of them. Finally at about midnight I went to bed. Those pesky little critters were dive bombing me all night. By morning, I was on the war path. I got up early and found a few to kill. They are faster than an Etheopian (spelling) jack rabbit. I, however have a secret weapon I use against them. It is a very large pillow. I pull the pillow behind my head, and then with all my might swing the pillow at the mosquito. Darn few get away. The ones that get away are scared to death. Because my pillow is so large, I really don't have to aim much because the pillow covers a lot of territory. Well, this morning I was laying in the bath tub and I saw one of those pesky critters on the wall. I knew he was just waiting to get me. I jumped out of the tub, grabbed my pillow and went after him. He landed near some of mothers clothes that she had washed last evening and were hanging on the shower curtain rod to dry. I sized up the situation, deciding whether to chance missing the mosquito and hitting moms clothes, thus they would fall into the bath tub. It didn't take long for me to make my decision. I swung my pillow back behind my head and with all my might I let the mosquito have it. Well, the mosquito saw the pillow coming so he (or she) took off for safer territory. It landed on mothers clothes that were hanging on the curtain rod. My pillow changed directions a little and I let the mosquito have it. Well, the clothes all fell into the bath tub and I missed the pesky little feller. I retrieved mother's wet clothes, rung them out and re hung them up, hoping mother would not notice. Well, when mother gets into the bath tub, she notices her clothes were dripping water. She tells me that her clothes that she hung up last night are still wet. I say, "well it was pretty damp last night, so I guess they are still drying." She feels my clothes that are hanging up and she says, "how come your clothes are dry and mine are still wet?" "I say, your clothes must be made of different material and doesn't dry as fast as mine." Well, mother doesn't but that story. So I tell her that I am on the war path and I am going to kill every last mosquito in the apartment, I keep after them. I think that I am now down to one known live mosquito. I will terminate his life prior to going bed this evening. Mom has had to wash my pillow case several times to get rid of the mosquito evidence. I don't think that our maid would appreciate mosquito juice on her pillow case. Ahh, good news, I just got the last one. At least that is the last one that I know about. They don't sell fly swatters here, so you just have to make do. The pillow is the best defense I have. The pillow works especially well when you are terminating one which has landed on the ceiling. Our ceilings are about 10 feet high, so I usually have to stand on a chair or the bed to kill them. I don't give up, but neither do they.

Yesterday during my Adult Education class, an older lady walked into my class. She walked back to one of my students. grabbed him by the ear and proceeded to come to the front of the class and was going to take him outside of the class room. When she got to the front of the class, she yelled something, and three other students came to the front of the class room on the run. They had fear in their eyes. I still don't know what is going on. I don't know who this lady is, but she sure has their attention. The four students that she has in the front of my class have just transferred into my class. It seems as though these students have recently changed their major to English and they are the ones that I allowed to come into my Adult Education class, instead of the Freshman Oral English class. Well, since they had changed their major, they were required to take Freshman Oral English, even though they were now sophomores. They were in my Sophomore Adult Education Oral English class, which I had allowed them to do because the department scheduled them to be in two classes at the same time. I just said, "well come to my Sophomore Oral English class, and I will give you credit for Freshman Oral English. Well, somehow the English Department gets word of this and they won't allow it. Well, back to the story. She is standing in front of my class, yelling at these four students and they are trying to explain to me what is going on. Meanwhile this lady is trying to pull the four students out the door. I still don't know what is going on. At first, I thought that it was the boys mother coming to get him, but when she yelled at the other three to come with her I figured it must be someone else. Well, she tries to pull these four kids out of the class room. I'm now not sure but what she is kidnapping four of my students. I stand in front of the door and won't let her out. Now, she is yelling at me and the kids. From the sound of her voice, I don't think that she was telling me what a fine addition that I was making to the English department Now, she is really mad, and I still don't know what is going on, so I won't let anyone out of the classroom. I look at the rest of the students in my class room and I can tell that they have the fear of God in their eyes. Well, she is yelling, the four kids are trying to tell me what is going on, and I can't understand any of them. Finally, I look at the lady and say shhh. Now, she is really angry. She tells me to shhh. Now I am angry, and tell her back to keep quite. She doesn't understand. (thank goodness) I tell her again to shhh. Now she just yells at the top of her lungs at me. She reaches out to me to tell me something in Chinese. I think that she is now going for my ear. I duck so she can't get a hold of me. I look at the four students, I see the fear of God in their eyes. I still don't know what is going on. Finally I say shhh to everyone. It takes about 5 shhh's to get their attention. They are now quiet. I ask one of the students what is going on. He tells me in the best English he can muster up that this lady is head of the English Department and she says the four of them can't take my Sophomore Adult Education Oral English Class. He says they must take a Freshman Oral English Class. They tell the lady (in Chinese) that the English department has them enrolled in two classes at the same time and that is why they are taking the Sophomore Oral English Class with me at this time. (I agreed with these students two weeks ago that they could take this class, and I would give them credit for the Freshman Oral English class) They tell the lady that I had agreed with them coming to this class. Now she lets go of his ear and begins to give me what for in Chinese. Well, I figure what is good for the goose is good for the gander, so I give her my thoughts in English. Well, that goes back and forth for a while and I can see that isn't going any where. I give her the shhh sigh again and I say to the students, "ask her if we can make a deal?" They ask her, she says to them "what's the deal?" Well, at this point I'm not sure what deal to present to her, I was just trying to buy some time so I could think of a deal. I say to the students, "ask her if it would be OK if I teach the four of you at 12:00 P. M. on Wednesday. (I know there are no classes scheduled from noon to 2:00 P.M. every day of the week. The kids have that time off for lunch. They tell her the deal, she thinks for a minute and says, "OK." She leaves, the four students thank me from the bottom of their hearts and they leave. When the door closes, all of my students begin to clap and cheer. Now, I'm not in much of a mood to teach these kids anymore, and I still have two and one half hours to teach them. I ask them what they want to do. One student suggests that I teach them some American Christmas Music. I think, what the heck, the ole gal is already mad. I teach them "we wish you a merry Christmas" After I think they have it down pretty well, I suggest that we all go down to the ole gals office and sing it to her. None of them agree, "Cowards" Towards the end of the class, I hear a knock on my door. I answer the door. There is a lady standing there. She only speaks Chinese. I have one of my students interpreter for me. The lady says that after class I am supposed to come to one of the college offices, room 102. I say OK. I know now that I am getting fired, and I will be heading off to America Tomorrow. After class I head down to get my punishment. I knock on the door of room 102. A different lady answers the door. She invites me in. She hands me a form to sign. I can't read Chinese. I ask her what I am signing. She says, "you are signing that I am giving you your salary for the past month. I sign it, she hands me 1900 yuen in cash. (they always pay me in cash for teaching the Sophomore Oral English Class) I feel relieved. I didn't get fired. Well, it is one full day later and I still have a job. (I think) Well, the irony of it all, is that at 12 noon on Wednesday, is my teachers office hours. What the ole gal doesn't know, is that these kids are going to come to my office hours and visit with me while I eat my lunch. I will tell them what I taught in class, but these kids are so far advanced, that it wouldn't matter anyway. Well, such is life in China.

Mother is enjoying our new mode of transportation. If any of you would like one of these contraptions, let me know and I will ship one to you. I think the grand children would enjoy riding, or driving one. When I bring them to America, I will need to wire an outlet in the garage for a 220 outlet. Not a big deal. Also, we have to purchase a battery in America. They won't ship batteries out of the country. they say if they got damaged along the way, the acid could harm the environment.

A couple of days ago, mother and I had gone down to the market on our vehicle to purchase some vegetables. About a block before we arrived home, our vehicle quit running. I knew I the batteries were low, but I thought I had enough power to get back home where I would recharge the battery. Well, I pedaled mother home. I won't let my battery get so low again. For some reason, my time here in China seems to have a little more action that mother has. I can't figure that out.

We love seeing you and speaking with you. You are the best. I love you all. Dad