Days of tears, days of growth.

The main teaching practice had started after all the micro-teaching sessions and assignments. Not fully-prepared, I went to the classroom with the worksheets, course outline, my list of expectations of the students, a microphone that amplified my extremely soft voice and a thirty-year-old outfit that served to make me look older. I thought I was in control and didn't look that nervous as I did when I had my micro-teaching session in the university. Still, my students said that they could see that I was panicking and didn't look confident. I felt that I was urged to improve myself for that.

"Miss, it is too difficult." I deliberately made the tasks to be that difficult in hope to challenge you intellectually, because from the school visits, I learned that you like challenges. But it turned out to be too difficult.

"Miss, I think you're a good teacher, but I don't think we buy your method." It's great that I get to know what you think. I don't even yet know what my method or my style is, as I don't have time to establish a teaching style of my mine, which is also suitable for you.

Anyway, it really takes time.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2Corinthians 12:9

One day, when I was teaching them how to paraphrase, I was "shocked" by the monotonous setting and work. Shall I continue going towards this direction or shall I fly away? 

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Psalms 139:9

He is the one who wipes my tears and helps me grow.

The long holiday was over. Today is the second day of school. I am so blessed to have such a great teacher in my Major Methods Class. She is having a 3-hour class with us almost everyday, others just have 2. I could see that she's trying to give us as much information as possible, sharing with us her experience, encouraging us to think and give our own ideas....She is so devoted, a really good role-model in showing me what a good teacher could be like. I'm really impressed by her passion in teaching.

Another thing that I'm so thankful for is that, I'm going to the same university that my friend is attending in October! There were quite a number of people who applied to go to Sydney, but not all of them can really get a place. One of my classmates even said there aren't actually a lot of people who can go to Sydney (I am not sure whether it's true or not). Anyway, it is so good that I can go there, and meet my friend in her university! She told me that it's also quite a good school.

I read a few emails from my Xian friends. It seems that they're all quite busy at their studies/work. I also have quite a lot to do this year, which I didn't really expect to be like that. I even had a stomachache today. I'm a bit stressed as there are quite a lot for me to do, I do have to talk a lot more in classes (I'm not used to that...I do have to try hard to overcome my fear in speaking and be more confident......), most of the students have a really good command of English (some of them are actually native speakers)... We're all having a hard time working towards different things... Anyway, it's good to have challenges. I'm persuading myself to try hard, and see how it goes=) I talked to my mum just now. She gave me such a great comfort.

What have I been doing these days? Checking emails, watching movies, talking on the phone, reading, sleeping, it's really nothing special. The most interesting thing I did was to explore the city that I've been living for almost all of my life. Sounds really strange, huh? It's really a bit shameful that I scarcely know anything about other places besides the places where I live and go to school When I did go to somewhere more far away, I am with my parents/friends, which means that I don't have to really know that place + how to get there. Aiyaya...I carried out what Wesley advised me to do, to explore HK without using the MTR (it's an underground train in HK that can easily take me to whereever I want to go). It's great that I did it....with my mum following me for the first 2 days and by myself for the third day (which means I had to become a 'runaway daughter' on that day). My parents concerned so much about my safety...Here is an interesting conversation.

Father: 'well...I know your mum is so bored to be at home. Take her with you, don't leave her at home, be a good daughter who takes care of her mum, balabelebala......'

Mother: 'See how he sacrifices me for you...(I thought she understood that I wanted to go by myself) Yup, I'm really bored, show me where you want to go, bilibalabilibala....'

They are really a perfect match Before I went to sleep, my mum would ask me, 'where will u go tomorrow?' Ya, I know what u want to do next. Before the third day came, I kept my mouth shout about my plan (I actually did not have a plan), and she knew that I 'aspired' to go by myself. Guess what she did. She hid my purse!!!!!!!Guess what I did. I took some money from her purse the next day. (I am really a bad egg) She called me when I was 10 minutes away from home. Of course she asked again about my whereabouts, and of course I pretended to be ignorant and walked away as fast as I could! 'I was about to hide my own purse also! Should have done it!' It made me laugh so much! In order not to make her too worried, I did tell her where I was in the middle of my journey. It's really funny to be defiant at my age Deep in my heart, I was so moved by my parents' love for me. They really care soooooooooo much about me. I'm going to have lessons in Sydney for two months (7/10 - 3/12), and my father already asked me to call him at least twice per week. Thank you God, for giving me such good parents From them I could really see love which is from you!!

Here are some pics that I took in my 3-day journey:

 Sai Kung (eastern HK)

 'Newspaper' boat in a park in SK (a design that won an award)

 Wong Tai Sin (northern HK, a place where I haven't been before)

 A Cafe where I sat down and read. (This is sth I really enjoy)It's a cafe that is above the ground floor inside a residential building. There are more and more 'above ground floor shops' in HK as rent is cheaper there.

It's soooo good that I have time to rest and refresh myself these days! When I read the diary entries that were written in Xian, one of the words that appeared most frequently on the pages is 'tired'. Though it was indeed quite tiring, I did learn a lot and, the most important of all, I met a lot of good friends 

Me, Tish and Wesley went to the airport to pick up Eric yesterday. He had far less luggage than we'd expected! He said he 'made' people to bring some of his belongings back to US, I wondered what he had done to them, haha! We're going to hang out tmr, see if we'll lost him on the way

¤µ¤Ñ: Relax~

Finally, I finished doing all of my papers! My final task: the test on 1/6.