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Journey East web site

CHINA WEATHER

Beijing

 

Created at Leland & Gray High School in Townshend, Vermont, supported by the Asian Studies Outreach Program (ASOP) at the University of Vermont (UVM), and funded primarily through a grant from the Freeman Foundation,

Journey East, as a whole, consists of the Asian Studies Academy and Sino-American Performing Arts Exchange at Leland and Gray Union High School; the integration of an Asian Studies curriculum throughout the Windham Central Supervisory Union, and the introduction of Chinese language programs into the district.

We wish to thank Holden Waterman, Director of the Asian Studies Outreach Program University of Vermont, and Dr. Juefei Wang, (former Director of the ASOP).

The Leland and Gray Journey East program is deeply indebted, and extends its heartfelt thanks, to Dr. Juefei Wang and Tom Connor, without whose efforts and support this program would not be possible!

Leland & Gray
Journey East 2010

Tom Connor
Program Director

Jenny Connor
Ron Kelley
Co-Directors

Mary Martin
Diane Newton
Bahman Mahdavi
Chaperones
 

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Deja Vu, All Over Again

Good morning everyone!

We’ve been here before -- and it feels good to be here again, for the first time.

We have reached the part of the journey where similarities from one journey to another can be made. Each journey is defined by the special moments that take place in Qufu and Hohhot (April 10).

We start a new week here in Qufu. And to help get things properly underway, the group attended the traditional Welcome Banquet last night. This is an opportunity for the hosts to formally welcome our group to Qufu, and for our group to respond with appreciation in song. It is also a chance for the kids to “dress up.”

We are not sure, at this point, what order the group will visit the area sights and school activities. A trip to Confucius Temple and Residence is usually one of the first places to be seen. And, to help you get around Qufu, here is a map of Qufu, to give you a better idea of where the group is and where they are going.

Let’s take a quick look at the weather link in Qufu. Wow, looks like great forecast for the week!

Now, to get you started today, Here are several photos of our kids singing at the banquet.
 

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Welcome Banquet

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Today, the group attended a folk song workshop and here’s Tom to bring us up to date:

    We had a folk song workshop this morning and the wife of the Director of International Exchange Program demonstrated different types of folk songs for our students and teachers; work songs, mountain songs and ditties from different ethnic groups. She also taught us the Kanding Love Song.

    Wave file #1 has us learning the words to the song. File #2 has Ann Chase singing it toward the end of the session. File #3 is a recording of Jenny and a few of the girls figuring out the packing and arranging of costumes for tomorrow's performance at Far Eastern Vocational Technical College. 

    We visited Ni Shan and the cave where Confucius is reputed to have been born and spent some quiet time at the school just above the cave, which was constructed during the Ming Dynasty. A pretty quiet, restful place.

Folk Song 1 -- Folk Song 2 -- Folk Song 3

Very cool! Now that you’ve heard ‘em, let’s see ‘em! Let’s check photos of that workshop:
 

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Folk Songs

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Learning this song has become a tradition of Journey east. You can read the words and listen to the Kanding Love Song here:

The Kanding Love Song

tn_Folk Songs and Ni Shan 037Tom mentioned that:

    . . . a large photo of Ellie performing back in 2007. The Attached Middle School has a wall with photos of kids from our last four programs. I was quite surprised to see this large photo of Elllie singing. Brought back some nice memories.

Wow. A wall of fame! Very cool, JE students!

 

And now it is time to relax, wander, think, unwind . . .
 

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I can’t remember which journey it was, but a previous Journey East group came upon a wedding and some students had their pictures taken with the bride and groom. Could this truly be a “Deja Vu” day? Whoa!

Okay, so this will wrap up today’s activities. There is much to come from Qufu. We should be getting performance photos and and more excursion photos tomorrow.

So, tune in tomorrow when we see . . .

  • Is anyone playing ping pong?
  • Will the string of “Qufu birthday” continue?
  • Will Tom find a road sign with a misspelled English word?

Same bat time, same bat channel! Na-na-na-na-na-na-na . . .

 

Look at the picture below. Is it or isn’t it?

knot

It’s Knot!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Program Director: Tom Connor
webmaster/narrator: John Reinhardt