I have started tutoring English to the below children (Ellen & Jack) once a week for an hour. I got this lead from a friend of mine in the same program. I just started. The mother wanted to do like an hour and a half or two hours. I told her no way. It's hard enough to keep them focused and on task for an hour. She also wanted to pay me once a month. I said no way to that too. I insisted on being paid once a week immediately after the tutoring (that's how it's usually done anyway). She agreed. I make up my own lesson plans for my school classes but she really wanted me to be using English language books. So she bought them (and bought me a teacher's edition) and I'll start using that this week in fact. I tutor in their living room in a high rise that's not far from my apt (~ a half hr). It's nice to have the extra cash and I charge a pretty good fee compared to my peers. For the past several years I have been negotiating bodily injury (some severe - including deaths) claims with attorneys, so let's just say negotiating money with Chinese mothers is not hard for me. But as I said before, the extra cash is nice. I went out of town this weekend and last week's tutoring basically paid for the trip, so it's nice to have. Ellen & Jack are good students. Their English is OK for their grade level (I think Grade 1 or 2). They just get a little rambunctious near the end. I'm surprised I even got them to sit near the end for this shot...
This is an update….
The family that I tutor has just moved to Hongshuwan which is a nice neighborhood. It’s about 30 min from my apartment. They live in one of the hi-rises in pic two below. I tutored them yesterday (another student has been added to this group which now makes it three) and afterwards, the parents invited me to a home-cooked Chinese vegetarian meal which was nice of them. As usual, it was delicious. I bought and brought over some cranberry bread/pastry things I got at a Western supermarket as a token of my appreciation. But it’s sometimes the Chinese custom not to open gifts in front of the presenter until they leave. So not sure if they ate or liked them. But they asked me a lot of questions about America and what I thought about China. I did mention to them that it was indeed a very big holiday today in America (Thanksgiving). I mentioned it’s a very big holiday and that a lot of people have off from work and that there is no school. I also mentioned the holiday encompasses lots of food, family, & football. When I left, they gave me a large tin of Chinese tea made by Huang Shan Mao Feng. It’s one of the most famous green teas in China. I thanked them for it and they said it was their Thanksgiving gift to me since it was Thanksgiving Day and I was spending it with them. Very nice these Chinese people…
Your food looks delicious! I can't wait for you to make some for me :) and the kids are SO adorable. I wish I could send them something but I know it will be hard to get it there. I am glad you are making the extra money. I am sure it helps.
ReplyDeletethe mention of attorney's. please be careful. remember the movie we saw. i would not do it. the kids seem cute but again remember the movie and how frustrated the parents were.
ReplyDeletemisunderstood the attorney comment. get it now. just be careful with mommies. they are formidable. as dad says the kids are as cute as a button. agree you should be paid by the week. yes.
ReplyDeleteFirst let me comment on the green tea. I drank it in Okinawa never knowing the health benefits but my landlord who invited me for Japanese tea told me its benefits. Last week when i was at the Chinese food store at Gulf Gate i was perusing their tea aisle and had not seen that amount of different teas in a long time. Their amount of green, black, and white asian tea was astounding particularly the green.So I think which green would i buy...well i will wait and research it...low and behold now i have my answer. I got maryly a box of english teabags from the british shop for christmas and for sohrab I got him a little adorable chinese mug with a removable strainer and lid and also the chinese store carried british teas and good ones however the friendly lady who asked if i needed help and i did...said most of her teas are loose tea not in bags so Sohrab got a good box of Indian Assam tea which is delicious.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice of your family there to make a meal and give you a gift and very nice for you to bring a hostess gift...shows your manners. Nice you have one more student. So now you have 3 kids and one adult.The high rise area looks nice. i assume this is a nicer area the family moved to? The kids are so cute.
The people sound so really nice and sincere! I imagine that their green tea tastes nothing like ours~I cannot get over the area looking so incredibly clean!!!!
ReplyDelete