English Competition

So, I don't feel like I have alot to report since my last entry, and as it would be pretty risky putting the details of the the one exciting/dangerous thing that happened to me last week( involving Magic ants and the Chinese Police!!!!), you wll have to wait till I get home for that story!!! :)
The weather has eased off a bit and although it is still really cold, it's a little more bearable. Unfortunatly the snow has gone, but I'm certain that I will see more in the next 4 weeks, Alot more! (It will drop to as low as minus 26!)
As previously mentioned I judged an English Competition last weekend and it was alot of fun!! I had some kindergarten and some from primary school kids. They were all really good and so adorable! I arrived at the hotel on the Friday night, as we would be judging early Saturday morning. I went with Aga, another teacher from the Shenyang Gang! When we arrived we were placed in a room with about 50 kids and all of their parents and teachers and we were told that we had to keep the kids amused for an hour or 2!! Because the ages ranged from 4-12 we had to quickly think of an activity where all the kids could join in! We were struggling to come up with something, when Rice (from WTTC) pulled me on stage and announced that I was going to sing a song!! (WTF - Why does this keep happening to me!!) I bet you can all guess what I sang!!!?
I started to sing 'If you're happy and you know it' and thankfully all the kids joined in. I was feeling happy and relieved until they started singng words I didn't know and I had to fake mime/mumble the words stood on a stage, (Once again!) alone and infront of 100 strangers being shown up by a bunch of kids!!! I must have a sign on my head that says 'Humiliate me please, I enjoy it!!!'
Anyway, after that was over we played a game of fruit salad. (You have 4 or 5 different fruits and each kid has a piece of paper with one fruit name on. Everyone sits in a big circle and I stand in the middle and shout 'Banana' all the kids that are Bananas have to get up and change seats, I have to find a seat, and no one is allowed to sit in the seat they got up from. Whoever is left with no seat has to call the next fruit name... and so on. When you Shout 'Fruit Salad' everyone gets up and swaps seats!!!) It was alot of fun and managed to keep the kids occupied until it was time to go to bed!
Judging the kids was actually more fun than I thought it would be. There were three parts: an introduction, A show and then questons from the judges. All I had to do was to ask a few questions after the had introduced themselves and either sang a song or told a story. Two of the kindergarten kids were from my class! I didn't know they were going to be there, and when they had their chance to 'show themselves' they both did things that I had taught them! It was such a nice feeling seeing them up on that stage at 4 years of age, singing their song and doing their Magic trick knowing that I had taught them that!!!

English Competition

Shenyang, China