methinks

Teaching Teachers

For one month the seniors lived and taught at Libo #1 Middle School. I visited them for one day during their last week of teaching practice. However, all of these pictures are of the college teachers and not the students. I don't know how that happened. I guess the students were too busy.

Click here to see the pictures.

Skype

In my never-ending quest to save money, I have tried several programs that allow one to talk -- with your real voice, not typing -- for free via the Internet. Most of them didn't work well, or were awkward to use and set up, or even both. But I have found a new program, and I would like to recommend it to all of you. It is called Skype (rhymes with ripe) and while still only in its beta version, it is the best VoiP (voice over Internet program) I have used.

It is simple to install and use. Just download, click install, and follow a few easy steps. You sign-up for a free, email-like user ID and you're ready to go. The whole installation took me less than 2 minutes.

The interface is almost identical to using a text chat program except you get a full-duplex (both people can talk at the same time), crystal clear voice conversation instead of static typed messages (although, you can type too if you like).

What will you need to use this program? Well, you'll need a computer connected to the Internet; a broadband connection is best, but the makers claim it will work very well with anything faster than 33Kbps (which you all have). You'll also need speakers and a microphone.

Download it. Tell all your friends. The more people who use it, the more useful it will be.

My user name is dcriss1

www.skype.com

A Day of Death

Four is an unlucky number in China. It is a homonym with the word for death. It thus seems fitting that on April 4th of last year -- the four of fours -- Peace Corps China was given the order to evacuate because of a deadly virus called SARS. The calendar has spent a year since then, but I have payed more dearly.

I've tried to forget that day, to leave it, to bury it, to make sense of it all. But I haven't been able to. Sometimes I come close. I feel that I have overcome this great loss. But then I listen to a recording I made on that day -- to test myself or torture myself, I'm not sure -- and all the memories become real and I must start the journey of reconciliation once again. A grand example of cosmic irony, I was making an audio journal to calm my family's worries about SARS when I got a phone call from Dr. Dave saying that we would have to evacuate. I didn't stop recording when the phone rang. I wish I would have.

I haven't shared this recording until now because I thought hiding it would help me forget. It hasn't. I want to share this with you so that you might understand what I went through, so that you might help me grieve. I know it's a little large, but I encourage you to download it anyway. It will be good for both of us.

Click the file to begin downloading:
evacuation.mp3 -- 4.9 mb