User profile: Geezer

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Failed international HS

cloud: Things must have changed dramatically in the five years I have been gone. But then, not being a professional teacher, whatever that is, I simply strived to teach a non-intuitive subject as best I could to students that lacked sufficient English skills to understand what was going on.

You miss my point that if you train 6 year old kids that successful learning requires intense memorization and precision you get success measured in those skills. I don't see the Chinese school system becoming highly developed any time soon. At this point we would need to agree as to what "a highly developed" education system means. Effectively teaching the test is perpetuating the rote system no matter how well it is organized and managed.

I saw the Chinese education system as one of brute force. The huge number of kids being educated is a problem. The problem is partially solved by eliminating the vast majority to filter out lesser from the best. The parents know this and are aware there are few second chances so they pressure their kids.

A few times I asked what happens to the few Chinese kids that are unable to master the written language. No one seemed to know but I was once told I would never see one.

The brute force approach works because of the huge number of kids entering the system. The percentage of them that complete their education is small and the percentage that really learn is even smaller. So far, the number of good minds produced has been enough. With a declining birth rate, will it be enough in the future?

Once, doing a chalk & talk, I said "Okay, now we need 10 percent of 900 and that is...." I heard a lot of shuffling and turned around to see the students scrambling for their calculators.

It is worse in the US. I saw a Youtube video of a teacher explaining how to multiply 25 times 13: 25 is 20 + 5 and 13 is 10 + 3, so 20 times 1 is 20 and add a zero to get 200. 5 times 10 is 50, 3 times 2 is 6 and add a zero to get 60. 3 times 5 is 15. So 25 X13 is 200+50+60+15 or 325. Would you say the US has a highly developed education system? Maybe, but today US teachers are busy teaching how to pray to Allah, how there are 56 genders and the benefits of same sex marriage.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Failed international HS

Today, rote learning is pretty much dismissed as a valid technique of learning. Perhaps wrongly.

I can remember being drilled in multiplication and division tables relentlessly until arithmetic was performed automatically without much thought. Eventually, my first degree was a math degree. After getting degrees in Accounting and Economics, I found that rote learned base never failed me.

When studying Chinese, I asked how did Chinese kids learn to write all these characters correctly. Repetition, and by rote, I was told, and for years. I set a goal of writing 1,000 汉字 every day. I filled hundreds of 汉语拼音汉字 books in my quest for 汉语 literacy.

Given the proven need for rote learning just to write, it is understandable that rote learning became ingrained in Chinese education. It is a simple method that produces results with low teaching skills levels and low cost.

Arguing that rote learning is wrong is to ignore the realities of China in the context of the 1950's and 60's. A poor country with a lot of students and a need for teachers far exceeding the supply. I believe the Chinese solved their problem efficiently and economically.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Failed international HS

About 15 years ago I was invited to invest in a new "prep for study abroad" school in Beijing. The business model was simple; parents paid tuition and fees up front, roughly 100K RMB per student per year, essentially financing the school's operation.

Although the lead entrepreneur was a friend, I declined because, in addition to the business risk, of the visa issues and a reliance on the political guanxi of other investors. I did teach at the school, first part time and later on staff, for four years.

The school was a success and is still operating today. But my friend was forced out and even jailed for a time. He founded a third school which is also also successful but I had decamped to Kunming.

My thinking was, and still is, that the huge pile of cash on day one was far too much temptation and too easily pissed away for me to deal with. The discipline required to make that cash last is hard to find.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Posting items containing Li-ion batteries.

My son runs an online biz selling flashlights (expensive ones that I wouldn't buy) some with LiOn batteries. He said if the battery are in the device there is no problem. Shipping loose batteries is a pain in the butt which he tries to avoid.

I have bought LiOn batteries from Amazon and they come well padded and special labeling on the box.

Last week, I got two 24V10AH (240WH) Polymer Li-ion batteries, 1.6Kg each, sent to me from China via a forwarder in the US.

Well padded and special warning label, delivered by FEDEX. BTW - 18 days from order to in my hands in California.

Search Youtube for videos of exploding Li-ion batteries.

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Forums > Food & Drink > Hot Pot ha ha ha

Not sure where some of you guys had 火锅.

In Beijing, 火锅 was a great winter treat. We had three favorite places, each had a different style and flavor. Common to all was the plates of thinly sliced meat (beef, pork, mutton, chicken) and veggies, noodles, sprouts. dipping sauce and pickled garlic. All the fixings were there in front of you and there wasn't much doubt as to what you were going to eat.

The three styles were Sichuan, half Sichuan/half not spicy, and one was individual cooking pots.

As far as taste, I liked the Sichuan style but the spice, and heat of the spice, did kill any real taste. The half & half gave more taste. The small individual pots were as you like it.

The real taste was in the dipping sauce and how it was mixed. I also liked the pickled garlic.

I think I had "hot Pot" in Kunming once but it was less than memorial.

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The BRI is genius. Projects are brought about by China conceiving a project, engineering it, gaining local political support, financing it, building it with Chinese labor and when the debt can't be serviced takes the natural resources used to collateralize the debt. In the case of dam in close proximity, China gets the energy as well. In response to criticism of China, Xi is now saying China will curtail what many countries say is predatory tactics.

More than a half century ago the US and Russia used this approach to extend their hegemony. One of the greatest dam projects, the Aswan Dam built by Russia, turned into gigantic problems.

Reviews

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Good for quality, but pricey, hand tools.

Be aware they will push whatever they are selling. Some of the staff have no idea about the technical side of appliances.

I went there to buy a stove. I repeatedly told them I would be using bottled gas. They sold me a stove. When I went to my local gas guy, I learned there are at least three kinds of gas sold. Luckily, B&Q did not deliver as promised. I went back to the store and discovered they had sold me a stove they needed to be hooked up to the gas main. I got my money back.

The sales lady was almost in tears, 没有问题!I don't know if it a safety or design issue, but I would think B&Q would know and care.

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Last week had an 8:45am flight.

Subway starts at 9am. I have no idea where to catch an airport express bus. Eight taxis refused to go to the airport. After almost an hour standing on Beijing Lu took a black taxi, this dude drives slower than my mother, 120 yuan.

Flight back was delayed so I learned the subway stops running at 6:10pm.

Getting a taxi back was easy, more taxis than customers. Taxi was 87 yuan including 1o yuan toll, airport to Beichen area. Yes, he took a longer route than necessary.

Kunming imagines being a gateway for international travelers. New airport but hard to get to and from it.

World Class Airport, NOT!

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Tonight "Peacock", a performance by Yang Liping (杨丽萍), to begin her world tour, 8pm, 100-1680 yuan at Yunna Haigeng Auditorium.

Saw this lady perform at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, in California, in 1995. Quite a good and interesting show.

I'm going to try to make it.

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Not so good. Kimchi had a very sour taste. Other food was nothing to brag about. I don't think I would go back.