BECOMING PART OF AMAZING SHENYANG LIFE
Lara and Maxi are busy with school life and exploring Shenyang. Their schedule is filled with all sorts of activities both in and out of school. Interestingly, this rich schedule is helping them adapt to the pace of Shenyang faster than their parents anticipated. And importantly, Lara and Maxi are happy with this dynamic pace; they said it has actually made them happier and more comfortable. So, let's take a close look at what and how they are doing at school.
October 28, Shenyang
Today we had a special program outside of school. Elementary students watched dramas by Grade 7 students. Directed by the G7 German teacher, the talented actors performed "Master Detective Beniamin Katz" and dramatized a classical poem “The Glove" by Fiedrich Schiller. They were so engaged, and we had no choice but to laugh and cry with them. After the play, we had a chance to ask them questions. We learned they had done a lot of work, including editing the scripts, preparing the props and costumes, and many practice sessions and rehearsals. Our German teacher at HuZ believes drama is great for learning languages.
What l enjoy most is the choir. We meet every Wednesday after class to practice. Not long ago, we performed at the Mozart European Music Festival on the same stage as some Austrian musicians. Next month, We’ll record our performance on Shenyang TV! This is the first time the TV Station has invited us - and my first time performing on TV! lt will be broadcast during a "Shenyang in the Eyes of Foreigners" program for Shenyang's International Friendship Night. We are all so excited and counting down the days! After that, we have one more performance for the Christmas season.
My family loves reading, but l've never had a "Reading and Fairy Tale Festival" before. It makes reading even more fun. Grade 3 and 4 students opened the festival by playing the traditional fairy tale "Snow White." We then all went through 4 stations to get scores and win gifts! l was really happy to bring the stuffed mascot "Basti" back home that day.
l wish l had signed up for the cooking activity. It was the most popular after-class activity for primary students. Every time there was a cooking activity, the smell of fresh-baked food was so good! l hope l can sign up next semester, but places are limited as everyone wants to do it.
November 23, Shenyang
Being in Shenyang for a few months, l am getting used to our rich school schedule.
One thing I'm proud of is that the article l wrote about our internship at Conrad Hotel was published in the news section of the official HuZ website. Some students went to an architect design institute or a law Firm for Profession Exploration, which is a great way to understand each career. No job is as easy as l thought. Kitchen, lobby, housekeeping; they all need a clear plan and hard work. We all submitted a report as a close-up of the week. The published article was based on my report, but l added more descriptions as the experience was so interesting. I guess my habit of writing a weekly journal paid off!
Our school organized an outdoor autumn activity to celebrate National Day and get close to nature. During the activity, students were sent in two directions, some heading north, the other heading south. l took the Guanmen Mountain National Forest Park route to Benxi with Grade 6 to 10 students. Maxi went to Shenyang Forest Zoo with Grade 1 to 5 students. Guanmen Mountain is a great place to visit. It has many trees, a bridge with a brook, and large swing chairs. l really enjoyed it. Not only did we enjoy beautiful natural scenery, but l also built deeper friendships and took some fantastic photos.
"HuZ Care Campaign" is another activity I like. It is designed to give poor stray animals a warm winter. This is quite a tradition in Germany. Our teachers visited the animal rescue station at the beginning of winter and took a list of what they need and what we can do. We then had a campaign at school to raise money to buy what was required. We also volunteered to do shelter cleaning and feeding duties. I love this task as you see all the cute animals, and it's really rewarding. Plus, I posted short videos my friend had created to promote the idea of being a responsible pet owner.
My friend Emma was in a fencing contest, so I watched it and cheered for her to show my support. The competition was fierce, but she got a silver medal in the final. I think she could get gold next time. After the game at dinner, I asked Dad if I could try fencing next term. He said, "Why not if you can fit it into your schedule?"
I used to worry that I would miss my school life back in Munich when I moved to Shenyang. But actually, I have many things to learn and try here, both academically and activity-wise. I need to look at my schedule to see if I can squeeze in a social study project during the Christmas holidays.