Planning

I like to plan. I like to make a plan. I like to think about planning. I like to implement the plan.

Interesting planning methods and ideas of some of the schools in China:

1. Plans are rare, often things are done on the spur of the moment.
2. Plans are subject to change at all times.
3. If you have plans with a friend or colleague and someone more important (especially from work) asks you to do something, you should change plans immediately and all will understand.
4. Schools sometimes schedule the classes around holidays. There are major week long Chinese holidays that have exact dates and everyone knows them, yet many schools will schedule the semester without regard to these dates. Then the week before the great vacation, the school announces they will need to make up the classes they will miss during this holiday.
1. Spring Festival - Chinese New Year is on the Lunar Calendar (which is scheduled for the next bazillion years).
1. May Day - Labor Day is May 1st to 7th.
2. National Day - Celebrating the new People's Republic of China is October 1st to 7th.
3. Some links: Public Holidays, Golden Weeks, Traditional Chinese Holidays
5. Schools know about when classes will begin and end for next year, but this is not decided until a few days before actually starts.
6. Any day of the week and any hour of the day is perfect to have class (any age level), except during meals: 7:00-8:00am, Noon-2:00pm (this allows for the all important nap), and 5:00-7:00pm.
7. And now there are major cultural differences between the students and teachers in China.
   
   • health
     
   • technology
   • beauty
   • homework
   • advertising
     
   • diploma or no wedding, work, or driver's license
   • hair length
   • heft
     

Here are some plans I am working on:

1. Running the Great Wall Marathon in less than 4.5 hours - photos
   
2. Reading 1 book every 2 weeks
3. Practicing Chinese for 30 minutes to 1 hour each day
   I'll finish Pimsleur before the school year is over and then Rosetta Stone this summer. Next school year I'll translate/practice/memorize John from the Good Book - Easy-to-Read Chinese Version for the modern language usage.
   
4. Posting to this blog (at least) once every 3 days
5. and then some...