CHINA – A FIRST-TIMER’S ABC
with Anne Todd-Lambie
our Prominent Person Delegate in 2011
~ Next meeting: 20 April ~
The full pdf of the newsletter is available at: NZCFSNelsonApril2012.pdf
Last October Anne went to China for the first time, representing Nelson on the NZCFS Prominent Persons and Leaders Delegation for the Year of the Rabbit.
This trip was a great contrast to Anne’s previous travels in relation to her legal work in child and family advocacy, National Council of Women, Business and Professional Women International, and the United Nations.
Anne’s unique perspective will give us a fresh view of this special tour, organised annually by the NZCFS in combination with our Chinese partner organisation – the Chinese Peoples’ Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC).
As usual, we will begin with a brief general meeting and then enjoy our meal at 6 pm, costing $12. Our speaker will begin about 7pm. Friends and visitors are most welcome but please notify Barbara when you ring so that we have accurate numbers for the meal.
Friday 20 April .. Hearing House .. 5:30 pm
To arrange catering please ring:
Barbara Markland Ph. 544 4712 by Tuesday 17 April
or e-mail: [email protected]
RECENT HUANGSHI MEETING: Also at our meeting on April 20, Bill Findlater will tell us a little about his business delegation visit to Huangshi in March, with Mayor Aldo Miccio and a group of Nelson business people.
MEETING MEAL FOR APRIL: Your Committee has decided to try some Chinese food for the next meeting. While everyone seems to enjoy the Thai food from the Golden Bell, it is thought that we could experiment with an alternative. The Nelson Oriental Restaurant, through its Manager, Super Zhang, who is now on our committee, has offered to supply Chinese food for our dinner at the same price ($12 per person).
They will deliver at least two vegetarian dishes, and all their dishes are dairy free. An expression of opinion will be sought at the meeting as to future possibilities – your feedback is welcomed.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING and CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE: Our charming guest speaker was Professor Hong Hu from the Confucius Institute at Canterbury University in Christchurch. The Institute supports the learning of Chinese language in universities and schools, providing teachers and resources and also aims to promote cultural understanding. Each institute set up in New Zealand is affiliated with a university in China, with the headquarters in Beijing.
Through their work in the South Island, the number of schools offering Chinese language is increasing each year with ‘taster’ classes leading to a greater interest in schools. Chinese book corners have been set up in school and university libraries. Seminars for teachers of Chinese are held and some teachers are given the opportunity of attending a training course in Shanghai. Calligraphy is taught at regular workshops and they have supported Chinese radio on air in conjunction with Dunedin Branch – ‘Chinglish Hour’.
A new initiative has been to offer workshops to help medical people better understand their Chinese patients and their culture. Summer camps are offered and there is a possibility of arranging one for the girls from Nelson Girls’ College with their sister school in Huangshi.
COMMITTEE 2012: At the AGM, the Nelson Branch Executive was enlarged by 5, so we appreciatively welcome them to the team and look forward to lots of fresh ideas and more helpers for our events. The following officers were elected:
President: Christine Ward
Vice President: Kathy Beatson
Secretary: Barbara Markland
Treasurer: Royden Smith
Immediate Past President: June Clark
Committee: Bruce Ward, Sally Warren, Kevin Symns, June Wild, Super Zhang, Lillian Li, Yuan Wang and Lori Brudvik-Lindner.
NZCFS NELSON SISTER CITY REPORT 2012 from Barbara Markland at our AGM:
I believe there has been a significant step forward in the sister-city relationship between Nelson and Huangshi, and I might soon have a reply to the question ‘What are the tangible benefits for Nelson?’
As Bill Findlater, CEO of the Nelson Regional EDA, reported in our NZCFS Branch newsletter there is to be a mayoral/business delegation to Huangshi this month, March. This has come about because of the delegation, including Bill Findlater, Dot Kettle of the Chamber of Commerce, Christine and Bruce Ward and Kathy Beatson, visiting Huangshi in 2010, accepting an invitation to their 60th anniversary celebrations.
Following that visit, a delegation from Huangshi came to Nelson in 2011, made up of officials and businessmen looking for investment opportunities. The delegation was hosted jointly by NCC, Chamber of Commerce and EDA with, of course, input from NZCFS and was a great success. The Chamber of Commerce organized several visits to local businesses, NCC hosted a civic dinner and the Branch a dinner for the 19 visitors and 21 NZCFS members, including those who originally set up the sister-city links.
Those accompanying Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio and Bill Findlater to Huangshi will be: Paul Le Gros, Legal Consultant and winery owner; Nick Patterson, Waiwest Horticulture; Tony Gray, CEO NMIT; Matthew Kidson, Kidson Construction; and Grace Gu Translator. The purpose of the visit is to develop collaboration and business opportunities.
It is expected that there will be further business and NCC contact with Huangshi but the friendship ties the branch has worked so hard to develop must not be forgotten. I believe it would be appropriate, perhaps in 2013, for a ‘Friendship Delegation’ to go to Huangshi with representation from the branch and also from Nelson College for Girls and Nelson Hospital to develop the ties already established with sister organisations.
While not quite a sister-city event, the branch was involved with the opening of the bridge linking the Huangshi Chinese Garden to Queens Garden with Nelson Mayor, Aldo Miccio, and the Chinese Ambassador officiating.
President Christine and I have continued to attend meetings of the Sister-City Coordinating Group and I am pleased to be able to note that there seems to be greater interest and participation by NCC.
~ Barbara Markland, Sister City Liaison
PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2012: Christine’s report, as presented to the AGM, is available on our website:
NelsonBranchPresidentsReportMarch2012.pdf
2012 SUBSCRIPTIONS: It was agreed at the AGM that our subscriptions should remain unchanged and these are now due. Please make sure you let us know if any of your details have changed when you return the form so that we can keep our records up to date. Thanks very much to those who have already paid.
Single $15 Couple $25 School $25 Corporate $30
RACE UNITY DAY: While the weather wasn’t up to the usual Nelson standards, the Confucius Institute tent was very busy translating people’s names into Chinese calligraphy and the three amazing performances by the Lion Dance Troupe from Christchurch were all very well received. Thanks to those who came along to enjoy the music, dance, art and food – it was great to see you there.
CHINESE MOVIES: Thanks to the support of the Chinese Ambassador and his gift when he visited last year, they’re back! Inconjunction with NMIT and Saniti, their student organisation, we will be showing some more Chinese movies this year. These will start on Wednesday 2 May at 7:30pm in the Student Building at NMIT. Everyone is welcome.
Our first movie will be “Haiyang Tiantang (Ocean Heaven)” with Jet Li and Wen Zhang.
Directed by Xue Xiaolu, 100 mins, 2010.
This is a story of a father’s tireless love for his son. Wang Xincheng, a single father and ordinary staff member at the Ocean Park, has led a poor life with his autistic son, Dafu. On hearing about his own incurable disease, Wang does all he can to make future arrangements for Dafu and teach his son the necessary life skills to survive on his own before he passes away, including taking Dafu to jump in the sea. Dafu feels at ease in the water and he stays in the Ocean Park after Wang’s death. In Dafu’s mind, his Dad never left him but turned into a sea turtle and accompanied him all the time. It is a poignant tribute to the infinite love that parents have for their children and their unending desire to take care and look after them to their best abilities, no matter the struggle, no matter the effort. That’s the paradise of his Father’s love.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ocean_heaven/
ENGLISH FOR CHINESE SPEAKERS CLASS (ECS) – Lillian Li reports on this new initiative:
ECS has been running for the Chinese community since the beginning of December, 2011. It is a class organised for Chinese speakers who have a very basic English level. The students are mostly middle-aged to elderly new Chinese migrants (e.g. parents of young Chinese professionals and recently arrived partners of Kiwis) who felt embarrassed about their lack of understanding in other English classes. At the same time, they are very eager to communicate with others and want to be more independent of their family members. So they approached me, and another friend, asking for help. We decided to start a class for them and all of our parents are attending this class.
It has been going quite well so far. We have been getting quite a good turnout every class (with up to 14). English Language Partners kindly offered us their classroom for free, upstairs at 2 Bridge St. every Sunday afternoon from 3.30 – 4.30pm. Richard Young, Huiwen Lin, Sally Ma and I have been voluntarily holding classes in turn. Wenli Zhu is our Treasurer and teaching assistant who takes care of our student login book and gold coin donations that cover the basic printing/copying/power, etc.
We are also looking for native speakers to support our class by holding a short session (20 – 30 min) once a month so our students can gradually feel relaxed communicating with native English speakers and receive a friendly, welcoming message from Kiwi friends….
Christine Ward, Barbara Markland and June Wild have been helping already. Please contact Lillian if you would like to join them: ph 548 9364 or (022) 648 4342 or email: [email protected]
MEMBER NEWS: We warmly welcome our new members: Yuan Wang and Langchao (Super) Zhang.
June and Bryce Wild are currently enjoying the NZCFS Photography Tour and are due back 28 April.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2012 and 60th ANNIVERSARY: As noted in the last newsletter, the 2012 National Conference and AGM will be held from 18 – 20 May in Auckland, where the Society began 60 years ago. The theme is appropriately: “By honouring our past, we find our future”.
A fascinating and interesting programme has been organised by Auckland Branch to celebrate this important occasion, and it would be wonderful to see a good contingent from Nelson there this year. Come and join Christine, Kathy and Royden. More details, including the registration form, are available on our website: nzcfs-60th-anniversary-national-conference-may-2012/.
CONFERENCE REMITS: The branch has received notification of two remits for discussion at Conference. Your Nelson delegates (Christine Ward and Kathy Beatson) would like to survey opinion on these, so they will be put to our meeting on April 20:
1. Remit from National Executive: That the number of Vice Presidents on National Executive be increased from two to three and the elected Executive members be decreased from six to five.
2. Remit from Hawke’s Bay Branch: That all formal invitations for delegations from China to visit New Zealand issued by the National Executive, members of the NZCFS National Executive or by Branches are copied to the National Secretary and tabled at Executive meetings.
NZCFS RAFFLE: With a wonderful first prize of two return tickets to China, this raffle has been a very popular purchase at our meetings. As Air New Zealand have provided the tickets to the Society to recognise the number of bookings we make through them for our tours, almost all of the $5 ticket price goes to the Society, with $1 of that going to our Branch. Tickets will be on sale at our meetings, with the draw done in Auckland on the Chinese National Day, 1 October, 2012.
We would be very pleased if anyone would like to take a book of tickets to sell to a wider audience – our grateful thanks to those who have done this already.
NELSON CHINESE GARDEN: There have been some conversations regarding the possibility of using the remainder of our ‘Chinese Garden’ fund to enhance the spirit of sister city friendship within the garden site in some tangible way. Andrew Petheram, the garden designer and Principal Adviser Reserves and Community Facilities at the Nelson City Council, is keen to work with us and the Huangshi authorities to develop a suitable project. Our accumulated funds were not required for the bridge, but they are reserved to be used in the garden in some suitably appropriate way.
BEIJING EDUCATION VISITORS: Several NZCFS members are providing homestay hosting for a group of 16 education researchers from April 23 – May 6. They will be doing a course with Christine Ward at the Nelson Campus of the University of Canterbury, as well as visiting local schools and doing some sightseeing. Yuan Wang, newly on our Nelson committee, will be interpreting.
60th BIRTHDAY PROJECTS AND SILK ROAD TOUR: At least 3 Nelson Branch members have committed to this – come and join them! Dave Bromwich and your Tours Committee have organised a unique tour to celebrate the Society’s 60th birthday, that will combine a classic Silk Road adventure, starting in the very west of China in Kashgar, with a fascinating Projects Tour, where you can explore how the legacy of Rewi Alley, Kathleen Hall (He Ming Qing) and the cooperative movement are expressed in our NZCFS projects today.
You will celebrate 60 years of the NZCFS and 70 years of the Shandan Bailie School, and visit local cooperatives in Shandan; meet our He Ming Qing scholar in Lanzhou, visit the NZCFS Shaanxi Women’s Federation health and cooperative project; see Rewi Alley’s old cave dwelling; and explore Kathleen Hall’s village.
In Beijing you will again celebrate our 60th birthday with friends old and new, as well as visiting the Great Wall, and other classic tourist attractions.
For more information, contact Royden ([email protected] or ph 547 6608) or Dave Bromwich ([email protected]) and check out: nzcfs-60th-birthday-tour-september-2012/.
FERRY AND AUKJE IN ZHANGYE – Two Thousand Four Hundred!
2,400 what? This big number is how many students we see in our teaching week. Yes, work has begun. We each teach oral English for 50 minutes to 20 classes of between 50 and 70 students between 8am and noon. It feels a bit like a theatre performance with us as actors trying to involve the audience in our show, with the premiere early Monday morning and the final performance a matinee on Friday. And, as with real audiences, some are more responsive than others. The Monday morning classes have to cope with recovering from the weekend, as well as being the guinea pigs for our lessons, which of course get tweaked and keep improving as the week progresses.
A crazy schedule? It certainly looks like it, but we only do this in the “odd” weeks as the “even” weeks give us a break from teaching and
time to prepare the next lesson before it starts all over again. Also, although an 8 am start sounds early, we leave our apartment only ten minutes before the start of the lesson and are still more than five minutes early, with the students already waiting in class. When the 7.50 am bell rings, there is a visible acceleration in student movement towards their classes. They do not want to be late and rush to be in class before the teacher! In our teaching week we finish at midday, which gives us the rest of the day to explore the area, do some shopping and stroll around Zhangye. Combine that with the fact that we can prepare our lesson together and the job is actually not too bad.
We both teach in the same five-storey building in rooms that seat 120 people, so really the class is only just half full. The students share a computer screen between two, so we can make Powerpoints with texts for them to read and show photos from New Zealand. There is no way we can move the furniture and put desks in groups, but pair work is not a problem, and when the students turn around they can make up a fine foursome.
Our classes are all first and second year non-major English students. They have studied English for up to 10 years, but never had any practice in speaking, except for the odd one from the Shandan Bailie School. They were put into three groups according to the score of their first semester English test results. We are teaching the A students, the best ones. These classes are made up of groups from different majors: Accounting, Maths, Law, Agriculture, PE, Chinese Language, to name a few. Most of the other foreign experts here teach English major students and they have classes of around 30 students, who they see twice a week in two 50 minute blocks. The oral English programme we are teaching is a pilot, and it is up to us what and how we teach and how we are going to assess the students. It is a fun challenge to make up interesting lessons and find ways to improve their spoken English.
Now here is the headache…. “How to assess the progress of 1200 students you see nine times for 50 minutes?” I guess for some their 
progress will be huge. From standing up when asked to give an answer and staring at their desk saying nothing, to standing up and actually saying something, anything, will be a giant leap ahead. However, sometimes it still feels a little like trying to push water uphill with a rake. But after having seen all groups three times by now, we can see that many students are enjoying the class and looking forward to the lessons. There is a lot of laughter and students are already less shy than in February.
I am writing this on a Saturday, normally a free day for all, but today and tomorrow are “normal” school days. Wednesday is a holiday for Chingming, Tomb Sweeping Day. To make it a three day holiday, Monday and Tuesday are off as well. And this means missed lessons have to be made up on Saturday and Sunday. So like any other “normal” school day, the students get up at around six o’clock, the sound system on campus kicks in and you can see and hear them running around before breakfast. All 13,000 of them…. Or so it looks when we see all these dark shapes moving around in the light before dawn. Now at noon, we can hear the sound system again. It is time for lunch and then back to their dorms, which they share with five others, to have a nap before the classes start again at half past two.
On Chingming, some of the foreign teachers will be sweeping and cleaning the English Library that will re-open soon. Maybe a good reason to buy some fireworks, payback time for all the ear-shattering noise we hear whenever there is a wedding, a shop opens or a farmer buys a new tractor. Noise fits the occasion as it will not be a “Shhh, this is a library!” place, but a space where the English major students come to hang out after class, chat in English and borrow books and DVDs. We will open the library one or two evenings as well, as it might get too crowded when many students turn up from our lot of 2,400.
~ Ferry van Mansum and Aukje Both, 31 March, 2012
HE MING QING SCHOLARS – There is an interesting report on our website from Deborah Rhode who met our two HMQ Scholars, Shi Hongli and Wang Shuizhen, when she visited Lanzhou with Dave Bromwich in September last year: report-from-deborah-rhode
One of the scholars, Wang Shuizhen, writes:
“Soon, another semester has passed, comparing to the last semester, there are more classes in this semester and I feel much busier. 
Everyday, I walk through dormitory, classroom and canteen and it seems that my life goes back to the time when I was in high school. Although sometimes I feel tired, I find the life is fulfilling.
As time goes by, people grew up with their own minds and thoughts. I used to think some ideas are reasonable, but now I hold the different opinions. I used to think that people will become mature as long as they experience some things, but now I do not think this view is totally right. I generally realize that people must go through events by themselves to grow up. After all, their own feelings are most reliable. However, in the contrary, people may not be able to grow up and gain the ability to face the problems on their own even though they have experienced some big events in their lives.
Growth just as a math problem, if you look back at the process of solving the problem and sum up the problem-solving methods after eventually work out the answer with great efforts, you will find it is easier to deal with the similar problems in the future. However, if you just find out the answer without summing up the experience, you may not solve the similar even the same problem even if you meet them again. Thus, you will never move forward. That is why although a person may have grown up, he is still child. While a person is still a child, but he is real man.
The first year of my college life has gone and I am a sophomore at present. I have gained a number of ways in studying after the first year study. Some courses are highly logical, and I have to grasp and understand the main ideas by connection the context and inference. While the key points of some courses are trivial and need to be constantly memorized and summarized to master.
With the experiences gained by last semester, I will live a more meaningful and colorful school life in the new semester. Also in this semester, there is a small target that I hope to accomplish. I want to spend more spare time learning English and try to have a good performance in the CTE-4 exam in December. I hope this target will be achieved.”
NEXT MEETING: Our next meeting is on Friday 8 June – look out for the newsletter at the end of May.
