Cool Students

I just have to say that the kids here at this school really are great. They speak to me often about many things, help me with their language, tell me Chinese traditions, walk with me,tell me places to visit, they mostly listen, learn and have much fun in class AND they like to involve me in their games. A few days ago it was a "Long Jump" game that they play frequently. You have to stand with your feet together, swing your arms, gain as much momentum as you can and jump forward. They measure the distance with the joins in the pathway. Of course it was no competition, they were easily jumping a couple of meters, me...I was at least a foot short of their marks. Today....it was Badminton. Now "Yes" I used to play Badminton, but I have not really played now for many, many, years...I was really worried I would look really stupid, but I took up the offer and played...It was so fun...I could still play (even if I was a little rusty)and the students... well I think it is just so great of them to incorporate me as a friend as well as their teacher. They make the transition here so much easier for me. Maybe I have never really grown up, I seem to fit in easier with the students than I do the adults :-)
I think it's worth noting that as you have seen from a previous post, these kids (at the moment) have no outside sports and recreation ground (because of the renovations)
They have an area near the classrooms, where there are some Badminton nets set up and another area where there are some table tennis tables. Obviously not everyone can play in these prime locations at once..but...they have great imagination and make up there own games. Basketball with ping pong balls, slam dunking the balls through the air grids above the classroom doors...this is very popular:-)Practicing ping pong against the walls...I don't know where they get all their energy from.