January 22, 2009
I may live in a small and non-affluent community, but our field trips rock! We left Boulder Creek just before eight this morning and ventured to China Town in San Francisco. For whatever reason, I only had two kids in my big, roomy truck. The trip to a field trip is always so informative. You find out so much about what kids are thinking. We talked about video games, video gaming systems, movies, and the boy with us also explored his thoughts on the political structure of the United States. I didn't offer my own thoughts, as I thought this would be inappropriate. However, from my vantage point in the front seat where they could not see my face, I grinned a lot at what this nine year old had to say...
We arrived in San Francisco in really good time. We then spent 25 minutes trying to make the last three miles to the parking garage. I breathed a sigh of relief when I discovered that I could fit my truck in this garage. That is not always the case. We were the second vehicle to make it there, and the kids played on the playground above the parking garage for quite a while before everyone trickled in and we joined our tour guides. I won't go into all we learned about China Town, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. For the most part, I think the kids found it interesting, but I don't think they absorbed what they were being told.
At any rate, we walked down various streets, seeing interesting parts of the community. We visited a Buddhist temple, and while we were there, a lady came in to make an offering to someone. I found that incredible. She left a bowl of fruit on the alter, said some prayers, and then lit a stick of incense at the rear of the room. This is not like a large Christian church. This room was only a little larger than my Chickdominium. She had to walk around 30+ kids and parents to get where she was going. Granted, we quickly cleared a path. It was an incredibly welcoming and personal environment. I was very impressed.
We walked through streets learning about the people who had settled and continue to live in China Town. I won't go into everything, but we visited a fortune cookie 'factory' as well. By the way, fortune cookies were invented in San Francisco. This 'factory' might not have been larger than the Chickdominium. But, we all filed in on one side of the narrow entry aisle, and filed out the next as best we could. The large back of cookies was $3.50. I found it whimsical that there were bags listed as 'adult fortunes,' which cost a dollar more. The guide told me that those were very popular with the elderly. Is that Chinese Viagra?
Everyone we met in the stores was very friendly and welcoming. However, when we were crowding an entire alley, some people walked by that muttered some things that I doubt I will learn from my Chinese lessons with Rosetta Stone. We walked around and learned for an hour and a half. Then we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant. I had been looking forward to this, but it turned out to be my personal low point. I think Annie really enjoyed it, though. As is typical, eggrolls and potsticker were given as appetizers. We drank green tea and water, and with several exceptions were very considerate about turning the Lazy Susan to make sure everyone was covered. Then lunch was served. Huge bowls of chicken chow mien, beef and broccoli, and fried rice. Unfortunately, the boy sitting on my right was not someone I knew. He has never been in one of Annie's classes (including this year), but half of our table was from another class. I was trying to help kids get their food without it ending up all over the table. This boy excitedly grabbed his green tea... and proceeded to dump it on the table and my lap. I looked like I had just had an 'accident.' One of the other parents was kind enough to go get me a pile of napkins, so I just cleaned up as best as I could, and salivated over the food.
By the time I had made sure all the kids I could reach had their food, and were happy, half of them had finished... second helpings. I still had not had a bite. Fortune cookies were being distributed, and I took the opportunity to eat.... actually, 'shovel' may be more appropriate. I am horrible with chopsticks, but I was able to move quite a bit of food very quickly anyway. Unfortunately, I was not fast enough. The same kid that dumped tea on me reached over my plate to get the fortune from the boy to my left. His sleeve was dragging through my food. I told him that it was not appropriate, and he just looked at me with disinterest. He did it three more times. I persevered by envisioning myself holding him by the throat over the balcony outside the restaurant.
Annie and her friends at our table enjoying the cuisine.
After lunch, we chaperones were supposed to walk back towards the parking garage exploring the shops along the way. The kids were allowed to buy a souvenir if they had brought money. As quickly as possible, I abandoned the other chaperones, and was able to find a point of calm again. Annie, Jason, and I were able to leisurely walk through the touristic offerings without me wanting to strangle anyone. Annie bought a dragon for luck that is really cool, and she has given it a place of honor in her room. Jason got a very interesting wooden crocodile. It is kind of hard to explain, but it has a tremendous number of movable joints, and moves around at the slightest touch. The lady that ran the register was great. She laughed when she saw it and made it move around in the air toward Jason, and asked him if he was scared. He replied that he wasn't, but his face suggested he was. I don't think it was the wooden crocodile that was scaring him, though.
We took a different route home that allowed me to escape the surroundings of the city and traffic longer. We climbed up our mountain range right outside San Francisco. The kids were falling asleep, and I drove through the fog in welcome solitude. Granted, most of the way along the ridge the fog was so thick I could not see more than thirty feet. The little light that made it to the road reflected off the water such that it was the same color as the fog. The only guide I had was a dim set of yellow lines on my left... If it wasn't on my left, I knew I was in trouble...
We had a great time. I love these field trips. I think our next one is to NASA. I was sooooo ripped off in Missouri as a kid.
Zai Jian!
We arrived in San Francisco in really good time. We then spent 25 minutes trying to make the last three miles to the parking garage. I breathed a sigh of relief when I discovered that I could fit my truck in this garage. That is not always the case. We were the second vehicle to make it there, and the kids played on the playground above the parking garage for quite a while before everyone trickled in and we joined our tour guides. I won't go into all we learned about China Town, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. For the most part, I think the kids found it interesting, but I don't think they absorbed what they were being told.
At any rate, we walked down various streets, seeing interesting parts of the community. We visited a Buddhist temple, and while we were there, a lady came in to make an offering to someone. I found that incredible. She left a bowl of fruit on the alter, said some prayers, and then lit a stick of incense at the rear of the room. This is not like a large Christian church. This room was only a little larger than my Chickdominium. She had to walk around 30+ kids and parents to get where she was going. Granted, we quickly cleared a path. It was an incredibly welcoming and personal environment. I was very impressed.
We walked through streets learning about the people who had settled and continue to live in China Town. I won't go into everything, but we visited a fortune cookie 'factory' as well. By the way, fortune cookies were invented in San Francisco. This 'factory' might not have been larger than the Chickdominium. But, we all filed in on one side of the narrow entry aisle, and filed out the next as best we could. The large back of cookies was $3.50. I found it whimsical that there were bags listed as 'adult fortunes,' which cost a dollar more. The guide told me that those were very popular with the elderly. Is that Chinese Viagra?
Everyone we met in the stores was very friendly and welcoming. However, when we were crowding an entire alley, some people walked by that muttered some things that I doubt I will learn from my Chinese lessons with Rosetta Stone. We walked around and learned for an hour and a half. Then we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant. I had been looking forward to this, but it turned out to be my personal low point. I think Annie really enjoyed it, though. As is typical, eggrolls and potsticker were given as appetizers. We drank green tea and water, and with several exceptions were very considerate about turning the Lazy Susan to make sure everyone was covered. Then lunch was served. Huge bowls of chicken chow mien, beef and broccoli, and fried rice. Unfortunately, the boy sitting on my right was not someone I knew. He has never been in one of Annie's classes (including this year), but half of our table was from another class. I was trying to help kids get their food without it ending up all over the table. This boy excitedly grabbed his green tea... and proceeded to dump it on the table and my lap. I looked like I had just had an 'accident.' One of the other parents was kind enough to go get me a pile of napkins, so I just cleaned up as best as I could, and salivated over the food.
By the time I had made sure all the kids I could reach had their food, and were happy, half of them had finished... second helpings. I still had not had a bite. Fortune cookies were being distributed, and I took the opportunity to eat.... actually, 'shovel' may be more appropriate. I am horrible with chopsticks, but I was able to move quite a bit of food very quickly anyway. Unfortunately, I was not fast enough. The same kid that dumped tea on me reached over my plate to get the fortune from the boy to my left. His sleeve was dragging through my food. I told him that it was not appropriate, and he just looked at me with disinterest. He did it three more times. I persevered by envisioning myself holding him by the throat over the balcony outside the restaurant.
Annie and her friends at our table enjoying the cuisine.
After lunch, we chaperones were supposed to walk back towards the parking garage exploring the shops along the way. The kids were allowed to buy a souvenir if they had brought money. As quickly as possible, I abandoned the other chaperones, and was able to find a point of calm again. Annie, Jason, and I were able to leisurely walk through the touristic offerings without me wanting to strangle anyone. Annie bought a dragon for luck that is really cool, and she has given it a place of honor in her room. Jason got a very interesting wooden crocodile. It is kind of hard to explain, but it has a tremendous number of movable joints, and moves around at the slightest touch. The lady that ran the register was great. She laughed when she saw it and made it move around in the air toward Jason, and asked him if he was scared. He replied that he wasn't, but his face suggested he was. I don't think it was the wooden crocodile that was scaring him, though.
We took a different route home that allowed me to escape the surroundings of the city and traffic longer. We climbed up our mountain range right outside San Francisco. The kids were falling asleep, and I drove through the fog in welcome solitude. Granted, most of the way along the ridge the fog was so thick I could not see more than thirty feet. The little light that made it to the road reflected off the water such that it was the same color as the fog. The only guide I had was a dim set of yellow lines on my left... If it wasn't on my left, I knew I was in trouble...
We had a great time. I love these field trips. I think our next one is to NASA. I was sooooo ripped off in Missouri as a kid.
Zai Jian!