A Little Taste of Home . . . (Jan.-Feb. 2017)

Feb 27

Feb 27 A Little Taste of Home . . . (Jan.-Feb. 2017)

Brigg and Janet

So . . . . . six weeks off for Spring Festival?? Sounds like it's time for a trip home!! Following our Thailand/Vietnam trip, we spent about four weeks back in the States. During that time, we managed to visit everyone in Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and California (Northern and Southern). The highlight of the trip, of course, was the birth of Russell Robert Steele on February 10--and we were there!!! (Not exactly there at the hospital, but there in Napa, where we stayed with Alex and Ty while their baby brother was being born. In the words of Alex, "Since baby Russell is at the hospital, does that mean the doctor is his mother?") What a wonderful week in Napa!

In addition to meeting our new grandson, we were there for a few birthday celebrations! Briggs and Alex both enjoyed their Chinese Thomas the Train toys (Briggs is also checking out his new Chinese jammies!) Diana looked ready to "pop" while decorating Alex's birthday cake, and Brady showed off his culinary skills by creating his own birthday mille feuille. We were also able to enjoy sushi with both Ryan and Brady when they skipped school lunch for a birthday treat.

We were especially grateful to see our parents looking so well!!

We loved playing card games with Leo & Mia; Jack, Mitch, & Reagan; and Ethan, Hadley, Ryan, Brady, & Dylan! We were able to watch Ethan, Ryan, and Brady play basketball, but we missed Jack's swim meet (he didn't have one the week we were there, darn it!) I especially enjoyed helping Ryan, Brady, and Dylan make pillowcases and a special quilt for baby Russell--the force was definitely with us! And we were very excited to learn that our ballerina Lucy was en pointe, something she has been looking forward to for a long time!

And look at this gift from Grandma and Grandpa Allred--just the right size to keep Dylan company!!

It was hard to say goodbye to everyone--but look who followed us to China!! That first week back, while Brigg and I were busy battling jet lag and adjusting to our new classes, B.J. was working in Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing. He was able to spend a little bit of time with us before he returned to Arizona--such a treat!!!

We’re Back!!

I can’t believe it, but at the invitation of PKU and with the encouragement of BYU, we returned to Beijing for the 2018-2019 teaching year.

Brigg continues to teach some of the most popular classes on campus — this, at least, according to many of my students who are hooked into PKU social media during registration time. It seems that there is continuous chatter about how to get into one of Mr. Steele’s Business English classes. The students have an allotment of “points” they can use to “bid” for priority in registration, and many students report using ALL of their points just to get into one of Brigg’s classes! He teaches these Business English classes on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and again on Wednesdays at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

I continue to teach four sections of Critical Thinking/Academic Writing — Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and again on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Both Brigg and I teach a section of Oral English for English Majors on Tuesday mornings at 8 a.m. We enjoy teaching the same course, although in different buildings, and have even switched things up on occasion, sharing our “expertise” with each other’s classes.

We were asked this year if we would teach an additional children’s oral English class, available only to those affiliated with PKU. We were told that this was a request from parents who wanted to enroll their children, but only if we were going to be the teachers. I know! Flattering! How could we refuse?? So we’re teaching the same Grade 2 class we taught last year (with a few new faces) on Wednesday evenings, but we’re also teaching a group of “beginners” (mostly 6-year-olds) on Monday evenings. We’ve had a lot of fun sharing American culture with them, including the carving of Halloween jack-o-lanterns in October and the decorating of various holiday-themed treats.

I continue to tutor my 9-year-old Thomas as well, sometimes twice a week. He loves to come to our apartment even when not having a formal lesson just to play games or read stories. Brigg has to hide his treats, though, because Thomas eats EVERYTHING he can find!

We love our continuing relationships with our former students and friends, especially our BYU China Teacher colleagues, who are our “family” while we’re so far from home!

Hi.

Feb 27 A Little Taste of Home . . . (Jan.-Feb. 2017)

We were especially grateful to see our parents looking so well!!

And look at this gift from Grandma and Grandpa Allred--just the right size to keep Dylan company!!

Mar 9 A Great Week to be a Woman . . . (March 2017)

Jan 19 Yes, It's Real . . . (Jan. 2017)

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