I always pictured Tibet a bleak empty land, an thin feeble atmosphere with not barely enough oxygen. Supporting the most adaptable versatile of organisms and containing them in their weakest forms. Where even the usual cordial sun gives out its most harmful rays to it. Yet it was just speculation, no proof just pure imagination. Even with that understanding, it still seemed a destination that was to be explored, where curiosity played its game again. In a few years that failure of an comprehension would be changed completely.
Nyêmo county. It is elevated at 3,809 meters (12,497 ft) , which meant the purchase of oxygen tanks was necessary.
Picture yourself in a back of a old 6-seat car. Then in a mountain terrain. Now with thousands yaks and sheep outside with the addition of some delightful Tibetan electronic music. Where the shake of the car alone was 100000 recorded steps, transportation was uncomfortable to say the least. Knowing the purpose I was in Tibet, the thought of complaint just doesn't enter the mind.
An explosion of wind hits my face, besides the not being fully awake I was certain that was the end of the journey. Turns out was only a halfway stop, a washroom break of sorts. So the naïve me decided to ask where it was only to be told it was everywhere. But just at that moment I realized where I stood, a place isolated from the buzzing frequencies of the world, in the beauty of nature it self.
The rest of the journey rushed past. The row of cars entered the school, on the right was the astroturf multipurpose sports pitch with high-rise mountains right behind it. On the left was a rectangular podium erected about 1 meter high. One by one the cars parked beside one of the school buildings. Getting off the car was added with surge of blood that entered my legs resulting in a horrid burning feeling. It passed quickly and we headed toward their staff room. We were greeted by the vice-principal and were told that the kids would be arriving tomorrow. Our team consisted of about 20 people, I was by far the youngest out of them but I definitely didn't feel like I was.
We were to live in the student dormitories, elementary school dormitories. I am not too tall but 1.77m (5'8") is definitely not fitting in a 1.5m (4'9") bunk bed. A rusty metal build. It was tough.
The first day was to begin. The first lesson was in a small classroom which fit almost 40 students with the 20 adults & I. We started with a introduction, I was one of the last. After that was a silence where the 20 of them glanced at each other trying to communicate. Then a somewhat indiscreet form of whispering was used and in this I heard someone say that I should teach them English. Deep inside, I was almost furious. A group of adults, use a just-turned 14 year old to deal with the unplanned schedule that was assigned specifically to a few people. However, I had no choice. This was my first time teaching. Then add the 40 confused Tibetan children with the youngest just 3rd-graders. I had not planned to teach English, I always thought it would be impractical to teach anything remotely academic. These children were already giving away their holiday time, the purpose was to give them something they would like. I was told the children loved singing. So my plan was to accompany them with piano while they sang. However, that was all useless then. The lesson ended up being how to introduce themselves in English.
INCOMPLETE DRAFT
Nyêmo county. It is elevated at 3,809 meters (12,497 ft) , which meant the purchase of oxygen tanks was necessary.
Picture yourself in a back of a old 6-seat car. Then in a mountain terrain. Now with thousands yaks and sheep outside with the addition of some delightful Tibetan electronic music. Where the shake of the car alone was 100000 recorded steps, transportation was uncomfortable to say the least. Knowing the purpose I was in Tibet, the thought of complaint just doesn't enter the mind.
An explosion of wind hits my face, besides the not being fully awake I was certain that was the end of the journey. Turns out was only a halfway stop, a washroom break of sorts. So the naïve me decided to ask where it was only to be told it was everywhere. But just at that moment I realized where I stood, a place isolated from the buzzing frequencies of the world, in the beauty of nature it self.
The rest of the journey rushed past. The row of cars entered the school, on the right was the astroturf multipurpose sports pitch with high-rise mountains right behind it. On the left was a rectangular podium erected about 1 meter high. One by one the cars parked beside one of the school buildings. Getting off the car was added with surge of blood that entered my legs resulting in a horrid burning feeling. It passed quickly and we headed toward their staff room. We were greeted by the vice-principal and were told that the kids would be arriving tomorrow. Our team consisted of about 20 people, I was by far the youngest out of them but I definitely didn't feel like I was.
We were to live in the student dormitories, elementary school dormitories. I am not too tall but 1.77m (5'8") is definitely not fitting in a 1.5m (4'9") bunk bed. A rusty metal build. It was tough.
The first day was to begin. The first lesson was in a small classroom which fit almost 40 students with the 20 adults & I. We started with a introduction, I was one of the last. After that was a silence where the 20 of them glanced at each other trying to communicate. Then a somewhat indiscreet form of whispering was used and in this I heard someone say that I should teach them English. Deep inside, I was almost furious. A group of adults, use a just-turned 14 year old to deal with the unplanned schedule that was assigned specifically to a few people. However, I had no choice. This was my first time teaching. Then add the 40 confused Tibetan children with the youngest just 3rd-graders. I had not planned to teach English, I always thought it would be impractical to teach anything remotely academic. These children were already giving away their holiday time, the purpose was to give them something they would like. I was told the children loved singing. So my plan was to accompany them with piano while they sang. However, that was all useless then. The lesson ended up being how to introduce themselves in English.
INCOMPLETE DRAFT