This morning our wake-up call was at 6:30, we packed and left our bags outside of our rooms, had another western-style breakfast, and left the hotel at 7:40.  It was lightly raining for most of the morning.  We arrived at the sister school at around 8:30, and were led to a conference room to be introduced to Zhu Lao Shi, who gave us a brief tour of the buildings on campus.  After she finished showing us around, she brought us to a stage on one side of their outdoor track, where all the students were gathering.  First Lao Shi and some faculty from their school gave short speeches, but then each of us had to talk into the microphone and give a brief introduction of ourselves in front of their entire school.  Mr. Morris even said a few lines in Chinese, which was very impressive, with the help of Henry.  The students all lined up into perfect rows and listened, and sometimes laughed as we introduced ourselves.  It was intimidating at first, being in front of such a large crowd, but I think we did a good job.  Nothing terribly embarrassing happened.  After this Welcoming Ceremony was over, our Chinese host students came up to the stage to find us, which is when we all split up.  My host student's name is Gao Han, she's 18 years old, and her English is perfect.  She told me that she lives on-campus in one of the dorms (only a few students do, most of them go home every afternoon), and that most of the students never have much free time because their school is so much work. 

We went with our host students to each of their classes with them.  Each of their class periods were 40 minutes long.  Gao Han's first period was gym, and they were playing volleyball outside today.  At the beginning of the class they all had to do stretches to warm up.  Afterwards, as the class got started the gym teacher told Gao Han that she and I could go into the building.  While we were inside, Gao Han and some of her classmates practiced a skit that they had to do for their Chinese class.  Her second class was biology.  They got a test back, which had mostly been on DNA, and spent the majority of class going over it.  Gao Han's next class (in the same room) was Chinese.  The class was divided into several groups that each presented a skit that they had prepared.  One of the groups did a short scene from Harry Potter, and my host student's skit was a comedy where they each impersonated one of their teachers.  It seemed like a fun class, everyone was laughing and the teacher was definitely far from strict, which was not what I had expected at all from such a tough school. 

After Chinese class was lunch, which they had 2 hours for.  Gao Han and I ate in the bottom floor of the cafeteria, where they were serving spicy chicken, a cucumber and egg dish, cornbread, white rice, and something that Gao Han told me was sausage, but I'm not entirely sure that's what it was.  We ate with some of her classmates, and when we finished we had an hour and a half before her next class started.  So, Gao Han and I walked around the campus, and in the different buildings, and she showed me where everything was and what it was all for.  I still think it's very interesting how the students stay in the same rooms and the teachers rotate for the different classes.  So each student's desk had all their stuff on/in it, and they just kept it all there, which worked well since their lockers were very small.  After the lunch period was over, we went back to Gao Han's classroom (#17) for her double-block of Physics.  She told me that most of the students don't pay attention to the physics teacher because they can't understand some of what he says (he's from a different area of China), so they just learn it themselves later.   

When the physics class was over, everyone from CA and their host students gathered back in the conference room where we first went.  We were supposed to discuss the differences between Chinese and American life, and ask each other questions, but we didn't talk together as a group for very long, so we ended up getting out early.  After the discussion Gao Han led me to one of the school entrances, and her dad was waiting there for us in a black car (passat) to take us back to her house.  She lives in an apartment in a tall complex, and it's so nice inside.  I really like their home, and the family is wonderful.  Gao Han's parents are both extremely nice, and they can both speak English.  Gao Han and I had something to eat when we first got to her house, we had pear juice, which was very good, cherries, peaches, and some different Chinese potato chips.  We watched a movie in Chinese (with english subtitles), I gave her family their presents, and then we went out to eat.  The restraunt we went to was very nice, and Gao Han's parents ordered roasted duck for us, which was delicious.  They also took me to an ice cream place after dinner, which was also very good.  So far, being with a host family has been a really fun experience!