Off to China Again, 2011!

This will be my fifth trip to China, leaving April 11th. to May 2nd. A friend from the Columban Fathers said I've gone to China more than any Columban Father ever did (I chuckled). It took a while to get back into my account here but am happy to be back and posting once again. Last fall, mid October to early November I did some presentations in various places. EACH was my favorite, it's so hard to decide. Anyway, flew into Hong Kong, took bus to Guangzhou, met Pan Wei Cong there and he put me on the fast train to Changsha, about a 450 mile trip. Ordinarily it takes 4 or 5 hours, it only took one and a half hours. Train was going over land about 205 miles per hour. Gave a two day presentation at the Changsha Special School, about 45 staff members, 135 or so deaf and blind students. Got on a plane to Nanjing a few days later and gave a one day presentation at the Gao Chun Special School, about 95 deaf and 30 or so mentally challenged students; staff of about the same, 45 - 50. Loved Gao Chun and was invited to give another presentation at the Nanjing school for the deaf, oldest national school in China with about 500 students. That one is in the works. Also in Nanjing, gave a presentation to students at the university on international sign language as well as paid a visit to "The Ark" run by Sr. Maria Zheng, a nun, for autistic and mentally challenged students, about 85 or so. This spring, will return to Nanjing via Shanghai and then on to Guangzhou and the University of Zhaoqing. In Nanjing will help to prepare university students to work with the clients at the Ark and then give a presentation to the staff there at the Ark on language development and autism, current diagnosis and intervention methodologies. Leaving Nanjing for Zhaoqing University, will begin to give a two week course there on the topic of special education and deaf education. I know this all sounds confusing, and it is! I've been working at it for weeks to prepare. Much of the content from the fall presentations can roll over into this spring's, but the course has been pumped up with lots more content, there is a lot to it, but I enjoy it all. In China I am so fortunate to get help from so many people: Becky Mitchell from Univ. of Utah, translators Luo Li, Aloe and Amelia, Weina, Jeff, Shane, Pan Wei Cong, Dawn and her husband Dr. Lin, etc. etc. There are so many great people there. I hope folks can post here once in a while and now possibly I 'll be able to pick it up again in China. Cheerio! Frank