2005.12.08 Bejing 5:30 am Yesterday morning we met with officials of the Chinese Mathematical Society. These were mathematicians, rather than introductory teachers. We met for several hours, exchanged ideas about "reforms," etc., and about their working committees which deal with math olympics, popularizing math, and developing curriculum and texts. We also brought up Liping Ma's book "Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics." We then had lunch at a restaurant where we, all (16) of us, sat at a big round table and discussed our first meeting. After lunch we visited the Experimental Primary School of Bejing Normal University, first meeting with the principal and lead teachers for a few hours and then observing a second grade class. We found that they have final examinations each semester from first grade on. They have 9 years of compulsary education. Each teacher teaches only one subject, 12 forty-minute periods a week, maximum of two preparations, but class sizes are 40 to 50 students. (The class which I observed had 47 students.) The halls and classrooms were very cold, perhaps 50F. Students wore their uniforms with lots of layers of underwear. From the first grade, the curriculum included 40 minute periods of math, English, Chinese, caligraphy, plus electives, e.g., chess, dancing, etc., for 8 or 9 periods a day--about 6 hours of class a day. In the evening, we had a Peking Duck dinner. 2005.12.08 This morning we met women in the mathematics department of Peking University. Of the 90 professors in this department, 5 are women. We met with the department chair, women professors, and a few women graduate students who are finishing up their PhD's. When our interpreter offered to translate for them, they seemed a little insulted and explained that since they were professors or doctoral candidates they were required to speak English. We spent a couple of hours discussing women's problems in going into and staying in a mathematics career. We then went on a tour of the campus. Peking University is the "Harvard" of China. There are 1200 math majors at this university. We then had a Chinese style lunch at a restaurant and visited Tiannamen Square and the Forbidden City. We then had dinner in central Bejing and finally went to the theatre where we witnessed a ballet: the Legend of Kung Fu. 2005.12.09 Bejing It is 3 pm and I am sitting on our bus waiting for the group to come from shopping. Today, we went to the Great Wall, climed on it and explored, etc. Then we came to The Friendship Store for lunch -- another great meal! Now we have an afternoon off and tomorrow we fly to Nanking.... PS to the first message: At the primary school, they told us that the students mastered addition and subtraction of whole numbers in the first grade, and multiplication and division in the second grade. Their schools are devided up: grades 1 to 6, primary; 7 to 9, middle, and 10 to 12, high school. 2005.12.10 Bejing 10:40 am I am at the Bejing airport with an hour's wait for our flight to Nanjing. This will be abord a China East plane. We are at gate 32. We left the hotel a little after 9:00; arrived at the airport about 10:00, went through security, etc. At Newark, I set off the machine, and at Hong Kong, they did not like two of the things in my carry-on: a nail clipper and a knife. (They had not seemed to have heard of the "new rules.") Today ia a travel and organization day. We reviewed the meetings we have had so far and worked out ways to improve our techniques in the future. 2005.12.10 Nanjing 5:35 pm Got to Nanjing on an Airbus 320. this is a smaller plane and was filled. Nanjing is about 600 miles south of Bejing and much warmer and wetter. I am waiting to meet with the group and go out to dinner. Tpmorrow will be another cultural day. Monday will be a work day meeting with the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in the morning with a meeting with a different group in the afternoon. 2005.12.11 - Sunday Nanjing This morning began with a regular breakfast at the hotel. Then we all visited the Ming Tomb. Impressive statutes, etc., but an excavation will provide much more information and many more artifacts. We then visited a fresh water pearl farm and saw a lot of the pearls they had cultured. This was followed by a visit to Dr Sun Yat-sen's mausoleum. After that sight, we went to the largest restaurant in Asia for lunch. Finally, we visited Zhonghuamen City Gate and climbed on the Nanjing city wall. We just returned to the hotel for a free evening. Tomorrow, we will visit two educational/research institutions. 2005.12-13 Shanghai Yesterday was a very busy day! In the morning, we visited the Normal University and in the afternoon we visited the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, More details about these later. Today, we had to leave our hotel after an early (6:30 am) breakfast. We took the train in "soft class" from Nanjing to SHANGHAI. (There are two classes "soft" and "hard" i.e., first and economy -- soft for soft seats and hard for hard seats.) It was a great ride on a good train. I am in my hotel room now 3:45 pm. We will go out to dinner tonight and then go to an acrobatic show. Tomorrow we have two more "work" sessions, one at an upper-middle school (grades 10-12) and one at Shanghai Normal University. 2005.12.14 06:15 am Shanghai I was up early today; I showered and shaved and am watching CNN. This hotel is something else. You can look it up on the internet. It is the Pudong Shangri-La. It is only a couple of years old. It has a 13th floor! (My room is 1322.) I am waiting to go down for breakfast. Breakfast at the other hotels were buffet, American style with lots of Chinese extras. I've been having sausages, bacon, eggs, rice, potatoes, Danish, rolls, etc. Well, I better get dressed. 2005.12.16 16:15 C(hina)ST Flying over Japan Today started early, with wake-up call at 4:40 am. Our checked baggage was to be outside our rooms at 4:45 am. I had put mine out before I went to bed. We left the hotel for the airport at 5:30 am. We were to be aboard a Dragonair flight for Hong Kong which was scheduled to leave at 8:30 am. The plane did not take-off on time because of the need for de-icing. It is interesting that Shanghai has a new 10 billion dollar arport, but this was the one time that they bussed us to the plane and that we walked on the tarmack and climbed old fashioned stairs to enter the plane. We left Shanghai a little after 9 am. This 700 mile first leg of the trip home was nice, aboard an Airbuss 330. They served us an excellent breakfast (omlet, sausage, etc.) In fact, except for American Airlines, all the airplane food has been excellent. At Hong Kong we transfered to Cathay Pacific. This 747 is only about 2/3 full. We have a tail wind of 189 mph for a ground speeds of about 750 mph. Our altitude is 33000 feet. We are now 8 hours from LA. Last night, I was in a Starbucks for the first time in my life. It was done to get out of the cold--Shanghai was unseasonably cold while we were there--while we waited for a few of the women to finish up their shopping in Shanghai's shopping district. I had a tall lattee for 22 yuen (22 Chinese dollars).