School Club/Organization

Before I came to GCA, I heard that there were many clubs in GCA. I think that is interesting. I had joined some clubs in my middle school, but they were not very good. They did not have many activities; some almost never had any activities. I could not develop or improve myself from the clubs. Now there are many clubs in GCA and they include many kinds of areas. Such as piano club, volunteer club, basketball club, cooking club, etc. I joined basketball club, volunteer club and TV series club.

Basketball club was the first club that had activities. Many people joined basketball club, so Mr. Saxby wanted to choose the players in GCA basketball team. He asked us to come to the playground to train for basketball on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday every week. If we could not come at least twice a week, we would be kicked out. Before I came to train, I was very excited. But when I came, I felt not very good. In fact the training was not about basketball any more. It was just running around the playground for many laps. I had not run such a long way before. Mr. Saxby told us if we want to play basketball well, we must train for this. I wanted to be a member of GCA basketball team. I came to train three times a week. About one month later, Mr. Saxby let us train for basketball. And he started to choose players by letting us play basketball matches. I went to play the first day. But something happened make me could not went to play. You know the training was after school, and I would go home very late then I did not have too much time to finish my homework. (My study was not good) So I gave up. I felt regret. I think I can study well now, Then I will have more free time to play basketball. I will be back next time.

TV series was a good club. I had activities on Tuesday every week. We could watch TV series or movies in the club. I remember we had seen a very funny movie KUNGFU PANDA. In the movie the main character the panda was very funny and lovely. He loved kungfu. At last he defeated Tailang. In this I saw many things about Chinese culture. It was good for people in other countries to know more about China. Volunteer club often had activities on Sunday. I had class on Sunday at half of last term. So I did not join the activities too much. But I was also very happy to join the activities. We went to the school for the blind to play with children there. Even they could not see anything but they lived happily.

I love the clubs in GCA. I can make many new friends there. I can learn more skills that I have not known before. I can improve myself. I have good time in the clubs.

Volunteer/Work Experience

This term we have to perform at least 10 hours of community service or paid employment. Before I came to GCA I almost never did any work like community service or paid employment. I think it is a new thing to me. But I think it will be a very interesting thing. And helping others without getting money or any awards is a happy thing. I like that even I did not have many chances to do that. Now the chances are coming. I can be a volunteer. I am happy to be a volunteer.

Maybe two months ago, our English teacher Ms. Mitschrich asked us to come to school to help her and Ms. Hadley at ten o'clock on Saturday if we were free. She also told us we must help for free. But I do not care that. So I went to school on that Saturday. I thought maybe many students would go and be a volunteer. But truth was not the same as what I thought. Happily most of the students were in our class 10-C. Students in 10-C are always helpful.

At ten o'clock, Ms. Mitschrich and Ms. Hadley appeared at school gate. Then the students and teachers went to the art room together. Over there Ms. Hadley and Ms. Mitschrich told us what to do and explained how to do. That day our task was to draw the walls. When I heard it, I thought it must be an easy task. Then Ms. Hadley explained how to do it and taught us how to do it well. She showed us many photos about different walls on her computer. We saw the walls were not very easy to draw. Then we went to the GCA building to start our work. But not all the students went there. Some stayed in the art room to make a big pig. I went to the GCA building with most of the students.

We took some wood blocks out of the GCA building. Our first task was not to draw. We had to paint the wood blocks white, and then made them dry. This job was not easy. We spent more than two hours finishing two thirds of the mission. So we went to school next Saturday. We finished the work that last Saturday did not finish. Then we started our main task, drawing the walls. Ms. Hadley showed us how to do at first. We needed four colors, brown, gray, black and green. And Ms. Hadley told more detail about how to mix the paint. Afterwards we worked in groups. We divided the work by ourselves. Time flew very quickly. We hadn't finished half of the work until one o'clock. So we had to meet at school the third Saturday. We finished at last on the fourth Saturday. Everyone was very happy even someone's cloth was dirty. When I got home my dad found my black trousers had some white on it.

I learn a lot from this volunteer experience. Helping others for free is a happy thing. The more people the more power. Many people can finish a work in very short time. I will not forget this experience.

Physical Activity

Holiday is a wonderful time. We can relax. We can sleep for a long time, watch TV all day or play computer games without having meals. Just stay at home. However I think that is not very good for our health. So I think doing sports is good for our health. It is better than staying at home all day. This holiday I did sports instead of watching TV, playing computer games.

I like playing basketball. It is a good sport. When I was young, my father taught me how to play basketball. My father can play basketball very well. When he was young he was a member of his high school's basketball team. When I was in Grade 7, I became a member of my middle school's basketball team. I love basketball. It is a part of my life.

This winter I also played basketball. I often played with my father and his high school's teammates. They played well. My dad told their team was the No.3 in Nanjing. I like playing with them. Playing with them is different from playing with classmates. I can improve myself by playing basketball with them. I can learn a lot of things by playing with them. They often use tactics, I can learn more about it. Basketball takes five. They had much experience in playing basketball. I am very young. Sometimes I can not deal with the ball very well. But they are experienced, they are seldom in a flurry. Although I am a child, I am younger than them, I am not very weak. Also they can not look down on me. I can block, three-point shot, rebound, assist etc.

This winter I also played basketball with my friends. We did not use much tactics. We had a lot of fun in playing basketball. Sometimes we played and chat with each other at the same time. I often make many new friends by playing basketball. Sometimes we can create some new actions while we playing basketball. Some look very cool. My friends and I had a match this holiday. The friends who played with me were my teammates in my middle school's basketball team. They played very well. We were divided by two teams. Each team had five people. We played forty minutes. At last, my team won the match. Everyone was very tired, but we were very happy. Although the other team lost, they were happy too. Now we are in different schools, we do not have many chances to play basketball with each other. Basketball makes us to be brothers.

I play basketball not just for fun. It also can make me healthier. Winter does not like summer, it is cold. So I do not want to move. I often become fatter during winter holiday. This holiday I do not want to be fatter. Playing basketball is a good way to reduce weight. I also learn what team spirit is by playing basketball, because it takes five. I love basketball, I love sport.

American Food

On Dec 28th, our group (Alex, Abby, Kevin, Gerry, Maria, Evelyn, Lawrence, Penny and me Oliver) had a big dinner with 2 Grade 12 students Peggy and Laura in an American Food restaurant LUCKY STAR. We chose this restaurant because of the MAP MAGANIZE. We saw the photos, price, food on it. We thought that was a good restaurant. It is in Xin Jiekou. We arrived there at six o'clock. Then we would have the dinner.

It was an American style restaurant. It was different from the . In China tables are often circles or square. And the table wares were different. There was a fork, common restaurants in China. First thing I had noticed was the table. It was very long but not broada knife and two dishes on the table. In China we usually use chopsticks. Different countries have different cultural and habits.




There were a lot of food for you to order. They all looked very delicious. They were different from the food that I usually eat in China. I usually eat rice and a fried dish. But the there did not like this. At last I ordered a steak, a bowl of soup, two pieces of bread and a bowl of salad. The food looked nice. The salad was good, I liked it. The soup was so so. The bread was delicious. I liked it best. I did not like the steak very much. It was very peppery. It was not totally ripe. After eating. When I was on my way home, I felt uncomfortable. Maybe that did not fit me.




Although the food I did not very like the service was good. The waiters were kind and polite. They were better in some Chinese restaurant. The environment was beautiful. It was not very noisy. The light music sounded beautiful. There were some foreigners eating there. If you like eating American Food. I will recommend you. Its environment is quite good. Though I did not like the food very much it was a chance for me to learn different countries' cultural.

Exhibition

On Dec 4th, Our class went to Nanjing University to visit an exhibition. Most of the artworks were made by the famous artist Wu Weishan. They were almost sculptures. Wu Weishan, a very famous sculptor. He is one of the best artists in China. He has won many awards. Such as:

1995 Award of the Third "Xu Beihong Scholarship for Scientific Research and Creation".

2000 The Honorary Title of "Y.K. Pao Dinstinguished Artist". Of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. 2003 "pangolin Prize" of the Royal Society of British Sculptor. etc.

He is also a member of FRBS. He is the only member in Asian.

When we arrived, we saw a lot of sculptures near the exhibition hall. They looked very beautiful. I remember there was a very tall sculpture. That was a famous artist. Everyone would know him. He is Xu Beihong. There was a big cow in front of the exhibition hall. Of cause that was a sculpture. When we were waiting for the teachers and students, we took many photos there. Before going into the exhibition hall, we were attracted by the artworks. I thought we would have a fantastic experience.

Few minutes later we went into the exhibition hall with a guide who was a student of Wu Weishan. When we went into the exhibition hall, we saw many sculptures. Many people said "WOW". Because they had not seen such many nice sculptures. Me too. I was surprise. The guide told us a lot of information of each artwork. We listened carefully. Also we took notes.

The artwork called Lao-tzu I found most interesting. The artwork was special. The middle is empty. I had not seen a person sculpture with empty bingy.That was air. But Wu Weishan did that with his idea. Lao-tzu was a famous thinker in China. He had many good thoughts. Air is the biggest thing. It can contain everything. When Wu Weishan made this artwork, his hands moved with the clay. His heart also moved, he had no other things to think. That was a beautiful frame of mind. It was also an idea that Lao-tzu supported. Also I agreed, I think it can cultivate one's morality. We only saw the reducer. The real one is 18 metres high. I think Lao-tzu is a high statue in Wu Weishan's heart.

During the visit the famous artist Wu Weishan came. Then everyone went where Wu Weishan appeared. At that time, Wu Weishan just like a super star. Everyone wanted his signature. Luckily I got it. It looked cool. Many people around Wu Weishan, and they wanted make photos with him. I also wanted. I tried to be closer to him. Unluckily I failed. Too many people there. However Wu Weishan stayed there for a short time. Some minutes later he said he had classes, then went away. Someone had not got his signature desponded.

God times go by quickly. It was time to go back. I did not want to leave. From this experience I learnt a lot about art, sculpture also and Wu Weishan. I start loving art.

Eat American Food

GUEST ARTIST

Last in Monday a landscape architect Nanjing Forestry University named Zhao Bing came to our school to give us a presentation about the SuZhou classical Gardens . His presentation let us know more about the SuZhou classical Gardens .

SuZhou classical Gardens are very famous all around the world. Many people know it. We only know it, but we do not know why they are beautiful, and the history of them. That day Mr. Zhao told us more about them. From this presentation I learnt I how the gardens are beautiful , and how to build a good garden in a busy city that can make people feel comfortable.

At first Mr. Zhao showed us a video about landscape garden. It showed many beautiful SuZhou classical Gardens, and some information about them.

Then Mr.Zhao showed us the ppt, and told us something about SuZhou classical Gardens. He told us what does the word garden (园林yuan lin) mean. It means put plants, stones, lakes together in a space that is good for people live in it. There are four kinds of SuZhou classical Gardens. They are 1.royal garden 2. the garden belongs to the owner 3.monastery garden 4. the gardens are built for the scenery. The SuZhou classical Gardens are the hometown of the Poem of the Tang Dynasty and Sung phrase. Now people are very painstaking, and they never relax. Pollution becomes a serious problem. People feel very tired, and they need to proximity the nature. Also I know something about designing. The designer uses the rockwork, lake and plants consummately, that can make such a small space looks bigger. You will feel you have a lot of space.

Also Mr. Zhao gave us some examples of the SuZhou classical Gardens. Such as Canglang Pavilion. It is one of the four most famous gardens in the city. The area used to be the private garden of a Prince of the Five Dynasties (907-960). During the Northern Song Dynasty, the scholar Su Zimei built a pavilion in this garden and named it Canglang Pavilion. The garden has been rebuilt many times but most of the present garden buildings, simple and plain, date from the Qing Dynasty.

I learnt a lot from this presentation. I think it is not only about the SuZhou classical Gardens it is also can help me to understand art. It is good! I enjoyed it very much!