Taj Mahal

On the way to Agra

View from the train to Agra

In front of the Taj Mahal

Mrs. Davila holding up the Taj

Mrs. Muscarello in front of the reflecting pool

We awoke at 4:00 for a 5:00 a.m. pick up. Our driver was waiting in the lobby and drove use to the Delhi train station to board the Shotabdi Express to Agra. The train arrived on time and we were off for the two hour ride. The train was fairly clean, and they served a small breakfast. We were seated next to a woman from Agra, who helped us by letting us know that the station was approaching. When we got off the train in Agra, our guide was waiting and walked us to our car. We then drove to the Taj gate and proceeded to buy our entrance tickets. The Indian government has an interesting system for admission to the site: 20 rupees for Indian citizens and 750 rupees for "foreigners". Yikes! After making our way through security, including a wanding and pat-down, we entered the gate.

I was hot, very hot, but apparently the monsoon rains had cooled down the temperatures. Unfortunately, those same rains sent the humidity through the roof. We thought Houston was humid, but this was a "whole 'nother level" of humid. Despite the heat and oppressive humidity, we continued on and were blessed with a stunning view of the Taj. In fact, the heat, coupled with free admission in the afternoon, kept the crowd level low and we were able to enjoy the beauty of the monument somewhat unspoiled by hoards of tourists.

We happened to be visiting on the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the death of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who ordered the monument erected in loving memory of his wife. Because of the celebration, the tombs under the Taj were open to visitors. After visiting the tombs, our guide showed us the semi-precious inlay work that adorned the surface of the monument. The detail was astounding! The memory of adoring the monument will stay with us forever.

Tomorrow we are heading to Gurgaon to visit a middle school and observe mathematics teaching. We will then meet with a University of Delhi professor to discuss teacher education in India.

Culture Shock - Indian Style

Mrs. Davila in front the Sikh Temple

Humayun's Tomb

Flash Mob with Women at Qutab Minar

Qutab Minar

We arrived to the hotel in Delhi, India about 2am and quickly hit the sack. Our guide Aki picked us up about 9am and took us to see the Qutab Minar. As we entered the site we were greeted by every Indian woman we saw with a warm “Hello”. The ruins were breathtaking and we received schooling on Islam vs. Hindu architecture. While there a women asked us if we would take a picture with her. What started with one ended up with fifteen women surrounding us smiling! Everyone in the place had cameras out snapping photos. I had to wonder if they had mistaken us for someone famous. It was a photo flash mob that had us laughing for hours!

We then headed to Humayan’s tomb. This amazing display of a wife’s love for her husband and the sheer magnitude and intricacy of the architecture was a sight to behold. The Red Fort was next on our list. When we got there the line was too long to get in so we opted for a Mac attack and headed for the closest McDonald’s. Finding it was an education in Indian culture. The streets are crowded with cars and people and lots of shops, but we eventually made it to the golden arches. There are no hamburgers in India because beef is not part of their diet. We opted for some good ol’ chicken McNuggets and fries.

From there we asked the driver to take us to a place we could shop for souvenirs. After winding down several crowded streets we pulled up to a door. We walked down a staircase into a basement filled with beautiful Indian garments. The women wanted to show us everything. They were very kind and we were able to pick-up some beautiful items.

On our way back to the hotel our driver decided we needed to see the Sikh temple. We thought we would be passing by to look at it, but he had other ideas! Before we knew it we were inside, feet washed, head’s covered, walking around. It was a quick visit, but we were able to see another part of Indian culture.

And now….we are back to rest up for tomorrow’s trek to Agra!

Out and About

Mrs. Davila in front of the square

Mrs. Muscarello with Chairman Mao

Monument being erected for celebration

We headed out to Tiananmen Square to experience the grandeur of the space. The square was undergoing renovation in preparation for the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party. There were breathtaking displays of red at every turn.

Despite an action packed day, we had a flight at 9:00 p.m. to New Delhi. We made it to the airport in record time, thanks to a cab driver who was heavy on the horn and weaving in and out of traffic! Yikes! Our flight landed in New Delhi at 2:00 a.m. local time. We are now happily checked in to our hotel and heading off for some much needed rest. Tomorrow, we have a private guide showing us Old and New Delhi. We are ready to get out there and experience it all!

Beijing Hutongs

Today started with a bicycle tour of the hutongs of Beijing. According to the guide, there were once 6000 hutongs (narrow alleyways where the common people live) and there are now only around 2000. The living areas have been squeezed out by development over time. Each hutong had a different flavor: elderly playing Mahjong in the square, food stalls lined with delicacies, local markets teaming with life. For lunch, we went to a courtyard home and had a meal prepared by Mrs. Wu, a local resident elected to the task by her hutong counsel. Her hospitality was a welcomed break from the bicycle.

Sheer Travel Exhaustion

Today we rested. After so much activity, we were both utterly wiped out. By late afternoon, we finally had our energy back and we decided to head out to a Chinese Acrobat Show. It was surreal to be experiencing the acrobats, who can be seen at street fairs and circuses across the U.S., performing in their own home country. The performance was breathtaking and will be a cherished memory for both of us. Tomorrow, we are heading out to Bicycle Beijing. It should be an interesting adventure to see the city like a local, from atop a bicycle.

Flying Down the Wall!

The Great Wall

The Bird's Nest

Mrs. Davila on the toboggan slide

On the Great Wall of China

View from The Great Wall

Our day began early this morning with a quick breakfast and then we met our tour guide, Judy, in the lobby of our hotel. We drove for about an hour and a half and made it to The Great Wall at Mutianyu at around 10 a.m. We rode the cable car to the top and then began our walk. We toured 8 watchtowers and traversed up and down the wall, snaking through the beautiful scenery. After about an hour, we made it to the toboggan slides. The ride down the mountain felt great after the workout walking the wall!

After our tour of the wall, our guide took us to a local restaurant for a lunch of fresh trout. The food was fantastic! When lunch was finished, we drove for about an hour back to the city of Beijing and stopped at the Summer Palace. By this time, we were utterly exhausted, but pressed on in order to experience the beauty of the palace. Our guide shared her wealth of knowledge about the Chinese Emperors who traveled to the Summer Palace to escape the overcrowding at the Forbidden City. The grounds were lush and full of shade, a welcome break after the heat we experienced on the wall. At the close of our visit, we took a Dragon Boat across the lake.

Our final stop was a quick viewing of the Olympic venues before heading back to the hotel for a welcomed nap. Tomorrow, we plan on visiting the Forbidden City and possibly taking in a Chinese Acrobat Show. This trip continues to bless us with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the history of China. We are excited to see what tomorrow has in store!

The Honor System

With graduate students from Beijing Normal University

In front of the Beijing Normal University bell

This morning began with a breakfast buffet of a variety of American and Chinese fare. I had pastry, dumplings, French toast and custard. The pairing was beautiful along with the view of the garden outside. We watched as parents walked their children to school in the rain. The parents each carried their child’s backpack and off they went. Under the children’s parka a yellow visor peaked out like a baby duck bill. Very sweet.

After breakfast we hailed a cab and proceeded to the Beijing Normal University to meet with four graduate students. We were given a card last night at dinner with the directions of where to go (written in Chinese) and showed it to various citizens until we got where we needed to go. The language barrier is crushed by the basic human kindness we experience from everyone we meet here.

At BNU we viewed a video of a 7^th grade teacher teaching a lesson on the coordinate plane. We reflected that American 7^th graders are taught the same thing in the same grade, using basically the same strategies. The more we looked for differences, the more similarities we discovered. The main difference was the rigor of the lesson extension at the end of class. The students are expected to link geometry and algebra to the new teaching right away.

One of the ironic topics we discussed is how China looks to America for educational direction, when America is in return is looking at China for the answer to our question of “How can we do this better?” They had just as many questions for us and we did for them. In two days this trip has surpassed any expectations I may have had regarding knowledge about educational systems. I can hardly wait to travel to India and Singapore.

We talked with the teachers for about two hours and then were off to lunch at a restaurant about 10 minutes away. Our fare began with a refreshing cup of warm, chrysanthemum tea with rock sugar. Although the temperature was hot, the tea was divine. Our meal consisted of baked chicken, steamed fish, dumplings, super spicy goose, rice and pork rolls, and polished gelatinous lotus root. It’s funny how the Chinese translation of the food perfectly describes what it is without sugar-coating it.

This day was enlightening and we are anxious to share more about what we are learning with the math community back home. The students here are focused on bringing honor to their families through excelling at school. Maybe that is the difference we are overlooking…

Until Tomorrow,

The Traveling Teachers

Touchdown!

Mr. Lidong and Mr. Alex - Beijing Normal graduate students

Peking Duck

Peking Duck being prepared

After 18 hours of travel time, we made it in to Beijing today at 3 p.m. We quickly cleared customs and found a taxi. The driver read the address from the note cards made by a student’s mother. The drive was bit harrowing, but we made it in one piece. There was 3-4 inches of rainwater on the roads and it made driving a bit tricky!

We checked in and after a quick nap, met Mr. Lidong and Mr. Alex. We were put in to contact with these Beijing graduate students and math teachers through the University of Houston. After communicating for months by e-mail, it was nice to finally meet face to face. We talked about the differences between the Chinese and U.S. math education systems. While different, there were a surprising number of commonalities between the systems.

We enjoyed Peking Duck at a local restaurant, Da Dong and then wrapped up the night with a green bean ice cream and leechy fruit served on ice. Tomorrow, we are headed to Beijing Normal University to participate in a lesson study and continue to talk with Mr. Lidong and Mr. Alex.

Packed and Ready!

Mrs. Davila and Mrs. Muscarello are determined to travel light! We have each packed a small carry-on and plan on doing laundry while traveling. Not checking bags will allow us to move quickly through the multiple flights. We are flying over 20,000 miles over the course of our journey!

One of Mrs. Muscarello's former student's grandfather has arranged a car and driver in India. We are so thankful to have a driver meet us at the airport and take us to our hotel. The student's grandfather has also arranged for the driver to take us to Delhi University on June 30th. Our students also hand wrote note cards in Mandarin so that we could easily make our way through Beijing. We are overwhelmed by the kindness of our students and parents at Sartartia Middle School.

Our Schedule of Events

Wednesday, June 22nd

• Fly out of Houston, heading for Beijing

Thursday, June 23rd

• Arrive in Beijing at 3 p.m.

Friday, June 24th

• School visit - Interview professor from Beijing Normal University

Saturday, June 25th

• Great Wall visit (Film our "MythBusters" experiment)

Sunday, June 26th

• Forbidden City visit (Film more "MythBusters")

Monday, June 27th

• Beijing City Tour by bicycle - Fly to New Delhi in the evening

Tuesday, June 28th

• Old and New Delhi Tour

Wednesday, June 29th

• Taj Mahal Visit (Film "MythBusters")

Thursday, June 30th

• Interview professor from University of Delhi - Fly to Singapore in evening

Friday, July 1st

• Arrive in Singapore - school visits

Saturday, July 2nd

• City Tour and Night Rickshaw Tour

Sunday, July 3rd

• Visit the Singapore Flyer

Monday, July 4th

• Hop On/Hop Off Sightseeing Tour
  

Tuesday, July 5th

• School visit - Interview professor from Ministry of Education

Wednesday, July 6th

• Fly home to Houston - leave early morning and arrive late at night