Volunteers' and Interns' Stories
We believe that the only people who can give you a true impression of Xu Bo and its programs are
our former volunteers and interns.
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July, 2010
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| All in all, I spent four really great weeks at Yangtzi high school. I would definitely
recommend it to anybody who is looking for a more interactive relationship with their
students. |
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Email: Paul |
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July, 2010
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| I taught 2 weeks of English at Zheng Zhou Middle School No. 3, which was a great experience.
It was a big school with classes up to 70 students. In the beginning, it was very difficult for me
to get used to it. |
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Email: Nancy |
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June-July, 2010
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| If you asked me to describe my volunteer experience in one word, I would, without a doubt,
say “unforgettable.” |
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Email: Christine |
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June, 2010
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| I'm now three weeks into my three-month trip to China and I'm loving it! I arrived in Shanghai at the end of May and will spend a total of nine weeks in the city, with one month teaching English in a kindergarten and one month working in a primary school summer camp. |
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Email: Daniel |
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March, 2010
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| This month was wonderful—and filled with wonders. It was a joy to walk
into the school courtyard and look up to see children waving from each of the school’s six balcony walkways...
Thank you a million times over to Jessie and Xu Bo for giving me this mind-opening opportunity. |
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Email: Caroline |
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March, 2010
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| I first of all had so much fun together with the students! Next the people from the school were so
incredibly hospitable, friendly and grateful. Further I learned so much about China from living and working here... |
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Email: Sander |
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January, 2010
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| I am really happy to had the oppurtunity to work in the Minhang kindergarten in Shanghai during January. I was a great
experience to see a (from the German perspective) different way of educating little children |
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Email: Carolin |
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January, 2010
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| When I came to ZhengZhou I got a very warm welcome from the ZhengZhou no 42 middle school making
me feel safe and appreciated. The school looks after me and cares very much about my wellbeing. When I first met the students
I knew this was going to be a very rewarding experience. |
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Email: Louise |
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Summer, 2009
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| Now I have been in China for 7 weeks and it’s a great adventure. After an introduction-week in Shanghai I’m in Suzhou,
a pretty town with lots of gardens and canals. I teach English with another guy at Bi Bo Experimental School. The teachers
here are friendly and support our work as far as possible. If the canteen is closed they invite us to a nearby restaurant
where we can enjoy the typical Chinese food at a round table. |
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August-October 2009
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| A normal day started depending on the lessons between 8.00 and 12.30. My first lesson began suddenly.
I got my translated timetable and knew the classroom I had to go to. As I stepped in front of the Class a spontaneous
hurricane of applause started. Obviously they seem to like their new German teacher with the long blond
(“yellow”) hair (“like a Vampire”). After everybody got a sign we could start to work.
I was teaching German by using a mix of Chinese Vocabulary and easy English. |
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Email: Marietta |
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August 2009
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| I really enjoyed participating in the University camp. It was my first time in China and I felt very welcome when I arrived.
I was not sure what to expect from the University camp, so I was a bit nervous... |
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Email: Katie |
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August 2009
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| For us, one of the best parts of the volunteer work was “Irish Day”. Most Fridays, the kindergarten holds
“One World Days”; days of fun and games with a particular country as a theme, depending on the nationalities
of the volunteers there at the time. ... |
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Email: Orna Sinead |
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August 2009
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| Jinwei was being a show-off today and I was doing just the same, singing his favourite
song in a very loud voice...he's so happy when I sing for him! You have no idea how beautiful it is to
see him laughing, it's such a small thing but it really makes my day! |
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Email: Kate |
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Summer 2009
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| Heidi and Laura were the stars of an English camp at ZhengZhou Middle School #42 titled
"Foreign Volunteers and Me".... |
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Email: Heidi Laura |
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Summer 2009
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| The kindergarten is a very nice institution for children and you will easily get to know the children. For the communication part,
don’t worry - you always have your body language. They are very smart... |
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Email: Jens |
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Summer 2009
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| Im Juli diesen Jahres wurde von der Xu Bo Art and Culture Exchange Organisation zum ersten Mal ein so genanntes “German
amp” fuer Shanghaier Universitaetsstudenten veranstaltet. |
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Email: Michael |
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Spring 2009
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| Every day I held
some English lessons with them. Since they were young (between 3-6), I had to come up with games that would motivate
them to speak English. It went very well, the children were highly motivated and had lots of fun. There is also always
some teacher around you to give support if it is needed. |
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Email: Robert |
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Dec 2008 - Jan 2009
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| ... I can say that this was really a great experience... the students, the teachers and the
whole school staff were really, really friendly to me!! The students were absolutely motivated and worked a lot!! |
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Email: Timo |
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March-April, 2009
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| The students are crazy about the volunteers :-) They fall in love with each of you, they run
behind you, scream: "Hello!! Hello! Or Good Afternoon!" They are really excited to see a foreigner and want to be
your friend. ... |
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Email: Anna |
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Feb-April, 2009
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| I will never forget the student's smiles. They are full of
love and fun. They all seem happening in the scene of a novel and always come up in my mind. It makes me cheerful even when I am
alone; I would miss them when I looked at the photos... |
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Email: Wing |
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March, 2009
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| The whole conversation about where I come from is so intriguing, that I have
actually decided to make it into a lesson for Grade 5 students. That way I can explain thoroughly where I've
been living and where I've been to ... |
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Email: Lorraine |
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Feb-April, 2009
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| I was really happy with my placement. I liked teaching at Ming Hang Kindergarten a lot. The
teachers were very helpful and friendly. Every day, the children gave me a warm welcome when I enterd the class room. There was a
very positive atmosphere at the school. |
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Email: Annemarie |
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Jan-Feb, 2009
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| No words can express what you feel, when you know
that you can offer those children some nice moments. A small "piece of you" that you give them, as
tiny as it may be, gives back an enormous reward, a unique feeling of doing something so precious, so worthwhile!! |
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Email: Lena |
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January, 2009
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| The group I assisted consisted of five adorable kids aged six to nine
years, who were all physically disabled and some were not able to speak, but they were all very
bright and so lovely! I helped with classes .... |
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Email: Wei |
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October and November, 2008
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| I have been teaching for three weeks now at Middle School #2 in Mianyang, Si Chuan. It has been an eye-opening and thoroughly enjoyable experience. .... |
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Email: Chris |
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November and December, 2007
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| Shanghai is a city you should just experience - don't think just jump in to it and you will see the most strange, but also the most beautiful things.... |
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Email: Lotte |
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Sept-Dec, 2008
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| I spent three months teaching second and fourth grade English at ChangXing Center Primary School on ChangXing Island and had one of the most amazing experiences of my life..... |
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Email: John |
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January, 2009
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| I arrive in the hotel at 7.45am, then I use my electronic staff card to show that I have arrived in time. I then go to change my clothes into the uniform.... |
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Email: Rine |
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April and May, 2008
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| How do I even begin to describe an amazing once in a lifetime experience? It all started with the first words I spoke in Shanghai... |
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Email: Henry |
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September and October, 2008
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| Su Zhou is a great blend of the very old, the old, the not so old, the new and the very modern. On the main streets you can pass by upmarket department stores selling Cartier,.... |
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Email: Martin and Kaye |
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March, 2008
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| On arriving at Shanghai Airport I was heartily welcomed by Jessie who gave me
immediately a safe feeling as she guided me through the first confusing day so well.... |
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Email: Hanneke |
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March->May, 2008
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| I arrive with the Headmaster who waited for me until 1.00am the night before and I am introduced to every teacher in the school of 2000 pupils. They have all made efforts to learn "Hello", "Nice to meet you" and "Goodbye".... |
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Email: George |
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Summer, 2007
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| A day volunteering in China: I get up quite early, around 6, as school starts at 7am. After
grabbing something to eat at the bakery I ride for 5 minutes to school.... |
| Read more... |
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Summer, 2007
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| It is funny, sitting here and trying to give a decent account of our
experiences, because it seems that the things that have left the strongest impression are the seemingly unimportant.... |
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Email: Frida |
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Summer, 2007
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| If you're reading this you've probably made the best decision ever and decided to
volunteer to teach! It's been about 6 months since I got back from China but it all still feels like yesterday so
I'll try and pass on anything that'll be useful for you.... |
| Read more... |
(Animated flags provided by www.3DFlags.com)
Paul - Teaching English on ChongMing Island
Nancy - Teaching English in ZhengZhou
Christine - Teaching English in Mianyang
Daniel - Teaching in Shanghai Creativity Kindergarten
Carolin - Teaching in Shanghai Kindergarten
Louise - Teaching English in ZhengZhou
Cate - CareCare Wellness Center, Shanghai
Jens - Teaching English, MingHang Kindergarten, Shanghai
Wing -Teaching English, ChangXing Island (Shanghai)
Lorraine - Teaching English, Mian Yang
Lena - Cere Care Wellness Center, Shanghai
Henry - Teaching English, Shanghai
Martin and Kaye - Teaching English, Su Zhou