At the end of 2011, my middle school celebrated it's New Year and 55th Anniversary. So of course they asked me to participate in the performances and of course I readily agreed. Nothing like a little Chinese choir practice to improve your skills.
1. The show opened with the school's staff choir singing it's school anthem and some other epic and majestic Chinese country hymn entitled "Love of the Motherland." If translated correctly, you could probably sing the song in Russia as well.
2. Lady Gaga: Me and 25 of my favorite students performed Lady Gaga's "Just Dance." complete with some original choreography and assymettrical eye makeup. It was a big hit, even for the teachers.
3. Closing off the evening was a banquet. Every good Chinese banquet has 2 things: not-so-smooth alcohol and even harsher karaoke. So I busted out my guitar, rounded up my English teaching coworkers and sang another famous Chinese song about friendship. People were very delighted that the foreign English teacher could sing chinese. The booze made the cheering even more flattering.
So, nothing like some Chinese music, wine, and Lady Gaga to produce a very important and effective cultural exchange. This day also helped me get closer to two of my life goals: Learning Chinese, and becoming Lady Gaga's backup dancer.
--Byron YeeTEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
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