Some of you might be asking, 'what does you day look like?' and so I thought it might be helpful for me to comment on this question...
We work Monday to Friday, a regular work week. We teach in an academic setting, so we follow the school's academic calendar. The school doesn't 'open' until 8am, so we usually never arrive before that time, although we teach an 8am class on Wednesday, making for an early start! (We have our own keys to our office, and the campus is 'open,' with open hallways exposed to the air, so we can get in whenever we like.) The office closes at 5:45, however, we rarely stay that late.
In the first weeks of school, as we were planning our courses and getting organized, we worked 12 hour days and stayed later than anyone else, but now that the semester is in full swing, we don't need to spend that much time at the office. As seminary professors, we work 'flex-time,' a very liberating and enjoyable work style. This means some days we come in before 8am, other days we arrive at 10am, and we leave when we need to/when we have completed what needed to be done. We try to do all our work on campus in our office, for our personal sanity and so our students and others can easily access us, but I have done some editing from home (if I really need to concentrate to get a heavy piece done faster). And, I have to admit, Ryan has made us come in some Saturdays (blasphemy!) if he didn't think we were prepared enough for class on Monday! (That's the potential danger of 'flex-time:' it can abuse you if you allow it!)
Chapel or 'Morning Prayers', are held Monday to Thursday at 10am, and last around 30minutes. The format varies depending on the person leading worship, and how long they preach, etc... I think you all know how that goes! It is usually in Cantonese and we listen to an interesting English translation with head phones (there are also headphones translating into Mandarin). The gear takes a little away from the worship experience, as static, or low batteries can really affect your enjoyment of a service, and some days we run out of head sets if we have many foreign guests, but it's really neat that so many different people can attend chapel together.
Lunch starts at 12:30 and is shared 'family style' in the dinning hall. This reminds me of camp! people line up for a bowl and chopsticks, and then fill their bowl with rice. Then they sit down at a big table and enjoy three different dishes that go on the rice: steamed fish with soy sauce; steamed greens with pork and soy sauce; and a third dish, usually with pork, such as curried pork or aubergines and pork. People just reach for some fish, for example, and put in on their rice bowl, and reach for some green bits, and add that, and keep going like that.... They also get a bowl of soup, some veggies with meat in a very watery broth and a sweet dessert soup at the end of the meal, such as red beans with sweet milk water. They don't have a beverage, I think soup is like the liquid. Myself, I bring water and a salad, as I cannot digest the soy sauce and other wheat-products. But Ryan, bless his heart, eats the 'caf' food. Although a former vegetarian, Ryan is a sport and now consumes copious amounts of Chinese pork dishes.
Lunch is very social, and we eat at different tables. Today we ate with some international students and one of the other faculty members, a German theologian. We discussed eating dog, who had, who hadn't, what it tastes like, whether people should have dogs as pets, and so on. People in Korea and Indonesia eat dogs. It's illegal in Hong Kong, and we couldn't go there anyways, but it seems our German colleague is not a dog lover and was quite clear on that! He's very funny. The Korean student also wanted to know why Paris Hilton was famous... how do you explain that one? Grammar questions are better.
In the afternoon, we have a class, conversation groups, or work on editing or lesson planning. No two days are alike, and we try to be flexible with whatever comes our way. I never thought 'fades' was a hard word to pronounce, but I have just gone over it several times with a student and apparently it is very hard for a native Cantonese speaker to make that 'd-s' sound. Suffice it to say, we are never bored and rarely lonely.
Peace,
Katrina and Ryan
Monday, November 12, 2007
Dear friends,
We have heard through our sources that many of you would like to know more about our work in Hong Kong. I am glad that you are so interested in our service here and I hope that I can explain our mission a bit better. I will start with a brief introduction to our work and a little information about why it matters - I know some have asked why English teachers are necessary in Hong Kong or why we are 'missionaries' in such a modern and developed city.
We are serving as the English teachers for the Lutheran Theological Seminary (LTS) in Hong Kong. We are teaching the English classes (Levels I-IV) as well as providing English language support for the students and any faculty members needing assistance. This includes editing Master's and Doctoral dissertations, journal articles, newsletters, class papers, sermons, and answering the odd obscure grammar question for our curious community. Our door is always open.
Although the stereotype is that 'everyone in Hong Kong speaks English,' we can tell you from our experience that this is far from the truth. We don't speak Cantonese, and we notice that in our daily lives. Technically, the local students have taken English as a subject in school ever since they were young, but for those of you, like myself, who spent years studying Maths and still struggle with long division, you may understand that they need more support, especially from native speakers. Theological texts are also, in general, a little heavier than your average reading material, and theological writing demands a certain level of academic writing beyond what would be covered in a foreign language class.
We are also working with the seminary to help start an intensive summer English orientation program for our international students and strengthen the current language program here at LTS. Currently, there is no set curriculum for the English Department, and so Ryan and I had to create one when we arrived. No small task! We had to learn very quickly how to put together a course that would work with our (limited) experience and the context. We try to teach theological English, taking readings from the Bible and theological texts, as this is most applicable for our students, and after all, we are in a seminary. There had also been little consideration for the transition situation of the international students, and culture shock mixed with the stress of adjusting to graduate studies can be difficult for many (I know from personal experience!). Add to this that the international students have to function in English for their courses and social life, and you see why an intensive language program over the summer would be incredibly beneficial for their adjustment to LTS.
In addition to this, we are both considered full members of the teaching faculty and as such have exciting and diverse responsibilities.
The Lutheran Theological Seminary is unique because it operates in three languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. This is special because it allows students from all over Asia (and the world!) to come and study theology in an exciting international setting. In addition to local Hong Kong students, LTS currently has students from 'mainland' China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Scotland, Germany and Sweden. Most international students come for graduate studies, while the majority or our English students are completing their Bachelor of Theology.
The English language skills acquired in our classes help to open up a whole range of theological material that would otherwise not be available to our students in their primary language. It also increases their job opportunities and networking capabilities, as they have access to international religious/theological organizations, forums and journals. The international students take all their classes in English, sometimes their forth or fifth language, so providing assistance to them in their studies can sometimes be essential for their academic success.
International students come to study in this seminary for several reasons; for some people they cannot study theology at the graduate level (or at all) in their home countries; others come for the strong academic reputation of LTS in Asia, for example for the study of Luther in the Asian context; others seek theological education in English and complete a master's here before further studies in the United States or Australia. Many of the Th.D. students are already on faculties of theological institutions in their home countries, and some have been teaching for decades. This further degree will strengthen their capabilities to instruct and lead the next generation of theologians in their local communities.
It is especially exciting for us, in our small way, to be involved in strengthening and supporting our Christian brothers and sisters from emerging churches or those in crisis situations. We just teach English, it's not 'glamorous' 'mission' work, but somebody has to do it... and we enjoy it very much.
Thank you for your prayers,
Ryan and Katrina
We have heard through our sources that many of you would like to know more about our work in Hong Kong. I am glad that you are so interested in our service here and I hope that I can explain our mission a bit better. I will start with a brief introduction to our work and a little information about why it matters - I know some have asked why English teachers are necessary in Hong Kong or why we are 'missionaries' in such a modern and developed city.
We are serving as the English teachers for the Lutheran Theological Seminary (LTS) in Hong Kong. We are teaching the English classes (Levels I-IV) as well as providing English language support for the students and any faculty members needing assistance. This includes editing Master's and Doctoral dissertations, journal articles, newsletters, class papers, sermons, and answering the odd obscure grammar question for our curious community. Our door is always open.
Although the stereotype is that 'everyone in Hong Kong speaks English,' we can tell you from our experience that this is far from the truth. We don't speak Cantonese, and we notice that in our daily lives. Technically, the local students have taken English as a subject in school ever since they were young, but for those of you, like myself, who spent years studying Maths and still struggle with long division, you may understand that they need more support, especially from native speakers. Theological texts are also, in general, a little heavier than your average reading material, and theological writing demands a certain level of academic writing beyond what would be covered in a foreign language class.
We are also working with the seminary to help start an intensive summer English orientation program for our international students and strengthen the current language program here at LTS. Currently, there is no set curriculum for the English Department, and so Ryan and I had to create one when we arrived. No small task! We had to learn very quickly how to put together a course that would work with our (limited) experience and the context. We try to teach theological English, taking readings from the Bible and theological texts, as this is most applicable for our students, and after all, we are in a seminary. There had also been little consideration for the transition situation of the international students, and culture shock mixed with the stress of adjusting to graduate studies can be difficult for many (I know from personal experience!). Add to this that the international students have to function in English for their courses and social life, and you see why an intensive language program over the summer would be incredibly beneficial for their adjustment to LTS.
In addition to this, we are both considered full members of the teaching faculty and as such have exciting and diverse responsibilities.
The Lutheran Theological Seminary is unique because it operates in three languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. This is special because it allows students from all over Asia (and the world!) to come and study theology in an exciting international setting. In addition to local Hong Kong students, LTS currently has students from 'mainland' China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Scotland, Germany and Sweden. Most international students come for graduate studies, while the majority or our English students are completing their Bachelor of Theology.
The English language skills acquired in our classes help to open up a whole range of theological material that would otherwise not be available to our students in their primary language. It also increases their job opportunities and networking capabilities, as they have access to international religious/theological organizations, forums and journals. The international students take all their classes in English, sometimes their forth or fifth language, so providing assistance to them in their studies can sometimes be essential for their academic success.
International students come to study in this seminary for several reasons; for some people they cannot study theology at the graduate level (or at all) in their home countries; others come for the strong academic reputation of LTS in Asia, for example for the study of Luther in the Asian context; others seek theological education in English and complete a master's here before further studies in the United States or Australia. Many of the Th.D. students are already on faculties of theological institutions in their home countries, and some have been teaching for decades. This further degree will strengthen their capabilities to instruct and lead the next generation of theologians in their local communities.
It is especially exciting for us, in our small way, to be involved in strengthening and supporting our Christian brothers and sisters from emerging churches or those in crisis situations. We just teach English, it's not 'glamorous' 'mission' work, but somebody has to do it... and we enjoy it very much.
Thank you for your prayers,
Ryan and Katrina
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