"Our" elementary school

One thing we enjoy about our apartment is that it is 5 floors above and 50 feet away from the 2000 student campus elementary school.

Very prestigious school. Everyone wants to get in. If you get in, you are guaranteed admission into the campus middle school (the middle school across from the south gate; it is building a 2000 student addition 2 blocks away from us here on campus).

Getting into the middle school pretty much guarantees you your choice of colleges  Chinese are obsessive about school ranking in a way we have never seen in America so the middle school is very desirable.

We enjoy living by the school. From early morning to early evening it is so busy and full of happy noises - 6 days a week

(Sunday is for private tutoring; but so are week nights for those (all) who want to get ahead. A neighbor asked us to tutor her 10 year old daughter from 9 PM to 10:30 PM Monday nights. We said, "No." What are they thinking?)

Its makes walking around the area a lot of fun when everyone is coming and going. Often a smiling child will shyly say "hello" and giggle when we respond in English.

At times we have been "mobbed" with smiling laughing kids who want to "talk" to  us. Their parents are very happy to have them practicing their English.

 Everyone is picked up by mom or dad or a grandparent or an after school tutoring program.


The other day one of the Chinese faculty members invited us to go over to the school yard with her to watch some jump roping.

The school had a full two days of an all-school jump roping contest. Single, pairs on a single rope, double Dutch, double Dutch teams and of course, teacher exhibitions since they all competed as kids.

They also had a hacky sack competition. This was done with small weights attached to feathers.

It was enjoyable being in the midst of all the kids being kids: practicing, competing, giggling, laughing, studying, reading school books, reading comic books, being coached by parents, being over-coached by tiger parents, playing cards, and generally just enjoying a couple of days in the school yard with their friends.

The gated concept really worked well here. Only two ways in and out of the school grounds with a single guard at each gate being sure no one left. Here are some fun photos from it.