The tutoring in conversational English is going very well. I like my student a lot -- he is a really nice kid, and is motivated to improve, while his father continues to push him to do so.

He reads out of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series of books, because the style is conversational and the personal essays fairly short. He'll read one aloud and I will correct his pronunciation and explain the words he doesn't recognize, and serve as a living, breathing thesaurus. (If you think that is effortless, you are very much mistaken.) Then, he will paraphrase what he has just read, trying to improve his comprehension as well.

We'll discuss the story and its lesson, and then we will talk about the differences between Chinese and American culture. To be honest, I am learning as much as he is. I have learned enough to know China is not a place I would like to visit...but I'm sure the experience would be vastly different for me as a foreigner.

I can see why Chinese parents push their children to succeed. It still breaks my heart to see such a young kid under such immense pressure.

I have about two weeks of this gig left -- we meet every evening for two hours. That's the perfect length of time, because any more than that would be overload. He asks me almost every day, "Do you think I have improved?" and I honestly do. It is spooky the way he will look at me when I'm correcting pronunciation and repeat it to himself, and when the word comes up again, he has it down perfectly.

I tell him he is improving, but it takes time and it's only been two weeks -- but both he and his father are worried that my student is too "old" to overcome his accent or improve his comprehension. And this is about a kid who has studied English for over ten years. His father has been in the country for almost thirty years, but still has a heavy accent, and he says it's because he was too old when he started learning the language. Maybe he has a point.

It's quite important that W become fluent, they tell me, because he is applying for PhD programs here in the States, and the requirements are fairly strict. There's an essay he'll have to write in English, and he has to be able to communicate properly. The PhD programs here are much better than the ones in China, so if he can get in here and complete his studies, he's in a much better position than if he completes it in China.

He lives on campus most of the year, but he also lives with his mother, who stayed in China when her husband immigrated. She stayed because, W says, she could not adjust to the American way of life or to the language. So she stays there, her husband lives and works here, and I was curious about what would happen should W move here as well. "I guess she'll come with me," he says.

Chinese couples are only allowed one child, by law. If they have more than one, they have to pay the government a huge fine. Boys are much more...."valuable" than girls, so if a couple has a girl first, sometimes they will risk the fine to try again and have a boy. W mentioned nothing about killing baby girls, although I have heard of that practice and totally believe it still goes on.

Also, when a couple marries, the girl loses her name. Literally loses the name she has had all her life -- she takes on the surname of her father and her husband (at least, that's how I understand it). Isn't that crazy?

There's a whole lot more, and I mean to blog it before I forget it. I can honestly say this has been one of the most interesting experiences I've had...and there's a possibility I may try to find another student when W goes home. Although, I will miss him when he leaves.

****

I finally waved the white flag when it comes to "Athena's Promise" (working title). I just couldn't get the ending to gel, so I said fuck it. I went back and started editing from the beginning. I say "edit", because I'm not "rewriting", I'm merely editing. I do have plans to rework the plot and move things around so I can get to an ending with which I'm satisfied. I am up to chapter 10, and already it's cleaner and I am really LIKING it. What does that mean when you like the story you yourself have written? I hope that's a good sign.

Anyway, I like it much better now that it has shaved its legs and washed its hair, but I'm not up to the hard part yet. The hard part will be tweaking the plot, and I hope to get to that sometime this weekend.

The other big project is nearly complete, and I am quite excited about that. You can check it out here, and I recommend you get yourself a copy. It's as good as anything I've read off the shelf, honestly. Plus, you'll be helping to support an indie artist (and her "long suffering" editor, heh!) which is always a good thing.

****

Today is an errand day, lunch with a new friend, work on AP, and then tutoring. The days are full, and although there are changes looming on the horizon, where I am right now is cool for the moment.

Cool. Seeing as the heat index is supposed to hit 110 degrees, that's funny.

Heh.