So this week marked the turning point, hopefully a temporary one, but still a turning point. This week was awful. I had my first teaching setback which was combined with more sickness making it far and away the worst week I have had here in China so far. I remain hopeful that things will improve, but for now, I am not as happy as I have been. This week marked my 6th week here, matching the longest I have spent out of the country. I knew that the change in mindset would eventually come, but I was hoping that it would not.
First, the sickness. I hate being sick and this was about the sickest I have been in quite a while. I had a fever, stomach flu and overall aches and pains. It was not fun. I spent more time in bed this week than out of bed and even missed a day of work, something that I did not want to happen, but at the insistence of my co-teacher I was glad that it did. I felt a bit better after sleeping all day, for sure better than if I had taught all of my classes that day. I am still not feeling 100% but it does seem to get better each day. Hopefully this will be the last time I am sick for my stay here, because it sure does not make for much enjoyment when you are struggling to breath.
Adding to the difficulty of sickness in a foreign country was my first setback as a teacher, perhaps and inevitable one, but still frustrating. I gave my 1st test this week, what I felt was a absurdly easy test about India and the Opium Wars. I was shocked to see when grading them that few kids got the correct answers, most failed completely or did not even try to answer the questions. It was heartbreaking grading these quiz's as I thought my students were getting what I was teaching them. These quiz's show that this is not the case and will lead me to change how I teach. I need to slow down, repeat myself more and give more review time. I realize that I need to make these changes, but I fear that this will not do any good, that my students will continue to miss what I am trying to teach them. They continue to be well behaved, but I fear that this quiz is an indicator that they do not really care about school, that they are not putting any time into studying. I suppose I was this same way in Middle School so I can kind of sympathize, especially since I am not teaching in their native language, but it is still a hard pill to swallow.
These two events have combined to change my current mindset from satisfaction and happiness to frustrated homesickness. As I have said, I was expecting this change at some point, and am glad that it took this long to occur, but I hope that it switches fast. It is now the weekend and the break from school combined with the fresh start next week should help me get past this mood.
In more positive news, I have started meeting with a Chinese tutor. The process to learning a language is a slow one, but I now feel like I have the help I need to aid in this process. I meet with her one time per week on Sundays to go over the lessons. The cost of her time is criminally cheap. I am paying 20 Kuai and hour, less than $3 for one on one lessons. I meet at her apartment which is a ways out of the way, but for $3 a lesson it is still worth it. It takes me about 2.5 hours to get to the lessons which illustrates just how far out of the city I am more than anything.
I hope that everything is well back home. I will write more this week, hopefully with more upbeat stories of my life here. I miss you all.
3.30.2007
3.23.2007
Tales from the Chinese Classroom
Sorry that there have not been many updates this week. It has been a busy week of pretty much nothing, which happens every once and a while, even here in China. Also, this week this blog service has been blocked in China. I am able to add posts but I cannot check the blog myself. Needless to say, the ever changing state of Freedom of Speech in China is somewhat frustrating.
Teaching continues to go very well. I have been getting good reviews from the other teachers though I do take these with a grain of salt at times. They claim that the kids enjoy my lectures which is nice to hear, regardless of the absolute validity of it. Last week I did have my first run-in with one of my students...a lovely young lad named King. He is very talkative in class and I asked him to please sit in his seat quietly while I am lecturing. He proceeded to continue to talk for most of the rest of the class. The next class I had him in he again began to talk and I singled him out in front of the whole class -- sidenote...this is a pretty major deal here in China since "face" is so important. This is the idea that you never allow another person to lose face in public, that you make sure that you do not point out flaws and mistakes in front of peers. This especially applies to business interactions, but it does also extend into personal interactions... which of course I was aware of when I made the conscious decision to point out his behavior. I told him that his behavior was unacceptable and that he was disrespectful to me last week and I do not expect it to happen again this year. This made him quiet down, but it also led him to take out his cell phone and begin to text people with it. I went over to him and asked him for his phone which he refused to give to me until the homeroom teacher came over and yelled at him (in Chinese so I am not sure what was said). This did the trick and the phone was mine for that class. King, however, was not done with his behavior issues. He then began to not sleep, but just snore loudly in class. I tried to ignore this for a minute or two but soon had to kick him out of class which the homeroom teacher supported and even suggested if he would not stop. This put an end to the poor behavior and the remainder of class proceeded well. At the end of the class King came and apologized, claiming that his lack of English was one of the reasons that he does not pay attention. I am happy to report that on Wednesday, when I had him again, he behaved much better...not really paying attention, but not at all disruptive...he even kept eye contact with me some of the time.
This is so far the only incident that I have had with a student. All in all the students have been behaved very well. I was warned time and time again about how disrespectful the kids are, how little they care and how they are just generally bad. This has not been my experience at all. The kids are average middle school students. Some are very interested, some are totally bored, some sleep, some talk but nothing bad, just normal teenage behavior. These kids are in boarding school, most for not the first time. They have been placed in more or less the middle of nowhere and required to go to school from 7:50 in the morning to 9:00 at night. they have 2 hours for lunch and another 2 hours for dinner, but outside of this, they are in the classroom all day. In middle school under these conditions, I would have struggled to pay attention as well. I think that I may still be in a honeymoon phase aided by my height and the fact I am a male, but I also think that some of the other teachers may have unrealistic expectations of what Middle and High School kids are like. Given the repeated warnings, I have been very impressed with the behavior I have experienced.
Other than this I have been doing very well. This weekend I am very excited to start meeting with a tutor for Mandarin Lessons. I have already picked up a lot through necessity and the help of friends and colleagues but working with a tutor will hopefully focus my study on a good progression of knowledge. I feel that my current focus of study is mostly on tourist language, things like directions, place names and how to order food. All useful things, but in terms of overall language ability pretty minor. The other exciting piece of news this week is I have received a new name, a Chinese name. My English Club students named me last night Gao Tian. Gao is the Chinese word for Tall and Tian means sky so together this means either endless sky, tall sky or large ambitions. Other possibilities that they considered using Gao as my surname included (English translations) tall chocolate, Colgate and a few other products, all of which they found to be very humorous possibilities. I am working on remembering how to write it in Chines characters as well.
Signing off from Huijia,
高天
Teaching continues to go very well. I have been getting good reviews from the other teachers though I do take these with a grain of salt at times. They claim that the kids enjoy my lectures which is nice to hear, regardless of the absolute validity of it. Last week I did have my first run-in with one of my students...a lovely young lad named King. He is very talkative in class and I asked him to please sit in his seat quietly while I am lecturing. He proceeded to continue to talk for most of the rest of the class. The next class I had him in he again began to talk and I singled him out in front of the whole class -- sidenote...this is a pretty major deal here in China since "face" is so important. This is the idea that you never allow another person to lose face in public, that you make sure that you do not point out flaws and mistakes in front of peers. This especially applies to business interactions, but it does also extend into personal interactions... which of course I was aware of when I made the conscious decision to point out his behavior. I told him that his behavior was unacceptable and that he was disrespectful to me last week and I do not expect it to happen again this year. This made him quiet down, but it also led him to take out his cell phone and begin to text people with it. I went over to him and asked him for his phone which he refused to give to me until the homeroom teacher came over and yelled at him (in Chinese so I am not sure what was said). This did the trick and the phone was mine for that class. King, however, was not done with his behavior issues. He then began to not sleep, but just snore loudly in class. I tried to ignore this for a minute or two but soon had to kick him out of class which the homeroom teacher supported and even suggested if he would not stop. This put an end to the poor behavior and the remainder of class proceeded well. At the end of the class King came and apologized, claiming that his lack of English was one of the reasons that he does not pay attention. I am happy to report that on Wednesday, when I had him again, he behaved much better...not really paying attention, but not at all disruptive...he even kept eye contact with me some of the time.
This is so far the only incident that I have had with a student. All in all the students have been behaved very well. I was warned time and time again about how disrespectful the kids are, how little they care and how they are just generally bad. This has not been my experience at all. The kids are average middle school students. Some are very interested, some are totally bored, some sleep, some talk but nothing bad, just normal teenage behavior. These kids are in boarding school, most for not the first time. They have been placed in more or less the middle of nowhere and required to go to school from 7:50 in the morning to 9:00 at night. they have 2 hours for lunch and another 2 hours for dinner, but outside of this, they are in the classroom all day. In middle school under these conditions, I would have struggled to pay attention as well. I think that I may still be in a honeymoon phase aided by my height and the fact I am a male, but I also think that some of the other teachers may have unrealistic expectations of what Middle and High School kids are like. Given the repeated warnings, I have been very impressed with the behavior I have experienced.
Other than this I have been doing very well. This weekend I am very excited to start meeting with a tutor for Mandarin Lessons. I have already picked up a lot through necessity and the help of friends and colleagues but working with a tutor will hopefully focus my study on a good progression of knowledge. I feel that my current focus of study is mostly on tourist language, things like directions, place names and how to order food. All useful things, but in terms of overall language ability pretty minor. The other exciting piece of news this week is I have received a new name, a Chinese name. My English Club students named me last night Gao Tian. Gao is the Chinese word for Tall and Tian means sky so together this means either endless sky, tall sky or large ambitions. Other possibilities that they considered using Gao as my surname included (English translations) tall chocolate, Colgate and a few other products, all of which they found to be very humorous possibilities. I am working on remembering how to write it in Chines characters as well.
Signing off from Huijia,
高天
3.18.2007
One Month Update
I cannot believe that it has already been a month since I left the United States. It has been a great month, filled with new experiences, challenges and at times even frustrations. The most common question that I am getting from people back home is have you found a home, a place to feel comfortable in Beijing and the answer is a resounding yes. I love it here. I wish I was a lot closer into the city than I am. It makes it very difficult to go into Beijing knowing it takes two hours each way, but I suppose it does help me save money.
I have come to appreciate Beijing for what it is. It is not the cosmopolitan city that Shanghai, New York and London are, instead it is the head of government, the place where decisions are made which I feel lends itself to helping preserve the foreign aspects of a city (for outsiders). Said another way, because this city is the face of China to the world, it goes out of its way to minimize the impact that foreigners have had on it, preserving the local flavor and culture. That is not to say that there are not numerous examples of Western influence, it is just not as in your face as it is in Shanghai. Every time I make my way into Beijing I experience another slice of authentic Chinese culture while at the same time finding out where to go for the Western, back home experience. I have come to love the balance between these two very different faces of the city.
In the process of falling in love with Beijing an interesting gastronomic development has occurred. I now find myself craving certain Chinese dishes far more than I crave anything in particular from back home. That is not to say that I do not miss the food from home, it is just that I have a generic Western food craving, anything could satiate the Western food desire but I tend to crave specific Chinese dishes. The major things in China that I have come to love are Jiaozi (Chinese steamed dumpling), grilled mutton skewers from Xinjiang (the Muslim province in China), Bolou Fan (fried pineapple rice) and Dai food in general (Chinese Minority group from Yunnan province, similar to Thai food). I could eat pretty much unlimited quantities of all of these items and often do. In addition to being tasty, they are also very cheap, especially compared to Western food. I have to admit that I did not see this coming. I still do not enjoy the food in the cafeteria, but when I get to go out to Chinese restaurants, especially holes-in-the-wall and street vendors, I have found myself in culinary heaven.
Another development over the last month is that I have come to think of Beijing as home, or rather a home where I pretty much know no-one, do not speak the language and technically do not even have residence in, but my home nonetheless. I am at the point where I am getting a little cocky. I suppose I will have to be brought down a notch or two, but until that happens I will continue to walk around with a swagger whenever I see other Western people. I especially get out of hand near tourist sites (yes, even when I am visiting said tourist sites). I look down on other tourists and think to myself, GET OUT OF MY CITY! I then remind myself that I have absolutely no right to do this, that in many cases the people that I am thinking this about may even have been in China longer than I have and in many cases have just as much command of Mandarin as I do, if not more. This is something that I need to work on, but in the meantime, it feels good to be at home here. As a side note to this, I feel that my Mandarin is coming along nicely. I have started to pick up basic phrases and with practice can tell a cab where to go, order in a restaurant, bargain (I know all of my numbers now) and generally do tourist things. These are all accomplished with very bad pronunciation, but my point seems to get across. I have found that the Chinese people are very accommodating and forgiving when it comes to their language. They are quick to complement any attempts at Mandarin and will assist with pronunciation and do their best to understand my meaning. It is refreshing compared to my other experience with using my minimal knowledge of French in Paris where they will not even pretend to understand even when the speak English.
I have come to appreciate Beijing for what it is. It is not the cosmopolitan city that Shanghai, New York and London are, instead it is the head of government, the place where decisions are made which I feel lends itself to helping preserve the foreign aspects of a city (for outsiders). Said another way, because this city is the face of China to the world, it goes out of its way to minimize the impact that foreigners have had on it, preserving the local flavor and culture. That is not to say that there are not numerous examples of Western influence, it is just not as in your face as it is in Shanghai. Every time I make my way into Beijing I experience another slice of authentic Chinese culture while at the same time finding out where to go for the Western, back home experience. I have come to love the balance between these two very different faces of the city.
In the process of falling in love with Beijing an interesting gastronomic development has occurred. I now find myself craving certain Chinese dishes far more than I crave anything in particular from back home. That is not to say that I do not miss the food from home, it is just that I have a generic Western food craving, anything could satiate the Western food desire but I tend to crave specific Chinese dishes. The major things in China that I have come to love are Jiaozi (Chinese steamed dumpling), grilled mutton skewers from Xinjiang (the Muslim province in China), Bolou Fan (fried pineapple rice) and Dai food in general (Chinese Minority group from Yunnan province, similar to Thai food). I could eat pretty much unlimited quantities of all of these items and often do. In addition to being tasty, they are also very cheap, especially compared to Western food. I have to admit that I did not see this coming. I still do not enjoy the food in the cafeteria, but when I get to go out to Chinese restaurants, especially holes-in-the-wall and street vendors, I have found myself in culinary heaven.
Another development over the last month is that I have come to think of Beijing as home, or rather a home where I pretty much know no-one, do not speak the language and technically do not even have residence in, but my home nonetheless. I am at the point where I am getting a little cocky. I suppose I will have to be brought down a notch or two, but until that happens I will continue to walk around with a swagger whenever I see other Western people. I especially get out of hand near tourist sites (yes, even when I am visiting said tourist sites). I look down on other tourists and think to myself, GET OUT OF MY CITY! I then remind myself that I have absolutely no right to do this, that in many cases the people that I am thinking this about may even have been in China longer than I have and in many cases have just as much command of Mandarin as I do, if not more. This is something that I need to work on, but in the meantime, it feels good to be at home here. As a side note to this, I feel that my Mandarin is coming along nicely. I have started to pick up basic phrases and with practice can tell a cab where to go, order in a restaurant, bargain (I know all of my numbers now) and generally do tourist things. These are all accomplished with very bad pronunciation, but my point seems to get across. I have found that the Chinese people are very accommodating and forgiving when it comes to their language. They are quick to complement any attempts at Mandarin and will assist with pronunciation and do their best to understand my meaning. It is refreshing compared to my other experience with using my minimal knowledge of French in Paris where they will not even pretend to understand even when the speak English.
3.14.2007
The Cold...and the Cold
The weather here in Beijing has been nice by U.S. standards. Since I have arrived, the high temperatures have been more or less in the high 40's to mid 50's but I am still going to complain about the cold. Why you ask... it is because it feels so much colder here than it does at home. Outside it is nice, but when it is 50 you can still only spend so much time outdoors. The rest of your time is spent indoors. In the U.S. we heat our homes, restaurants, have heat in our cars...pretty much we are warm whenever we are not outside. Here in China, I am never warm. Usually the only time I am warm during the day is when I am in the shower. Other than that, inside is not really heated here. It is, but not as warm as I am used to. In my room I would say it is about 60 degrees all the time...though that may be a little on the warm side. Classrooms are cold, there is no heating on the bus or subway beyond the body heat generated and when you eat in a restaurant it is not advisable to usually take off your coat. All of this, combined with an assumed deficiency in Vitamin C has led to a cold. A wonderful reality here in China that I have been warned may not go away as long as I am here. Lets hope that this is not the case as teaching was interesting today given how I feel.
Even with all of these complaints about the cold, Spring is just around the corner and with it the warm temperatures. Therefore, be prepared for me to complain about how warm it is in just a few weeks as air conditioning is expensive and cannot be turned on until May 1st in the school. With a group of middle schoolers in a country that does not use deodorant...that may get interesting. All the best.
Even with all of these complaints about the cold, Spring is just around the corner and with it the warm temperatures. Therefore, be prepared for me to complain about how warm it is in just a few weeks as air conditioning is expensive and cannot be turned on until May 1st in the school. With a group of middle schoolers in a country that does not use deodorant...that may get interesting. All the best.
3.11.2007
The First Olympics Post
Hello all and welcome to what is bound to be the first of many posts that have something to do with the pending arrival of the 2008 Summer Olympics in this great city. As many of you that know me are aware of, one of the major reasons why I am in China teaching English is to gain a familiarity with the city, allowing me to set a base to allow me to be back in Beijing for the Olympics. I have been a fan of this great event since 1988 and have been excited about the chance to attend them in person here in about a year and a half...or 515 days (give or take; there are countdowns to the start of the Games posted all over the city, including on Tiananmen Square. Just today ticket plans were announced. It requires a Chinese address (which I now have) and also a Visa valid for more than six months (which I am pretty sure I have), but I am still waiting to see if I am approved to buy during the first round of sales. This round begins to go on sale on April 1st so be thinking happy thoughts for me on April Fools Day.
This weekend I took my first visit to the new venues for the Olympics. This has to be the world's largest construction project currently found in the world. It took me over an hour to walk around the site, making it about half way around. The construction of many of the buildings have not yet progressed beyond the initial stages, though all of the largest buildings have their structures intact. These are, in my humble opinion, the most impressive architectural monuments to sport that can be found on the face of the earth. These are incredibly beautiful building that will help these Olympics to serve as a showcase for this entire nation. They are marvels of engineering while also fulfilling a need for visual stimulation. There are some of the most stunning building that I have seen, eliciting feelings of grandeur and skill. The athletes that have the privelege to compete here will be competing in state of the art facilities never before seen for athletic endeavors. The main Olympic Stadium, sight of Track and Field Competitions, Soccer matches and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies has been called the birds nest stadium. It features a series of interwoven metal that makes it very much resemble a birds nest. The pool (surprise, surprise) is my favorite building on the grounds. It features a set of blue panels that are illuminated (or will be) at night, making the entire building appear to be a glowing blue box. It has been called the cube and will be the site of almost all of the Olympic Swimming, Diving, Water Polo and Synchronized Swimming events. These are the two "headlining" buildings. I took lots of pictures on Friday, however, due to the high pollution levels they all came out pretty hazy. I will have to go back on a clearer day to show you all the full beauty of these magnificent structures.
This weekend I took my first visit to the new venues for the Olympics. This has to be the world's largest construction project currently found in the world. It took me over an hour to walk around the site, making it about half way around. The construction of many of the buildings have not yet progressed beyond the initial stages, though all of the largest buildings have their structures intact. These are, in my humble opinion, the most impressive architectural monuments to sport that can be found on the face of the earth. These are incredibly beautiful building that will help these Olympics to serve as a showcase for this entire nation. They are marvels of engineering while also fulfilling a need for visual stimulation. There are some of the most stunning building that I have seen, eliciting feelings of grandeur and skill. The athletes that have the privelege to compete here will be competing in state of the art facilities never before seen for athletic endeavors. The main Olympic Stadium, sight of Track and Field Competitions, Soccer matches and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies has been called the birds nest stadium. It features a series of interwoven metal that makes it very much resemble a birds nest. The pool (surprise, surprise) is my favorite building on the grounds. It features a set of blue panels that are illuminated (or will be) at night, making the entire building appear to be a glowing blue box. It has been called the cube and will be the site of almost all of the Olympic Swimming, Diving, Water Polo and Synchronized Swimming events. These are the two "headlining" buildings. I took lots of pictures on Friday, however, due to the high pollution levels they all came out pretty hazy. I will have to go back on a clearer day to show you all the full beauty of these magnificent structures.
3.08.2007
Trial by Fire...The First Days of Teaching
So, I have obviously already begun my job here. I am teaching in a classroom for the first time in my life and so far I must say that it is going pretty well. The first week, however, was pretty rough. I have the world's best schedule...for now. I am not sure how I continue to get lucky with my jobs and class schedules, but I currently have the perfect schedule. I have 12 periods of class (with only 5 distinct lessons) every week with no classes on Monday's or Friday's. This may change however, as another teacher in the Middle School just resigned leaving a hole in the Social Studies department. I expect to hear soon if I will be adding some of her classes to my schedule. Either way, I think that I will still have at least one day free during the week to give myself more time to explore the city of Beijing.
I came here with the expectation of being primarily and ESL teacher with a chance that I would be teaching some history classes in addition to the ESL classes. When I got here I was thrilled to find out that I would be teaching primarily history with only three ESL classes. This is a great situation for me because I find it much easier to become engaged in the history material. Lesson planning is more straight forward (most of the learning in China is conducted in lecture format) and I am much more interested in History than I am in grammer. Here at Huijia (Hway-ja) there is a primary school, the bilingual middle school, an International Baccalaureate High School and the Man's College (the only all male high school in China).
I am teaching history to 7th and 8th graders. Ancient World History to the 7th graders who I only see one time per week and Modern (post 1500) World History to the 8th Graders who I see two times per week. In addition I am the first foreign teacher in Huijia's history to assist with teaching Chinese History to 7th graders (Once every two weeks). Chinese History has always been taught in Chinese, never before in English. I am excited to be able to bring a new perspective, a western perspective to Chinese History. My co-teacher (Mae) seems appreciative that I am willing to teach Chinese History and has encourage me to share my own perspective on issues, encouraging to teach a slightly different history than the book teaches. Mae sits in on almost all of my classes to (at times) translate for me. In the 7th grade classroom we split the teaching time 65%-35% with me teaching in English most of the time, interrupted by periods of clarification of technical historical terms in Chinese for the students. It is a great system and for the most part the kids seem into the lessons so far.
These classes have been going very well and I absolutely love to teach history. It is a great lesson for me to prepare lessons on topics that I am familiar with (and was in many ways before I was formally taught these subjects) to kids that have no idea what I am talking about. Topics that are so far removed from their worldview that they few of them have come across before this time. With my 7th graders I got to teach them about Reincarnation in relation to the Caste System in India and the idea of a soul, not to mention re-birth was completely foreign to them. By the end of the lesson it was clear that they did grasp the concept through their questions. In 8th grade this week I taught about the Slave Trade to the America's. In the United States we are taught about slavery (or at least I was) from a very young age and throughout our time in school we begin to grasp the realities of this embarrassing chapter in our nations history. Imagine getting all the gruesome, heart wrenching details of this period without any prior knowledge of the subject. That is what I was able to share with the kids this week, teaching them the reality of this horrible period in my nation's history, revealing to them that there are times in every nation's past that when looked back upon, does not make sense. This willingness to evaluate and critique past mistakes is something that is still pretty uncommon in Chinese culture. The status quo through propaganda is still alive and well here.
In addition to my History classes I am also teaching English in the Man's College. This is a small school (about 80 kids) that has a somewhat militiristic curriculum. I am the only foreign teacher that has been in the school this year. I teach three classes and I was given very basic instructions by the Dean of the school on how I should teach...he said "it is more important that the student's like you than it is for them to learn grammer" (through a translator so the translation may be just a bit off). I can handle those sorts of instructions. I only see these classes one time per week and so far we have had very casual conversations about a variety of topics. It is very informal and I question if I am doing enough with them. It is my hope that through these casual conversations I am able to expand their vocabularies and increase their comfort with the English language.
Life here is pretty good. I am waiting for the weather to warm up a bit, but all in all I am loving it here. There will be more updates soon. Everyone try to stay safe.
I came here with the expectation of being primarily and ESL teacher with a chance that I would be teaching some history classes in addition to the ESL classes. When I got here I was thrilled to find out that I would be teaching primarily history with only three ESL classes. This is a great situation for me because I find it much easier to become engaged in the history material. Lesson planning is more straight forward (most of the learning in China is conducted in lecture format) and I am much more interested in History than I am in grammer. Here at Huijia (Hway-ja) there is a primary school, the bilingual middle school, an International Baccalaureate High School and the Man's College (the only all male high school in China).
I am teaching history to 7th and 8th graders. Ancient World History to the 7th graders who I only see one time per week and Modern (post 1500) World History to the 8th Graders who I see two times per week. In addition I am the first foreign teacher in Huijia's history to assist with teaching Chinese History to 7th graders (Once every two weeks). Chinese History has always been taught in Chinese, never before in English. I am excited to be able to bring a new perspective, a western perspective to Chinese History. My co-teacher (Mae) seems appreciative that I am willing to teach Chinese History and has encourage me to share my own perspective on issues, encouraging to teach a slightly different history than the book teaches. Mae sits in on almost all of my classes to (at times) translate for me. In the 7th grade classroom we split the teaching time 65%-35% with me teaching in English most of the time, interrupted by periods of clarification of technical historical terms in Chinese for the students. It is a great system and for the most part the kids seem into the lessons so far.
These classes have been going very well and I absolutely love to teach history. It is a great lesson for me to prepare lessons on topics that I am familiar with (and was in many ways before I was formally taught these subjects) to kids that have no idea what I am talking about. Topics that are so far removed from their worldview that they few of them have come across before this time. With my 7th graders I got to teach them about Reincarnation in relation to the Caste System in India and the idea of a soul, not to mention re-birth was completely foreign to them. By the end of the lesson it was clear that they did grasp the concept through their questions. In 8th grade this week I taught about the Slave Trade to the America's. In the United States we are taught about slavery (or at least I was) from a very young age and throughout our time in school we begin to grasp the realities of this embarrassing chapter in our nations history. Imagine getting all the gruesome, heart wrenching details of this period without any prior knowledge of the subject. That is what I was able to share with the kids this week, teaching them the reality of this horrible period in my nation's history, revealing to them that there are times in every nation's past that when looked back upon, does not make sense. This willingness to evaluate and critique past mistakes is something that is still pretty uncommon in Chinese culture. The status quo through propaganda is still alive and well here.
In addition to my History classes I am also teaching English in the Man's College. This is a small school (about 80 kids) that has a somewhat militiristic curriculum. I am the only foreign teacher that has been in the school this year. I teach three classes and I was given very basic instructions by the Dean of the school on how I should teach...he said "it is more important that the student's like you than it is for them to learn grammer" (through a translator so the translation may be just a bit off). I can handle those sorts of instructions. I only see these classes one time per week and so far we have had very casual conversations about a variety of topics. It is very informal and I question if I am doing enough with them. It is my hope that through these casual conversations I am able to expand their vocabularies and increase their comfort with the English language.
Life here is pretty good. I am waiting for the weather to warm up a bit, but all in all I am loving it here. There will be more updates soon. Everyone try to stay safe.
3.04.2007
The Bus...actually written on Feb. 23rd
I accomplished something today, something that I have never done before…wait for it….I rode the bus in a foreign country. I know, I know, my parents must be so proud of my recent accomplishments, I mean, really, who would ever believe that a 26 year old could summon the courage and strength to get onto a bus…IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. Wow. Thank You, Thank You, charitable gifts in the name of my accomplishment can be directed to the foundations that you feel are most worthy. All kidding aside, it was the first time that I have ever ridden a public bus outside of the US, a trip that ended in such humiliating defeat that you can all mock me mercilessly about it when I return to the States. I set out this morning to get to downtown Beijing. This trip requires a bus ride followed by a subway ride, or the more expensive option of taking a cab. Two days ago, I took a cab since I did not know where the bus stop was located. I was pretty sure that I had now found out where the correct stop was, and due to the high cost of taking a cab (about 5 dollars) I made the decision to only take the bus when going into downtown. The whole trip (bus and subway) should take about an hour and a half and cost just over 75 cents. A bargain whichever way you slice it. On top of the monetary benefit of taking the bus you also, when blessed with my stunning good looks…or is it just my freakish height… are stared at and talked about (I think…there is still a pretty substantial language barrier at play in this country, as you will soon hear more about) and generally viewed as a celebrity the entire trip rather than just on the subway portion. A win, win all around.
To get to Longze Subway Station (pronounced (Chinese Phrase of the Day) Lon Tze Dee Tie) you need to get on the #21 bus. The stop is a short (1/2 mile or so) walk from campus and is the only bus that services this area so it was a no brainer. Hop on this bus and ride it to the end (presumably the subway station) hop off and get on the subway. The bus portion of the trip should take, at most 40 minutes. Well, the #21 bus came, I got on said I:G: er kwai or 2 Yuan ticket please (translation approximate and pronunciation pretty poor). We started off in the direction of downtown Changping, the opposite direction of the subway station. I figured that we would simply be making a loop and shortly headed towards the station. As more time passed and we started to get a little further from the station and then outside of the city of Changping the pass issuer tried to tell me something. (I have no idea what her title is, but it is always a women. She does all of the work of what is automated in the U.S.. She takes money, announces the stops and tells the driver if he needs to stop and let someone off). I shook my head no, and gestured that I am an ignorant foreigner with little knowledge of her language and I wish she spoke English since I did and everyone should know my language…or something to that effect. Upon further review she was saying something along the lines of “you dumb American. There is no reason at all that you want to be let off out here in rural China. We have about three stops left before our break and I suggest you get off and get on a bus headed the opposite direction rather than sitting here stupidly assuming we will turn around to take you to your desired destination that you should know is not on the route of this bus” Or something like that. I finally did reach the end of the line and got off the bus. There was no other buses at this exact time that were headed the way that I wanted to go so I began to walk back the way we had come to look for a bus stop on the opposite side of the road so that I could head back towards the subway station. Finally a bus came and, of course, I was not at a stop so it went past me. I kept walking until I could see clearly that this was a bus stop. The #21 bus finally came by and I got on. Thankfully, it was a different driver and ticket taker so I would not “lose face” (a uniquely Chinese idea that I will no doubt have more to say about in future installments).
The ticket taker on this new bus asked me (what I later found out to be) what price ticker and I made a gesture to indicate no idea. I thought that there was only one price for tickets no matter the length of the ride. I did not know that on bus rides, the longer you go, the more you pay, an idea that really makes a ton of sense when you think about it. She gave me a 1 yuan ticket (about 12 cents) and left me alone. About a third of the way to the subway she came up, laughed nervously and gestured that I needed to pay another yuan. I happily paid as I actually understood this gesture and perhaps even some of what she said. I sat back and tried to laugh at myself and enjoy the sights of my new home. This was interrupted some time later when I needed to pay yet another yuan to cover the lengthy (as long as one can take on the #21 bus) trip to the subway.
This trip reminded me that I really need to work on getting at least some knowledge of the language in order to communicate and understand those around me. A sense of humor is also needed to get through these times that can be (and were) filled with frustration and ignorance. I made it, eventually, back to the school and collapsed exhausted after a long day of unintended travel. More to follow when I have hopefully mastered the process of public transportation here.
To get to Longze Subway Station (pronounced (Chinese Phrase of the Day) Lon Tze Dee Tie) you need to get on the #21 bus. The stop is a short (1/2 mile or so) walk from campus and is the only bus that services this area so it was a no brainer. Hop on this bus and ride it to the end (presumably the subway station) hop off and get on the subway. The bus portion of the trip should take, at most 40 minutes. Well, the #21 bus came, I got on said I:G: er kwai or 2 Yuan ticket please (translation approximate and pronunciation pretty poor). We started off in the direction of downtown Changping, the opposite direction of the subway station. I figured that we would simply be making a loop and shortly headed towards the station. As more time passed and we started to get a little further from the station and then outside of the city of Changping the pass issuer tried to tell me something. (I have no idea what her title is, but it is always a women. She does all of the work of what is automated in the U.S.. She takes money, announces the stops and tells the driver if he needs to stop and let someone off). I shook my head no, and gestured that I am an ignorant foreigner with little knowledge of her language and I wish she spoke English since I did and everyone should know my language…or something to that effect. Upon further review she was saying something along the lines of “you dumb American. There is no reason at all that you want to be let off out here in rural China. We have about three stops left before our break and I suggest you get off and get on a bus headed the opposite direction rather than sitting here stupidly assuming we will turn around to take you to your desired destination that you should know is not on the route of this bus” Or something like that. I finally did reach the end of the line and got off the bus. There was no other buses at this exact time that were headed the way that I wanted to go so I began to walk back the way we had come to look for a bus stop on the opposite side of the road so that I could head back towards the subway station. Finally a bus came and, of course, I was not at a stop so it went past me. I kept walking until I could see clearly that this was a bus stop. The #21 bus finally came by and I got on. Thankfully, it was a different driver and ticket taker so I would not “lose face” (a uniquely Chinese idea that I will no doubt have more to say about in future installments).
The ticket taker on this new bus asked me (what I later found out to be) what price ticker and I made a gesture to indicate no idea. I thought that there was only one price for tickets no matter the length of the ride. I did not know that on bus rides, the longer you go, the more you pay, an idea that really makes a ton of sense when you think about it. She gave me a 1 yuan ticket (about 12 cents) and left me alone. About a third of the way to the subway she came up, laughed nervously and gestured that I needed to pay another yuan. I happily paid as I actually understood this gesture and perhaps even some of what she said. I sat back and tried to laugh at myself and enjoy the sights of my new home. This was interrupted some time later when I needed to pay yet another yuan to cover the lengthy (as long as one can take on the #21 bus) trip to the subway.
This trip reminded me that I really need to work on getting at least some knowledge of the language in order to communicate and understand those around me. A sense of humor is also needed to get through these times that can be (and were) filled with frustration and ignorance. I made it, eventually, back to the school and collapsed exhausted after a long day of unintended travel. More to follow when I have hopefully mastered the process of public transportation here.
3.02.2007
Longing...
I am about a week into my travels and I am experiencing a deep longing, not for home (though I do miss everyone) but instead for the Streets of Shanghai, my home the last time I was in China, if you can have a home for only four weeks. Shanghai was a city filled with excitement, an aura of grandeur, of being on the verge of the future. The architecture was something out of 1980’s science fiction, the people assured and confident, the surroundings are foreign yet oddly familiar. You could walk down the street and have many choices of food, western with a Chinese twist. In short, paradise, but a safe paradise. Shanghai is my London of China. I love London because it is distinctly European, not American yet it is a safe destination. I know that I will be able to talk to anyone and have no major problems communicating. In some ways, Shanghai offers this same level of comfort. Knowing that there are Western restaurants, and, if you are patient, someone that has at least some level of English. As of yet, I have not found this in Beijing.
Three Blind Men are shown an elephant. One of the men is at the front, another in the middle and a third at the back. The one at the front feels the trunk and thinks he is holding a snake, is convinced of it. The second is sure that he is at a wall and the third thinks something else entirely. Each of these men are at a different part, yet they think they know exactly what they are encountering. No one can see the whole thing at once or even perhaps at all. (adapted from “Oh the Glory of it All” by Sean Wilsey…sidenote; this is a great book, which you should all go out and get…or wait for me to bring it back home and borrow it) China is like this elephant. It is a huge place with all sorts of different experiences depending on where you are. None of the parts are alike and the parts can even change given time. With the current rate of change, the China that I am experiencing will never again be reproduced. On my first trip here, I knew one small part of China and had hoped that my experience the first time would be recreated here in Beijing. I am reminding myself that I need to stay patient. I am sure that I will soon discover that part of Beijing that evokes similar emotions to what Shanghai has.
I am longing for the safe expatriate haven where I know I can see familiar faces; hear familiar sounds, smell familiar scents and perhaps most of all taste familiar cuisine. It has only been a week, but I already miss many of my favorite dishes at home. I feel, and it is perhaps too soon to really know, that the people in Shanghai were much friendlier than they are here in Beijing. (It also could be that time has made me forget the less friendly in Shanghai, leaving only the pleasant memories, see “Stumbling on Happiness” by Daniel Gilbert...another good book) Western faces are so few and far between here in Beijing that when we stumble upon each other, we almost are more prone to glaring at each other for ruining the exotic and foreign mindset that pervades Beijing. In Shanghai, I seem to recall the Western faces as smiling, almost smirking, knowing that we were sharing in the experience of a city at the cusp of great things, a city which in many ways is busy staking its claim as one of the most important economic centers in the entire world.
Three Blind Men are shown an elephant. One of the men is at the front, another in the middle and a third at the back. The one at the front feels the trunk and thinks he is holding a snake, is convinced of it. The second is sure that he is at a wall and the third thinks something else entirely. Each of these men are at a different part, yet they think they know exactly what they are encountering. No one can see the whole thing at once or even perhaps at all. (adapted from “Oh the Glory of it All” by Sean Wilsey…sidenote; this is a great book, which you should all go out and get…or wait for me to bring it back home and borrow it) China is like this elephant. It is a huge place with all sorts of different experiences depending on where you are. None of the parts are alike and the parts can even change given time. With the current rate of change, the China that I am experiencing will never again be reproduced. On my first trip here, I knew one small part of China and had hoped that my experience the first time would be recreated here in Beijing. I am reminding myself that I need to stay patient. I am sure that I will soon discover that part of Beijing that evokes similar emotions to what Shanghai has.
I am longing for the safe expatriate haven where I know I can see familiar faces; hear familiar sounds, smell familiar scents and perhaps most of all taste familiar cuisine. It has only been a week, but I already miss many of my favorite dishes at home. I feel, and it is perhaps too soon to really know, that the people in Shanghai were much friendlier than they are here in Beijing. (It also could be that time has made me forget the less friendly in Shanghai, leaving only the pleasant memories, see “Stumbling on Happiness” by Daniel Gilbert...another good book) Western faces are so few and far between here in Beijing that when we stumble upon each other, we almost are more prone to glaring at each other for ruining the exotic and foreign mindset that pervades Beijing. In Shanghai, I seem to recall the Western faces as smiling, almost smirking, knowing that we were sharing in the experience of a city at the cusp of great things, a city which in many ways is busy staking its claim as one of the most important economic centers in the entire world.
3.01.2007
Chinese New Year
I am here! After a long day of travel (18 Hours total from 1st boarding to landing) I have arrived safe and sound in Beijing. Travel went very smoothly, we were a bit late getting into Beijing but when you have spent over 12 hours on a plane, what is a few minutes. I had the pleasure to sit next to very nice people that were very helpful, offering suggestions about what to do in Beijing and ensuring that I was taken care of upon arrival. For the first time in my life, I was greeted (by myself) with my name on a sign. While this was pretty normal at the arrival area, I felt like a VIP. It took about 45 minutes to claim my luggage (I was able to fit my entire life…for six months, into three bags) and get through customs. I was a little late and felt bad since the Chinese New Year is about the biggest holiday in China. My driver and Lilly (house manager) both had to wait and work while I am sure that they had other places to be. What followed was a quick re-introduction into the horror that is driving in China.
We had about a 45-minute ride to the school from the airport. In this time we passed on the left, passed on the left when traffic was present, passed on the right, passed on the right when pedestrians were present, passed at a red light (willing the car in front of us to move using our brights and horn), passed on the right making a left turn, passed on the left making a left turn went 120 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, passed a police vehicle, passed a car with about an inch of clearance, passed…well, you get the idea. There are times when I felt that I would thrive driving here but most of the time I was holding on tight. Since the last time I was here it seems that bright headlight flashing has replaced the horn as the preferred method of letting everyone on the road know that you are there. While potentially terrifying, the system is a well-oiled and even choreographed dance that seems, at least most of the time, to work without serious consequences. That said, there is no way that I ever want to drive on these roads.
I find it so fitting that I have arrived in China on Chinese New Years Eve. Most of my own New Year’s Resolutions revolved around my experience here, more or less ignoring the last month and a half since the more traditional January 1st New Year. Saying goodbye to everyone was as difficult as I expected it to be. I am very excited about the opportunity to live in China, but nevertheless am nervous to leave the known to undertake this adventure. The move here represents a new beginning for me, a time to in some ways reinvent myself. Since I have been fairly young, I have always been somewhat insecure about where I fit into the world. I have questioned if I have meant as much to my friends as they do to me. I can say unequivocally that I have never felt as loved as now. The going away sendoff that I received was greatly appreciated. Know that while here I will think of you often and do my best to keep you updated on the ins and outs of my daily life. As a HEM (highly emotional male) the sendoff and need to say goodbye is a recipe for potential disaster. I can say that tears were shed at all three airports I visited in the last few days. In Grand Rapids the tears were due to leaving, saying goodbye and the realization that it would be the greater part of six months until I would see my family and friends again. In Chicago the tears came back as I read the notes that were given to me prior to departure. Finally, in Beijing I started to tear up (just a little) with the realization that I have arrived in my new home, that the adventure has begun and there is no turning back.
The night (and so far the morning) have been filled with the sounds of fireworks in the distance, all in celebration of the New Year. The streets from the airport were lined with firework stands. I am embarrassed to say that I slept through the night. I fell asleep for what I intended to be a short nap before getting to explore a bit, but I was out of commission as soon as my head hit the pillow. In the coming days there will no doubt be more adventures to report, many more people to meet and a need to try and make this place feel as much like home as I can before classes begin. Thank you all for your well wished, encouragements and prayers in this time of transition, I will need to keep an open mind as I get used to the sounds, smells, sights and tastes of this nation.
We had about a 45-minute ride to the school from the airport. In this time we passed on the left, passed on the left when traffic was present, passed on the right, passed on the right when pedestrians were present, passed at a red light (willing the car in front of us to move using our brights and horn), passed on the right making a left turn, passed on the left making a left turn went 120 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, passed a police vehicle, passed a car with about an inch of clearance, passed…well, you get the idea. There are times when I felt that I would thrive driving here but most of the time I was holding on tight. Since the last time I was here it seems that bright headlight flashing has replaced the horn as the preferred method of letting everyone on the road know that you are there. While potentially terrifying, the system is a well-oiled and even choreographed dance that seems, at least most of the time, to work without serious consequences. That said, there is no way that I ever want to drive on these roads.
I find it so fitting that I have arrived in China on Chinese New Years Eve. Most of my own New Year’s Resolutions revolved around my experience here, more or less ignoring the last month and a half since the more traditional January 1st New Year. Saying goodbye to everyone was as difficult as I expected it to be. I am very excited about the opportunity to live in China, but nevertheless am nervous to leave the known to undertake this adventure. The move here represents a new beginning for me, a time to in some ways reinvent myself. Since I have been fairly young, I have always been somewhat insecure about where I fit into the world. I have questioned if I have meant as much to my friends as they do to me. I can say unequivocally that I have never felt as loved as now. The going away sendoff that I received was greatly appreciated. Know that while here I will think of you often and do my best to keep you updated on the ins and outs of my daily life. As a HEM (highly emotional male) the sendoff and need to say goodbye is a recipe for potential disaster. I can say that tears were shed at all three airports I visited in the last few days. In Grand Rapids the tears were due to leaving, saying goodbye and the realization that it would be the greater part of six months until I would see my family and friends again. In Chicago the tears came back as I read the notes that were given to me prior to departure. Finally, in Beijing I started to tear up (just a little) with the realization that I have arrived in my new home, that the adventure has begun and there is no turning back.
The night (and so far the morning) have been filled with the sounds of fireworks in the distance, all in celebration of the New Year. The streets from the airport were lined with firework stands. I am embarrassed to say that I slept through the night. I fell asleep for what I intended to be a short nap before getting to explore a bit, but I was out of commission as soon as my head hit the pillow. In the coming days there will no doubt be more adventures to report, many more people to meet and a need to try and make this place feel as much like home as I can before classes begin. Thank you all for your well wished, encouragements and prayers in this time of transition, I will need to keep an open mind as I get used to the sounds, smells, sights and tastes of this nation.
My Journey...Part 1 of many
I apologize for the slow response of emails and no postings so far. I have arrived in China safely and have had a good trip so far. You will have seen that this is, however, a new address for my blog. It seems that my blog is blocked in China, well, actually all wordpress blogs are blocked so I am unable to update the site I had sent out earlier. Please change your bookmarks accordingly since I will be unable to update my .wordpress blog at any point during my trip. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers in these initial days in China.
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