I cam across this news article today. Something like this could only be reported as serious news in China. Only here could forecasters claim that we will have rain on a day more than a year out and promise that there will not be rain at a certain time. This article is a perfect representation of the pervasive ideas within Chinese Beuracracy. That said I still love it here, sometimes you need to just take these things with a grain of salt.
Weather for the Opening Ceremonies has already been determined
4.26.2007
Exams...lessons or problems with the Chinese Education System
I proctored my first set of true exams this past week, and I am not sure if I walked away from the experience feeling that I learned something that should be applied to the U.S. system, or if instead I feel like the Chinese system should change. I suppose like any of the more complex issues in life (like the education system) there are bits of both.
The first thing that I would really like to change...or not...about the Chinese system is the pressure placed on this kids. There are some negatives...like expecting 7th and 8th grade students to be able to concentrate on their tests when taking 5 mid term exams in one day while there are distractions like other classes being very loud outside to keep them from concentrating on the task at hand. I think it is absurd to place 5 tests in one day, especially when we have the whole week to give exams...and then some. Because next week is the May holiday, we have classes on Saturday and Sunday to compensate for the time off. Gives a whole new definition to time off. They have plenty of opportunities to give the exams over the course of the week, but instead on Tuesday the students had a 2 hour Chinese exam, a 20 minute break, an hour history exam, a 20 minute break, an hour psychology exam, 2 hours for lunch, then two more exams in the afternoon. Five exams in one day is a lot for anyone to handle. In college, if you had more than 2 finals you could ask to get one of the changed, but not here. It is just what happens.
The part of the pressure on the students that I am not sure if I would change is that at least among the better students there is a lot of competition to do the best. These exams are all scored together and a ranking of the class is posted. We do the same thing closer to graduation, but here it starts in 6th grade. All of the kids are taking the same tests as well so it makes for a much better comparison of the different kids than the U.S. system where in some cases Honors classes and shop class grades are counted the same. Here your class rank determines where you take the tests. The first seat in the first classroom closest to the door is where the top student sits for exams. Behind her is the number 2 student and so on in a snake like pattern through all five classrooms. To be in the top 30 means a spot in the first classroom and a certain amount of prestige. There is, however, then a clear indication of who does not score well and with it a certain stigma that is attached to these kids. While the system is not perfect, I think I like it. It gives all the kids something to strive for and clearly shows who is putting in the effort to everyone else.
I have finished grading the exams and am much happier with the scores this time around than on the initial exam. Overall the kids did a lot better, probably because these scores count for rank whereas the others did not. Since about an hour after finishing the exam, I have been bombarded with kids asking what their scores were. The ones that ask are of course the ones with nothing to worry about, but they still need to remain patient. They will find out on Saturday what their grades are. I am not sure if the grades really mean much other than class rank, but for them they are very important.
I have just a few days of teaching before the break, but I am not as certain as last time if I am goin anywhere. Train tickets are in high demand over the May Holiday as this is one of just two times a year when most Chinese people travel. I find out in the next 24 hours if I have secured train tickets or not. If not, it is a week stuck in Beijing, not that this is so horrible, but I was really hoping to see some other parts of the country. If I am stuck here though, it means less expense and a chance to really explore some of the hidden parts of the city. If I am here I will write more soon, if we do go to Xi'an however, it will be after I return before I update more.
All the best...
The first thing that I would really like to change...or not...about the Chinese system is the pressure placed on this kids. There are some negatives...like expecting 7th and 8th grade students to be able to concentrate on their tests when taking 5 mid term exams in one day while there are distractions like other classes being very loud outside to keep them from concentrating on the task at hand. I think it is absurd to place 5 tests in one day, especially when we have the whole week to give exams...and then some. Because next week is the May holiday, we have classes on Saturday and Sunday to compensate for the time off. Gives a whole new definition to time off. They have plenty of opportunities to give the exams over the course of the week, but instead on Tuesday the students had a 2 hour Chinese exam, a 20 minute break, an hour history exam, a 20 minute break, an hour psychology exam, 2 hours for lunch, then two more exams in the afternoon. Five exams in one day is a lot for anyone to handle. In college, if you had more than 2 finals you could ask to get one of the changed, but not here. It is just what happens.
The part of the pressure on the students that I am not sure if I would change is that at least among the better students there is a lot of competition to do the best. These exams are all scored together and a ranking of the class is posted. We do the same thing closer to graduation, but here it starts in 6th grade. All of the kids are taking the same tests as well so it makes for a much better comparison of the different kids than the U.S. system where in some cases Honors classes and shop class grades are counted the same. Here your class rank determines where you take the tests. The first seat in the first classroom closest to the door is where the top student sits for exams. Behind her is the number 2 student and so on in a snake like pattern through all five classrooms. To be in the top 30 means a spot in the first classroom and a certain amount of prestige. There is, however, then a clear indication of who does not score well and with it a certain stigma that is attached to these kids. While the system is not perfect, I think I like it. It gives all the kids something to strive for and clearly shows who is putting in the effort to everyone else.
I have finished grading the exams and am much happier with the scores this time around than on the initial exam. Overall the kids did a lot better, probably because these scores count for rank whereas the others did not. Since about an hour after finishing the exam, I have been bombarded with kids asking what their scores were. The ones that ask are of course the ones with nothing to worry about, but they still need to remain patient. They will find out on Saturday what their grades are. I am not sure if the grades really mean much other than class rank, but for them they are very important.
I have just a few days of teaching before the break, but I am not as certain as last time if I am goin anywhere. Train tickets are in high demand over the May Holiday as this is one of just two times a year when most Chinese people travel. I find out in the next 24 hours if I have secured train tickets or not. If not, it is a week stuck in Beijing, not that this is so horrible, but I was really hoping to see some other parts of the country. If I am stuck here though, it means less expense and a chance to really explore some of the hidden parts of the city. If I am here I will write more soon, if we do go to Xi'an however, it will be after I return before I update more.
All the best...
4.23.2007
Stream of Consciousness
This will be at times a somewhat random post but there are a ton of things that I want to share that are pretty much totally unrelated.
1.) People in China wear long underwear during the winter. This in itself is not an odd statement, however, they sometimes wear two pairs here in Beijing because it gets so cold here during the winter plus building are not usually well insulated nor even heated in some instances. This too makes perfect sense...what I cannot figure out though is why some people follow rules about the long underwear so closely. Once they put it on, they do not take it off until May 1st, regardless of what the weather is doing. Take a closer look at that. Outside of bathing, they do not take their long underwear off for the duration of the winter. This means that in most cases, the long underwear does not get washed from October 1st to May 1st. Plus, it has been over 80 on more than one occasion here already. The long underwear has stayed on throughout these higher temperatures. I just cannot understand the need to do this. Once it gets warm, you should make yourself more comfortable.
2.) The Summer Palace here in Beijing is gorgeous. I spent the day wandering the grounds of the Summer Palace enjoying the Spring Flowers, sunshine and warm day. I had not been to the Summer Palace the first time I was here which added to the enjoyment yesterday. Pictures will soon follow.
3.) Chinese teachers are treated very unfairly here. As a foreign teacher I am well paid and enjoy almost total freedom. The Chinese teachers on the other hand, are poorly paid and enjoy no freedom. Things that we foreign teachers get for free, accommodation, meals, access to laundry, the ability to use the dorm kitchen are either charged to the Chinese teachers or barred altogether (laundry, kitchen among others). This week I had the assistance of a Chinese teacher who served as my translator while I was in town getting some things done. We left at 4:30 to run these errands. To leave the campus she had to have a not from the dean saying that it was ok for her to leave campus before 5:30. I, on the other hand, frequently leave more than once during the day to run errands etc. I find this very unfair though typical of the Chinese mindset in terms of administration here. They seem to see nothing wrong with this double standard.
4.) Diapers are not really used by most babies here. Pants have a slit through the crotch which allows the babies to be held over the grass when infants and to just squat when toddlers. This would seem to be very un-hygenic and make for potentially dangerous walking through the streets, but these problems do not seem to exist. Now that it is warmer out I see more and more babies with their butts hanging out of their pants.
5.) Street food is really, really good. I have written about it before and will write a top-10 foods from China list soon, but I already can tell that I will miss street food when I get back to America.
6.) Mandarin Chinese seems to be a very difficult language to get started in, but it builds on itself so as I go along it should get easier...or at least that is what I am telling myself. If anyone in the Grand Rapids area that reads this knows of a potential Mandarin tutor can you see if they would be interested in meeting a few days a week this fall when I am back in town. I really want to keep working at the language and will need some help when I am back in the States.
7.) Vacation is fast approaching. In less than a week I will be off to Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors as well as other sights. I am getting excited. Mid-term exams are this week so we will see how those go.
8.) I love China... which leads me to #'s 9 and 10
9.) I miss home also but...
10.) I really love China :)
Zai Jian, all the best.
Gao Tian
1.) People in China wear long underwear during the winter. This in itself is not an odd statement, however, they sometimes wear two pairs here in Beijing because it gets so cold here during the winter plus building are not usually well insulated nor even heated in some instances. This too makes perfect sense...what I cannot figure out though is why some people follow rules about the long underwear so closely. Once they put it on, they do not take it off until May 1st, regardless of what the weather is doing. Take a closer look at that. Outside of bathing, they do not take their long underwear off for the duration of the winter. This means that in most cases, the long underwear does not get washed from October 1st to May 1st. Plus, it has been over 80 on more than one occasion here already. The long underwear has stayed on throughout these higher temperatures. I just cannot understand the need to do this. Once it gets warm, you should make yourself more comfortable.
2.) The Summer Palace here in Beijing is gorgeous. I spent the day wandering the grounds of the Summer Palace enjoying the Spring Flowers, sunshine and warm day. I had not been to the Summer Palace the first time I was here which added to the enjoyment yesterday. Pictures will soon follow.
3.) Chinese teachers are treated very unfairly here. As a foreign teacher I am well paid and enjoy almost total freedom. The Chinese teachers on the other hand, are poorly paid and enjoy no freedom. Things that we foreign teachers get for free, accommodation, meals, access to laundry, the ability to use the dorm kitchen are either charged to the Chinese teachers or barred altogether (laundry, kitchen among others). This week I had the assistance of a Chinese teacher who served as my translator while I was in town getting some things done. We left at 4:30 to run these errands. To leave the campus she had to have a not from the dean saying that it was ok for her to leave campus before 5:30. I, on the other hand, frequently leave more than once during the day to run errands etc. I find this very unfair though typical of the Chinese mindset in terms of administration here. They seem to see nothing wrong with this double standard.
4.) Diapers are not really used by most babies here. Pants have a slit through the crotch which allows the babies to be held over the grass when infants and to just squat when toddlers. This would seem to be very un-hygenic and make for potentially dangerous walking through the streets, but these problems do not seem to exist. Now that it is warmer out I see more and more babies with their butts hanging out of their pants.
5.) Street food is really, really good. I have written about it before and will write a top-10 foods from China list soon, but I already can tell that I will miss street food when I get back to America.
6.) Mandarin Chinese seems to be a very difficult language to get started in, but it builds on itself so as I go along it should get easier...or at least that is what I am telling myself. If anyone in the Grand Rapids area that reads this knows of a potential Mandarin tutor can you see if they would be interested in meeting a few days a week this fall when I am back in town. I really want to keep working at the language and will need some help when I am back in the States.
7.) Vacation is fast approaching. In less than a week I will be off to Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors as well as other sights. I am getting excited. Mid-term exams are this week so we will see how those go.
8.) I love China... which leads me to #'s 9 and 10
9.) I miss home also but...
10.) I really love China :)
Zai Jian, all the best.
Gao Tian
4.16.2007
Kids in China...
I have the privilege to work with some of the nicest kids that I have ever encountered both here in China in the classroom and in the U.S. through coaching. The time that I have spent with these kids has neatly illustrated that there are many more similarities between children throughout the world than there are differences. Most kids want attention sometimes and to be left alone others. There are some kids that understand that school is important and, even if they do not exactly appreciate their time there, they are willing to play the game and do the work because they know there will be rewards later on in life...then there are the others, the ones that do not want to be in school and let you know that almost daily. This is much closer to what I was like and I think that the fact I was like this in Middle School and High School has allowed me to relate very well to the kids I have in the classroom.
Classes are going very well, if you ignore the fact that at least a quarter of my 7th grade classes failed their first test. Out of 28 points, the highest class average was 21 with the other being between 13 and 19. As I think is often the case for new teachers, this first test probably taught me more than it taught the kids. I now know that I need to slow down during lecture, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to...sorry, just practicing for lecture. I also think that I need to have at least 2 different tests for 7th grade, one for the more advanced English classes 7-1 through 7-3 and a second one for 7-4 and 7-5 to account for their lesser experience with English. I am in the process of writing the midterm for my kids and they have been warned that it will be more difficult than the quiz was, so time will tell if they study more for the mid-term or if they continue to blow their classes off. If they do not study for it, I have a hard time really blaming them. These kids are in class from 7:50 in the morning until 9:00 at night with a 2 hour break for lunch and a 1.5 hour break for dinner. This is a long time to be in school, even if it is a boarding school. This includes structured time for homework, but these are middle school kids whose planning skills are not that developed.
This week I had the pleasure to go on a field trip to the Great Wall and the Zoo with my 7th graders. They were very well behaved and nothing bad happened, but it certainly was not because they were supervised. It was kind of mind boggling for me, coming from the terrified of lawsuit United State of America that the administration just let 150 7th graders go free at the Great Wall. There was no worries about kids getting lost, no fear of falling from the wall, no fear of 7th graders getting into things they should not, basically no fear that the kids would be anything other than on their best behavior. These teachers have seen the kids in class, I know they do not really know what best behavior is. That said, to the best of my knowledge they all returned safely to the bus. There was no panic or fear that there were any kids left behind.
This generation of Chinese children are among the most spoiled kids in the world. As China's middle class grows, more and more material possessions are gained and desired by young and old. The fact that China's one child policy is at least somewhat in effect (many people pay a tax to have more kids, especially the rich) it is creating a generation of children that are doted upon by both parents, grandparents on both sides and pretty much have every one of their desires provided by the swarm of guardians that constantly surround these kids. Most do not know what the word no means. Sounding familiar????? It will be very interesting to see what this generation of Chinese kids turn into. Will they become a spoiled group that just wants more money, or will they continue to try to put China at the forefront of the world, politically, socially and economically. There will not be answers to this question for many years, but this will likely influence the way the world is shaped in the next 100 years. There are bits of Chinese culture and mentality that are already changing. I have no idea if this is a good thing, in fact I am pretty sure that it is a bad thing, though by no means an absolute.
Regardless of the outcome of this generation in the last week I have seen kids behave very well with no supervision on the Great Wall, kids showcasing their athletic talent in a city plaza and kids generally being given whatever they want. These may not seem connected but I think that all of these things exemplify the Chinese mentality. There is an expectation to be well behaved most of the time, respectful of Chinese tradition. There is also a growing push to showcase Chinese talent and achievement in every facet of life and finally there is a growing desire for "the good life" in terms of material wealthy. The next generation of Chinese are here and set to continue the epic change that are occurring here. As we get closer and closer to the Olympics those in the West will hear more and more about the changes that have occurred and are occurring in China. I have a feeling that we are at the very beginning of this growth, that China is here to stay and will be the nation to leave the biggest fingerprint on the 21st century. This may be a cliche and overly reported (Time Magazine and other have already made this claim) but I feel lucky that I am here during this time, playing a small role in shaping the minds of the next generation of leaders, hoping that some of my ideas find their way into their heads. This influence may be the closest I get to really shaping major events of this century because the Chinese are coming and are set to shock the world.
Classes are going very well, if you ignore the fact that at least a quarter of my 7th grade classes failed their first test. Out of 28 points, the highest class average was 21 with the other being between 13 and 19. As I think is often the case for new teachers, this first test probably taught me more than it taught the kids. I now know that I need to slow down during lecture, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to...sorry, just practicing for lecture. I also think that I need to have at least 2 different tests for 7th grade, one for the more advanced English classes 7-1 through 7-3 and a second one for 7-4 and 7-5 to account for their lesser experience with English. I am in the process of writing the midterm for my kids and they have been warned that it will be more difficult than the quiz was, so time will tell if they study more for the mid-term or if they continue to blow their classes off. If they do not study for it, I have a hard time really blaming them. These kids are in class from 7:50 in the morning until 9:00 at night with a 2 hour break for lunch and a 1.5 hour break for dinner. This is a long time to be in school, even if it is a boarding school. This includes structured time for homework, but these are middle school kids whose planning skills are not that developed.
This week I had the pleasure to go on a field trip to the Great Wall and the Zoo with my 7th graders. They were very well behaved and nothing bad happened, but it certainly was not because they were supervised. It was kind of mind boggling for me, coming from the terrified of lawsuit United State of America that the administration just let 150 7th graders go free at the Great Wall. There was no worries about kids getting lost, no fear of falling from the wall, no fear of 7th graders getting into things they should not, basically no fear that the kids would be anything other than on their best behavior. These teachers have seen the kids in class, I know they do not really know what best behavior is. That said, to the best of my knowledge they all returned safely to the bus. There was no panic or fear that there were any kids left behind.
This generation of Chinese children are among the most spoiled kids in the world. As China's middle class grows, more and more material possessions are gained and desired by young and old. The fact that China's one child policy is at least somewhat in effect (many people pay a tax to have more kids, especially the rich) it is creating a generation of children that are doted upon by both parents, grandparents on both sides and pretty much have every one of their desires provided by the swarm of guardians that constantly surround these kids. Most do not know what the word no means. Sounding familiar????? It will be very interesting to see what this generation of Chinese kids turn into. Will they become a spoiled group that just wants more money, or will they continue to try to put China at the forefront of the world, politically, socially and economically. There will not be answers to this question for many years, but this will likely influence the way the world is shaped in the next 100 years. There are bits of Chinese culture and mentality that are already changing. I have no idea if this is a good thing, in fact I am pretty sure that it is a bad thing, though by no means an absolute.
Regardless of the outcome of this generation in the last week I have seen kids behave very well with no supervision on the Great Wall, kids showcasing their athletic talent in a city plaza and kids generally being given whatever they want. These may not seem connected but I think that all of these things exemplify the Chinese mentality. There is an expectation to be well behaved most of the time, respectful of Chinese tradition. There is also a growing push to showcase Chinese talent and achievement in every facet of life and finally there is a growing desire for "the good life" in terms of material wealthy. The next generation of Chinese are here and set to continue the epic change that are occurring here. As we get closer and closer to the Olympics those in the West will hear more and more about the changes that have occurred and are occurring in China. I have a feeling that we are at the very beginning of this growth, that China is here to stay and will be the nation to leave the biggest fingerprint on the 21st century. This may be a cliche and overly reported (Time Magazine and other have already made this claim) but I feel lucky that I am here during this time, playing a small role in shaping the minds of the next generation of leaders, hoping that some of my ideas find their way into their heads. This influence may be the closest I get to really shaping major events of this century because the Chinese are coming and are set to shock the world.
4.12.2007
Easter in China
I have finally posted more of my photos to my Flickr page. You can access these from the side links. More will come in the next few days. You may notice that this update does not have a photo for everyday I was here. The project that I started this year, to take a photo everyday for the entire year has sadly failed. With the isolation that I have here on campus I started to miss days when I did not leave the campus. What I do have, however, is photos from Beihei Park, some everyday Chinese scenes and the construction at the Olympic Venues. I hope you enjoy. Now on to the Easter stories.
I had the unique experience of spending Easter in a non-Christian country. It was very odd to know that it was a holiday, yet there was nothing to make this day seem any different than any other. There was just as much construction, traffic and general busyness as there is on any other day in Beijing. It was, however, a beautiful day; sunny and 70. This factor alone made it a good day. I attended church for the first time in Beijing. The service that I attended was open only to foreign passport holders, they had people at the door to ensure that everyone coming through the doors presented a passport. They have services that are open to everyone here in China, but my guess is these services have a much more regulated message. While my Mandarin is improving, it will be quite a while until my level of fluency reaches the point where I can get anything other than a cultural experience out of the services open to all.
The service that I attended was housed in a theater. I would estimate that there was between 800-1200 people in attendance. The service was an interdenominational service with pretty good music. It was a somewhat more lively crowd during singing than I am used to, but I really cannot get too picky. There are far fewer church options here than there are in West Michigan. The service was good though not exceptional.
Following Church my friend and I went to the Goose and Duck pub to sit outside in the warm sun enjoying Western Food, a well cooked burger and fries. Not quite as traditional as Easter Brunch, but delicious nonetheless. Following lunch we decided that since everything was open we may as well get some shopping done. Where else to spend Easter Sunday in China than at IKEA.
The reality of a less expensive IKEA is somewhat difficult to imagine, but this is what IKEA in China is like. Things here really need to be less expensive since if items cost the same as they do in the States, IKEA would be far more expensive than they the local store. As it is, many things are more expensive than the local store, but not by that much. I stocked up on some odds and ends that always tend to fill your cart at IKEA but is questionable if these items are really necessary. I walked away with a lot of odds and ends and spent less than $30. I found it somewhat difficult to talk myself out of larger purchases that are really not necessary given I only have about 3.5 months left here this time and nowhere to store any furniture items while I am back in the States. It was difficult to pass up the good deals since it is amazing just how inexpensive things are here in China. Even living a somewhat luxurious lifestyle 150 U.S. dollars can get me through the better part of two weeks here, if not longer. This includes some shopping every week, 3-5 meals out a week, 1 or 2 of which are Western, Chinese Lessons, Transportation...even cabs, and at least one tourist activity in a 2 week period.
Easter had an odd feeling to it. It was certainly a holiday in my mind, but around me there was nothing that set it apart from most other days, at least in the minds of those that surrounded me. Adding to this feeling was the realization that this was the first major holiday (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas) that I have spent apart from my family. There are bound to be more in the future, but it made for a somewhat unusual mood for an already unusual Easter experience. The weather has remained nice here this week, making it somewhat difficult to focus on work. Most people at home just returned from Spring Break but I still have a few weeks to go until our break, for International Workers Day, May 1st.
Zai Jian
I had the unique experience of spending Easter in a non-Christian country. It was very odd to know that it was a holiday, yet there was nothing to make this day seem any different than any other. There was just as much construction, traffic and general busyness as there is on any other day in Beijing. It was, however, a beautiful day; sunny and 70. This factor alone made it a good day. I attended church for the first time in Beijing. The service that I attended was open only to foreign passport holders, they had people at the door to ensure that everyone coming through the doors presented a passport. They have services that are open to everyone here in China, but my guess is these services have a much more regulated message. While my Mandarin is improving, it will be quite a while until my level of fluency reaches the point where I can get anything other than a cultural experience out of the services open to all.
The service that I attended was housed in a theater. I would estimate that there was between 800-1200 people in attendance. The service was an interdenominational service with pretty good music. It was a somewhat more lively crowd during singing than I am used to, but I really cannot get too picky. There are far fewer church options here than there are in West Michigan. The service was good though not exceptional.
Following Church my friend and I went to the Goose and Duck pub to sit outside in the warm sun enjoying Western Food, a well cooked burger and fries. Not quite as traditional as Easter Brunch, but delicious nonetheless. Following lunch we decided that since everything was open we may as well get some shopping done. Where else to spend Easter Sunday in China than at IKEA.
The reality of a less expensive IKEA is somewhat difficult to imagine, but this is what IKEA in China is like. Things here really need to be less expensive since if items cost the same as they do in the States, IKEA would be far more expensive than they the local store. As it is, many things are more expensive than the local store, but not by that much. I stocked up on some odds and ends that always tend to fill your cart at IKEA but is questionable if these items are really necessary. I walked away with a lot of odds and ends and spent less than $30. I found it somewhat difficult to talk myself out of larger purchases that are really not necessary given I only have about 3.5 months left here this time and nowhere to store any furniture items while I am back in the States. It was difficult to pass up the good deals since it is amazing just how inexpensive things are here in China. Even living a somewhat luxurious lifestyle 150 U.S. dollars can get me through the better part of two weeks here, if not longer. This includes some shopping every week, 3-5 meals out a week, 1 or 2 of which are Western, Chinese Lessons, Transportation...even cabs, and at least one tourist activity in a 2 week period.
Easter had an odd feeling to it. It was certainly a holiday in my mind, but around me there was nothing that set it apart from most other days, at least in the minds of those that surrounded me. Adding to this feeling was the realization that this was the first major holiday (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas) that I have spent apart from my family. There are bound to be more in the future, but it made for a somewhat unusual mood for an already unusual Easter experience. The weather has remained nice here this week, making it somewhat difficult to focus on work. Most people at home just returned from Spring Break but I still have a few weeks to go until our break, for International Workers Day, May 1st.
Zai Jian
4.06.2007
The everyday details that make life abroad a unique experience
I was asked by one of my younger readers to share more of the humorous stories about my time here in China. I will attempt to do that in this entry, an attempt that by trying to make it funny will likely cause this entry to be less funny than most.
Today was a picture perfect day. High temperatures in the high 60's, light wind, sunny skies...or at least as sunny as the sky gets in Beijing, plus it was pay day which is always nice. In short, today was a perfect day to wander around the city, looking for things I had not yet done in my two months here.
Like seemingly all of my funny stories, this one occurred on the bus. I got on the bus headed to the subway station, yes the right bus this time, and paid my fare. The bus has been very crowded lately and today was no exception. As more and more people boarded the bus, I began to have to move further and further to the back. It got to the point where there were so many people on the bus that I was forced up on the back portion, a raised portion of the bus. As I was moving back there was a very loud popping sound which was made when my head had an unexpected run-in with the roof of the bus. That's right...my tall white self was too tall to fit on the back part of the bus while standing up. The sound was loud and of course caught the attention of the entire bus who wanted to see what had made this noise. The sound was much louder than the pain, but being stared at by literally everyone on the bus did make the collision more memorable. I proceeded to ride the rest of the way to my stop hunched over, bent at the waist so I could fit between the floor and roof of the bus without my head making this same loud sound every time we went over a bump. Needless to say, I stuck out just a little bit more than usual on the long ride to the subway.
School has gone much better this week. I find this to be somewhat amazing given that the weather is getting nicer and they are still a ways away from a break. One of the reasons that they are able to pay attention may be the daily exercises that they do. Everyday, for about 20 minutes, the kids parade outside to the basketball courts where they proceed to conduct group calisthenics accompanied by loud western dance music. This gives the teachers a nice break every morning and makes for an interesting spectacle. All of the kids where the same black and yellow school tracksuit (everyday but that is another story) which makes for the exercises to somewhat resemble a large group of bees doing arm circles, jumping jacks and many other exercises every morning. The outdoor calisthenics are then followed by more exercises when they get back to class. More exercises you ask...why yes, there are more exercises that they do. What could the possibly do in class that would not be totally disruptive to the learning process.... Well, after all the kids get back into the building a loud, piercing, overly excited voice comes over the intercom counting (in Chinese of course yi, er, san, si, wu, liu, chi, ba, jiu, shi) over and over. It took me a while to realize what was going on during this time, but I eventually got to my class a bit early to witness just what was going on. I found a student standing in front of the class leading eye and face exercises. If any of my readers have ever taken a class from Diane through the East Rec Department you will have a good idea of what these exercises look like. The class leader helps the class to move their eyes all directions, massage their face and temples and generally move the face a variety of ways that, at least through normal social interactions, the face does not move in. I am of the strong opinion that students in the U.S. have to exercise more, I am just not sure that the Chinese way is very effective. It does, however, seem to have at least some effect on the waistline though since there are very few overweight people in the school or in the country.
I hope all is well. I hope that everyone has a good Easter weekend. I will update soon. All the best.
Today was a picture perfect day. High temperatures in the high 60's, light wind, sunny skies...or at least as sunny as the sky gets in Beijing, plus it was pay day which is always nice. In short, today was a perfect day to wander around the city, looking for things I had not yet done in my two months here.
Like seemingly all of my funny stories, this one occurred on the bus. I got on the bus headed to the subway station, yes the right bus this time, and paid my fare. The bus has been very crowded lately and today was no exception. As more and more people boarded the bus, I began to have to move further and further to the back. It got to the point where there were so many people on the bus that I was forced up on the back portion, a raised portion of the bus. As I was moving back there was a very loud popping sound which was made when my head had an unexpected run-in with the roof of the bus. That's right...my tall white self was too tall to fit on the back part of the bus while standing up. The sound was loud and of course caught the attention of the entire bus who wanted to see what had made this noise. The sound was much louder than the pain, but being stared at by literally everyone on the bus did make the collision more memorable. I proceeded to ride the rest of the way to my stop hunched over, bent at the waist so I could fit between the floor and roof of the bus without my head making this same loud sound every time we went over a bump. Needless to say, I stuck out just a little bit more than usual on the long ride to the subway.
School has gone much better this week. I find this to be somewhat amazing given that the weather is getting nicer and they are still a ways away from a break. One of the reasons that they are able to pay attention may be the daily exercises that they do. Everyday, for about 20 minutes, the kids parade outside to the basketball courts where they proceed to conduct group calisthenics accompanied by loud western dance music. This gives the teachers a nice break every morning and makes for an interesting spectacle. All of the kids where the same black and yellow school tracksuit (everyday but that is another story) which makes for the exercises to somewhat resemble a large group of bees doing arm circles, jumping jacks and many other exercises every morning. The outdoor calisthenics are then followed by more exercises when they get back to class. More exercises you ask...why yes, there are more exercises that they do. What could the possibly do in class that would not be totally disruptive to the learning process.... Well, after all the kids get back into the building a loud, piercing, overly excited voice comes over the intercom counting (in Chinese of course yi, er, san, si, wu, liu, chi, ba, jiu, shi) over and over. It took me a while to realize what was going on during this time, but I eventually got to my class a bit early to witness just what was going on. I found a student standing in front of the class leading eye and face exercises. If any of my readers have ever taken a class from Diane through the East Rec Department you will have a good idea of what these exercises look like. The class leader helps the class to move their eyes all directions, massage their face and temples and generally move the face a variety of ways that, at least through normal social interactions, the face does not move in. I am of the strong opinion that students in the U.S. have to exercise more, I am just not sure that the Chinese way is very effective. It does, however, seem to have at least some effect on the waistline though since there are very few overweight people in the school or in the country.
I hope all is well. I hope that everyone has a good Easter weekend. I will update soon. All the best.
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